May 19 2023
View Album
Nilsson Schmilsson
Harry Nilsson
1. Gotta Get Up - Very peppy start to the album, can see why this was chosen as the opening track
2. Driving Along - Solid song, liked the second half of the song
3. Early In the Morning - It was ok, not sold 100% on this song
4. The Moonbeam Song - "Sun King" energy with the backing vocals
5. Down - Opening verse was solid, got very repetitive -- I really liked the back instruments
6. Without You - Beautiful orchestration
7. Coconut - She put the lime in the coconut
8. Let the Good Times Roll - Solid
9. Jump Into The Fire - 10/10
10. I'll Never Leave You - A quiet closer, a nice come down after the previous track
Overall - Solid album with some high highs (opener Gotta Get Up and Jump In to the Fire), with some lows (Coconut), I still really enjoyed this album.
7.5/10
3
May 20 2023
View Album
Wish You Were Here
Pink Floyd
Fucking fantastic
5
May 20 2023
View Album
Wild Is The Wind
Nina Simone
Personal stand out tracks include opener "I Love Your Lovin' Ways" and "That's All I Ask".
5
May 21 2023
View Album
Can't Buy A Thrill
Steely Dan
I was completely unaware that this was Steely Dan's debut, which makes the two singles from this album, "Do It Again" and "Reelin' In The Years" stand out even more to me. Steely Dan hit the floor running with this album, and if I had to choose one more track to highlight it would be "Kings".
4
May 22 2023
View Album
Imagine
John Lennon
Not too hot on John's "old west saloon" Crippled inside, the rest of this album should definitely be more widely known to the general public than its title track.
Personal highlight include "Jealous Guy", "How Do You Sleep?", "How?", and closer "Oh Yoko!"
Having listened to The Beatles over the years I'd never ventured too deep into any one of the fab four's solo work outside of radio singles, but John's "Imagine" really sets a high bar personally. Let's hope the other members have as good of an outing as John did with this record.
4
May 23 2023
View Album
Green
R.E.M.
Notable tracks include single "Orange Crush" and "The Wrong Child" along with "World Leader Pretend".
Michael Stipe has a very unique and recognizable voice, and it works extremely well with the sound of the rest of the band and music they make. My first introduction to R.E.M. was "Orange Crush" when we had to analyze the lyrics during my one and only stint in summer school for English between 7th and 8th grade, and while it never made me outright pursue listening to more, it's a fantastic introduction to R.E.M. in general. I would later go on to hear and listen to their other widely known hits such as "It's The End of The World..." and "Losing My Religion" and enjoying them immensely.
If I had to change one thing about this album I would probably remove "Stand". It's a not a bad song, but I don't think it adds much to the rest of the album.
A solid album, with it being their 6th overall, Green definitely deserves to be listened to at least once, and perhaps I might come back to it someday.
4
May 24 2023
View Album
Basket of Light
Pentangle
The first of many to come on this journey of 1001 Albums, I was hesitant going in having never heard of The Pentangle, but my worries were swept away at first drum beat and guitar pluck of album opener "Light Flight".
A fantastic blend of folk guitar, double bass, and voice, Basket of Light is the perfect sound to put on and just let the music take you in and into what feels like a different time.
Notable tracks include "Light Flight", "Hunting Song", and "The Cuckoo". Had I not started this journey I doubt I'd have ever stumbled across The Pentangle or any of these tracks at all, but I can say now that I might be a fan, and will try and explore the band more in the future.
4
May 25 2023
View Album
In The Court Of The Crimson King
King Crimson
To have ever called myself a lover of progressive rock and not have listened to King Crimson's "In The Court Of The Crimson King" is a little unbelievable, alas it was very true. This album, from top to bottom, is nothing short of a masterpiece, and to think this was King Crimson's first really set a high bar probably for themselves and certainly any band that came after them.
Having said the album is fantastic through and through, my personal highlights would have to be "Epitaph" and album closer "The Court of the Crimson King".
Having only a rough idea of who King Crimson were, and being more familiar with their namesake through another piece of media, Hirohiko Araki's decades spanning manga "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure", I came in knowing this album was genre defining and heavily praised, and I can say now without a doubt that I completely understand why. This album will definitely go into my rotation now that I've taken the time to listen to it, and I'll have to explore more of KC's work from here on out.
5
May 26 2023
View Album
Car Wheels On A Gravel Road
Lucinda Williams
I don’t have much to say about this album other than that I thoroughly enjoyed almost all of it. A solid country rock album with just enough yeehaw in it to have a good time throughout. Personal favorite tracks are “Right In Time”, “I Lost It”, and “Metal Firecracker”.
4
May 27 2023
View Album
The Number Of The Beast
Iron Maiden
As I sit here starting the final track of Iron Maiden's third album, I'm wondering I can't help but feel like my own expectations led me astray as to what to expect from this album. Obviously tracks like "The Number of the Beast" and "Run to the Hills" are both fantastic tracks, as is the track that goes on as I type this "Hallowed Be Thy Name", but these are all on the back half of the album, making it, to me, very lop sided. That's not to say the other tracks at the front of this album are bad, there are things in each of the songs that I like as they came up, but I can't help but feel like this album delivers less than what it perceives to give.
Make no mistake, Iron Maiden still blow you away at times on this album, but not as often as you might like or want.
Personal highlights are pretty much the second half of this album, with particular props to "Hallowed Be Thy Name."
3
May 28 2023
View Album
Alien Lanes
Guided By Voices
It's hard to say what I really think overall of this album as it seems to just truck on song after song with no one song ever making it past the 3 minute mark, and the shortest of them coming in at only 18 seconds. At 28 tracks and just over 41 minutes in length, it's a bit overwhelming at first glance and on first listen, most songs give you just enough to be satisfied but I can't help but wish the track list were trimmed down and with the remaining tracks being expanded upon.
Personal highlights include "Strawdogs", "Little Whirl", "My Son Cool", "A Salty Salute", "They're Not Witches", "Game of Pricks" and "Motor Away".
Overall, this is still an incredibly enjoyable album, and it goes by so quickly that you may as well listen to it all the way through, you'll be done before you know it anyways.
4
May 29 2023
View Album
Lust For Life
Iggy Pop
In don't have a lot to say about this album other than it's absolutely solid, not a bad track on it.
Personal highlights include title track "Lust For Life", "Success", and "Neighborhood Threat".
I wasn't all too familiar with Iggy Pop aside from perhaps one or two songs by The Stooges, so I'm glad this came up and let me hear more of him.
4
May 30 2023
View Album
Strangeways, Here We Come
The Smiths
An obligatory "fuck Morissey" aside, I'm glad I'm older and less impressionable now than I was when I was a teenager, as I just KNOW I would have based my whole personality off of this music.
I've always enjoyed what I've heard of The Smiths, and this album is no exception. There's something about Morissey's voice that's haunting yet soothing to listen to.
Personal highlights include "I Started Something I Couldn't Finish", "Girlfriend In a Coma", and "Unhappy Birthday".
4