I do like the theme and approach of this LP but it feels all a bit forced. I think something more melodic here and there would be the proper contrast to the ever-droning sound. It is the same problem for all LPs of this sort: It is just too much in the same direction.
Progressive pop - can something like that even exist? Pop, by definition, is just not very innovative. It relies on the familiar. In my humble opinion, there can just be very few progress pop albums. Kate Bush's Hounds of Love is one of those very few examples. Instrumentation, lyrics, pure weirdness ('Waking the Witch'!) go hand in hand to create something very unique. This is indeed a classic that is really timeless.
As with the first album of the Beatles, listening to this is historically interesting but nothing you need to check out. A cover of blues songs and not as interesting as their later works.
Common's first 6 albums are milestones of the more sophisticated jazz rap of the 90s and early 2000s that was influenced by neo soul too. 'Be' doesn't waste time and puts you into all the things you would need to know as a Chicago kid. Common's lyrics are better than ever because he puts some subtle humor in the stories he tells. And then of course there is producer Kanye West. I never thought of him as a genius (albeit a great producer, of course always aided by an army of other talented people). I think 'Be' shows more than his own albums that West has talent.
This is without a doubt one of the best albums that have ever been produced simply because of the fact that is walks the tightrope of being danceable and sophisticated at the same time ("Crosseyed and Painless", "Houses in Motion" are the best examples for this). The musicianship is just grand with the inspiration from Fela Kuti's Afrobeat to construct polyrhythms as the backbone of the great instrumentation carried by bass, keyboards and guitars (Adrian Belew, here as a guest, delivers one of his best work) and David Byrne's lyrics. This is a masterpiece. I'd give it 6 star if I could!
Great genre mix.
Didn't like it that much, it is too pure punk for me.
Here you have everything you want from Dylan. The album might just be a wee bit too long.
Great album of Post-Britpop that has some problems here and there with keeping the vibe over time.
One of the best blue-eyed soul albums out there. You could really feel the combination of new elements and the tradition of soul. England is the best country for modern music, hands down.
I can see why this album was important for the genre of punk. It is just not my cup of tea. Too simple in its structure.
While Sonic Youth are not my favourites they deliver a strong, surprisingly idea heavy album.
Little Richard wrote great songs as it is evident on this album. I just don't know if he works on this length because many things sound similar.
Van Morrison is a great songwriter but I just can't really dig his style of delivering his songs. Another interpret would be great. While Astral Weeks is a gem in its own right, it is not for me.
I like Dolly Parton but I'm not sure she is for me on an album length. It's fine background music though.
It is a wonderful album that combines many styles.
Art Rock at its best. However, after the great start the later songs become a bit mediocre.
A magical album with so much atmosphere. It definitely wants me to listen more to The Cure which I often put a bit to the side!
I got 'Astral Weeks' recommended to me and I gave it just two stars because often I can't deal with Van Morrison. 'Moondance' is the wonderful exception though and his best album in my book. There is a clear style yet a lot of fun ideas that it never gets boring. One of the best albums!
Some people say: If you know one album by The Smiths you know basically every Smiths song. Parts of that are true but I think that's mainly because of Morrissey's voice. There is some great musicianship next to his vocal delivery and I think you can hear that on this LP. It is a great listen and maybe the one you need by this band.
So many great tunes on here that really showed what rock music can do.
Usually I like Eno's works but that goes more for his straight-up ambient work, especially with Robert Fripp. Also his job as a producer is tremendous. This album is not for me. Some of the later tracks have a nice experimental character to them. Besides that it's not really for me.
It is a masterpiece of rock music - not just prog rock - and one of the best albums of this band. I could write endless paragraphs about it. The strongest suit might be the highly versatile jump between complex and challenging parts as well as the the melodies and atmosphere. 'Books of Exile' is reminiscent of the more 'romantic' KC while something like 'Easy Money' shows how banging and jamming goes. Absolutely gorgeous!
It's just not for me. Experimental stuff by a dude that was mainly produced by another dude (Trevor Horn).
When it comes to rock music Deep Purple is solid and so is this album. But it's nothing that will be too memorable for me.
It's a nice country album with some depth that other albums are missing. Nothing too special though if you have the limits of the genre in mind.
Nice background music, certainly from it's time. I liked it but nothing of it was too memorable.
It is a classic and we all know why. PF was more psychedelic at this point but you can already see why they would become one of the big five of the prog rock genre.
Not as good as other Dylan albums but a worthwhile, a bit too bluesy listen.
Like most people I prefer the more guitar-based Cohen. But from his 80s era this is really good. There are some very political, complex themes in this album which portrays the maestro with a banana on its cover. Cohen knows how to deal with life.
It's a fast and funky soul album that misses some highlights.
This band produced solid music over the ages. I know many who think this is their best album. And, yeah, I can see why. From time to time you always want to shout: 'Master!' - Wrong album, I know, but it would work. I don't know if that's a good or a bad sign.
Green Day was always this mainstream'ish punk music to me so I never invested to much time in their work. Now I got suggested this album and I can say that they are alright. Some nice work from the rhythm group here. Can't say that I care too much for it. A solid listen, nothing more, nothing less.
The Talking Heads make great music. You can hear what made them great: Existenzial lyricism combined with paranoia and absurdism too - without forgetting about the humor. Musically the later albums are more interesting.
It might be boring to say it but this is the best album of this mighty band. It shows that the Stones were also a great band in the studio itself. 'Wild Horses' and 'Moonlight Mile' are highlights for the ages.
I nearly stopped this album after the first seconds. While I was always interested in music from middle and eastern Asia it's certainly something just for certain moments with our western ears. After a while it clicked. There is something uplifting in it that I can't put my finger to it. While this won't turn me to Islam I see the general appeal.
Common's first 6 albums are milestones of the more sophisticated jazz rap of the 90s and early 2000s that was influenced by neo soul too. 'Be' doesn't waste time and puts you into all the things you would need to know as a Chicago kid. Common's lyrics are better than ever because he puts some subtle humor in the stories he tells. And then of course there is producer Kanye West. I never thought of him as a genius (albeit a great producer, of course always aided by an army of other talented people). I think 'Be' shows more than his own albums that West has talent.
Bon Jovi's music is rock music that is just too polished for me. The album is fine enough for some background music though.
Buckley is a gem in the subgenre of Psychedelic Folk. I like his approach but I think the album is a bit too meandering sometimes. I'll definitely check other works of him out!
Look, this album is not something you listen to while you dust your living room, all right? It is an early work of industrial and drone sound to create nightmarish landscapes. There are certainly better guitarists than Blixa Bargeld on a technical level but few people in music use their instrument to create proper soundscapes like that. In that respect, he is closer to Robert Fripp and his Frippertronics than Eric Claption or Jimmy Page. Compare that with Unruh's and Einheit's percussion work you have something extraordinary.
An allright rock album.
This is how some freaking rock should be! You could argue that there are some highlights missing here and there but hey-ho - this is fun.
Barry Adamson has a great ear for atmospheric melodies and arrangements that are more than droning, noising or loud sounds that dominate a lot of actual soundtracks these days. The problem of the album might be the too different styles. A better track order might've helped. I prefer him as part of the Bad Seeds.
A good addition in the neo soul genre but like with the classic acts (D'Angelo) too many of the songs seem to blend into one another with the same style & lyrics. Certainly enjoyable for a chill background music and even in another particular room with a bed.
When you listen to their album you see that The Mamas & The Papas are often closer to a folksy sort of swing music with their interpretation of standards. 'California Dreamin' and other songs might give a different impression. This combination this album a worthwhile collection of songs.
It's a great soul album!
This is a classic album for hip hop, no doubt about that. When you listened to it often enough you feel the limits of the early hip hop though. And it is still funny to me how activists these days hail it as some sort of emancipation for black people (which is certainly true to some extent) but ignore the positive attitudes towards guns, drugs, violence and the overwhelming sexism.
Fats Domino is a smooth singer and piano player and great to get the day going. Overall it misses a bit of a high mark which is not a surprise for the non-concept albums of these days.
A decent listen from a talented band that somehow wasn't as exciting to me as all the British bands at the same time. They had something outstanding that GD lacked. Hence the album flows mellow but highlights are missing.
Think of Clapton's political opinions what you will but this is a classical album with a laid-back attitude. While I personally prefer JJ Cale, this album is gorgeous with all that you need from a blues rock guitarist.
This no-nonsense attitude is respectable for 5 minutes. Then the 'songs' are just annoying. I felt taken aback to one of these bad memories of my fellow puberty friends trying to be 'hard' because they listened to Napalm Death. In these days, I hope they see that this is just boring.
For some reason I confused this band always with punk bands from the 2000s. But, no, My Bloody Valentine does excellent shoegaze and this album shows their talent. It is atmospheric, unclear, but in a good way. It gets your juices flowing. As with most of the genre, it can be a bit repetitive so usually less would be more.
An absolute classic of rock music. You can hear that Led Zeppelin sometimes drift into proggier territories and that is right so. They have a talent of bringing the right pieces together with every band member with talent in its own right.
I was never a fan of this band. Except some singles I couldn't care that much for them. Now I listened to my first Guns N' Roses album and I was positively surprised. There is some direct approach that is quite refreshing. It works all very well together, especially the guitars in contrast to Axl Rose's voice. Am I going to listen to more albums? Probably not. But it was a nice detour nonethless.
A not-so-well known gem of the psychedelic rock subgenre that comes across a bit harder than other works of British bands. And that's fine.
The Flaming Lips have many albums under their plate and this one is definitely their master piece. It makes great transitions from faster and slower, lusher and harder, deeper and thoughtful. It certainly is their best album so far and I wish they would look out more for quality than quantity.
A classic of the Folk Rock genre. They were a good team with those harmonies and the songwriting structure.
I'm one of those people who, in the on-going debate of which is the best Springteen album (at least of the pre-2000 years), is the best: Born in the USA or Darkness on the Edge of Town? Whenever I lead to one, the other ones let me discover something new. Right now, while listening to this classic again, I think Darkness has a small lead. While not all the songs are as iconic as on the later follow up they do have bit more variety in style to them. Darkness shows how Springteen's Roy Bittan pianist placed the keys so central compared to other rock music at the time, especially as punk was on the rise. That really helps to stand out and makes every track a great story of their own. 'Adam Raised A Cain' and the title track might be my favourite ones on this grandiose journey through the American heartland. The 'worst' track might be 'Streets of Fire' because it is just an example of the forceful albeit by now standard, even somewhat parody-ish Springsteen style. But other than that? A great classic.
This album has a great thematic concept and the different blend of styles is quite cool - till the album becomes just too long and if feels like you have either some downtempo lounge sound, Indian music or a female singer piano based ballad. It's nice but not something you will listen to that often.
A nice ska and reggae album that transfers the music of Jamaica into a proper British context. Is it as good as the stuff from the island? No. But it is so more unique than many other 'white reggae' stuff that came later.
This jazz-rock album was often described as cleaner and more accessible than previous albums. To me it sounds quite poppy and I'm not sure I like that. I think jazz-rock and fusion don't need to go this way. It certainly stands out in this approach but when you have something like Soft Machine and the entire Canterbury scene - why not chose these guys?
Elis Regina is a grand dame in the South American music, especially Bossa Nova and similar genres. While I prefer her softer colleagues she shows a wide rang of skills on this album that has something quite powerful to it.
This band made better music but also the shoegaze genre has better folks out there. It is all a bit too similar for my taste.
This album has the typical forward-driving sound of the band which can be quite charming but is rather repititive over a while. I liked to listen to it but rock music really has so much more to offer.
I do like the theme and approach of this LP but it feels all a bit forced. I think something more melodic here and there would be the proper contrast to the ever-droning sound. It is the same problem for all LPs of this sort: It is just too much in the same direction.
A nice treat that shows what a great performer Brown was - especially when he had the right band with him. Overall it is a bit short though.
A bit too similar but a style that was copied later again and again. I respect this album for what it is in music history.
An interesting collection of songs.
This album shows the big talent of Buddy Holly. He has the roll in rock'n'roll.
Cohen wrote many great albums and this is definitely one of them. While other albums might contain better and more famous songs this one here really shows why he's such a great song writer. He doesn't need cheap rhymes or a great singing voice to lure you into his musical world.
Without a doubt one of the best albums by The Who. Sometimes it feels though that Roger Daltrey holds the songs more back and that Pete Townshend should've done a lot more solo stuff a lot earlier.
Hardcore Punk is usually not my cup of tea but Henry Rollins knows how to lead a band behind him. Maybe they're not meant to be funny but some moments are exactly that. I can enjoy it but I will not listen to it it too much.
Zappa is a genius, his band is great too and the influence on the prog rock genre is crystalclear. As an album itself, I think it is simply too long and unnecessary 'artsy'. It's not something you can listen to very often. Hence three stars from me.
It is one of the most powerful hardcore albums in the list because it can really get things going. A cheese grater torturing a guitar? Yeah, that's how it sounds. And when you're in the mood for it why not? In the end, it is all a bit too similar.
This folk album has a variety of many songs. It is still a bit too standard for me when it comes to folk. I need more progressive, more haunting elements. This is too much 'bar music'. Still a great listen.
A great selection of classical songs. Ray's delivery is one of the best. His voice carriers so much - it's not just an instrument but half an orchestra. I rate it four stars because while it is great it's just another selection of standards.
I love The Beatles as the next man but their early albums are not as powerful as the proto-prog of the later days. It's a decent listen though but overall you wish for more.
It is a classic and rightfully so. You have everything you need in a concept album here, whether that concept is looser or tighter. The great thing is that you can still listen to each song on their own.
As with the first album of the Beatles, listening to this is historically interesting but nothing you need to check out. A cover of blues songs and not as interesting as their later works.
Another nice listen by Dusty Springfield with some famous tunes and many highlights.
An absolute classic of rock music, especially for the genre of acid punk. There are so many great songs on here that sound a bit like the Stranglers would do psychedelic rock with a little bit of Talking Heads. Definitely one of this gems everyone should listen to!
There are many shoegaze albums in this 1001 list. Why, I do wonder, because the genre can be quite limited. This album is better than others and a nice background listen but it's quite hard to make out the highlights.
New Order brought a certain special style of electronic-aided rock music into the world. This album showcases their talent best.
This band/Art collective was an inspiration for Rammstein. I don't like either of them that much but I can at least appreciate the musical character and especially the rearrangements of pop songs of the time. I'm sure this album did lots to get music evolving. It's just not my cup of tea.
Country with a lot of schmalz can be nice on a journey. It evokes certain emotions that Jones's voice transports over everything you need in country. It's an album you'd present to a newbie in the genre. He might not be too impressed but nothing much can go wrong too.
Nick Cave is the best songwriter in my opinion and so it's no surprise that I will say only positive things about his albums. 'Ghosteen' is another masterpiece but I understand the scepticism of people who have not much connection to Nick Cave's work. In the grand scheme of the discography of him and his band it's certainly something. Brooding, ambient, some say dark but on other parts quite uplifting. Abstract and challenging. Sometimes I miss more of the band because most of it was made by Nick & Warren Ellis alone. I still recommend everybody to listen to this though.
The first album of this great band is a must-listen. While I like the later releases more - because the band tried out more - you can see the genius formula for great and catchy songs with 'I'm so bored with the USA'. RIP Joe Strummer who has gone way too early.
This dance-rock hybrid is surely something worthwhile to listen to, on a drive or a when you clean your house. But if you inspect it closer it's all a bit too similar.
Another example of an album that is an important stepping stone to make rock more interesting and sophisticated. While labelled as psychedelic rock it can also be put under the subgenre proto-prog rock. I love the works with the flute. But the vocals! Argh! No, that doesn't really work. I stay with the actualy classics of the genre(s).
Motörhead has its place in the olymp of straightforward rock music but it's not really for me. I feel a lot of this powerchord stressing isn't a very interesting path for rock music.
Country music has a lot more to over than just cowboy stuff and this album is a wonderful example for it. This is alternative country sliding into folk with darker, brooding themes. I love it! The opener is gorgeous. After a while you'd wish for more diverse arrangements though.
Considered the comeback record of Muddy Waters in the 1970s. It's a fresh, rocky collection of blues song that make you get going in the morning.
For some reason I, a rock-nerd, never got much into Radiohead. The suggestion was therefore very welcome. I did enjoy this album and its many ideas with its different sounds. I listend to earlier Radiohead stuff after that. And I liked it! That Thom Yorke's vocals are often distorted helps because they often really put me off. I enjoyed the jazzy elements as well.
Progressive pop - can something like that even exist? Pop, by definition, is just not very innovative. It relies on the familiar. In my humble opinion, there can just be very few progress pop albums. Kate Bush's Hounds of Love is one of those very few examples. Instrumentation, lyrics, pure weirdness ('Waking the Witch'!) go hand in hand to create something very unique. This is indeed a classic that is really timeless.
One of the classics of the Afrobeat genre. I appreciate it but over a while the album's tracks blend a bit into each other. There are no clear highlights, at least to my untrained ear in this genre. I enjoyed it though.
Without a doubt Sign o’ the Times is one of the best albums by Prince. He shows his talents as a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and performer (Camille). It’s the Prince sound, no matter what. ‘Hot Thing’ and later ‘The Cross’ are my favourite tracks with the later being a bit different than the rest of the tracks. Prince made so many other great records and was home in many genres. This albums reminds us that he want too early.
I'm a big fan of Costello's work whether the old stuff or the new. His third album is a typical example of the brazen, smart new wave style. While the line of style is clear, the themes are wide and so this album has much for everyone. Definitely a listen that gets you going in the morning. 'Moods for Moderns' is my favourite track.
This showcase of Elvis Presley's talent combines the strength of his powers - steered by the right producers and musicians around him. It's a great start to get into Elvis who is more of a single's artist anyway.
I just listened to this album the other day. From the perspective of the variety of styles this might be the best album of that iconic duo, especially with the highly politicised last track. An absolute classic!
Paul McCartney has a giant body of work under his belt outside of The Beatles. This might be one of the best albums he created. He is such a great songwriter with the ear for melodies. It's not clear how much influence his then-wife had but as a group effort it is great. There are so many styles tied together by clever order for those tracks.
Michael Jackson put some great effort in his albums, more than we tend to think, but he'll mostly be remembered for this powerful singles. He's a singles artist, whether he liked it or not. And so it goes for 'Bad' which might be one of his best albums. But I only really care for Bad, The Way You Make Me Feel and Smooth Criminal - three powerful singles, accompanied by more mediocre tracks. Hence I give Bad as an album an average rating.
A collection of great soul classics. You miss a bit the highlights and innovation from our times since there are so many versions of these songs.
Brian Eno and David Bowie produced and mixed this album. They must have seen something in this band. I say they are a decent listen but for me it felt like an uneven mixture of Talking Heads (the singing style - but not as innovative) and Television (the instrumentation - without the streamlined, focused approach). There is some humour in their absurd texts and antics but compared to those other bands I rather listen to those. For someone else, who'll find a different way into music, it might be something.
I must have listen to this album a million times. It's one of the greatest hip hop albums ever made with a solid production on all levels and wordplay of great lyricists. The best Wu-Tang tracks are those were quality is over quantity (that also goes for the numbers of rappers on those tracks). Here it all comes together. Favourite track: Hard to say but I'd go with 'Wu-Tang Clan Ain't nuthin ta fuck with'.
A combination of nice folk tracks with psychedelic elements and great guitar work. It really takes a while to get into Martyn's voice though I find.
This is one of the best albums of rock music ever. Television is post-punk in the best way and unique in their clean, controlled style. Every track is a wonderful little journey.
A nice and wild ride of rock music that tried something. It still feels a bit unfocused and therefore I go for other psychedelic and progressive rock.
This is a big classical album by Prince and certainly one of his top 5 if not top 3 albums. Much has been said about it. I find some of the outros of some of the songs a bit irritating. Hence I give it 4 out of 5.
Not the biggest fan of Ozzy and BS but this is a great selection of songs. I love the opener that just starts directly with the action. I think I like it more than their infamous debut.
Indeed: This is raw power! But that means that the music could have done with some work here and there. Certainly not as good as other album by The Stooges.
A haunting experience that for some reasons relies too much on the underproduced vocals. Why do that for every track on the album? I think 'Desintegration' is the better album because it was way better produced.
AC/DC is to me the parody of rock music. The people who love this band are mostly bland people. Now, I tried this album out and with the intro and the first tracks I was positively surprised. But then the vocals kick in... The way of singing is basically the same on every track. Not for me. I can tolerate some tracks in the back but that's about it.
While I prefer Crosby's work with those other big names - you know who I'm talking about - this album has really a great mix of louder and quieter tunes, all wonderfully arranged. You can also hear what great guitarist Crosby was. At a point I miss something that diverts a bit from the style though.
This album was made at the height of Grunge but it has many stylistic elements, especially in instrumentation, that reminds one of psychedelic rock. They use Indian instruments or the mellotron, popularized by prog rock. In some way you might think this album was created by time travellers. Then again often some of the typical vocals and - how should I call it? - singing styles of that time break through. Overall a pretty cool album with a better later half I find.
Obviously one of the best album by the boss with so many great classics on it. 'I'm on Fire' might be my favourite.
Paul Weller crafted an album that is indeed a nice journey to a wild wood, with ups and downs, drama, and personal struggles. I love how easily he mixes the soft and the harder tones. This albums definitely deserves its status as a classic.
A great jazz album that is the epitome of bar atmosphere with a wonderful host. Still can't get behind scat in vocisl jazz.
I do like some progressive country music here and there. This one has nice ideas and a certain groove. However, I wasn't too impressed by it. At some point it just sounds relatively standard to my ear.
A better selection of original stones songs. Some of them are still too rooted in other people's music.
While I do appreciate some great latin music this focus on percussion seems a bit too meandering for me. I can enjoy it in the back but that's about it.
Another great album by this soul-funk band.
On this album, Led Zeppelin is still very much rooted in blues music - something they would transcend on later albums. It's a great collection nonetheless with many classics and the right atmosphere. Soul of a woman was created below, for sure!
The Sonics are one of the rockier bands of the the 60s Rock'n'Roll. It is mostly a selection of songs written by other people which they adapt in a rawer style that is quite different to e.g. The Kinks of that time. It doesn't work on all of the songs and by the time you hear track 5 you get the formula. Some songs are very good for what they want especially 'Have Love Will Travel' that was so wonderfully used in Guy Ritchie's RockNRolla. All in all this is a great album with some songs full of energy - and others you'll skip.
Frank Zappa is without a doubt a genius in music but I can't get into most of his music. This here is one example. The tracks sound like giant jam sessions with some horn arrangements on time - which can be great. But I think I just got lots of other experience with that already by listening to many prog rock albums. Hence I can't rate it this one that high.
Joni Mitchell is a legend. She is a great lyricist. However, her vocals are a bit limited and can be quite tiresome. Hence I can't rate this album with 5 stars even though I kinda would like to because thematically this woman really delivers.
I'm a big fan of Johnny Cash's later work and the American series in general. This is one of the best entries. People talk too much about 'Hurt' but there are so many other great tracks on this album. Check them out please!
Is this an album of collection of songs - and just said? Afraid so. Country would benefit from more concepts behind their albums. Loretta Lynn's work is the bet example of this. All the songs are quite enjoyable but there is a certain similarity around that makes the whole thing not really stick in your mind.
This is certainly a classic of the later RnB. It has some great songs but I prefer the Neo Soul movement if I want to listen to the music of that time.
This album has a wonderful groove that is carried by the drums who are not soft and energetic but not too frantic or too dominant either. I really enjoyed all of the songs - expect this cover of Pink Floyd's great 'Comfortably Numb'. While the cover surely has its own style it really is awful.
This is the most well-known album by Iggy Pop as a solo artist. For a good reason! It has drive, power but it is all about dark stuff like heroin abuse. Trainspotting used the title track for a good reason.
This classic is the one album by Jay Z you need to listen to. It has clever wordplay and dope production. It is another album that showed us Kanye West's production skills.
Man, this list really loves Led Zeppelin, eh? This is the 4th album of Led Zeppelin I have now in my list. Compared to I to IV I think 'Physical Graffiti' has more ups and downs. This is due to its nature as a collection of songs for other albums. Sure, we have 'Kashmir' on this one but also some not so interesting songs like 'Custard Pie' or 'The Rover'. An issue for me is the mixing. Robert Plant's voice often sounds like he put through a tunnel which diminishes his high-pitched efforts as one of the best singer in rock music. Hence I give this 4 instead of 5 stars (like the other albums).
This is one of my favourite albums. Nilsson was once deemed just to be a solo Beatle (since he worked with Lennon) but his music is a lot more. It is rocky and mellow and the same time and there is always some sense of longing. It's a perfect album for many moods. Favourite track: Too many! "Jump into the Fire" if I had to choose one.
This is a great collection of the most well-known songs of Aretha Franklin. I like the mixing - it doesn't make any element of the music, whether voices nor instruments, overtly dominant.
A great album of storytelling that uses many musical elements.
For many folks this is one of the best album by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. This goes especially for then-not-fans who see them a bit critical - but usually they are blown away by this album. And there is a good reason for that: This album has one of the richest instrumentation that backs up Nick Cave. It is Gospel Rock on a grandiose scale that highlights the talents of all the musicians involved. The double album is therefore split by who drummed: Abatoir Blues by Sclavanous and The Lyre of Orpheus by Thomas Wydler. Both have their own distinct styles, the former a gentle giant and the latter a capacious cat. You could argue that Nick's lyrics are - while as always great - a bit repetitive here and there. He uses a lot of the same imagery, sometimes starting a song with the same setup ("Through the..."). But this would be nitpicking. He's a charismatic preacher as well as chronist of a world of love, thunder and God. Best songs: 'Hiding all away' on the first side, 'Breathless' on the second side.
This album is a milestone of hip hop and the perfect example of old school work. Everybody knows 'The Message'. But what few people who have not actually listened to this album know is that the old school rap is just one part of the album. The opener 'She's Fresh' is pure funk with live instruments or 'You Are' a proper soul ballad. You could say that this a funk album all in all. And that is great. It's rich and you want to groove. I don't give it 5 stars because the simple raps feel a bit outdated today.
This is without a doubt one of the best albums that have ever been produced simply because of the fact that is walks the tightrope of being danceable and sophisticated at the same time ("Crosseyed and Painless", "Houses in Motion" are the best examples for this). The musicianship is just grand with the inspiration from Fela Kuti's Afrobeat to construct polyrhythms as the backbone of the great instrumentation carried by bass, keyboards and guitars (Adrian Belew, here as a guest, delivers one of his best work) and David Byrne's lyrics. This is a masterpiece. I'd give it 6 star if I could!
This song has some nice tunes but overall it's a bit too poppy for me.
This album has a bit of an awkward and slow start but it really gets going with the later tracks. I thought I wouldn't enjoy it but I really did in the end - literally!
On the first tracks I needed a while to get into the albums but later I could really enjoy this glam rock that doesn't shy away from anything - in a time where rock music was heavily besieged by numetal.
This is one of the more influential albums of Neo Soul. If you like D'Angelo you'll like that. And I do. I think Maxwell is even better because his smoothness and lyrical focus makes this a more coherent album that has also some more interesting instrumentation than the first two D'Angelo albums.
Scott Walker is a good guy and does well on this album. There are stronger singers though and I think they could really do more by giving him less but more poignant instruments to sing too (even if that sounds counter-intuitive).
Jethro Tull has many great albums under their belt. 'Aqualung' is certainly one of them. It shows the wide range of styles of the band. I don't listen as often to it as my favourite 'Songs From The Wood' but I thorougly enjoy it and recommend it for everyone who want to get into this band.
What? Another record by The Smiths? Don't they all sound too similar anyway? Well, yeah. That's what people say. Good thing is that this album has a hand full of more funkier elements than earlier but also later albums - despite the dark topics. You can't do anything wrong by listening to this.
This is a grand album somewhere between psychdelic rock and early progressive rock. I really enjoyed this one, especially the interplay between drums and piano.
This is surely some great musicianship but I find it overall not as interesting as later works of other blues rockers including Eric Clapton himself.
...and while I say again that Michael Jackson is more of a singles artist I think that this album has really a lot of gems and feels better in it its consistency than Bad. The title track and 'Beat It' are obviously great but already the opener goes in full.
I love Tina Turner as the next man but this one of this pop records where some singles are great but not so much the rest. The title track, "Better Be Good To Me" or "What's Love Got to Do with It" stand out, the rest is alright. Got to say that I have my issues with ranking artists high who 'just' sing these songs but don't write or produce them.
Without a doubt one of the hallmarks in David Bowie's career. There are great instrumentals that work well with the sometimes dark lyrics.
Nick Cave's first band made a punk record that was basically punk when it was already dead. It's a corpse of punk. Dark stories straight out of horror films or weird fiction instead of political protest songs. "She's hit" is one of those masterpieces. Still, I prefer the Bad Seeds. Nick evolved to be a great songwriter and lyricist with the help of those talented musicians. If he and Mick Harvey would've continued with this band they might have not become the talented chaps they were now. The music just sounds too similar in the end.
Music lovers shouldn't underestimate the importance of Gary Numan. The robotic early-synth style was phenomenal back in the days while it might seem a bit 'And what's the big deal about it?' now. The music is synth-based but not completely electronic yet like it would be in the 1980s. "Conversations" is phenomenally great. But in a way, Gary Numan is a one-trick pony. This album and the two Tubeway Army records seem interchangeable. I'm not sure if you are not better suited with the LP Replicas if you want to get into his stuff. Shout out to Cedric Sharpely, his drummer here who shows why drum machines will always be boring. Check out his first band Druid who would've been stars of the genre if they just had stepped some two years or so earlier into the scene.
This is surely an impressive live album and I get why it is voted as one of the best out there. I just don't find Frampton's music that interesting.
A solid entry of earlier rock and blues music. The albums gets more interesting towards the end.
I'm no fan of metal and I know why. It is just too forced. Don't really get the love for Anthrax here.
What starts as a standard country song has some more depth as the time goes on. I really enjoyed this one!
Blondie's third album is a real charmer. Their producer made them write proper songs and do a whole 'less is more approach'.
This a great live album by a talented band. For the perfection I would want some more surprises and diverse instrumentation.
Another nice addition from the early days of punk from the UK. It sounds as much punk as you want it to sound. I like it but since I prefer rother genres more I can only rank it with 4 stars.
This album is a nice, easy listen but in many ways dated. I cringe when I hear these fake pan flute synths.
The sample work is rich and impressive but it really is not my kind of music. Samples of female singers, then high-pitched? Nah, not for me!
Indian music is often reduced to some trip scenes in movies. We often don't know proper music. This album by Shankar is a good bridge into the genre with it's combination of western sounds, instruments and some covers. I prefer the last tracks though instead of some of the covers because it is more of the actual music we want to listen to.
This pseudo live album bursts of energy. I like it!
A nice punk album that feels too long even though it's super short. Not a good sign, eh?
Roxy Music's first album is pure delight. They are eclectic but not proggish but created what others would call Art Rock later. Love it!
Another great experimental album that does has some lengths on its second half. It also seems to me that John Cale is the more interesting character compared to Lou Reed. I enjoy his solo works a lot more.
I was positively surprised by this album. Next to the famous 'Nothing Compares 2 U' there are many other styles in music here that sound quite timeless but still somewhat root it in the 1990s. In that respect, O'Connor's album is closer to the soulful tracks of Massive Attack. I enjoyed it!
Breakbeats, lounge, trip hop - this is a 90s album as you like it. It's the best background music. Nightmares On Wax crafted better tracks though.
This might be Tom Waits's best album. His bluesy ballads are pure atmosphere and describe people and their many sufferings. It is underlaid with some music that could be great background music for a party but in this constellation forms a bond with its singer.
Solid folk album with some nice covers of popular songs but over time I find Baez's voice a bit tiresome.
A solid listen but Emmylou Harris can't keep me with her voice for the length of an album.
The first album is a giant classic of hip hop. Not only you have the cartoonish, near-parody of gangsta rap with B-Real's & Sen Dog's lyrics that show how you can laugh about yourself and still be gangsta at the same time. It is mostly known for the production by DJ Muggs who as a Westcoast guy uses an near all-sampled approach of classics of funk and soul music in a very sophisticated way. Their music would get darker in the subsequent records so many people consider this record as one of the bests. I say you can listen to all of those first four albums. Best tracks: How I Could Just Kill A Man, Latin Lingo, Hand On The Pump, Stoned Is The Way Of The Walk
Never cared that much for KISS but I was pleasantly surprised by this album. Especially the latter tracks show some musical dexterity that I didn't expect.
I enjoyed 'I Should Coco' but this one was too annoying.
At the time of their release I never paid much attention to Franz Ferdinand but I can see why their discoesque, powerful but still sophisticated style has something to it.
I require a special brand of punk music. This is not it but I appreciate the commitment, especially in songs like Chemical Warfare.
Nice little rock album that gets you into some work. Some highlights missing but another listen might change that.
A wonderful album that wraps sad and sarcastic text into lovable music. Imagine The Smiths being a bit more playful and you have this classical album of The Triffids.
This album doesn't deserve to be on the list. While it is all right and has some character on some of the songs it is still meandering. Loops are not an adequate replacement for actual drums.
A jolly good live album of a band that I hadn't heard of before. They really combine the louder and quieter parts very well and end with a country-like song - the end of an acid dream. The only thing I wished for: More highlights, less meandering in the middle tracks.
Another great album that could be considered proto prog with lots of psychedelic and folksy element - but without going too much over the top.
It was a nice listen but I can't say I was too impressed.
A nice album of trio ladies who definitely know their harmonies. What you miss are some highlights but I guess that's sweet country folk for you.
The Eagles are a singles band to me. I have a knack for their harmonies combined with the country rock of the earlier albums. I still can't dig the opener but really enjoy 'Witchy Woman' and others. I wouldn't listen toe the album that many times again but pick out some of the best tunes.
The dream pop of the late 80s and 90s knows better albums. Still this is a worthwhile listen of this great band.
Snoop's classical album is a must listen for every golden age rap fanboy. The beats are g-funk at its best and the lyrics - while extremely sexualized - always funny because of that. Don't take it too seriously but enjoy the relaxed wild ride.
Nice country record that still misses something to make it kinda unique for someone who's not too much into country.
Okay, I'm going to say it: This album is not only one of Gaye's best works but maybe even better than the well known What's Going On. The music is more interesting (the drums) and Gaye works with many harmonies. Maybe it doesn't win out thematically but it is the better bedroom music.
This record is fire and really doesn't let up after you started it. Funny and charming.
This album gives now, in the year 2023, an almost melancholic and nostalgic vibe. I love it! Rich but not overburdened instrumentation that creates a room to breathe for the vocals about love and desire.
When I hope for some more progressive country music it is something like this record I have in mind. While a bit too eclectic here and there I very much enjoyed it.
This is a classical Dylan album and one of his best works. There is nothing much to say except praises. However, I personally don't find Dylan that impressive compared to other big names like Cave, Cohen or Waits. Hence I can just rate it 4 stars.
Eno's works are usually a hit and miss for me and I didn't think much of this album at first. The opening tracks are not that interesting but the later works like 'Sombre Reptiles' really have a strange charm to it. Very much recommended!
To me this sounds like a happier version of Timber Timbre. I enjoy it very much even if some of the music is a bit too formulaic here and there.
So far Supergrass didn't really impress me but I do like this album as a nice, direct approach.
In my youth I was tormented by the omnipresence of the song Clint Eastwood. The video was a big misleading as well. Now, listening to the whole album, I discovered a lot more. It is a decent listen but the 2nd half feels rather dull. Ironically enough, it's also the part with more and more dub elements which is a genre of the reputation to be a bit meandering.
Nice listen with a health mix of styles. They should've not used drum computers on some of the songs. It really makes some parts of the music artificial.
This really is a great album that doesn't really qualify as post-punk anymore since it is not that much punk left anymore - and that is very much a good thing! I thoroughly enjoyed these dreamy (but not too dreamy) landscapes of music.
A great album that shows how much is going on in Brazil music wise. Is this tropical rock or how it's called? Maybe even better.
A nice post punk record that gets going in the 2nd half after a bit of weak start.
Some albums who bend genres have problems to satisfy all the needs of the genre. But on this album Steely Dan has a very attractive mix of songs that are easy accessible but more complex than you might imagine. It's wonderful blend of jazz rock and pop.
There was a big hype around The Strokes when they were around back in the days. As someone who grew up with older rock music I always wondered what my contemporaries found in them. Didn't they just sound like a little updated version of The Kinks and other bands? Now, years later after I got recommended this album, I still stand by my opinion. The music is solid albeit surprise free. I'd rather listen to some old school stuff.
Sinatra's best album will always be 'In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning' which captures the melancholy swing at best. This one here is great too with some of his most famous tunes. But these days one might deem it a bit much of a rather standard collection of songs.
I never liked Slipknot and I never will. Most metal like this is shit whether you call it alternative metal, groove metal or nu metal. Growling and boring shredding of guitar. Get the fuck outta here.
I know that the 90s sample music with breakbeats has its place in music history but I can't really enjoy it that much. It's like hip hop without good lyrics but not lively enough to enjoyed as instrumental pieces. Okay for some background music.
I can't really deal with the Arctic Monkeys because their music sounds to frantic for me. Like you would put one of the veteran Britpoppers into a time machine and let them out in a wild time - but not for the better. Their music suffers. Hence I was sceptical about this side project of their frontman. But he said he loved Bowie so... Yeah, it sounds a bit like Bowie. And Western music. It is a great combination of these sounds. But then the singing starts and, well, yeah, I can enjoy the music but not the singing. Hence it's a solid album to me but nothing I will listen to too often.
This is some fine African blues music. I can't really say too much to the genre other than it sounded exactly like I wanted it to sound. Not sure that is good or bad but you can't really say anything bad about the quality of these songs.
I never heard much by Adams. This album was fine, a nice rock'ish and popp'ish collection of songs.