1001 Albums Summary

Groundbreaking, sure. It’s also dumb, drowsy, disjointed. Tastes like Cream, only twice as heavy and half as fresh. Standout Tracks: Black Sabbath, N.I.B.

Like Beatles, Clash, and Smiths before them, Arctic Monkeys are exemplary ambassadors of British youth culture. The band is frenetic and immediate, clanking and clattering, big and bold. Lyrically, it’s sharp and stylish, never contrived. Now I know what it’s like to go clubbing in Sheffield. Standout Tracks: I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor, Fake Tales of San Francisco, Mardy Bum, When the Sun Goes Down

What’s miraculous isn’t that they manage to fit 16 songs onto a 40 minute record, but that they’ve each earned their spot. Ripping off Wire and The Stranglers with equally carefree admiration, unconcerned with big ideas and deep meanings, putting the joy of simple pleasures on display. Loud, pithy, and all the better for it. Standout Tracks: Connection, Car Song, Waking Up

As a sum of its parts, this record works exceptionally well. Musically, lyrically, spiritually, it is impeccably consistent, a comfortable record with a warm, rustic feel. Standout Tracks: Sunflower, Wild Wood, Country