1001 Albums Summary

Listening to this record again straight through for the first time in years reaffirms 3 beliefs: 1. I love The Smashing Pumpkins (and particularly this record) 2. The Smashing Pumpkins had a brief window (both in time and geographically) in between two other defining forces in 90's rock- Nirvana and Oasis 3. I understand why this was both a crowning achievement and the beginning of the end of their well known work. This record is brilliant. But it's also too damn long. Upon listening to it the underlying tones of nostalgia, dissatisfaction, and identify crisis really struck a chord while at a current cross roads of getting older and going through some bad break ups. Take Me Down, Galapogos, and To Forgive stood out- I love that softer range of The Smashing Pumpkins. The heavier songs like Bullet With Butterfly Wings and An Ode to No One simply shred- and a banger is always welcomed in rock. But to me, that highlights why listening to this album straight through and actively listening rather than turning it into background sounds is such a challenge- the length paired with the juxtapositions. It doesn't flow as well as I so desperately wish it could. Which in the end shows why the best songs from this album are the ones we already all know and love, and why they ARE the defining tunes of The Smashing Pumpkins. Tonight, Tonight and 1979 in the less than 9 minutes in totality of both songs do what the rest of the album doesn't- blends the soaring highs, the headbanging, the soft tones, the nostalgia, the miss your best friends from middle school and the band you no longer play with and the freedom and recklessness and awkward growing pains of youth into two ballads that both tonally and lyrically capture everything this album is, but without having to sit around for the full 2 hours to get there. 1979 has been on my "On Repeat" Spotify Playlist for 6 straight years, and I doubt it will go away anytime soon. I think that says it all.

To put this review in proper context- I've never dropped acid before. Alright now that that's out of the way, it should be easier to understand why I never went through a Doors phase in college or while trying to expand my music knowledge and tastes. I always liked Peace Frog, Riders on the Storm (Mostly because of that Snoop Dogg version from Need For Speed Underground 2, but I digress), and Roadhouse Blues- there's no denying it, The Doors have hits. But even in recognizing those hits and the insanely talented Ray Manzarek, I never had an AHA moment with them like other bands. It is probably because I'm a shitty musician and have 0 blues chops, so even if I can say I understand why they are hailed as a great band, I never fully wrapped my head around it. And honestly they felt dated anytime I tried to get into them. If you play some other records from the time- The Velvet Underground, Van Morrison, Led Zeppelin a few years later, I know that music IS old, but it hardly ever feels that way, somehow they feel fresh and relevant. And unlike the Beatles or Rolling Stones, or Chuck Berry which are even older, at least most of their songs are fun. The blues basis keeps the Doors more palatable than some other psychadelic acts, but am I the only one who ever wonders who that genre was even for? I guess white people from the 60s who hadn't heard Hendrix yet, but I digress. The point is, when I looked at it through that lens and preconceived notions, I risked missing the point of revisiting an album. So I went in with a clean slate. And honestly, it made this record fun to listen to. When I tried not taking it too seriously, it made me open to lot of the cool things they did on these tracks. First off- right from the get go, Break on Through is one of the greatest opening tracks to a record, period. The explosiveness of the final 40 seconds. Also Soul Kitchen is fucking sick. From an iconic keyboard riff, tasty guitar licks, and the yelps and range of Morrison's vocals- it's just a terrific rock song. And the lyrics- any band that talks about Pork and Beans is alright by me. (Ride or Die for Weezer) Worst Song: Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)- Everything about this song is terrible. Best Song: Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)- Everything about this song is SO terrible that it is hysterical and brilliant that it made it on this record, and that the record went on to be a commercial success.

An appropriate album- I couldn't sleep and woke up in the wee hours to listen to this. Some writers can tell you the story relationships in a single song. Some of Frank Sinatra's albums do the opposite, just exploring every emotion within the spectrum of post-break up blues he could think of- there's no Pennies from Heaven on this record. Call it melodramatic, call it genius, call it what you will- just don't call your ex after listening to this. Beyond a jazzy trumpet solo on the second half of Ill Wind that stood out- most of this ensemble delivered exactly what was asked- classic Sinatra backing music, with an added sense of longing. The vocal performance is what it's all about, and the lyrics cut through. One particular lyric says it all and is not just one of the best in Sinatra's catalog, but maybe any pop music. A lyric that summarizes the whole album, and is just as relevant today's lonely hearts as it would've been 70 years ago: "What's in store? Should I phone once more? No, it's best that I stick to my tune." -I Get Along Without You Very Well

Reviewing Mellon Collie right before Siamese Dream made me realize how badly I wish I could add half stars. Mellon Collie could've been a 3.5, I still really enjoy it. But Siamese Dream stands at a level of its own and is the definitive Smashing Pumpkins album. Everything I didn't like as much about the album that followed this one (too long, at times overindulgent, and great songs that just didn't flow well together), they had already perfected with this one. Cherub Rock is an amazing opening song- the drum roll at the start nails it, as if to say, "Ladies and gentlemen- the main attraction". And then breaks into a classic Smashing Pumpkins model- reverby hook, a few pounding drums, and the following barrage of distortion. "Today" requires no comment. Same winning formula. To me, a 5-star album from any genre or artist are the ones with enough hits to accelerate it to 4 stars, but tracks in between that drive it on cruise control to that 5th star. I haven't listened to Siamese Dream all in one sitting in a while, so there was a point after belting out the chorus in Disarm when I was halfway through Soma, wondering if the songs would be lighter and not punch as hard because that song starts softly. Was it just 4 stars because of Today, Disarm, and Cherub Rock? At that same moment- the guitars screeched into the heavy final minute of that song, directly into the MEGA drumming on Geek. Ultimately landing right into Mayonaise, my favorite track on the album. From the ethereal picking to the howling guitar effect I don't think I've heard in any other song outside of this. The 4-song stretch hit my criteria. I don't know how artists make perfect songs, but here as with all the greats- The Smashing Pumpkins take songs that may not independently be Top of the Pops, and mold them to match the theme and drive the direction of the album. Best moment- the quarter second pauses in Mayonaise in between the howling guitars that feel sonically like the equivalent of the moment in a roller coaster when you just start falling.

Thank God the Beatles broke up and ended up spending the early 70s independently writing and exploring their own talents. But also- thank God the Stones DIDN'T break up during that same time, when it would've made way more sense for them to have done so following Brian Jones' death. Because if they had, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards wouldn't have made some of their best work. Unlike some of the other artists we've reviewed as a group who took the wrong lessons from a successful album, resulting in a lackluster follow-up, Sticky Fingers feels like a band that realized what worked in Let it Bleed, and went all in. Jagger and Richards click all over the record. In 2023, Brown Sugar's lyrics and themes have aged poorly. But I'd be a liar if I pretended that opening riff didn't instantly pull me right back in with this album. And then the "Woo" "Woo" "Wooooos"- coordinated and timely woos are the essence of what's fun in rock and roll and being part of a band. And look, Mick Jagger represents the sex appeal and spirit of a front man- not the poetic lyricist. So when he says "No sweeping exits or offstage lines could make me feel bitter or treat you unkind" that's just about as great a lyric as you can get, and with the drumming that perfectly fills the space to drive the song but also go under the radar and the smooth licks from the band, it is the Stones' most sincere ballad. And it also gave us the cover by The Sundays- which if you've never heard Harriet Wheeler sing that one, you should check it out ASAP! The twangy guitar from Richards on Dead Flowers and basically throughout the album is a classic sound, that demonstrates plainly to me that no matter how old rock and roll gets its still based in the country and blues sounds of the black musicians the Stones so badly wanted to emulate- and at times really did honor that legacy. But what elevates this above the other work by the Rolling Stones to me are the horns and orchestral accompaniments consistently sprinkled through the songs, particularly Can't You Hear Me Knocking and Moonlight Mile. And while the heart of the band is still the classic blues garage band-"not everyone can be the Beatles but anyone can cut loose with their friends and make some fun tunes" vibe that Steve Van Zandt basically described of the Stones, the bigger arrangements show the composership of Richards and Jagger. Taking all the right lessons from You Can't Always Get What You Want and paving the way for basically everything Oasis did on Be Here Now- which may have backfired for Oasis (if you agree with the critics) but this album nails it. The Stones aren't my favorite band, but I really enjoy this record.

I'm not that into grunge. My favorite grunge/heavier 90s rock moments are the ones that sound least like the rest of grunge- a few punky Nirvana songs and the heavily Hendrix-influences on Yellow Ledbetter. I just don't get the appeal of overindulgent guitar solos (didn't people claim grunge was supposed to be the cure to Hair Metal?) and the other side of grunge is sad dudes with acoustic guitars making weird biblical references. Why should that be the defining sound of the 90s when Britpop and Hip Hop occupied the same space? Naturally my favorite brief snippets here were the ones most removed from the rest. The chorus on Look at You that sounds like Eddie Vedder singing lead vocals for a Jesus and Mary Chain song. The synthesizer on Sworn and Broken also kicks so much ass. But outside of those two aspects, it's just grunge and weird gospel allusions. I looked up the band and found that they opened for some key grunge acts in their peak years before this album, and also had members go on to play with Dinosaur Junior and Queens of the Stone Age and REM. Which is cool, but I think it shows maybe this band just wasn't greater than the sum of its parts.

This was my favorite album all of Fall 2016. I listened to it every single day on my commute from Frederick to Baltimore during my final semester of college. The surreal lyricism, the arrangements with Robbie Robertson and some of the members the Band, Al Kooper's organ wailing across most of the tracks- it all still holds up for me. This album is perfect for driving down uncrowded American roadways on a bright, crisp Autumn morning or late afternoon. No doubt there are some songs you just have to get through. Rainy Day Women is probably the worst album opener of all time, and followed by Pledging my Time wouldn't sell me on sticking it out if I was listening to this for the first time. But even the songs that are sillier like Leopard-Skin Pillbox Hat are great- "It balance on your head just like a mattress balances on a bottle of wine" is a hysterical visual, and the ripping blues guitar makes a song that is pretty dumb and makes it enjoyable. Once you get to Visions of Johanna, it's mostly up. Visions, One of Us Most Know, I Want You, and Stuck Inside of Mobile are incredible. If you do listen to this in the fall like I said, you'll understand instantly why I Want You was the main falling in love song in I'm Not There when Heath Ledger and the Charlotte Gainsbourg are riding the motorcycle through the country side. If you replaced one of the blues songs with Positively Fourth Street, a single released during this same area and probably the most clever and cutting "Go Fuck Yourself" song in Dylan's catalogue, it would elevate this album. But even without it, the "thin, wild mercury sound" across most of the tracks, transports. Best moments: The 4-song stretch between Visions of Johanna and Stuck in Mobile. And if you made it through the first 9 minutes of Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands, the final 2 minute harmonica outro.

I always thought Muse was for people who were smarter than me, or at least thought they were smarter than me. This album made me think they probably are. Because Take a Bow struck a chord right from the start. Sometimes too much synthesizer doesn't click. It does in Take a Bow. Largely because it actually builds, it drives right into the drop and the powerful final 2 minutes. This probably sounds lame, but I swear I mean it surprisingly unironically- this is like an unbelievable techno opera. And then the drums propel into Starlight and a stellar sound. Queue Supermassive Black Hole- the Ph.D. version of The Black Keys. One thing I will say, this entire album invokes an unsettling feeling. Tension that never really ceases. Maybe Tom and any folks who dabble in music theory can explain it- this whole album, even Soldier's poem which is a softer, acoustic change of pace, carry that same tension. The punchy bass on Invincible is uncomplicated but perfect accompaniment. And on City of Delusion- a trumpet solo is always a welcomed addition. The dissonant jazz chords at the end of Hoodoo felt pulled straight from the moment James Bond would say cheeky one liner after killing a man. I'll still stand by it, even in this big commercial success, Muse feels inaccessible. And because they and their fan base are likely smarter than the average Joe, they probably prefer that. But the music is undoubtedly unique and it's that sound rather than any lyrics or themes that really made me appreciate this on my first time listening to a Muse album straight through.

I'm catching up a bit after a few missed albums. But this album is fantastic. Because it was their first I don't think they relied upon Levon Helm's vocals enough. To me that's the real sound of the band. Nevertheless, from everything about The Weight to the opening hook of We Can Talk and the lyrics "I'd rather be burned up in Canada than to freeze here in the south", there are so many catchy moments that elevate a lot of the old folk songs into rock and roll, thats best shown in Long Black Veil. A classic song, that gets new life with this record. And yeah I think everyone covered it, but the organ on Chest Fever is insane. And it all wraps up with one of the best covers of Dylan in I Shall Be Released. If the Byrds gave Dylan's songs the pop chops of the early/mid 60s, then The Band really play an intricate role in helping a lot of his songs find their real style- roots rocks, with wailing organ, slick guitars, and the feeling of driving through American and Canadian roadways.

I'm playing catch up and have to review a few albums I missed, so I was really hoping that I wouldn't have to play a record that would require pondering on lyrics. Fortunately, this album had barely any singing. But in spite of that and the tones of emptiness, these tracks didn't lack depth. I like The Cure, generally speaking, but I'd never even heard of this record. It's not a sophomore slump following a poppier Three Imaginary Boys. And while there weren't many tracks that stood out, the consistent tone of the album shows a band that was mature enough to take a sound that was less commercial and dig into it. Three Imaginary Boys has great tracks- punkier tunes like Object and So What. But these tracks- the punchy electric drum kit, the bass that drives the melody from the mid and higher tones like on Play for Today, they let you know exactly where the Cure was going, and when you look at the year 1980 im a lot of ways they were on the frontier of that sound. Secrets sounds like the blueprint for later "Lovesong". In Your House, my God it sounds like what every other 80s band was trying to do literally years later. And yes, Joy Division had been around, I'm not trying to take anything from them, but this was still (obviously) pre-New Order and way before The Smiths. So I can appreciate it. It was an easy album to turn on and just go for a walk and think.

When I saw the lyrics "Satan records their first note" I laughed my ass off. Tougher guys or better musicians can call me a pussy but literally the only contribution Metal music has made is that it gave us Jack Black. But I gave it a shot and I got to the second track. And then immediately started laughing again at the "arm and arm with Lucifer" visual, as if they were frolicking. I think 80s Reaganite parents worried way too much about metal. They should've laughed more at their kids and it would've been a more effective deterrent. This music is hysterical. My buddy in a metal band and I have discussed at length how different metal and punk are. Metal musicians are some of the most technically talented musicians in the world, who choose to play the worst music you've ever heard. Punks literally can't play, but you still know Blitzkrieg Bop, don't you? Anyway this music goes hard, maybe I'll hit the gym and listen to this and make billions of dollars like Dr. Michael Burry. The licks on raise the dead were actually sick. But yeah then I got to Teacher's Pet and laughed my ass off again, not a fucking shot any of those dorks have ever been with a woman.

This album is iconic. Fight the Power, Burn Hollywood Burn, and Welcome to the Terrordome are huge. The samples, the hooks, and the punch on all these tracks totally deliver- and the fact that like a quarter of the album features samples of people talking about how controversial they are is genius. When I was growing up Flavor Flav was the dude on flavor of love- so it took until my mid-20s (after hearing Chuck D host The Clash podcast) when I started listening to Public Enemy to realize that at one point Flavor Flav was a legitimate rock star. Can't Do Nuttin' For Ya, Man! and 911 is a Joke have a ton of depth, but are also so unbelievably catchy and fun to listen to. Chuck D described It Takes A Nation of Millions... as the Sgt. Pepper's of hip hop. I don't know what that makes this album, but who cares. It's political, it's fun, it's filled with great beats. And Chuck D is just a genius- "What's wrong with some color in your family tree?" On the title track is both a hilarious, but also unambiguous and extremely sincere lyric. Best: Flavor Flav as the MC on 911 is a Joke and Chuck D's poetry on Revolutionary Generation