816
Albums Rated
3.22
Average Rating
75%
Complete
273 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1970
Favorite Decade
Metal
Favorite Genre
UK
Top Origin
Curator
Rater Style ?
52
5-Star Albums
1
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Music For The Jilted Generation
The Prodigy
|
5 | 3.07 | +1.93 |
|
Third
Portishead
|
5 | 3.13 | +1.87 |
|
The Holy Bible
Manic Street Preachers
|
5 | 3.14 | +1.86 |
|
Deloused in the Comatorium
The Mars Volta
|
5 | 3.19 | +1.81 |
|
High Violet
The National
|
5 | 3.24 | +1.76 |
|
Sound Affects
The Jam
|
5 | 3.26 | +1.74 |
|
Emergency On Planet Earth
Jamiroquai
|
5 | 3.27 | +1.73 |
|
Deep Purple In Rock
Deep Purple
|
5 | 3.32 | +1.68 |
|
Endtroducing.....
DJ Shadow
|
5 | 3.35 | +1.65 |
|
Ágætis Byrjun
Sigur Rós
|
5 | 3.37 | +1.63 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Blood On The Tracks
Bob Dylan
|
2 | 3.67 | -1.67 |
|
People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm
A Tribe Called Quest
|
2 | 3.61 | -1.61 |
|
Stankonia
OutKast
|
2 | 3.55 | -1.55 |
|
The Marshall Mathers LP
Eminem
|
2 | 3.48 | -1.48 |
|
Odelay
Beck
|
2 | 3.46 | -1.46 |
|
Ready To Die
The Notorious B.I.G.
|
2 | 3.36 | -1.36 |
|
My Aim Is True
Elvis Costello
|
2 | 3.35 | -1.35 |
|
Red Headed Stranger
Willie Nelson
|
2 | 3.35 | -1.35 |
|
Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs
Marty Robbins
|
2 | 3.33 | -1.33 |
|
Melodrama
Lorde
|
2 | 3.32 | -1.32 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Led Zeppelin | 5 | 5 |
| Radiohead | 5 | 4.8 |
| Black Sabbath | 3 | 5 |
| Pink Floyd | 4 | 4.5 |
| The Doors | 3 | 4.67 |
| Nick Drake | 3 | 4.67 |
| Deep Purple | 3 | 4.67 |
| The Prodigy | 2 | 5 |
| Oasis | 2 | 5 |
| Portishead | 2 | 5 |
| The Cure | 3 | 4.33 |
5-Star Albums (52)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Dolly Parton · 2 likes
3/5
Ugh, another CaW album. Thankfully this one was tolerable and even enjoyable in parts. Good onya, Dolly.
Orbital · 1 likes
3/5
The opening and closing tracks are just rubbish but the rest is very passable. Track 2 is the highlight
Goldie · 1 likes
3/5
This might not be very gangsta for you Goldie but this was a great album to do the ironing to. It’s just too long. I’ve only got an hour of ironing to do, not two hours.
Red Hot Chili Peppers · 1 likes
3/5
So there were plenty of songs related to sex but where were my songs about blood sugar, about magic? Nowhere, that’s where.
Still, I could have lied, greetings song, and my lovely man are banging tracks
Def Leppard · 1 likes
3/5
Good fun 80s rock. 3.5 stars.
1-Star Albums (1)
All Ratings
The Doors
4/5
Cracker of a debut. Soul Kitchen for stand out track.
Metallica
3/5
Solid album, some great instrumental work in the longer tracks, and some nice fret wanking on the closer. Highlight: second half of Orion, Welcome Home also a banger.
Beatles
3/5
You can see why the Beatles are rated so highly. Good album. Great start but not quite so good towards the end. Highlight - Norwegian Wood
Jeff Buckley
5/5
Beautiful album. It’s Pink Moon for the 90s.
Steely Dan
4/5
If Thundercat was a middle aged white man. Excellent.
Little Richard
4/5
Bloody brilliant, boy’s got some pipes
Black Sabbath
5/5
First 5-star review. Brilliant. It starts of great and you’re waiting for the quality to take a dip but it just keeps on going, track after track, of awesomeness. Will definitely listen to again.
OutKast
2/5
Some great stuff here but suffers with ‘GnR Use Your Illusion syndrome’. Could have been a 4star 45min banger but instead it’s a 2star 75min drag.
Louis Prima
3/5
Good fun. Would listen again.
The The
4/5
Really enjoyed this, never heard their stuff before. They’re like an 80s The National
David Crosby
3/5
Better than expected, some nice guitar work
Blondie
3/5
Solid album by Blondie with some great tracks.
Harry Nilsson
3/5
Good tunes. Enjoyed. Though the discordance between Without You and Coconut is rather jarring.
Bon Jovi
3/5
Another new one for me. Decent album with a few killer tracks
Bob Dylan
2/5
I enjoyed Meet me in the Morning but the rest kinda fell flat. Didn’t like them, didn’t dislike them, just mhe.
Can
2/5
Not really feeling it. Enjoyed Pink Floyd’s Saucerful of Secrets more than this. Final track was okay.
Aerosmith
3/5
Enjoyed this. Much prefer ‘rock Aerosmith’ to ‘ballad Aerosmith’. Rhythm section was tight. 3.5 stars.
Hawkwind
3/5
I really enjoyed this album. Sure, the ‘space poetry’ is a bit naff and the music isn’t as tight as you’d get from a studio album but it’s a banger of a journey into stoner rock and some lovely bass work. Highlights: Lord of Light and Orgone Accumulator
Bee Gees
2/5
A bit of a slog this one. Not bad but not inspiring either. Enjoyed the orchestral parts.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
Quality NY&CH fare, Down by the River and Cowgirl in the Sand are great
Nina Simone
3/5
Really enjoyed this, a great intro to Nina. Looking forward to more
SAULT
3/5
Enjoyed this, promising opening and continued at the same level, would have been better if they dropped a bunch of the ‘talking tracks’ though. Black was a great track.
Blur
3/5
Standard Brit Pop fare; decent singles, a bunch of filler tracks, and couple of awesome album tracks (Death of a Party and Essex Dogs)
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Enjoyed, especially Famous Blue Raincoat. 3.5 stars.
fIREHOSE
3/5
A new one for me, this. Never heard of them. Quite enjoyed it.
The Beach Boys
3/5
Solid album. 3.5 stars.
Alanis Morissette
5/5
Brilliant album of nonstop awesomeness, until it stops; closing track is a bit average but the rest is excellent. That baseline on You Oughta Know is “chef’s kiss”
Jefferson Airplane
3/5
Another good suggestion from the 1001, 3.5 stars
Beck
2/5
Some great tracks but the rest of the album leaves much to be desired
The Who
3/5
Nice work by The Who, very much moved from Masters of Mod to Rock Gods here. 3.5 stars.
Arcade Fire
3/5
Bauhaus
4/5
Loved it. A new one for me.
The Kinks
3/5
As good as any of the early offerings of the Beatles/Rolling Stones. 3.5 stars.
Slint
4/5
Can’t believe I’ve never heard this before. Proto-post-rock. Fantastic.
Everything But The Girl
3/5
A pleasant listen and also features lyrics about the Holderness coastline. Though they are from Hull so I shouldn’t be too surprised about that.
Megadeth
3/5
Another solid metal entry to the 1001
The Yardbirds
3/5
Classic group, need to give this another listen
Faith No More
4/5
Brill. Can’t beat a bit of FNM.
Johnny Cash
4/5
Short and sweet and a nice delivery of classic Cash
The Flaming Lips
4/5
Beautiful album
The Smiths
3/5
Not the best offering by The Smiths but still passable. As usual, great music skill from the band and a few songs with some great lyrics by Morrisey
Fugazi
3/5
Good fun. Will try out more Fugazi
Mudhoney
3/5
Nice bit of early 90s grunge I must have missed on the day. Nothing ground breaking though
Roxy Music
3/5
Solid offering from Roxy Music
The Youngbloods
3/5
Some great tracks here. Great fun.
The Human League
3/5
Plenty of hits. Good stuff.
Deerhunter
2/5
Okay I guess. Just a bit bland. Nothing bad but nothing good.
Don McLean
4/5
It’s a bit ‘churchy’ at times but still a great album. Highlights are Vincent, Empty Chairs, Gravestone.
Stereo MC's
3/5
Some classics here. Enjoyed. 3.5 stars.
The Residents
1/5
Imagine, if you can, you stumble upon the missing works of Lewis Carol. Unfortunately despite being very LC they are a bit shit. You bump into your mate Cassandra who’s 12 year old son Travis has refurbished a 1st Generation Apple Mac. You give the works to Travis and he puts them to music using his ancient computer.
That’s what this sounds like.
Belle & Sebastian
3/5
Nice album, surprised it wasn’t BWTAS but maybe that will come later
Miles Davis
4/5
Very nice, certainly not silent or quite but still very nice
CHIC
4/5
Full of great bass lines. Was disappointed when the album finished so I put it on again.
R.E.M.
3/5
Some great tracks here, even the ‘filler’ is pretty decent. 3.5 stars.
Madonna
4/5
Some great tracks here
Nas
3/5
Great debut. NY State of Mind is the top track. Great bass and plinky piano/keyboard.
The Black Crowes
3/5
Calexico
3/5
Muddy Waters
3/5
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
3/5
B.B. King
3/5
Morrissey
3/5
A surprise to be sure, but a pleasant one. Wasn’t expecting much from a Morrissey solo album but it wasn’t bad at all.
Tom Tom Club
2/5
Just a bit boring. Opening and closing tracks were okay.
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
The Lemonheads
3/5
Sepultura
3/5
MGMT
4/5
Surprising one here, never head of it. Well produced and some great tracks.
Iron Maiden
3/5
Surprisingly good for a pre-Bruce record. Enjoyed.
Wild Beasts
4/5
Another new one for me. Enjoyed this, some great guitar and bass work. Will listen to again.
Fela Kuti
4/5
Cracking title track. The rest is pretty damn good as well.
Elvis Costello
2/5
Enjoyed watching the detectives, otherwise was a bit bland. 2.5 stars.
Kate Bush
4/5
A great album of standard Kate Bush, some of her classic weirdness, and probably three of the best tracks from her back catalogue.
Rush
3/5
Epic opener and some okay tracks on the second side
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
A bit of a lukewarm start but once it get is going it’s gold. Enjoyed the cover of grapevine.
Sufjan Stevens
3/5
I feel I need to give this another listen to. Feel’s like Sufjan’s ‘The Wall’ with repeated musical motifs and themes. 3.5 stars at first listen but I might rate it higher after a few listens.
The Notorious B.I.G.
2/5
The guy’s got great cadence with his rapping and some of the beats are good but it was a bit of a chore to get through. Plus can’t say I’m a fan of the glorification of violence and mysogeny
Serge Gainsbourg
4/5
Wow. Didn’t know what to expect here but it wasn’t the awesomeness I was just exposed to. Happy to listen to again and explore the back catalogue.
Marvin Gaye
5/5
Cooler than a poor bear in sunglasses. Great from start to finish. Inner City Blues, Right On, and Mercy Mercy Me are the highlights.
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
I must have a soft spot for anything vaguely Motown. Another great record.
Adam & The Ants
3/5
Great eighties fun. Also, The Beautiful People by Marilyn Manson is just a grimdark Antmusic.
Beck
3/5
Enjoyed ethereal ballad Beck more than some of the earlier stuff. Paper Tiger was great.
David Bowie
3/5
Not as great as some of his other albums that I have assumed are in the 1001 but still a worthwhile listen
Fleetwood Mac
3/5
Decent offering by Fleetwood Mac, some well known greats such as Sara and Tusk and a new one to me; the absolute banger which is Sisters of the Moon. 3.5 stars.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
So there were plenty of songs related to sex but where were my songs about blood sugar, about magic? Nowhere, that’s where.
Still, I could have lied, greetings song, and my lovely man are banging tracks
Frank Black
3/5
Run of the mill indie rock. Not bad by any stretch of the imagination and there were some good tracks in there but nothing that would make me come back for more.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
3/5
Talented fellas. Nice enough listen. Nothing I’d come back for though.
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
Excellent stuff. A great listen from start to finish. Highlights include King Kunta, How Much a Dollar Cost, The Blacker the Berry. Don’t bother with the censored version on Spotify (I tried both out of interest) it makes it a jarring experience with all the gaps.
Ray Charles
3/5
Nice enough album. Good for casual dinner parties, slow evening dancing, and folding laundry.
Thelonious Monk
3/5
Nice….
Eric Clapton
2/5
There was some reasonable stuff here but I found most of it bland and repetitive. Not a patch on his stuff with Cream.
Ray Price
2/5
A little samey in theme and style but not bad
Traffic
3/5
Enjoyed this one.
Incredible Bongo Band
3/5
Entertaining though a bit of a novelty album. The cover of Satisfaction is gold.
Anita Baker
3/5
Nice bit of 80’s soul
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
I feel like this an album you need to be in the right mood for. Thankfully I was at the time.
Jimmy Smith
3/5
Good fun this one
Cheap Trick
2/5
Can’t say this one grabbed me. Seemed run of the mill stadium rock.
Steve Earle
2/5
I went to school and it was bad
I got a job and it was bad
I lived my life and it was bad
So I got in my car (which was bad)
And drove away to start a new life hoping it wasn’t baaaaaad
And it was bad
Neneh Cherry
2/5
There’s a bunch of great tracts on here but the album has lots of filler to make up the time.
Elton John
3/5
Frank Sinatra
3/5
It’s Frank, isn’t it. Hard to hate on Frank.
Hole
3/5
Not a massive fan of CL’s vocals but still a pretty good album.
Neil Young
4/5
I’ve been through a few NY/CH albums and this is one of my faves. Worthwhile entry to the 1001
Marvin Gaye
3/5
It’s a long one but a good one. 3.5 stars.
Little Simz
3/5
Banger of an opening track, I wish the rest of the album was up to the same standard. Still a good listen though.
Pleasant entry from Rod and his mates. Some good stuff here.
The Police
4/5
Good one this. King of Pain and Wrapped Around Your Finger for the win.
Femi Kuti
4/5
My second bit of afrobeat in the 1001 and it’s another banger
Pink Floyd
3/5
A charming entry from the early Pink Floyd, some songs are unbridled nonsense but isn’t that part of the fun?
David Bowie
4/5
A banger of an album from Bowie, defo in his top three. Queen Bitch is the stand out ‘not greatest hits’ track
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
I only knew a few SP tracks prior to trying out this album. A pleasant surprise. Much enjoyments.
Willie Nelson
2/5
Solomon Burke
3/5
Metallica
3/5
50% of this album is phenomenal, shame the quality dips down for the rest. 3.5 stars.
David Bowie
5/5
Top notch from start to finish. Easy 5 stars.
Ray Charles
3/5
Arcade Fire
4/5
I remember buying this when it came out and despite it being full of great track was a little disappointed. Stands up well now and one of the better offerings by AF.
Bad Brains
4/5
Crescent fresh
Muddy Waters
4/5
Great album, though a few tracks repeat if anything I think it adds to the charm.
KISS
3/5
Cornershop
2/5
Not a bad album and I did enjoy the instrumental parts but it just left me feeling unsatisfied
Pink Floyd
5/5
It’s been a very long time since I’ve listened to this one and on a re listen it is truly a beautiful piece of work; the transition between tracks, the eb and flow, it just works. Plus the base line in Money, the singing in Great Gig, and the guitar solo in Time are amongst the best of the best. Then you get the perfect finish with Brain Damage/Eclipse. Easy 5 stars.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Double albums can be a bit sprawling sometimes but this manages to maintain high quality all the way through.
Gillian Welch
2/5
It just kinda washed over me like a non-offensive and bland wave
k.d. lang
3/5
Frank Sinatra
3/5
I like Frank, but only in small doses. This album is a small dose and with some bosanova beats plus nice guitar.
2/5
Devo are the Danny De Vito to Talking Heads’ Arnold Schwarzenegger from the 1988 classic movie Twins
Traffic
3/5
Another enjoyable album by Traffic
The Velvet Underground
3/5
4/5
Yep, agreed. One of the better Beatles albums and although it has its lesser tracks it’s still a great experience from start to finish.
Einstürzende Neubauten
2/5
I enjoyed the 8min title track but a lot of the rest was just ‘too industrial’ and a bit of a chore.
Elvis Presley
3/5
Can’t say I’m a fan of Elvis but i also can’t deny that he’s got some talent
Herbie Hancock
3/5
Good fun this one. 3.5 stars.
System Of A Down
3/5
Bit of a mediocre start but then warms up to a great album. Spiders and War are the highlights. 3.5 stars.
Hole
3/5
Enjoyed this more than Celebrity Skin. The rawer sound seems to suit Hole better. 3.5 stars.
Jane's Addiction
4/5
Brill. Nuff said.
Dolly Parton
3/5
Ugh, another CaW album. Thankfully this one was tolerable and even enjoyable in parts. Good onya, Dolly.
Baaba Maal
3/5
The Cure
4/5
Brill. Really enjoyed this.
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
3/5
Loved the trip-hop vibes of ‘winter’
Patti Smith
4/5
This was great. Gonna give it another listen.
Gram Parsons
2/5
With the album title of Grievous Angel and songs such as In My Hour of Darkness and Return of the Grievous Angel I was expecting some Melodic Doom Metal or some Prog Rock. Perhaps I was thinking of the ‘other Parsons’ and his project. This was not it.
Frank Sinatra
3/5
Enjoyed this one more than the previous entry I was offered by Frank. 3.5 stars.
Lauryn Hill
3/5
All the gas bagging at the end of most tracks ruins the flow of what otherwise is a good album.
Joe Ely
2/5
(audible sigh) I suppose it wasn’t that bad, and it was a shortish album making it less of a chore. 2.5 stars.
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
Good fun and a couple of cracking tracks near the end. 3.5 stars.
Rahul Dev Burman
3/5
Shalimar! Shalimar! Shalimar!
Surprisingly good fun.
808 State
3/5
202 Pacific and Sunrise are bangers. Otherwise half decent album.
The Cure
4/5
Another great entry by The Cure. An earlier and more minimalist sound than Pornography or Disintegration but still fantastic.
Stan Getz
3/5
Smooth as
Soft Cell
2/5
What the hell was that? It was like listening to a depraved and shitty version of the Pet Shop Boys. Yes, ‘Tainted Love’ and ‘Say Hello, Wave Goodbye’ are great tracks but the Diana Ross/Supremes cover was trash and if I can avoid listening to Sex Dwarf again in my life it will be a life well lived.
Radiohead
5/5
After their initial generic alternarock debut album (albeit with a few cracking tracks) Radiohead find their form with The Bends. A great listen from start to finish and full of many tracks that stand out on their own. Happy to listen to again and again.
4/5
A great entry into the Muse back catalogue. A bit more bombastic and Queen-esque than their prior work, I was a little disappointed when I heard this on its release expecting another album on the same level of Absolution. However, although ‘Soldier’s poem’ and ‘Hoodoo’ are a bit average the rest of the album is gold.
Madonna
3/5
Showing of her skills again as the queen of pop. Although there are some good tracks here and jumps into a few different générés it just a reasonable album and not on the same level as some of her other work.
Sugar
3/5
Generic 90s rock. Not that that’s a bad thing. Enjoyed but can’t see me revisiting this album.
Os Mutantes
3/5
The opening track isn’t great but the quality jumps up from there to a decent 60s psychedelic rock album.
Keith Jarrett
3/5
Good skills by Keithy-boy here
The Zombies
3/5
Solid sixties with some great Hammond organ. 3.5 stars.
The Byrds
3/5
Quality sixties, 3.5 stars
Buena Vista Social Club
3/5
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Pretty standard 60s rock. Am enjoyable but not outstanding album
John Lee Hooker
3/5
Some great collaborations here. 3.5 stars.
Santana
4/5
Would definitely listen to again. Really enjoyed.
Pink Floyd
5/5
I bloody love this album. But only as an album. You can take a random track and listen to it in isolation and it can be a bit mediocre and make little sense in much the same way 3 mins of a movie or a random page from a book can mean little on their own. However, as a listen from start to finish, it’s a work of art and such a good listen. Worth a watch of the movie for context as well. Also VERY good live.
Dion
3/5
He’s, umm, a little but ‘churchy’ isn’t he? Decent voice though.
John Martyn
4/5
Never heard of this album or this man before. Really enjoyed this.
Billy Joel
3/5
Good work here by the singing pugilist
Kendrick Lamar
3/5
If To Pimp a Butterfly is Kendrick’s Dark Side of the Moon then this is his Obscured by Clouds. Lots of themes and styles here that would be improved upon resulting in TPaB. Was initially disappointed by all the talking/skits early on but thankful they are few and far between.
Ride
3/5
Quite enjoyed this one. Another new album for me from the 1001. 3.5 stars.
Cowboy Junkies
2/5
Sounds okay on initial listening but very samey after a few songs. 2.5 stars.
Jack White
3/5
Enjoyable, always like a bit of Jack White and his various projects.
The Dictators
2/5
Very generic 70s rock. Gets stale a bit quickly but not terrible. 2.5 stars.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
He does write a good murder ballad. This is my first Nick Cave album and I’d be happy to check out more.
Norah Jones
3/5
Lovely album. Very chill. Will defo listen to again. 3.5 stars.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Starts good and that second half is fire
Barry Adamson
3/5
It’s a bit all over the place but some great stuff here. Highlights are the back to back tracks - It’s Business as Usual, Miles, Dirty Barry
Lorde
2/5
Write and Supercut were decent but this was otherwise a lacklustre and boring album
Snoop Dogg
3/5
Not a fan of all that chatting and ‘non-music’ between tracks but otherwise some good stuff here. ‘The Shiznit’ and ‘Gs and Hustlas’ were the highlights.
Randy Newman
3/5
It’s like the hidden second soundtrack to Disney’s The Princess and the Frog
Jane Weaver
3/5
Decent and enjoyable enough but nothing to write home about
Duke Ellington
3/5
Very pleasant. The original is very accessible but the >2hr extended version is a bit much.
Jerry Lee Lewis
3/5
He’s not bad but he’s no Little Richard
Talk Talk
4/5
Life is what you make it slaps hard. The rest is very good.
Rod Stewart
3/5
Discount Robert Plant belts out a pretty decent album. 3.5 stars.
Nirvana
4/5
Played this to death back in the day. Still stands up now. Definitely an album of two halves as well.
AC/DC
3/5
Rifftastic classic rock. 3.5 stars.
Fred Neil
3/5
Another new one for me. Good voice. Enjoyable album
Bill Evans Trio
2/5
Not my kind of jazz this one. A lot of the songs made me feel like I needed to go wee.
Lana Del Rey
3/5
Fair to middling
The Damned
3/5
Not a bad album this.
Raekwon
2/5
Prefer the follow up album, Only Built 5 Venezuelan Ocelot. Still good beats and rhymes but suffers from all the chit chat between tracks and a good bit of filler.
Jorge Ben Jor
3/5
Banging base lines. Good fun.
Death In Vegas
4/5
Another new one for me. Easy four stars. Dirge is brilliant, the rest isn’t far behind.
The Pogues
3/5
Fairy Tale in New York is overrated drunken Christmas fodder but thankfully there’s lots of decent stuff here to make an enjoyable album.
Kanye West
3/5
A great album brought down by the casual mysogeny, being too long, and the presence of Nikki Minaj
The Flaming Lips
3/5
Not as good as YBTPR but still a decent album
Love
4/5
A good mix of psychedelia, whimsy, and melancholy
Peter Gabriel
4/5
Brill. This guy continues to show his chops as a solo artist just as he did in Genesis.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
Another reasonable but not amazing album in the collection. Enjoyable but unlikely to revisit.
Cocteau Twins
3/5
Another reasonable entry in the 1001
Blur
3/5
Has moments of greatness in an otherwise average album. Preferred the self titled album with Death of a Party/On Your Own etc.
Tom Waits
4/5
It’s been on my ‘to listen’ list for a while and the 1001 finally gave me an excuse. Very much enjoyed. Earth Died Screaming, The Ocean Doesn’t Want Me, and Goin’ Out West were highlights.
The Gun Club
3/5
Pretty much what you’d expect from some early 80s punk.
Parliament
4/5
Starts strong and doesn’t give up. A funktatsic four stars.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
Much better than I was expecting from the duo. Would listen again.
Waylon Jennings
3/5
This has been one of the few C&W albums that I’ve enjoyed. Well done Waylon.
ABBA
3/5
You can’t deny the quality of their hit singles and this has a few of them
PLAY YA YA DING DONG!!!
Laibach
3/5
A fun listen. Obvious big fans of Queen’s ‘A Kind of Magic’.
Nine Inch Nails
4/5
A fantastic album. Really love the second side (after Big Man With a Gun) and Piggy is brill. Just misses out on five stars. Hopefully, The Fragile also features and I can hand out a five stars reward to NIN later
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Am aware of and enjoy the works of The Boss but never listened to any of his albums beyond the obligatory ’Greatest Hits’. Very much enjoyed this. Would listen again
Spiritualized
4/5
Wow. That second half (last four tracks) was awesome. Had to listen to the whole thing again immediately afterwards. An enjoyable experience.
The Zutons
3/5
The quicker paced songs (don’t ever think, zuton fever, long time coming) are fantastic but the more ballady type tracks are blandly inoffensive.
The B-52's
3/5
A fun album. Worth a listen.
Public Enemy
3/5
Not bad this one. A few great tracks here.
The Young Gods
3/5
1980s French industrial metal? What’s not to like?
Wilco
3/5
More offerings from the 1001 I’ve not encountered before but heard off. Decent album.
David Bowie
3/5
Another great offering from Bowie, it’s no Aladdin Sane or Hunky Dory but still worth a listen. 3.5 stars.
GZA
2/5
Enjoyed the closing track but found a lot of the rest musically bland. Quite liked the novelty of the samurai story between tracks.
Amy Winehouse
3/5
Enjoyable enough
Isaac Hayes
3/5
A movie soundtrack in the 1001? You’re damn right. 3.5 stars.
Dire Straits
5/5
Of course this album’s here. Great from start to finish. Easy five stars.
Jean-Michel Jarre
4/5
Brilliant. Enjoyed every minute of it.
Missy Elliott
3/5
Can’t say I’m a fan of Missy as an artist but Timbaland sets up some decent music and the guest appearances help add variety and interest to Missy’s mediocrity, ultimately resulting in a half decent album.
Stereolab
3/5
Decent from a musical point of view but vocal and lyrical content didn’t really do much for me.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
When I saw it was well over an hour long I thought it would be a chore but was over before I knew it. Good work. 3.5 stars.
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
New one again for me. Not bad.
The Specials
3/5
Great start, gets Luke warm later on but most of it is still quality.
Depeche Mode
4/5
Cracking album. Much fun. Bonus tracks on extended version are worth a listen as well.
The Young Rascals
3/5
Shit album artwork. Thankfully the album is pretty good. Title track is great. 3.5 stars.
Dizzee Rascal
3/5
Good skills from Dizzee here. 3.5 stars
Todd Rundgren
2/5
Started off good and there’s some decent stuff on here but it’s a bit of a slog. Could have been a far better, shorter album but it’s padded out with mediocrity
The White Stripes
3/5
Always thought this album was a bit of a disappointment after the masterpiece of Elephant. Still, not a bad bit of music.
Nanci Griffith
2/5
Pretty generic C&W. 2.5 stars.
Kings of Leon
4/5
Expected Kings of Leon but not this album. However, on listening again it’s actually very good, great two opening and two closing tracks, good in the middle.
The Cure
5/5
Every time I listen to this album is a good time. Each individual track is great in its own right but as a album it’s even better than the sum of its parts.
2/5
Tolerable but that’s about it
Queens of the Stone Age
4/5
Great album, good bit of variety, nice instrument works. Good skills here from QotSA
Girls Against Boys
3/5
Pleasant surprise of decent 90s metal mixed in with some Slint-esque ominous guitar work here and there. 3.5 stars.
Arcade Fire
3/5
Another decent entry by Arcade Fire. 3.5 stars.
Jeru The Damaja
3/5
Takes a couple of tracks to warm up. Quite enjoyed the second half.
Manic Street Preachers
4/5
A far better album than I remember it. Very different to The Holy Bible which I loved but still a great listen in its own right.
Gene Clark
3/5
Pleasant guitar melodies and vocals. Very passable.
N.W.A.
3/5
Ever wondered what it would have been like if Blood Sugar Sex Magic was by Dr Dre and Ice Cube rather than the Red Hot Chilli Peppers? Well now you know. 3.5 stars.
Sonic Youth
3/5
Great guitar sounds. A worthwhile listen. 3.5 stars.
The Incredible String Band
3/5
Wow. That was a ride and a half. A well earned 3.5 stars.
The Prodigy
5/5
Take my picture! Snap my picture!
The Prodigy giving us lessons in photography from the mid 90s
On a serious note this whole album is gold
John Martyn
4/5
The name made me think I was going to be listening to 50s C&W, the album art made me think it was going to be prog rock. In reality I was treated with funky Mark Knopfler. Noice.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
Quality reggae, 3.5 stars
Doves
4/5
It’s no Lost Souls but still a banger of an album with some great tracks
Kelela
3/5
Black Flag
2/5
In isolation there are some great tracks here but as an album it’s a bit of a one trick pony and not exploring anything new earning it a very middle of the road 2.5 stars.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
3/5
Not bad at all. 3.5 stars
PJ Harvey
3/5
Great 90s magic 3.5 stars
Miles Davis
3/5
Pretty cool stuff from Miles again. Enjoyed the more experimental/progressive nature of this one. 3.5 stars.
Minor Threat
3/5
Pretty standard punk/rock offering
Hugh Masekela
4/5
A joy from start to finish
George Harrison
3/5
Decent solo offering from George. This is Life is great
R.E.M.
3/5
Far from outstanding but not bad
Beatles
5/5
Having just listened to Abbey Road for the first time I can finally realise why it often tops charts such as this. Unfortunately the first half of the album is track after track of musical perfection marred by Paul’s whimsical murder ditty sat in the middle like a smear of shit on the roof of the Sistine Chapel. Still, great album.
Duran Duran
4/5
A must listen, Duran Duran at their finest. Bassist John Taylor is on fire from start to finish.
Pink Floyd
5/5
Part of Pink Floyd’s holy quadrangle of sequential 70s genius. ‘Welcome to the machine’ and ‘have a cigar’ would be great offerings in almost any album but almost feel like filler compared to the title track and the epic two parter of ‘shine on you crazy diamond’ that starts and finishes the album. Possibly one of the greatest albums of the 70s or even all time.
Fairport Convention
3/5
I only knew of Sandy Denny from her duet with Robert Plant in Led Zep VI. Here I hear her with the rest of her crew and it’s a pretty good listen. 3.5 stars.
Oasis
5/5
Oasis’s debut is a cracker of an album and unfortunately the rest of their discography would never reach the heights of this masterpiece. Great listen from start to finish.
The Smiths
3/5
Decent enough effort by Johnny Marr and his crew.
Erykah Badu
3/5
A few great tracks here
The Doors
5/5
Most albums by The Doors are worth a listen and this one a little more so. Can’t say I care much for Land Ho! But beyond that it’s track after track of greatness with Peace Frog/Blue Sunday being the highlight.
Björk
4/5
Quality album, need to delve a bit more into Björk if this is representative of her work
Anthrax
3/5
Solid 80s thrash
Otis Redding
4/5
Great work by one of the best in the soul business
The Velvet Underground
3/5
Decent listen, preferred the ‘banana record’
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
Good fun. Shades of 80s Bowie amongst others
Billy Bragg
3/5
Halfway between a British Bruce Springsteen and a Country and Western singer. Not bad if you like that kind of thing I suppose.
The Byrds
3/5
For many albums in the 1001 I get half way through and either get board, wondering when it will finish, or I start to get into it and enjoy it to the end. Thankfully this was one of the latter. 3.5 stars.
Electric Light Orchestra
4/5
It’s a double album but thankfully it’s a good one
Fela Kuti
4/5
Fela Kuti AND Ginger Baker. What’s not to love?
TLC
3/5
Pretty standard 1001 entry here, reasonable album with a few good tracks. Enjoyed the closer.
Various Artists
4/5
There is no Slade, Wizzard, or Mud but it’s still probably the best Christmas compilation I’ve come across
Def Leppard
3/5
Good fun 80s rock. 3.5 stars.
Joy Division
4/5
Dark and moody and probs not everyone’s cup of tea. However, still a brilliant little album.
The Magnetic Fields
3/5
Popped this one into Spotify and took a look at the track listing/album length as I often do and was surprised to see the album title is pulling no punches and clocks in at just under 3 hours in length. Suspected I’de give it an hour then jack it in but it’s actually pretty good and I listened to the whole thing.
David Bowie
4/5
Another great one by the Thin White Duke
Roxy Music
3/5
Decent enough album, nothing special, nothing bad
Paul Weller
3/5
Solid work from the Godfather of Bitpop. 3.5 stars.
Eagles
4/5
Yes the title track is one of the most ‘overplayed’ classic rock tracks and I still probably hear it once a week but it’s still awesome and the rest of the album is great too.
The Go-Betweens
3/5
k.d. lang
3/5
I only really know KF Lang’d ‘Constant Craving’ so this was different from my expectations. Not bad, but different.
Soul II Soul
3/5
No false advertising here, I does indeed contain some Club Classics.
David Bowie
3/5
Decent entry to the 1001 by Bowie. 3.5 stars.
Fairport Convention
3/5
Another decent entry by Sandy and the team
Boston
3/5
Classic classic rock. 3.5 stars.
Cat Stevens
4/5
Cat/Yousif and Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull have got a similar vocal quality that I just love. Great songs here too.
Beastie Boys
3/5
Great fun listening to tracks and picking out the samples. Got a shock when the opening drum fill from Moby Dick kicked in (it’s my phone’s ringtone).
The La's
3/5
This is where the 90s began. Worth a listen. 3.5 stars.
Madonna
2/5
Madge had a bit of a damp squib with this one. A couple of good tracts but most of it feels like it has no soul and the less said about her cover of American Pie the better. She’s made far far better albums than this one.
FKA twigs
3/5
Nice kinda ethereal melancholy
Rush
4/5
What a banger! 4.5 stars
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Absolutely solid all the way through. Not a bad track on the album.
Ananda Shankar
3/5
Wasn’t expecting much as the opening track kicked in, thought it would just be a bunch of sitar cover versions. However, the original tracks are pretty good; Sagar (The Ocean) is pretty epic.
Moby
4/5
Fantastic mix of musical styles and some great sampling going on here
Paul Simon
3/5
Some of his songs felt like he was running out of ideas for lyrics but musically it was pretty good
Tom Waits
3/5
It’s no Bobe Machine but it’s still good
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Expected a couple of Led Zep albums here, already had IV, not seen II yet. Surprised to see this one though I know it’s a goodie. Gave it a listen again and it’s solid. Track after track of greatness. If life is too short just check out The Rover and Ten Years Gone. If you don’t even enjoy them then there is a good possibility that you might be dead.
Orbital
3/5
The opening and closing tracks are just rubbish but the rest is very passable. Track 2 is the highlight
Lenny Kravitz
3/5
Decent album, some funky base lines and good guitar.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
Brill. Such great energy and emotion.
Fatboy Slim
3/5
Decent enough, liked the one that sampled The Who
5/5
Another fantastic offering from Bowie, there is a little lull half way through but apart from that it’s pure gold
Thin Lizzy
3/5
Some great moments here
Killing Joke
3/5
Hard to quantify but I quite enjoyed this. Reminded me a bit of some of the gloomier work by The Jam. 3.5 stars.
Happy Mondays
3/5
An enjoyable trip back to the 90s
John Coltrane
3/5
Sex Pistols
4/5
For those of you who love this album it is not as good as you think it is. For those of you who haven’t heard it, it’s far better than you’d think it would be.
The Sonics
3/5
Great little album, 3.5 stars
Talvin Singh
3/5
Great opening track. Overall decent album.
Fleet Foxes
3/5
A rather pleasant album. 3.5 stars
The Verve
3/5
Radiohead were robbed when this won the ‘Best Album’ in the 1998 Brit Awards over OK Computer. Still, it is a good album, 3.5 stars.
Portishead
5/5
From a pure musical point of view this is a great album but Beth Gibbon’s vocals elevate it to another level
Meat Loaf
4/5
Every teenage boy’s favorite rock opera. Still a fantastic album. 4.5 stars.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
I recall when this came out, despite some great singles, I was a bit disappointed with it compared to BSSM. However, on listening to them both again now this is the more complete album AND the best tracks surpass the best tracks of BSSM.
Brian Eno
3/5
If you look at Brian on Spotify the top track is this lovely ambient minimalist piece. If you pop this album on the contrast is quite stark. The first half of the album wouldn’t have surprised me if he started singing about Magical Trevor or Badgers. The we get to Julie With (which is brilliant) and from then on it all makes sense.
N.E.R.D
4/5
Imagine if the Isley Brothers, Fleetwood Mac, 10cc, Modest Mouse, Belle and Sebastian, and Curtis Mayfield had a musical orgy… Fly or Die is probably as close as you are going to get to that
Linkin Park
3/5
Decent album. One of the better nu metal offerings of the day
The Mothers Of Invention
2/5
There’s some good stuff here but a lot of rubbish as well
The Mothers Of Invention
2/5
Second Zappa offering in a row. Wanted to like it but it’s a bit of a hot mess. Has its good moments but not enough to put it in the good books I’m afraid.
John Lennon
3/5
Not bad. He works better in the confines of a group though…
5/5
I always stand by the notion that Oasis’s debut album was their greatest offering but after listening to this for the first time in more than 20 years although I still stand by my earlier principles I cannot deny that this is an absolute cracker of an album.
The Who
4/5
Great performance with a good medley to boot. Extended versions also worth a listen
Queen
3/5
This was not the first album by Queen that I expected to show up here. Still, was a good listen. 3.5 stars.
TV On The Radio
3/5
Enjoyed this, certainly inspired me to check out their back catalogue. 3.5 stars.
Bob Dylan
3/5
A few great tracks here on what is overall an okay album
Ali Farka Touré
3/5
Yep, another decent entry that I enjoyed but probably will never listen to again.
The Clash
3/5
Some brilliant stuff here but like with many double/long albums suffers from ‘Use Your Illusion syndrome’. Could have been a shorter 5 star album but instead is a 3.5 star long album.
Megadeth
3/5
Good fun thrash metal
Wilco
3/5
Better than the last entry I listen to by Wilco with some good tracks but still pretty run of the mill
Carole King
4/5
Very good
Billy Bragg
3/5
The original issue is pretty good. The double album reissue drags on a bit.
Fever Ray
3/5
Nice sound. Doesn’t seem to go anywhere though
John Cale
3/5
Easy listening potato monkey
Coldplay
4/5
Great album. A mix of stuff that (musically) could have been from their first album, could have come from Led Zep IV, or could have come from either of Radiohead’s Pablo Honey or Hail to the Thief.
Goldfrapp
4/5
Chill-Goldfrapp before they became Party-Goldfrapp. I enjoy them both. This a great album.
Nick Drake
4/5
There’s something magical about Nick Drake. Suitable for any mood. The closing track Saturday Sun is amazing.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
Not as good as Exodus but still a worthwhile listen
Richard Thompson
3/5
Musically nice
Donald Fagen
3/5
Was all like, ‘who the hell is Donald Fagen’ then the first track plays and I’m all like. Okay, I’ve heard this before.
Madness
3/5
Enjoyable but not peak Madness, maybe we’ll see another entry here…
Beach House
3/5
Never hear of, really enjoyed, 3.5 stars.
TV On The Radio
3/5
Another decent album from a band I’d not hear off before the 1001
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
Yep. Another good one. 3.5 stars.
4/5
The big problem with this album is it kicks off with the single greatest track in the entire U2 back catalogue and steadily goes down hill from there. It’s still a cracking album and although the second half pales next to the first half it’s a very worthy entry to the 1001
Sleater-Kinney
3/5
Wasn’t keen on all the warbling in some of the songs but an otherwise decent album. Jenny was a great track.
Bonnie Raitt
2/5
Started off okay but quickly went down hill. Not a long album but still a bit of a chore
Elliott Smith
3/5
Enjoyed this, not as melancholy as I was hoping for.
Deep Purple
5/5
Ian Gillan’s wordsmithery never probes the depths of the human condition but it doesn’t really matter, he can still hold a tune. This is a Ritch(ie Blackmore) album of solid classic rock at a good (Ian) Paice and (Jon) Lord are there some good moments. The (Roger) Glove(r)s are off as it hits you with some fantastic Deep Purple hits and even the filler tracks are solid. Though I would urge you to check out the version of Pictures of Home from the Live with the London Symphony Orchestra album.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
A few classics, some typical Stones, some bluesy numbers
3/5
Taylor Swift
3/5
Pretty decent radio friendly princess pop. Blank Space is great.
Guided By Voices
2/5
A few decent tracks here but significantly diluted by a bunch of unfinished dross.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Ah. Here we are. This is the melancholy I was looking for but didn’t find in that last Elliot Smith offering. 3.5 stars.
Röyksopp
3/5
A blast from the past and a bit of fun
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Been a while since I heard this one. It suffers from being between Led Zep II (their best album) and Led Zep IV (the one with Stairway to Heaven on it). Still, despite the comparisons to its flanking albums it is a fantastic composition through and through and deserves its five stars.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
3/5
I can certainly see this not being to everyone’s taste but it’s still a pretty impressive piece of work
Neu!
3/5
Enjoyable enough
The Beach Boys
3/5
Yeah, it’s good. Not sure it’s as good as people make it out to be though. 3.5 stars.
Spacemen 3
3/5
Quite enjoyed the sound here. 3.5 stars.
George Michael
3/5
I can’t listen to George without thinking about that sketch in Dead Ringers or Star Stories or whatever it was without remembering that scene where Boy George goes up to George Michael and says, “I put it to you, George Michael that you are a gay” and George is all like “nuh uh, no way, I like girls and everything”. And then my mind wanders to the sketch from the same show about Catherine Zeta Jones and when she met Mick Hucknal who is portrayed as this scary goblin like creature, “I’m Mick Huckkkk-naaaaal”
David Bowie
3/5
Always enjoy a bit of Bowie. A decent 3.5 stars, this one.
Lou Reed
4/5
Aware of Lou Reed but never listened to any of his albums until now. This was great
Shack
3/5
Enjoyable enough
Tears For Fears
4/5
This was pretty awesome
Steely Dan
3/5
No Aja but still pretty good 3.5 stars
Brian Wilson
3/5
Certainly still has that Beach Boys sound
Sarah Vaughan
3/5
Smooth
Julian Cope
3/5
Quite enjoyable, 3.5 stars
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
2/5
There’s actually some good stuff here and the NGDB obviously have talent as musicians. However it’s got a good song to mediocre song (or worse) ratio like Use Your Illusion and has as much senseless chatter between songs as a 90s hip hop album. And it’s over two hours long.
Randy Newman
3/5
Pixar’s fave wordsmith is at it again
Van Halen
4/5
Cracking first half and the second half ain’t no slouch.
LL Cool J
3/5
A typical entry to the 1001. It’s good. I enjoyed it. But I can’t see myself ever listening to it again.
Wu-Tang Clan
3/5
Solid hip-hop
Morrissey
3/5
Irish Blood, English Heart elevates an otherwise passable album to a worthy listen. 3.5 stars.
Fiona Apple
3/5
This is one of those, “who the hell is this?” albums when I saw it and then, “oh, I know this!” when listening. Enjoyed. 3.5 stars.
The Beau Brummels
3/5
Surprisingly enjoyable for a 60s group I’d never heard of
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Yeah, gotta confess I quite liked this one.
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
For an album just over two hours long (yes I know it’s a double) this managed to maintain the quality and interest throughout. Looking forward to giving it another go.
Marilyn Manson
3/5
Love the industrial sound but it does wax an wane in quality, still it’s a worthy listen. 3.5 stars.
Al Green
3/5
Great opener. Good album. 3.5 stars
The Cars
3/5
Couple of great tracks here
Adele
3/5
Yep. Another decent album by Adele
XTC
3/5
Some great stuff here, I think I need to listen again to appreciate it though
Ramones
3/5
A single Ramones song is phenomenal, a whole album gets a bit monotonous
Crowded House
3/5
Some good stuff here, 3.5 stars
Red Snapper
3/5
I’m 3.5% cooler having listened to this. 3.5 stars.
Goldie
3/5
This might not be very gangsta for you Goldie but this was a great album to do the ironing to. It’s just too long. I’ve only got an hour of ironing to do, not two hours.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
More quality from Nick and his mates
Korn
3/5
First half is great. Goes a bit south once Fred makes a guest appearance. 3.5 stars.
Prefab Sprout
2/5
Found it a bit bland to be honest. 2.5 stars
Dirty Projectors
2/5
It’s certainly an album. Some of the music reminded me of Battles. 2.5 stars.
2/5
Terrible start but tolerable later on and even some good bits. 2.5 stars.
Green Day
3/5
Good fun. 3.5 stars.
Circle Jerks
3/5
Brief but good fun
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Another good one. Great voice. 3.5 stars.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
Like the concept feel. Goon Squad is awesome. 3.5 stars.
David Holmes
3/5
Some brillant stuff here but some shite to balance it out
Marvin Gaye
4/5
Classic Marvin
Scott Walker
3/5
Solid work from Scott, opening track is awesome. 3.5 stars.
Sepultura
3/5
Great 90s metal. 3.5 stars
Baaba Maal
3/5
NIN Ghosts I-IV, call to prayer edition
Neil Young
3/5
It’s good, just not as good as everyone makes it out to be
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
Decent enough
The Blue Nile
3/5
Yep. Good album.
Metallica
4/5
Gotta say. Didn’t feel like a >2hr album. Enjoyed it all the way through.
Steely Dan
3/5
Not as good as Aja but still a good listen. 3.5 stars
Radiohead
5/5
From the atmospheric start to the gloomy doublet at the end this album is fantastic through and through. There’s very much a feel of two short albums back to back here with side A ending with Karma Police and side B kicking off with Fitter Happier but if anything it adds to the charm.
CHVRCHES
3/5
Pleasant synth pop with a smattering of casual swearing
Ravi Shankar
3/5
Great skills here (and education) from the sitar master. 3.5 stars.
Khaled
3/5
I’ve never been to drug fuelled party in French Morocco but as least now I feel like I’ve had part of the experience
Ute Lemper
4/5
That was certainly a lot of fun. Cool epic closing track as well.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
Fantastic album by Jimi and his mates. 4.5 stars.
Alice Cooper
3/5
Enjoyed
Kings of Leon
4/5
Brilliant debut album from the band I once described as “Like The Corrs, but with beards.”
Liz Phair
3/5
Half decent album this one
The Go-Go's
4/5
This was far better than I was expecting. Some slapping base and great songs.
Roni Size
3/5
It was a bit of a slog to get through but not an unpleasant one. Brown Paer Bag and Hi-Potent were great.
Janet Jackson
2/5
There’s a few good songs on here but most of it is rather bland and the album is further marred by all the interludes
Slade
3/5
Great tunes from the masters of glam rock. Make yourself a Cup-a-Soup, sit in your comfy chair, and give it a listen. 3.5 stars.
Robbie Williams
3/5
Hailing from Yorkshire I should hate this cheeky Manx but I have to admit he does steam a good ham. 3.5 stars.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
2/5
Enjoyed some of it but there were a lot of tracks with high pitched noise that just took the pleasure away
The Electric Prunes
3/5
Good 60s sounds
Elis Regina
3/5
No idea what she was sing about but she did it well and her band wasn’t half bad either
Paul McCartney and Wings
3/5
Great start and finish and a bit middling in the middle. Still, enjoyable enough. 3.5 stars.
Ice Cube
2/5
Decent album marred by casual mysogynistic lyrics
The Birthday Party
3/5
A lot of fun this one. Cave with more oomph. 3.5 stars
The Police
3/5
Some bangers on here. Big fan of Bring on the Night. 3.5 stars.
Elvis Presley
3/5
Not a massive fan of Elvis but can’t deny his talents
Soft Machine
3/5
Yes the tracks are all a bit long and often take a while to ‘get started’ but once you’re in they are pretty damn good
The Offspring
4/5
A lot of fun with some great tracks. Less keen on the jibber jabber that crops up.
King Crimson
5/5
Five tracks pretty much following (from a quality standpoint) of Star Trek movies 2-6. If you like heavy prog (or Star Trek) then that’s still large doses of awesome.
Gotan Project
3/5
“Hey, Gotan Project. Make me a soundtrack for a chilled out party but make it so everyone is reminded of 12 Monkeys.”
Booker T. & The MG's
3/5
Green Onions (track) is the obvious classic, still, there’s some other good stuff on here.
Bob Dylan
3/5
Standard Bobby-D affair. It’s good, worth a listen but probs not as good as the fans make it out to be
Method Man
2/5
Liked the gloomy musical feel but otherwise could get into it… and is that a rapper with a lisp?!?!?!? That’s a new one.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
A great listen with some of his best tracks
Todd Rundgren
3/5
An enjoyable bit of classic rock injected with a bit of psychadelia and prog
Soundgarden
5/5
The pinnacle of 90s Grunge. Doesn’t get much better than this.
Richard Hawley
4/5
Lovely album. The Ocean is out of this world, phenomenal track.
4/5
Quality prog that doesn’t overstay its welcome
The Stranglers
3/5
Great baselines marinading in spicey mysogynism sauce
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
Nice bit of early Tom. I wonder if he’ll have some more on here.
Sinead O'Connor
3/5
Okay album with a good Prince song in the middle of it
Motörhead
4/5
There’s a few songs here in which the subject matter would get these boys into trouble theses days but aside from that this is Lemmy and his crew at their finest. A worthy listen.
Prince
3/5
It’s Prince so you know it’s going to be reasonable. Can’t imagine revisiting it though.
Radiohead
4/5
Great album. Suffers from being sandwiched between Kid A and Hail to the Thief in the discography. But that’s its only downfall.
Beatles
3/5
A few great tracks mixed into a half decent album. 3.5 stars.
M.I.A.
2/5
Don’t mind the drum and bass and Kingstown beats but the rest was rather unfulfilling. Plus, I find it very annoying when an artist/group has to sing their name every second line to remind you who they are.
Pere Ubu
3/5
Some of it’s a bit wishy washy but for the most part it’s decent experimental/alternative rock with a vague feel of Talking Heads
Goldfrapp
4/5
Lovely album this one
Frank Ocean
3/5
Sweet Life was awesome with a fantastic bass line, Lost was pretty cool as well. Helps balance out some of the more mediocre elements of the album
Led Zeppelin
5/5
A few decent quality standard blues tracks here in befitting of their debut album. The rest of it is Led Zep magic. A banger of an opening track, the awesomeness of Dazed and Confused, and the brilliant How Many More Times to close.
The Strokes
5/5
Not listened to this in a long time. Have to admit it’s still very good and a worthy entry into the 1001
Adele
5/5
Gotta say, I really enjoyed this. Far better than the other albums of hers that have popped up here. Listened to it three times now. Great from start to finish
Kraftwerk
4/5
Very cool. Titular track is long but doesn’t outstay its welcome. Other tracks are lovely sound scapes.
The Band
3/5
A few decent tracks here, a pleasant enough listen
Love
3/5
Quite liked the epic track on side 2
Kings of Leon
4/5
Another banger of an album from Kings of Leon. Peeters off a bit towards the end though
The Killers
4/5
Killer opening track and many others beside. Lacklustre finish. They ever were as good as their debut.
Stan Getz
3/5
Pleasant enough listen
Marty Robbins
2/5
There’s a couple of great tracks here but the rest just falls flat to me. 2.5 stars.
Meat Puppets
3/5
A mixed bag of great songs, cool instrumentals, and lesser additions. IIRC two of the Meat Puppets joined Nirvana for their Unplugged session which is why three of the songs from this album feature on that album.
Sam Cooke
3/5
Very enjoyable live gig from Sam. 3.5 stars
Justice
3/5
Loved the opening and closing two tracks but the middle was just a bit middling
Giant Sand
3/5
Satellite was a brillant, rest was okay
Milton Nascimento
3/5
A great opening track and a bunch of other good ones mixed in there
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
Skeletons is brilliant, the rest is pretty good as well. 3.5 stars.
50 Cent
3/5
Not a bad album by 50c, not good enough to warrant 75mins of it but still enjoyable
Incubus
3/5
A great little album for the end of the 20th century. 3.5 stars.
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
3/5
Was never aware of this other project of Damon and friends. Enjoyed. 3.5 stars.
Johnny Cash
4/5
Great live album
Primal Scream
3/5
Some cracking stuff on here. 3.5 stars.
Slipknot
3/5
First ever listen to a Slipknot album. Not bad; shades of Megadeth and Machine Head here and there. Was worth checking out
Kacey Musgraves
2/5
Pretty standard pop/C&W teen starlet affair. 2.5 stars.
The Kinks
3/5
Another solid offering by protorockers The Kinks. 3.5 stars.
Badly Drawn Boy
3/5
Disillusion and Once Around the Block are brilliant tracks in an otherwise half decent album. 3.5 stars
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
Rock Box and It’s Like That were great, the rest was rather middling
Caetano Veloso
3/5
Can’t say I was a fan of listening to him eat a chicken and gravy sandwich all the way through the final track but it was otherwise a very pleasant album. 3.5 stars.
Tori Amos
3/5
A few very good tracks here. Rest isn’t bad either. 3.5 stars.
Country Joe & The Fish
3/5
Quite enjoyed this. 3.5 stars.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
4/5
Great album. Souvenir and Sealand are brilliant. Sounds like a synth heavy slightly chippier version of Joy Division
Sabu
2/5
A couple of good tracks here in an otherwise fun but middling album. 2.5 stars.
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
Some solid hip hop here with a couple of great baselines. 3.5 stars.
The Saints
3/5
Fun and energetic punk
The White Stripes
4/5
Peak White Stripes. I often found their albums hit and miss but this one is filled with cracking tracks and even the ‘fillers’ are of good quality - aside from the last track which is a bit naff. Still, a well deserved 4 stars.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
3/5
Very cool set of songs. 3.5 stars.
Amy Winehouse
3/5
Good album. Better than the other one from her collection featured here. 3.5 stars.
Tom Waits
3/5
Another good one from Tom. 3.5 stars.
Neil Young
3/5
Southern Man and Birds are great tracks. Rest is half decent. 3.5stars
Charles Mingus
4/5
Enjoyed every minute. Great jazz album
Joan Armatrading
3/5
Good album. Some great tracks. 3.5 stars.
Nirvana
5/5
A beautifully execute album. It’s not just a live greatest hits complication, there’s cover versions (about six I think) and some pleasant banter mixed in with a good mix of Nirvana tracks across the back catalogue. A worthy listen.
Prince
4/5
Solid 4 stars. The guy is a wizard
Lucinda Williams
2/5
A couple of passable tracks towards the end but was otherwise a bit of a chore to get through
Super Furry Animals
3/5
Solid album. 3.5 stars.
CHIC
3/5
It’s no Risqué but still a decent album with some great bass guitar work. 3.5 stars
Scissor Sisters
3/5
As much as I hate the abomination that is their version of Comfortably Numb this album is packed with a great variety of themes and genres that keeps it fun and interesting. 3.5 stars.
Quicksilver Messenger Service
4/5
A very pleasant prog/psychadelic experience across two Bo Diddly medleys. It certainly made my grocery shopping a much nicer experience
Happy Mondays
2/5
Firmly middle of the road. 2.5 stars
The Clash
3/5
Solid 3 start offering from The Clash
Basement Jaxx
2/5
Yeah, it has its moments. 2.5 stars
Dinosaur Jr.
3/5
Another rock/indie band I was aware of in the day but never gave the time of day. Was actually very good. 3.5 stars
Bebel Gilberto
3/5
Enjoyable, not great
The Mars Volta
5/5
Wow. This kicks of with an absolutely stunning warm up -> main track and keeps going with brilliance after brillance. Phenomenal album
Kate Bush
3/5
Some very good stuff here. It’s no Hounds of Love but still worth a try. 3.5 stars.
Def Leppard
4/5
Just an all round fun and brilliant album.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
This was great. Spellbound is an absolute banger and the rest is pretty good
Mariah Carey
2/5
Imaging the most boring watered-down-milk closing track from a Disney movie you’ve ever heard and times it by twelve
Foo Fighters
3/5
Quality debut album from the Foos. 3.5 stars
Neil Young
3/5
Good album from Neil here. My first real experience with NY(&CH) is the love album Weld and unfortunately nothing else has compared to that. Still nice to hear the albums he’s made from where some of those songs came from. 3.5 stars.
Robert Wyatt
3/5
Well that was an odd but not unpleasant experience. Yes, Duchess is a shit stain of a song in an otherwise passable album. However, Blues in Bob Minor is an absolute genius of a song (and great homage to Bob Dylan) so I’ll forgive them.
The Everly Brothers
3/5
Got excited when I saw the title initially; then early today asked the car’s voice command to pop it on when I was running about. Imagine my shock when rather than a blistering electric guitar opening and a photo featuring a large number of Afro hairstyles on the car’s display I was instead treated to a photo of two white guys at a phone box and 50s/60s crooning. That’s the last time il get the Isley Brothers and the Everly Brothers mixed up (I guess).
Jamiroquai
5/5
Maybe I’m feeling generous but this gets a whopping 5 out of 5. Great energy, funky baselines, eau de Stevie Wonder. Enjoyed every minute. Had heard the singles from Jamiroquai as they were released back in the day but they never made me want to explore the back catalogue. This is a fantastic album, I missed out not hearing it until now
Destiny's Child
2/5
Starts off with a couple of catchy tunes but turns to yawn very quickly
Q-Tip
3/5
Didn’t mind this. It’s not rare for me to check the album every now and then to see how long there is left to go. Not the case this time.
David Bowie
4/5
Day-vid Bow-eee knocks it out of the park again with another great album. No radical ch-ch-ch-changes here, it’s definitely Bowie and very enjoyable
Talking Heads
3/5
Can’t deny that Once in a Lifetime is a phenomenal song. There’s other good stuff here as well. 3.5 stars.
Cee Lo Green
2/5
[record scratch]
Narrator: Turns out, he isn’t
Okay so it’s not that bad, there’s some good stuff on this but it leaps here and there and in and out of mediocrity. A middling 2.5 stars.
Roxy Music
3/5
A fun album with some well know tunes. A worthy listen. 3.5 stars.
The Band
3/5
Enjoyable enough, plus contains the Ab Fab theme tune.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Wasn’t expecting much only knowing Badlands from this album. Surprised that the rest of the albums is much better than the opening track. Will listen to again.
Mekons
3/5
Brian Eno
3/5
Loved ‘On Some Far Away Beach’. The rest was also good. 3.5 stars.
Manic Street Preachers
5/5
Awesome from start to finish. Archives of Pain is the highlight but honestly it’s all good.
The Sugarcubes
4/5
This was a lot of fun. Maybe I need to check out more of the Sugarcubes and Björk
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Many times I’ll listen to an album on 1001 and I’ll here a couple of tracks I know and enjoy and the rest is meh, three times now The Boss has delivered an album here and I’ve enjoyed the songs I didn’t know as much as if not more than the ‘hits’ that are well known. I guess I must be a Bruce Springsteen fan now.
Gang Of Four
3/5
Good baselines
Janelle Monáe
3/5
A fun and varied album. It’s no Death in Vegas but has some of that feel.
Radiohead
5/5
Their 6th studio album was well awaited and didn’t disappoint. Track after track of awesomeness, beauty, or beautiful awesomeness. Check out the video for There There as well, fantastic stuff. I enjoyed the limited edition version in which all the tracks had somewhat creepy second names such as There There (The Boney King of Nowhere). The Boney King of Nowhere being a song used in the children’s classic TV series Bagpus.
New Order
4/5
I do enjoy a good bit of Peter Hook and his baselines
Gang Starr
3/5
More good baselines here
Elvis Costello
3/5
Pretty decent effort from EC
Syd Barrett
3/5
A fun enough and whimsical album that falls a part a bit at the end
Big Star
3/5
Kicks of a little middling but warms up to be an enjoyable affair
Digital Underground
3/5
Surprisingly entertaining, almost a concept album with the ‘packet suite’ towards the end. Quite enjoyed. 3.5 stars.
Van Morrison
3/5
Moondance is a great song, the rest is pretty good. 3.5 stars.
Pretenders
3/5
Kid and Brass in Pocket are great. The rest is pretty good. 3.5 stars.
The Last Shadow Puppets
4/5
A surprise to be sure but a welcome one. Much enjoyed
Isaac Hayes
4/5
Does exactly what it says on the tin. Overblow and ridiculous soul. Awesome.
The Sabres Of Paradise
2/5
Firmly in the middle of the pack. 2.5 stars.
Sigur Rós
5/5
Such a great album. The title track is phenomenally good as is the first track after the intro. Ný Batterí fills out the top three. A well deserved entry to the 1001
The Thrills
3/5
Don’t remember them by name but recognised almost every other track. Decent enough
Depeche Mode
3/5
There’s a few reviews here giving this album a bad wrap but I found it quite enjoyable. 3.5 stars.
Mylo
3/5
Drop the Pressure was great, the rest half decent.
M.I.A.
2/5
Started off terrible and thought it was heading for a one start rating but got a bit better mid way through. A couple of passable tracks
Air
3/5
Never seen the movie but enjoyed the feel of the tracks. Opening track is a cracker. 3.5 stars
The Byrds
2/5
Started out medicore, got worse with the ‘Christian’ track, got better towards the end
Ash
4/5
Some absolute bangers on here, a few of the album tracks are middling but still a worthy listen
Queen
5/5
This is Queen at their most Queen, meandering though bombastic, ridiculous, camp, and pure rock there is never a dull moment (although some moments might be a bit odd).
Highlights include Death on Two Legs, ‘39, Prophet Song, and Love of My Life plus the more well know songs
I’d still give it 5 starts even if it didn’t have Bohemian Rhapsody in it.
Jacques Brel
3/5
If you imaging a French crooner recording an album with stereotypical French music sounds (the accordion and piano) then you’re already on the money
Klaxons
4/5
Another pleasant surprise of an album that was very enjoyable
The Velvet Underground
3/5
If you’ve not listened to this album then it’s better than you think it is. If you have listened to and like this album it’s not as good as you think it is. 3.5 stars.
Public Image Ltd.
3/5
It’s an album, I enjoyed it, but I can’t imaging its everyone’s cup of tea
The Pogues
3/5
Lots of fun and energy
Nick Drake
5/5
Simultaneously infinitely happy and infinitely sad. Great album.
Aretha Franklin
4/5
Solid album, great singer
Bobby Womack
3/5
Pleasant way to spend 40 something minutes. 3.5 stars.
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
A few good tracks here. Nice kick off with a Pink Floyd sample.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
Noice, heard better by them though
Pavement
3/5
Some great musical pieces here, especially towards the end. 3.5 stars
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
4/5
This was a lovely surprise. Enjoyed every minute
Jurassic 5
3/5
Decent enough
The National
5/5
Absolutely brilliant
William Orbit
3/5
Enjoyed it but can’t imagine I’d listen to it again
Beyoncé
2/5
Not sure why she gets the accolade she gets, this was pretty mediocre
Everything But The Girl
3/5
Decent enough
Maxwell
2/5
Middling background music. 2.5 stars
The Auteurs
3/5
Another new one for me and an enjoyable one at that. 3.5 stars.
PJ Harvey
3/5
Another decent album. 3.5 stars
Beastie Boys
3/5
Crisply enjoyable 60mins. Crescent fresh. 3.5 stars.
Machito
4/5
Fantastic from start to finish
Stevie Wonder
3/5
Not Songs in the Key of Life good but still a worthy listen. 3.5 stars
Talking Heads
4/5
Much fun. Great album.
ZZ Top
3/5
More bluesy than I thought it would be. Would try out again. 3.5 stars
Gene Clark
3/5
Statues of quite country which lead to an exasperated sigh but was actually quite good.
Mott The Hoople
3/5
Solid seventies sounds
Michael Jackson
3/5
Two cracking tracks to begin with, rest was pretty decent. 3.5 stars.
Ghostface Killah
3/5
A few cracking tracks on here amidst some mediocrity
The Beach Boys
3/5
Yup. It’s certainly The Beach Boys
Carpenters
3/5
Karen Carpenter is always a joy. 3.5 stars.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
Another good album. 3.5 stars.
The Who
4/5
Brilliant. It has its lower points now and then but overall a fantastic rock opera
Supergrass
3/5
Great 90s sound. 3.5 stars.
Mike Ladd
2/5
Passable. Some decent moments. 2.5 stars.
Yes
4/5
Absolutely fantastic!
The Teardrop Explodes
3/5
Quite enjoyed
Tom Waits
4/5
Am more of a fan of his later works but this is still great
Janis Joplin
3/5
Yep, enjoyable enough
The Doors
5/5
Absolutely fantastic. Contains possibly their greatest ever song, Riders on the Storm and the rest of the album is no slouch either
The Temptations
3/5
Noice. 3.5 stars
Antony and the Johnsons
3/5
Enjoyable
Fatboy Slim
3/5
Blast from the past.
3.5 stars
Ministry
3/5
Tracks 1 and 3 were a bit naff but the rest was great. 3.5 stars.
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
2/5
A small dose was fine but didn’t really float my boat
Cocteau Twins
4/5
Quite an enjoyable one
Screaming Trees
4/5
Really enjoyable album. Nothing mindblowing but still a very happy experience
Orange Juice
3/5
Not heard this in a long time, always thought it was Talking Heads. Still, good album. 3.5 stars
JAY Z
2/5
A few good things here but a lot of it wasn’t
The Jesus And Mary Chain
4/5
Like this one
Tito Puente
3/5
Good fun
Super Furry Animals
3/5
Good fun. Something for the weekend was great. 3.5 stars
George Michael
3/5
Always was disappointed that George never became the new frontman of Queen. Solo stuff is still pretty good though. 3.5 stars
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
I do enjoy a bit of Nick Cave
The Fall
3/5
Has it’s moments I suppose
Judas Priest
4/5
There’s something nice and comforting about British Metal from this era. Great album.
4/5
Gotta say, I’ve not been blown away by the Bob Dylan that has shown up on here previously but this was very good
Bob Dylan
3/5
Pretty good. 3.5 stars
Deep Purple
4/5
Yeah, Space Trucking might be ten minutes longer than it should have been but this is otherwise a great live album
The Associates
2/5
I tired to like it but in the end I can’t help but feel this is what would happen if the Human League and David Bowie had an ugly musical baby
The Mamas & The Papas
4/5
I know Monday Monday and expected I’d enjoy the opening track and it would be all down hill from there. I was wrong. The next track was awesome and the rest of the album varies from decent to excellent. A surprise enjoyment
Emmylou Harris
2/5
Passable I suppose. 2.5stars.
Supergrass
4/5
Surprised to see another Supergrass album here and even more surprised by the quality. That’s two great albums here so far.
Cypress Hill
3/5
Has its moments, enjoyable.
The Stooges
3/5
Solid effort. 3.5 stars
Stephen Stills
3/5
Great starter track, rest half decent
John Lennon
4/5
Slow start but once Working Class Hero kicks off it’s a great album
Bob Dylan
3/5
Great start to an album and quality all the way through. Another good entry from Bob, 3.5 stars
The Black Keys
4/5
Very much enjoyed this. Not really heard their stuff before.
Christina Aguilera
2/5
Not as much of a slog as I thought it would be. Still, can’t say I’ll ever want to listen again. 2.5 stars.
Underworld
3/5
Enjoyed this more than I thought I would, last track was great. 3.5 stars
3/5
Excellent example of very 80s stuff that’s good. Not quite 4 stars but pushing very close.
The Stooges
3/5
Solid effort by Iggy and the boys. 3.5 stars.
Weather Report
3/5
A great sound. Good listen. 3.5 stars.
Joy Division
4/5
Brilliant. Greta album. Also contains Twenty Four Hours which might be one of my faves.
Michael Jackson
4/5
Can’t deny that he earned his name as the King of Pop. Great album.
The Libertines
3/5
Good opening, rest is average
Tim Buckley
3/5
Better than I expected, some good parts to this one
The xx
3/5
Another unknown to me and decent enough to listen to
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
Great album. Enjoyable from start to finish.
Alice In Chains
5/5
Brilliant from start to finish. Can’t believe I missed being into them back in the day.
Opens with a cracker, closes with one, and plenty of quality in between
Lightning Bolt
2/5
There are a few great moments in this album but most of it feels like the same 1.5 seconds on repeat
Ice Cube
2/5
Half decent to middling 2.5 stars
The KLF
3/5
Transcentral was great, a few other good moments too
Peter Tosh
2/5
Reasonable reggae album, not the best. 2.5 stars.
Lou Reed
4/5
Quite enjoyed this, worth another go
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
3/5
Enjoyable enough if a bit forgettable
Beatles
4/5
A few filler-esque tracks here and there but otherwise still a great album
James Brown
3/5
John Grant
3/5
Never heard of this, quite enjoyed it. Well put together l, 3.5 stars
DJ Shadow
5/5
This is a phenomenally well crafted album, I have absolutely nothing negative to say about it. Had it on 3 times in a row now.
Paul Simon
3/5
Enjoyable
Leftfield
3/5
This gets a lot of flak in the reviews here for some reason. I thought it was pretty good
A Tribe Called Quest
2/5
I remember this as being better than it actually is. Middling but not bad. 2.5 stars
Queen Latifah
2/5
The chipmunk talk on track two drags down an average album which has a few good tracks towards the end
Dr. Dre
2/5
A few decent tracks but nothing new or exciting here
Animal Collective
2/5
Started out interesting and different but got a bit samey very quickly
Suede
3/5
Enjoyable enough, could hear the influences. Better than I thought it would be.
Iggy Pop
3/5
Sounding a good bit like Bowie here, apart from the song that Bowie also did. Some great tracks near the end. 3.5 stars.
The 13th Floor Elevators
2/5
Enjoyed it to begin with but the quality dropped off and lost its pizzazz. 2.5 stars
The Who
2/5
There’s a couple of good tracks here but all the adverts and intermissions make it not much better than all the rap additions to the 1001 with all their skits etc. Still, gets bonus points for trying something different. 2.5 stars.
Tom Waits
3/5
Another solid one from Tom, 3.5 stars
The Only Ones
3/5
Only knew one single by these guys so wasn’t expecting much. Pretty decent listen in the end
The Temptations
4/5
Yep. Got a a good album here. A worthy addition.
Ian Dury
3/5
Music hall meets 70s pop rock meets gangsta rap. Kinda works.
Small Faces
3/5
Well it certainly is an album!
Was expecting better given it’s their ‘famous one’ and I’m pretty sure I’ve had another of theirs on the 1001 already which was better than this. Still, quite the experience.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Great start. Rest also pretty good. 3.5 stars
The Replacements
2/5
Firmly middling 2.5 stars
Turbonegro
3/5
Good energy
Britney Spears
2/5
A collection of pop ballads, some quite good. All a bit samey though as it goes on. 2.5 stars
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
3/5
A pleasant surprise
3/5
Enjoyable enough
Radiohead
5/5
I feel like I was the only one (of my peers) who liked this when it came out. Hasn’t aged a day, great from start to finish, and a strong contender for their best album. Listen in a dark and cosy room when it’s wet, cold, and miserable outside for maximum effect.
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
3/5
It grew on me and I quite enjoyed it but I can’t imagine I’d ever feel the urge to listen to it again
Kraftwerk
3/5
Solid 3.5 stars
Hüsker Dü
3/5
Very 80s REM sound
Aretha Franklin
4/5
Quality from start to finish
Faust
2/5
There are a few half decent tracks here but several tracks are just the same nine seconds on repeat for 3-7 minutes before the music changes up for a bit. Meh
The Cult
3/5
Another decent entry
Elton John
4/5
Opens with a set of A+ tracks but unfortunately does not return to that high. Still. Fantastic album
Aerosmith
3/5
Rufus Wainwright
3/5
Grateful Dead
3/5
White Denim
3/5
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
3/5
With an album title and artist name like that I was expecting another mediocre CaW album. Thankfully this is closer to Modest Mouse than Marty Robbins. Great opener as well. 3.5 stars.
The Jam
5/5
After a steady tide of average albums here on the 1001 we’ve finally hit some quality again.
This is The Jam at their peak, this (and Setting Son’s) has the perfect mix of hope and cynicism delivered via their special brand of mod rock. There is less of the punk sound of their earlier work and they haven’t put in the soul sound present in their final album (which is also excellent) that would make the hallmark of Weller’s next project (the Style Council).
Fantastic album with a brilliant closing track.
T. Rex
3/5
Good fun glam rock 3.5 stars
Joan Baez
3/5
Great acoustic guitar and a good voice
Dennis Wilson
3/5
It’s a bit long but it’s still alright
The Verve
3/5
Some quality stuff here. 3.5 stars
Ryan Adams
3/5
Couple of great tracks here. 3.5 stars.
Suzanne Vega
3/5
Enjoyed but not one I’d revisit
Devendra Banhart
3/5
Decent enough
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
Another PE pretty decent offering for the 1001. 3.5 stars
ZZ Top
3/5
Some great stuff here. Overall a good album. 3.5 stars.
The Streets
3/5
This is greater than the sum of its parts. A lot of the tracks are a bit rubbish but tell a cohesive story making them all essential parts of the album. Highlights are Fit But You Know It, Cry Your Eyes Out, and Empty Cans (which is a great finishing track).
Buzzcocks
3/5
Another album of which I can understand its quality, enjoy the listen now, but will never listen to again
Hanoi Rocks
3/5
Never hear of them. Rubbish album cover. Quite good album. 3.5 stars.
Dr. Octagon
2/5
It had a few entertaining moments but otherwise was left feeling underwhelmed. Enjoyed the DJ Shadow input at the end. Probs was the best bit.
Black Sabbath
5/5
Opening with a cracker of an 8min opening track and not letting down from that moment this is a fantastic album filled with brilliant tracks. Shame I can’t give it 6 stars.
Sebadoh
4/5
From the clear guitars and the gloomy bass as the first track started I could tell this could be good. Never heard of them prior to now. Great album.
Black Sabbath
5/5
This is where it all began. A great debut album harking at the rest of the bands career. Not as good as Paranoid or Vol 4 but still a tour de force and worthy of 5 stars
Rage Against The Machine
4/5
Though I’m not the biggest fan of Zac and his lyrics I can’t deny this is a fantastic album. Musically brilliant and a very worthy entry to the 1001
Grizzly Bear
3/5
Yeah, not bad at all. 3.5 stars
Nitin Sawhney
3/5
Pleasantly surprised 3.5 stars
Pere Ubu
2/5
Like Talking Heads, but shit.
Van Morrison
3/5
Usually I see a double album and despair, what if it’s rubbish? Do I have to listen to two hours of this rubbish? Thankfully not in this case. I’m not a VM fan but he’s definitely got talent. Vanilla enough that there’s nothing to put be off but not vanilla enough that it’s boring. 3.5 stars.
3/5
ANOTHER Blur album. You can feel the influences in this one from the Jam and other late 70s/early 80s. Was quite enjoyable.
Abdullah Ibrahim
3/5
Short and sweet
Buffalo Springfield
3/5
Another short album and also of decent quality
Guns N' Roses
5/5
A lot of ‘classic rock’ albums turn up on the 1001 and most of them are okay, not great. Every now and then there’s an exception to this rule and Appetite is one of these exceptions. The highs of the album are phenomenally high and the ‘filler tracks’ are as good as if not better than most of the tracks on a bunch of the other ‘classic rock’ entries here.
Enjoyed it from start to finish
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
There’s a few stinkers here but on the whole a good album with a few cracking tracks to balance it out
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
4/5
The opening track is like the final boss music to a Final Fantasy game. Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing would be to personal taste. It’s then followed up with some standard, not particularly profit rock tracks, then gets back into the prog for the closing quarter. A worthy entry.
New Order
3/5
I do like New Order but as quality as their work is and as much as I’d like to sing their praises I find it hard to justify objectively. Still, 3.5 stars.
My Bloody Valentine
2/5
It’s a load of noise. It’s good noise, and at some points it’s great noise, but I can imagine this not being a lot of people’s cup of tea. 2.5 stars.
Shivkumar Sharma
3/5
Surprised at this one. Very pleasant listen. 3.5 stars
U2
4/5
Another great one by U2. Not quite on the same level as Joshua Tree but still damn good
Fishbone
3/5
Kicks off like and 80s Deep Purple/Van Halen mix and gets funkier from there on in. 3.5 stars.
Fats Domino
3/5
Terence Trent D'Arby
3/5
A load of quality hits here. 3.5 stars.
The Slits
2/5
Just about tolerable
Japan
3/5
Has some good moments
Daft Punk
3/5
Shit sandwich
Sorry, wrong album/artist
Around the world around the world
Some shite (Rock and Roll) and more quality balancing out to a respectable album
The Style Council
3/5
Love The Jam, love Paul Weller, never really got into The Style Council. Still, it’s good. 3.5 stars.
Boards of Canada
2/5
There are a few good moments here but most is a bit meh. 2.5 stars
Michael Jackson
4/5
Can’t deny the talent here. Falls off in quality at the end but otherwise solid album
Bill Callahan
3/5
Was guessing this would be generic C&W from the artist name and title - was completely wrong. Enjoyed 3.5 stars
Holger Czukay
2/5
The opening track is TERRIBLE but thankfully the rest of the album is better. Still not one of my faves. 2.5 stars
Paul Revere & The Raiders
3/5
Solid 60s fair
Morrissey
3/5
He keeps popping up and I know a lot don’t like him but musically he’s fine
The Allman Brothers Band
4/5
Another album I’ve not heard of before… Looks at length of album; 78mins - sighs
Listens to album; 78mins later - non stop awesome
The White Stripes
4/5
Sometimes feels like a collection of songs rather than a true album but still, a great collection of songs.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
4/5
Quality album. Knew Free Bird (obviously) but was happy to hear the rest was also good
The Rolling Stones
4/5
A few greats here back up with standard Stones quality
Dr. John
3/5
Voodoo man got friends on the other side
Afrika Bambaataa
3/5
Gotta be one of the coolest front covers out there. Enjoyable album as well
Hookworms
3/5
Starts pretty poorly but thankfully gets a lot better. Great ending track as well.
The Coral
3/5
A fun little album this. 3.5 stars
Tim Buckley
3/5
Decent album here. Shame about the front cover
The Roots
2/5
Rough start but gets better. Some good stuff towards the end. 2.5 stars
The Stooges
3/5
Good fun album. 3.5 stars.
David Ackles
3/5
Portishead
5/5
Portishead with a dash of Slint/Early Mohawk/Interpol. Brilliant
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
Bad Company
3/5
Solid effort here. 3.5 stars
Eminem
2/5
18 tracks, a lot of shit, but some really good ones to balance it out. Plus he added stan to the lexicanum. 2.5 stars
Dusty Springfield
3/5
Great debut album. 3.5 stars
Les Rythmes Digitales
2/5
Another mix of dross and quality; 2.5 stars
Nico
3/5
Quite enjoyed the mix of melancholy vocals with the strings and acoustic guitar
Skepta
3/5
A surprise to be sure but a welcome one. Good quality London rap with heavy Jamaican influences. Best tract is “That’s not me”. 3.5 stars.
The Flying Burrito Brothers
2/5
Genetic C&W but at least the bass player has some skills. 2.5 stars.
Koffi Olomide
3/5
Beck
3/5
Frank Zappa
4/5
A few Zappa albums have come my way on the 1001 and I’ve not really been impressed. Hot Rats though is a different breed. Enjoyed from start to finish.
Ice T
3/5
One of the better offerings of early 90s rap. Plenty of decent tracks to chose from, good variety, nice choice of samples, would listen again. 3.5 stars.
The Beta Band
3/5
The Modern Lovers
3/5
A shitty version of The Doors. But with The Doors being awesome that’s less of an insult than you’d think
Alice Cooper
3/5
Laura Nyro
3/5
Enjoyable enough, nothing special
The Jam
4/5
Great album here by The Jam. Not their finest offering but was a hint of the greatness to come with their following albums. Ends with a high with DITTSAM
The Monkees
2/5
Disappointing album from such a big name. Still passable though. 2.5 stars.
Fiona Apple
3/5
Stevie Wonder
3/5
Lovely little album by Stevie. 3.5 stars
Simply Red
3/5
Several song, two good ones.
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
3/5
Quite an enjoyable little ride, 3.5 stars
Talking Heads
3/5
Always a good listen, Talking Heads, this is no exception. 3.5 stars
Scott Walker
3/5
Great little album. 3.5 stars
Leonard Cohen
3/5
A few good ones here
Culture Club
3/5
Three great songs and some backup
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
THIRD! Album so far by these guys here. Once again, nothing bad but just didn’t pull me in. 2.5 stars.
Throwing Muses
3/5
Another pretty decent addition
Genesis
4/5
A brilliant opener and two even better songs follow it. Mellows down for More Fool Me then the low point of The Battle of Epping Forest. Thankfully it then gets much better with After The Ordeal and Cinema Show. If only that middle track was better this would get 5 stars. Still, I reckon it deserves a 4.5.
Television
4/5
Heard of the band, heard of the album, never listened to before. Was missing out, very good.
The Adverts
3/5
The Isley Brothers
4/5
Nothing but quality here from the world’s best cover band
Barry Adamson
3/5
I thought the industrial pieces were very well done and there are a few more decent works here but in the end I’ll probably not remember this one
John Prine
2/5
He’s not sure if he’s Bob Dylan or Tow-Mater and falls short of both in the end
The Prodigy
5/5
Was expecting this one to not reach the highs of FotL but aside from a brief lull prior to The Narctoic Suite (last 3 tracts) this is non stop awesome
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Solid album. Not lost his skills. 3.5 stars
Jethro Tull
5/5
An absolute rollercoaster or an album which I still enjoy from start to finish this day. Brilliant
MC Solaar
3/5
It’s French but it’s alright
The Pretty Things
3/5
Enjoyable 60’s psychedelic/prog rock
The Afghan Whigs
4/5
Although the singer has nothing to differentiate them from any other alt-rock act of the time period the music delivered by the band is next level and makes this album worthy of interest
Miriam Makeba
3/5
A pleasant little album
Ali Farka Touré
3/5
Another joyful listen
Aerosmith
3/5
Solid effort from the rockers. 3.5 stars.
Mike Oldfield
4/5
The Sailor’s Hornpipe (which I think is less than two mins long) section of part 2 is a stinky shit stain on an otherwise incredible album.
The Avalanches
3/5
Fun album with some entertaining tracks. 3.5 stars
Steve Winwood
2/5
Yeah, it’s alright I suppose. Well executed but still middling. 2.5 stars.
King Crimson
4/5
It’s very King Crimson. Which means if you like them, or have any inclination towards prog rock or post rock then it’s essential listening. If not, it might be worth a try but I don’t think it will convert those who aren’t into this style of music. Still, I’d encourage them to try.
Willie Nelson
3/5
Pixies
3/5
Always enjoyable. 3.5 stars.
Orbital
3/5
Coldplay
4/5
Brilliant debut album. So many good songs.
Sonic Youth
3/5
Musically great but not sold on the vocalist.
3.5 stars
Miles Davis
3/5
Solid work from the king of cool. 3.5 stars.
Slayer
3/5
Another worthy feature to the 1001, 3.5 stars
Nick Drake
5/5
Brilliant from start to finish. Hard to put in words but I feel I could listen to this again and again and again and I would not get tired of it. Simply beautiful
Mudhoney
3/5
Good fun grunge
Taylor Swift
3/5
Change of pace here for Tay Tay, decent album with some good collabs
Primal Scream
3/5
I enjoyed the album but I’m afraid I’m just gonna forget it within a couple of weeks
Astor Piazzolla
3/5
Deep Purple
5/5
High quality British rock
The War On Drugs
4/5
Musically great, enjoyed much
Dusty Springfield
3/5
Good work here from Dusty. 3.5 stars
Venom
3/5
Takes a track to warm up but then settles in for some decent rock. Nothing special though.
Björk
3/5
A bit random at times but still fun
Moby Grape
3/5
Fun sixties frolics
Can
3/5
More enjoyable than the other entry by Can that I’ve come across. Some of it’s quite good but there’s some mediocrity to balance that out.
Pulp
3/5
The titular track is brilliant, good opening and closing tracks, but some of the rest falls short
Queen
3/5
This early Queen album sounds exactly like you’d expect and early album by Queen to
Sound. That’s not a bad thing but they’ve done much better.
Eels
3/5
Solid work here. Many great tracks. 3.5 stars
The Vines
3/5
A lot of fun, 3.5 stars
The Louvin Brothers
2/5
Another chore
Garbage
4/5
Cracking album. Why did I never buy this when it came out?
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Every single track here is of outstanding quality. Put one of them on someone else’s album and it would be the highlight. As a whole this is probably the greatest album in the 1001. Easiest five starts ever.
Heaven 17
2/5
Starts terrible but has a couple of good tracks later on but still a bit dissatisfying
De La Soul
3/5
Magic Number, Eye Know, and Me, Myself, and I are cracking tracks, there’s a bit of filler here but still a good listen
Pixies
5/5
Brilliant album from start to finish, Pixies at their best
The Cramps
2/5
Yeah, no thanks
Lambchop
3/5
Good enough to make me explore more Lambchop. Not so good that I’ll hunt the album out again. 3.5 stars
Derek & The Dominos
3/5
Everyone’s favourite racist (allegedly) leaves the awesomeness of Cream and makes a new, lesser band. A bunch of good quality blues tracks plus that famous one. 3.5 stars.