1001 Albums Summary

2.2 Turns out I really can't do Europop. It wasn't terrible, just found nothing interesting about it. I think he'd do really well at eurovision, let's say that.

3.3 Really enjoyed the first half, definitely ran out of steam towards the end, chucked all the weaker tracks back there. Don't mind a bit of this genre, but can't help but feel there's a lot of better options out there.

4.5 Never realised how good this was. This came out the year I went to uni, as an angsty teenager I thought the title track was a masterpiece (although I'm sure there was a single version which was a bit shorter) but couldn't really get into the rest of the album. My Ashes brought the rock down to a crashing halt and Anaesthetize I found too long. Had the first on repeat though. Then I quickly put it down and never listened to it again. Listening back two decades later... Wow. The first track ironically is one of the weaker ones, the lyrics are too much like he's trying and failing to see the world from a kids eyes. It feels exactly like what a parent worries their kid would think. Still a good tune though. The rest of the album really shines though. Anaesthetize is an absolute corker. Can really hear the Steven Wilson - Opeth partnership shine through here. Even Sentimental and Way out of Here are great tunes, I don't think I ever got past Anaesthetize before. Will definitely be checking out their back catalogue now.

2.9 Tough to rate this. A few lyrics sounded familiar to Opeth, and sure enough, this album was big inspiration to him. I liked it at first, although each subsequent listen left me less and less enthused. It's extremely proggy, to an extreme in places. For every great riff or great moment there's a counterbalancing moment of nonsense elsewhere on the record. Glad I heard it, but it just fell short of getting saved down.

4.1 Yes, very good. I went through an electronica phase in the late 2010's which sounded very similar to this. Nathan Fake, James Holden, etc. First track felt like if Kieran Hebden and Steve Reich had a baby, and I'm all here for it. Last track was a belter, great atmosphere, very Bing & Ruth. Won't be everyone's cup of tea, but it was a bit of mine. Good rec.

3.6 Enjoyed that, never heard Spanish punk before but I'm all for it. If I could understand Spanish that would slip right in there with NoFX, Pennywise, Propagandhi etc. Definitely detracts from the experience not knowing what they're saying, but musically it was very enjoyable. Saving it down.

4.5 I was very torn on whether this slips into 5* territory or remains at 4*. So much so that I must have given it about 10 listens now, one of my highest before giving a rating. I think it deserves it. I've enjoyed the small number of post-hardcore albums on the original list, a genre I never explored before but wished I had. I think this album is the creme de la creme when it comes to this genre. I'm listening to it and don't understand how this didn't take off alongside grunge. Two similar but distinct genres, one of which blew up and the other didn't. Luck? It's got as much energy, passion, and playability as grunge. Anyway, very interesting to hear this, as it's the missing bridge between bands I like that came before (sonic youth, Jane's addiction, + hardcore in general) and bands that I like that came after (Deftones rings so much in this). How was this not on the original list.

2.4 I was pretty disappointed by that. Initially excited when I saw this, I liked that Blinding Lights song but never explored him further, was happy to sit down and giving this a devoted listen. However, it feels like as all the elements that make Blinding Lights work just gets... lost elsewhere. The 80s vibe to the song is only really perfectly captured on that song itself. Maybe Save your Tears also. However, whilst it works in 5 minutes bursts, the vocal style is extremely grating for a full hour - so much autotuning is horrible on the ears. The beats are good in places, but a bit repetative after a while. Just really let down by both vocals and lyrics - feels like it's aimed at the "I'm 14 and this is deep" generation. More than anything, overall it's just an exhausting album to listen to. Disappointing.

4.5 Kept coming back to this. This is a beautiful album. I only knew of Talk Talk really from that one vice city song, which was on the album on the main 1,001 list. Was alright, but I wrote them off as yet another new-wave band. This is a great release though, very soft, very slow, very moody, but also tranquil and ethereal in parts. The almost soft jazz like vibe rippling through these songs compliments the vocal style so well. Great inclusion.

2.4 I tried to understand why this was rated so highly so gave it a couple listens. Just not doing it for me. It's early electronica, it's repetative, it's not very disco-y, it's not really doing much. I can see maybe this was an inspiration to a fair few people. There's even a bit of Ceephax Acid Crew-nish to this. But in isolation I don't think it's doing much.

2.8 I really really tried, but it just didn't click for me. It was the sad twang of a lot of 2000's artists, like a louder Damien Rice, but with a country vibe that just really didn't do it for me. The only song I did enjoy and save down was First Day, but the rest was just a depressing slog to get through. Can see why others would love it though. Just not the right time or place for me.

3.6 Haha I actually quite enjoyed that, it was quite endearing, come on. I think I would have loved it if I heard it when I was 14/15. I didn't think nerd rock was much of a genre (other than potentially Weezer's debut?), but pretty talented, I did enjoy the novelty of an album full of monkey songs, the genre hopping didn't grate on me, although I do agree with their final song ascersin that the album had potentially gone on 17 minutes too long. But I enjoyed it, and the score reflects that. Definitely shouldn't have been on the original list, unlike other albums I've liked on this alternative list, but I'm glad I heard it.

3.2 Probably the best R&B album that's appeared on either of the 1,001 & +. But still not a genre I'm really bothered about. It's pretty dull, although it's stillness is what makes it more bearable than most. I enjoyed the pivot to more electronica at the end, although again it still didn't really grip me. It was good to finally enjoy an album like this, although it tipped way too far into elevator music vibes.

3.5 I did enjoy it as an album. It was as though someone put Beatles, Marilyn Manson and Stooges in a blender and rolled with it, turns out I'd dig that. One thing that holds it back is a lack of many real stand out tracks. Candy Sam is the best track for sure, and one that I'd play in isolation, but of the rest...? Possibly the opener. But nothing else really. Works well as an album, but would have been good to have a few more bangers on there.

2.9 Ah man, sometimes you're correct not to deep dive. The Past is a Grotesque Animal came up on my discover weekly about 6 years ago and it's been in one of my playlists that get regular airtime ever since, such a unique track, an 11 minute epic that doesn't seem like 11 minutes. Very excited to see this album appear therefore, having never ventured further than that sole track. Starting off it's fine, quite unique dancey-pop with a Beatles inflection to the vocals. It's okay, nothing more than that. Then my fave track appears, banger. Then the next four tracks really really drag. Maybe I'm out of energy by this point, but it's a complete slog to get through the end of this album. The only saving grace is the closer is actually decent. Overall I'm struggling to save down anything other than one track I have already. Bit of a shame.

2.1 Extremely lame.

2.3 Preface this by saying that I'm really not into rap/hip-hop, but have appreciated many albums here and there. However this one really didn't do it for me whatsoever. It just feels so dull, and at 74 minutes really drags on forever. Can see why some people might like to chill out with this, but not for me.

3.8 This has made me realise than Bon Iver didn't appear on the original list. How on earth. Anyway, slight shame in that (in my opinion) it's the worst of his first 4 albums (still yet to properly digest sable fable), however it does arguably contain his best song in Holocene. Honourable mentions to Perth also, but other than those two there's neither the stellar stand outs that other albums have, nor as good flow between non-stand out tracks. It's a noticeable bridge between the acoustic For Emma, and the very electronic 22, a million, but then falls slightly short by not excelling in either. Still, as an outing it's still very good. I get the pretentious tag he sometimes gets but I can look past that.

--- I refuse to rate this. I flat out don't think it should be on here. I could understand including a musical in which the music itself was an ancillary part, which interspersed the real story. However, including a musical soundtrack in which 99.9% of the spoken word in the musical comes in the form of a song is ridiculous. You're basically watching Hamilton with your eyes closed. Don't get me wrong, I liked it the show when I saw it, but after half an hour of this I had to turn it off. If I wanted to listen to the entire 2h 20m of it again I'd go and see the bloody show. Whoever picked this needs to give their head a wobble.

4.0 I initially starting scoring this in the 3's and rambling about how it went off the rails at the end before finding out the last three tracks were bonus tracks (which I often argue should be excluded). D'oh. Ignoring those then and re-assessing, this is a very good album. Lovely fusion of trip-hop, alternative rock/indie, electronica. Would explore more.

3.1 I tried giving this a few listens thinking it would grow in me as I'm not opposed to proggy stuff that doesn't feel pretentious, but alas it didn't really grow. It's interesting in parts, but also pretty bland in others. Overall pretty mid.

3.1 I enjoyed the EW&F album that appeared in the main list so was looking forward to this. This album didn't reach those heights though, I enjoyed Boogie Wonderland though it seemed a bit basic. The rest of the album was pretty tepid though, nothing really stood out as better than average.

2.4 Sounds like the taste of tepid water. My life would be completely unchanged if I'd never put this on.

2.2 Gah. I really don't get this, and I really want to. I just can't take her seriously. She was 40-ish years old when writing this, the age I'm almost at now. Why does she come across like a tacky 21yo mouthing off on Love Island because someone stole her man that she'd been with for two days. So many songs ruined that on the whole might have been enjoyable if it had stuck with its core. First track case in point. How can you start off with: "I pull up in these clothes look so good Cause I'm in that hoe You know all these songs sound so good Cause I'm in that hoe Deadass deadass I'm deadass" You're fourty years old. Forty. Literally grow up. Probably going to sound like a bellend for saying this but I feel like this album goes hand-in-hand with the dumbing down of society in recent years. Scored it higher than a 2 because her voice is actually really good in places, and some of the beats are complex and genuinely interesting. However, the score has been absolutely kneecapped by the godawful commentary that runs alongside some questionable lyrics. How does anyone over the age of 25 not absolutely cringe listening to this. Embarrassing.