1001 Albums Summary

This is my first time really listening to Dire Straits. Really good, growing on me. Excellent guitar riffs. Often simple construction but the different pieces fit together in a very satisfying way. It initially struck me as generic and a bit cliche. But the songwriting is great, music is great. I wonder if it has a “very 80s sound” because it [helped] define that sound. I’m interested to see how the album lasts over time.

Great bass lines, good drums. The singles are excellent. Overall the music is good but I can’t get into it. I think it’s the high bpm and in particular, I don’t like the singer’s voice. 2.5. I’m almost a 2 but will round up for the bass lines.

“Consistent” is the word. Frank Sinatra is excellent at what he does and it pairs well with bassa nova. I can listen to it for hours; it naturally fades into the background. The consistency is impressive and also maybe hurts the rating. The songs are good but few really standout. And Sinatra’s prolific catalogue of work makes his masterful baritone sounds… somewhat common. This is a solid 3.5. I’d give it 4 for it’s staying power but it loses some for the lack of strong singles. 4’s will become overused, so => 3. It’s about to opposite of Rio, which I generally did not enjoy but had some great performances and a couple strong singles.

Okay. Often good, never all that great. The second half is mostly instrumental, concept album kind of thing. Interesting. I wouldn’t go back for it.

Good ol’ rock and roll. Great stuff, more enjoyable than expected. I never seek out Elvis and his brand always annoyed me. But hey, the music is actually pretty catchy!

I love some horns. I love some jazz. Didn’t know Hugh before.

A really fun romp. A story in music. The three play off each other very well, filling the space, setting the scene, dynamic prog rock. Too much keyboard sometimes but fun. Afterward when reading about the album, I learned that it was an adaptation of a classical piece from 100 years before (Mussorgsky). Listening to orchestrations of that… it’s great! The musical tour through the space. So much of what makes this album good (the storytelling in music) is the source material. The performances are also impressive — a small supergroup and it shows. The prog rock.. eh, good in small doses.

Fuck yeah, Bjork. I love the chillout production. That’s my jams and lays a great foundation. And then add in Bjork. Powerful, raw, defiant. Visceral lyrics about family and relationships. They are simple, well-tread subjects; but the odd prism of Bjork’s word choice, emphasis, and singing make it feel raw and new. One thing that jumps out to me in listening is… the lyrics are often describing conventional gender roles: very relational, often hetero, sometimes sexual, submissive, all about the other; or maternal, focused on her son and motherhood, being part of a lineage of mothers. All true to life and rich subjects. But also all very conventional in their way. Nothing very counterculture in there. But the delivery is imbued with such powerful defiance. I associate that style and presentation with rebellion against tradition, and here.. If it’s defiant, I am not sure against whom. Intriguing. Fuck yeah, Bjork. Highlights: Cocoon, Heirloom

A very enjoyable romp. Great horns, great singing. Some songs fall flat, but most get my foot tapping and me smiling. I’d vote 3.5 if I could.