A big reason of why i decided to start the 1001 journey was the chance to discover something that even as a self proclaimed music aficionado i may have missed. "Hidden gems" if you will. The kind of record that after a single listening session can make me scratch my head and think "how did i not listen to this before?" Well, i'm just glad to have found Kiwanuka now.
I've never really cared for Van Morrison aside from thinking his songs are "nice". I still feel that way. Songs are nice, album cohesion is nice, not much to complain about. Nothing particularly exciting either. Just nice.
It's a generic early 90's hard rock album with 60's rock influence. The old school influences aren't enough to set it apart, in my opinion. Not bad, just mediocre.
I spent my entire teenage years knowing all the singles of this album, and never paid attention to the rest. Clearly i haven't been missing much. Too long, too much of the same. Only knowing the singles was enough.
While it does have moments of brilliance, the album is too long for it's own good. Between the grunge albums that have legendary status, this is one of my least favorites.
Sung poetry. Cohen is one of the best lyricists of modern music history.
While not groundbreaking, it's an enjoyable hip-hop album from the 2000's, with plenty of clever verses and catchy beats.
Overall an energetic album that doesn't overstay it's welcome. However, three ballads it's probably more than needed in a record like this.
Pure, chaotic and LOUD dance music. Not for everybody, but definitely an album that warrants a listen.
As is usual with smooth jazz, it's hard to think about it as more than "background music" with Sade's immediately recognizable voice being the most interesting part in the vast majority of the record. "Cherry Pie" and the obvious "Smooth Operator" are the standouts.
Dangerously close of being a perfect rap album. It's true that the album may seen unfocused sometimes, and it's length can be intimidating, however every verse is worth hearing. 4,5/5.
Probably closer to a "proto pop-punk" than simply a "new wave" record. Just all around fun.
One of the most inoffensive albums i've heard. There's not much here, good or bad. Surprisingly, the bonus tracks on the reissue are actually really good, and much better than the rest of the standart album.
Everyone have listened the opening minute at some point in their lives. What follows is just as interesting, even if not as instantly recognizable. Prog classic.
The classic Nick Cave's DNA, but with even more edge.
One of the most important post-rock albums ever made. Doesn't reach the heights of it's successors, but it's influence is undeniable.
One of the most important voices of modern music, period. Musically, the album is... a bit of all over the place? Either way, the strongest parts of it are a joy to listen to.
I've ignored this album for a quite long time because of how boring i find the song Imagine. Surprisingly, there's quite a bit to enjoy here. If nothing else, the track "How do You Sleep" is a masterpiece.
An outstanding thrash metal record that is lessened by an horrid production. This was actually my first time listening the 2018 remaster, and while the bass is a bit more clear in the mix, the production still feels terribly out of place in this album. That being said, this still is Metallica showcasing some of their best songwriting, and arguably the last of their great thrash metal albums.
More often than not when it comes to country, i'm more interest in the artists than the songs itself. It's no different here. As much as i admire Dolly Parton as a person, the album simply doesn't grab my attention.
A big reason of why i decided to start the 1001 journey was the chance to discover something that even as a self proclaimed music aficionado i may have missed. "Hidden gems" if you will. The kind of record that after a single listening session can make me scratch my head and think "how did i not listen to this before?" Well, i'm just glad to have found Kiwanuka now.
It's always disappointing to me when the biggest hit is actually the best song on the album, but i guess it's inevitable sometimes. The album is good enough, but "Proud Mary" is monumental, and there's nothing else here quite as great as it Overall, it's a quite enjoyable rock album, if not particularly memorable.
I've run out of adjectives to describe this album quite a few years ago. But if I had to use a single word now, it would be "timeless". In the mid to late 90's, where alt rock was still following the trends of grunge, Radiohead decided to go against the tide, and created something unique, hard to describe. The soundscape of a dystopian future, eerily current even now, more than 25 years after it's release. The scariest part, is that Radiohead didn't even peak here.
Starts off very strong, but quickly falls into elevator music category and doesn't get out of there.
I almost wish i liked it more. It sounds like a jam session between a group of friends, and that's fine. Don't expect much cohesion or memorable songs.
I've never really cared for Van Morrison aside from thinking his songs are "nice". I still feel that way. Songs are nice, album cohesion is nice, not much to complain about. Nothing particularly exciting either. Just nice.
It's a generic early 90's hard rock album with 60's rock influence. The old school influences aren't enough to set it apart, in my opinion. Not bad, just mediocre.
It's always a joy to listen to Stevie Wonder. Soulful, rich, and intrinsically emotional in It's feel, this is a marvelous exemplar of Wonder's golden years.
Mixed bag. Some lyrics are gritty and violent, and others, specially in the second half are as silly as it can be. There's also not much in terms of memorable beats and rhythm. All in all, not a particularly memorable album.
That... wasn't great. Despite clocking at less than 30 minutes, somehow this album barely captured my attention. Some interesting harmonies here and there keep it a little above "terrible" but not by much. It's amazing to think this is the same band that gave us the amazing Pet Sounds the next year.
This is Nirvana's magnum opus, nevermind (heh) those who speaks otherwise. Not at all a flawless record, and not even the best in it's genre, but will be forever a testament of what never came, of the untapped potential that Nirvana could reach.
Going in, the only thing i knew is that Brian Eno was part of the band, and from the start you can hear his influences. Bold and experimental, even now the album feels fresh. A cross between proto-punk sensibilities and progressive rock that was wildly different from my expectations. The only reason I'm not giving it a 5 is because I don't want to round albums up to the maximum score.
If i were to choose a single album to summarize what Rock & Roll is, this would be the one. An absolute classic that has already stood the test of time, and probably the peak of the classic era of rock music.
Spectacular opening with Walking on By. The rest of the album, while not bad at all, didn't quite live to the expectations set by the first track.
Sounds like an not very interesting fusion album. I'd rather listen to something like Weather Report or Return to Forever when i'm in the mood for this kind of music. Nothing here was particularly enticing.
Three listenings in, and i don't think i can actually say what i really think about this album yet. I am sure i like it, but not quite sure how much yet. I'm certainly going to visit this one again.
Good exemplar of 90's shoegaze. It can feel a little tiresome, but i think this is mostly the fault of the bonus tracks, which bloat the album more than being an worthy addition. Also, i almost always hate "expanded" editions.
If you already heard the studio albums, there's really not much new here aside from some covers, which in a vaacum, aren't even that interesting. What makes this an truly great record is how personal and intimist it feels. It's like visiting an old friend an realizing how broken they truly are.
I can clearly hear some cool stuff, but overall it's not what I would listen in the rare occasions of where I think "man, i really want to listen some big beat today".
I don't think Tom Waits has a bad album. I also do not think he has an easily digested album, that you can appreciate without actually paying attention. Nighthawks is certainly not easy to get into, and i would argue that the effort isn't compensated as highly as it would with later albums of Waits' career. Not bad by any means, but a little too pretentious for it's own good.
I spent my entire teenage years knowing all the singles of this album, and never paid attention to the rest. Clearly i haven't been missing much. Too long, too much of the same. Only knowing the singles was enough.
Pure dad rock, and not in a bad way. The guitar work was great as expected, but the overall album is quite nice, it not spectacular.
A lot to appreciate here, but also... A LOT. It's far too much for a single album, the bloatness makes it a challenge to appreciate it's best parts. Speaking of best, the opening track "timeless", running for more than 20 minutes, is absolutely fantastic, and the highest point in the album, which is almost two hours long.
I went with zero expectations and it turned to be one of the most positive surprises i had so far. I was never a fan of Arctics Monkeys' sound, but this album is convincing me of giving them another shot. The album feels old-school, purposely cinematic, and the orchestral arrangements, well used here, elevates the overall atmosphere. Definitely enjoyed it.
I honestly prefer my Jobim with a little less Sinatra.
I can appreciate what they were trying to do, but i don't really think they succeed. Certainly an interesting experimentation by Bee Gees, but that doesn't compare to similar albums of that decade, when psychedelic rock was all the rage.
As expected from Public Enemy, a masterclass in hip-hop. At their peak, only Public Enemy can be better than Public Enemy, and somehow this one, as great as it is, isn't near of their magnum opus.
Definitely feels like a middle-ground between the experimental kraut-rock that was perhaps losing steam at the end of the 70's with some new wave oriented pop that was taking form at the time. I don't think it's as interesting as the best exemplars of each genre, but it's still quite good for what it is.
Beggars Banquet is a return to roots after dabbling in the psychedelic rock mania, and here we can find some of the absolute best of The Rolling Stones, like Sympathy for the Devil, which is quite possible my favorite song of all time, and some other amazing songs, like Stray Cat Blues and Street Fighting Man. i would say though, that between the "big four" of The Rolling Stones albums, this one is probably the most inconsistent, somewhat lacking cohesion even in it's relatively short 40 minutes length, which makes it come short of a masterpiece, while still being great.
Somewhat challenging album for me to rate. I do like most of the songs individually, but when it comes to the album as a whole, i'd pretty much rather listen to anything else by Nirvana. Of course, it's importance is unquestionable, and personal taste aside, i can't really say that this album isn't good.
The talent of Mr. Morrissey is only matched by how much of an ass he is. However, this album can drag a little, and definitely isn't as strong as The Smiths' discography.
Always a joy to listen to Stevie Wonder.
Younger me would definitely have rated this album higher. Older me stills thinks this is a great thrash metal record, but also think it's "by the books", and doesn't do enough to differentiate itself from it's peers. Sepultura can do -and did- better.
The title track is one of the greatest guitar solos of all time, and the rest of the album is still pretty great to the end.
This would get a perfect rating for me a few years ago. Revisiting it, however, i feel like just a bit of it's initial magic is lost on me, even though i still think it's an amazing record.
I feel like this album tries everything all at once, with varied results. Overall a good album, but maybe could use a little focus.
Hotel music. Pleasant hotel music, but still.