1001 Albums Summary

Started out as a traditional sounding Indie album but the last half was superb. The use of strings added to the great textures of sound.

Genuine songs, well played and beautifully performed. Dolly is on top of her game in each performance and the arrangements are top notch.

Cosmo's Factory finds CCR at their swampy and bluesy best. This album, which now almost acts like a greatest hits compilation moves from John Fogerty's best Little Richard impression in "Traveling Band" to the grungy groove of "Run Through the Jungle" and everything in-between. The classic "Looking Out My Back Door" and "Who'll Stop the Rain" allow the band to follow more acoustically driven avenues while the soaring guitar riffs of "Up Around the Bend" shows that the instrumentalists in the band were also in top form.

I appreciate the garage rock aesthetic and its importance to the burgeoning Grunge movement but the songs become a little long and repetitive. I find Young most effective with his quieter songs.

Interesting to think that the sounds of this album would be right at home 10 years later. Enough crunchy guitar to satisfy the 90’s grunge fan and the a vocal style that would become ubiquitous with 2000’s Indie music. A couple of tracks I enjoyed,”High and Dry” and “Street Spirit (Fade Out)”

An album very much of its and time and featuring a strange live sound, I found the performances earnest but not ones I will readily return to.

A fascinating album with great playing, interesting melodies, and surprises in each track. It is so much more than just the radio hit (Cars).

A fun early 90's romp. Not sure I will listen to it again.

A fun listen with an edgy sound, but not Bowie’s best of the decade.

It an album I have ever enjoyed

Did not enjoy her work when it was released and I still find it hard to penetrate the lyrics or the inane piano riffs

A great album that fits well within its time and still sounds relevant today…

Punk rock and organ is something I enjoy. However the lyrics didn’t sit well with me.

The combination of the Stax Studios rhythm section and the utterly convincing vocals of Redding make this perhaps the quintessential soul record out of Memphis in the mid-1960’s.

Not even my favorite Metallica album of the decade.

The album that started it all. Not as cohesive as later efforts, but it has some great moments that foreshadow the monumental albums of the Seventies.

An interesting listen…not sure it will ever be on regular rotation

Not an album I enjoyed

I had not heard of Bert Jansch prior to this project, but I found this album to be an enjoyable listen. His guitar playing is sublime and it makes each instrumental on the track list intriguing. While I wasn't blown away by t he lyrical content I found his voice to be a good compliment to the arrangements. This is an album I will explore again.

Quite simply one of the best albums of the entire 1980’s by any artist in any genre.

A great listen and fine playing by the assembled musicians

A strong opener for this musical supergroup. It opens with a tour de force with Suite: Judy Blue Eyes. The other songs are mainly softer acoustic numbers with Marrakesh Express and Wooden Ships being standouts. Deja Vu is a stronger album but this one is worthy of 4 stars

Inspiring, deep, meaningful,

Inspiring, deep, meaningful,

Adventurous arraignments, great Melodie’s, excellent singing performances…Pet Sounds has it all and is deservedly considered one of the greatest albums of all time. Whether you are listening to the opening notes of “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” for the first or one hundredth time you are uplifted immediately. Each time you listen to pick up a new instrument or note being sung in the backing vocals. Each member of the band is on top form.

A strong example of mid 90s indie

I really enjoyed “O Trem Azul” and a couple of the other tracks were strong as well. Nascimento has a great voice and the album is very well produced.

Some strong anthemic moments on this album, but the overall sound tended to get a tad monotonous. Still, a pleasant listen.

A strong album of its time and the band plays well. Not a huge fan of the individual tracks, however.

Some good songwriting but I found Happiness Stan to be tedious and not that enjoyable.

Only a 2 because of its historical significance

The Message is a landmark and should be appreciated as such

A landmark of 80’s metal and one that deserves all of the praise it gets.

One of the best debut albums in Rock. The band was on fire with some great songwriting and absolutely solid playing. Both Ric Ocasik and Benjamin Orr are on top form with their vocals. The album could almost be a greatest hits

One of the best albums of the 80’s and one of the albums responsible for making me a lover of popular music. Gabriel’s songwriting is top-notch and the playing by collaborators like Tony Levin and David Rhodes are sublime. It is the one album I would recommend by Gabriel the artist and one of two or three must-haves of the decade

A fine album that finds Winwood with a new confidence thanks to his writing partnerships. The result is a strong group of songs in which Winwood plays all the instruments. Highlights include the title track, the catchy While You See a Chance, and the soaring album closer, Dust.

One of my favorite albums of all time. Great songwriting and arrangements. Robert Lamm particularly shines with his fine vocal performances on numerous tracks. Additionally, you will rarely here Terry Kath as featured in the songs or as adventurous as is playing is on this record.

An unheralded classic of the Byrds discography. It is unlike anything before or after, thought is shows nods to both eras of the band. Roger McGuinn, Chris Holland, and Michael Clark were ready to move beyond David Crosby but not fully ready to embrace the country rock of Sweetheart of the Radio that would follow.

There are some bleak songs on this album, but I am captivated each time I listen. The storytelling is outstanding and the performances by Springsteen are honest. In my opinion, this is a true artistic statement by someone with great confidence and conviction.

A lot of covers on this album, but originals like All My Loving make this a great collection that show the Beatles coming into their own as a band.

Rubber Soul is one of the pinnacles of the music we call rock and roll. It shows the Beatles taking a huge leap forward in new musical styles, songwriting, and instrumentation. From the more adventurous bass playing by Paul McCartney to the new more mature songs of John Lennon like Norwegian Wood, Girl, and In My Life showed that the Beatles were just warming up…and the best was still yet to come!

A couple of highlights from their career and some rather pedestrian numbers as the band tried to find their sound and hone their craft.

One of the classic 70’s albums, this may be Rod Stewart’s finest moments. His performance on the title track is top notch and the backing band is excellent.

Quite simply one of the greatest albums ever recorded. There is quality and there is quantity. Though I could do without the Apple Jam third disc.

The album is a unpretentious and in many ways a breath of fresh air. There is a rawness about it that does not exist in the later album by the band. While his later songs may be catchier, Tom Petty is very focused on his songwriting on this album.

Such a cool album

A triumphant follow-up to Astral Weeks, this album finds Morrison confidently moving through different musical styles with ease. His added vivid lyricism adds to each song.

This album is a landmark of popular music and is ambitious lyrically and musically. Wonderful playing by each member of the band. Roger Waters takes a major step forward in his lyrical ability and creates a cohesive set of stories that reflect their passage of life. David Gilmour plays one his finest solos on the song Time. Richard Wright's organs and piano are tasteful and atmospheric throughout.

I didn't know what to expect, but it was much more accessible than I was thinking it would be.

Come in for Bell Bottom Blues and Layla. Stay for the other deep cuts. Album starts strongly with "I Looked Away." Sides one and three are the strongest in my opinion.

Quite simply the epitome of what an album should be. Great song sequencing, great playing, and great songwriting. An iconic album cover and packaging. This one still sets the standard after 5 plus decades.

I particularly enjoy the playing of Tony Banks on this album. The piano introduction of the Firth of Fifth is excellent, and the keyboard solo at the conclusion of the Cinema Show is one of his finest moments on record. I find this album to be much more satisfying musically and lyrically than the Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, and perhaps their best effort with Peter Gabriel still in the band.