An impressive collection of older and more “current” songs by Cash himself and other artists. Though his voice never was very melodious, the wear of age and time has created an emotional quality that can’t be denied. Definitely worth a second listen and more. A great “first” album on this list to listen to. -CBT
It was okay. Not great, not bad, but OK. I mean, Like a Rolling Stone is a classic, but there's not a lot of variability or differences between his various songs. His vocal performance is better here than later works, but while he's \"Dylan\", I think he's more popular because it's seen as \"cool\" to like Dylan. But it was worth the listen if even just for the historical/cultural value.
To be honest, I heard this album decades ago when it came out. Although it is well-regarded by many, I see it as derivative and almost a plagiarized sound that is more a copy than an original work. I won't bother to listen again. Two stars for the historic value, but that's it.
I listened to it. I didn't like it. I recognize its probably just my western tastes, but it seemed very repetitive. I'm just thankful for his daughter, Norah Jones, whose music I enjoy much more.
I can see why it's popular, even if I see their music as a bit repetitive. Plus, 30 years later, it's worth noting that they are more "a part of the machine" than they are raging "against the machine". But for its genre, there are some "classics" present here like "Killing in the Name" and the Matrix-used "Wake Up". If they didn't constantly swear (because, you know, "they can" cuz they're *hard* and all) and have so many "I'm gonna say this same phrase over and over again" lyrics, I might actually have given it 4 stars.
Listened to this more times than I can count. A masterpiece in which there is no filler whatsoever. Sheer musical and lyrical genius. And how can you not love an album called "Moving Pictures" which has a bunch of guys on the cover "moving pictures"?!
Pretty standard catchy pop-rock album with a few really solid tunes. Never been much of a fan of their music, but this is pretty good. But as a "1001 Album" you must hear before you die, it doesn't feel that important. I've always felt their hype was better than their music. Again, good, but not great or legendary by any means.
Great blend of alternative rock, pop, and electronic music with a gifted vocalist. Very much a product of a wide range of influences into an original and cohesive whole. Had heard of the band but didn’t know anything about their music. This album had me looking for more by YYY.
It’s fine. It’s not a bad listen, but I’m not sure where the “1001 albums” appeal is.
An enjoyable listen, even if it doesn't really have much of a "wow" factor. But it does highlight a variety of influences and shows an evolving musical taste. To be honest, I'd never even heard of this album until now - and not sure I'll bother to listen again given how much music is out there - but it was a nice addition to the "1001 album" list.
Yeah, I get it... It's "Nirvana"! But if you just asked some random person who had never heard of them, you'd probably find that they'd think this album was "meh" at best. Aside from all the tragedy and sadness of Kirk Cobain's life, the music was OK except for the main hits, and his voice really doesn't do much for me. He's like the grunge version of Rod Stewart - everyone knows he can't sing his way out of a paper bag, but he wins on "style points". He's better when he's "plugged".
I only really knew their name in the 80's growing up, but never really bothered to listen beyond the excellent hit tune, "Lips Like Sugar" (which I somewhat recently rediscovered and have been listening to occasionally). I wasn't familiar with this album at all, but what a great find! They have a great pop/rock sensibility that I would put up against any of the other alternative Brit-pop/rock bands of the 80's. TBH, I much prefer their style / tunes to other bands like the Clash or similar. Kind of has Joy Division vibes at times, but without the "I'm clearly depressed and suicidal" feel. An excellent add to the "1001 albums" list.
This may or may not be regarded as "experimental" for its time, but on a straight up listen, it sounds like fairly standard "sixties music" - very dated with only occasional flashes of bringing something new to the table.
But as "sixties music" goes, it's not bad.
It was fine. I’d give it more of a review, but I don’t really want to. It was fine.
Pure genius.
Great background music, and I'm sure it was experimental and unique for it's time, but it didn't have that "wow" factor for me. I did listen to it a few times, as background music, so I did enjoy it and thus gave it four stars. Seemed a bit "indulgent" to me, though - as in, "Hey, I'm Miles Davis. Listen to me ramble."
It's an album of *samples*. I mean, it's interesting as a concept, but as an album, I find it really hard to care. Listened to about a third of it and realized that I wasn't really listening to anything. Two stars just because anyone with the persistence to make an entire album from samples gets an "E for effort".
It was OK. As individual songs, they were really good and has definite historical value as an influential album, but the extended live versions became somewhat self-indulgent and, well, annoying. Would give it four stars for its place in rock history, but it gets knocked down to 3 for the excessive musical rambling.
When they're staying true to their genre, they're great. When they experiment outside their element, it's not pretty or entertaining. But there is enough classic Zeppelin on here to overcome their flights of fancy. I've never been a typical Zep "fan", but this is a pretty good album worthy of "1001" status.
Why would I listen to this moronic trash? If they're serious, then as satanists I have no interest in what they have to say. If they're not serious, they are dabbling in things they have no business dabbling in and are complete and utter idiots. Didn't listen. Won't listen. They have nothing worthy of consideration or merit. It bothers me I spent 1-1/2 minutes typing this.
Sound of Silence is genius. But I don't like to listen to S&G and you can't make me.
Meh. It's OK.
Kind of like an understandable Bob Dylan, but cooler and definitely more chill. You can hear how his sound influenced many, including this album's producer, David Bowie. Some solid tunes on this album, with just a few "uh, okay - what was that about" moments. All in all, an album worthy of the list.
From the opening strains of the guitar, you know you're in for some solid rock genius. Definitely a top-25 rock album of all time. Every tune is good, the lyrics are great, and Mike Mills' backup vocals and harmonies are highly underrated as perfecting the overall sound of the band. Too many great songs to mention, but I'll just add that "The One I Love" is *not* the love song many of us thought it was. Oh, and I believe it was around this time that Rolling Stone proclaimed the band as "America's Best Rock and Roll Band."
Not certain why this was in any way considered a "1001 album". It's not *bad*, but it is bland, somewhat repetitive, and fairly trite. It's well put together, but it's just not particularly noteworthy.
There's a reason I don't like The Beach Boys.... and this album was a reminder of that. I'm sure there are those who really love this album. I am also sure I'm definitely not one of them.
It was good. Liked it better than I thought it would.
Awesomely pure 70's R&B/Soul. Laying down a groove with a voice so smooth. Not something I would personally listen to regularly, but I can appreciate great music and this is it.
It’s not “Girl from Ipanema”, but the vibe is the same and it’s just got that great “island cool” samba rhythm that makes for a nice listening experience. May not listen to it again because it’s an artist I don’t really know, but it deserved a good ranking.
Good stuff. Such an unknown artist/album that I likely won't listen to it again, but I'm glad I did.
Sorry. Just can't bother. Other than The Sound of Silence, I just can't bring myself to listen to any more of S&G.
I gotta say I was kind of disappointed in this album. With such a strong, funky opener like “Good Times”, I was looking forward to this album. The rest of the album was OK, but never quite had the same groove as Good Times.
No idea what to expect, but... mind blown. So many obvious influences from Prince to Outkast, but a wild overall journey of sound in all its permutations. An amazing debut album to rival just about any other debut album. Quite the tour de force one might expect from a seasoned veteran.
I don't even need to listen (again), as I still listen to the Ramones on occasion. This album is historical in the sense that it solidifies the birth of Punk - and their seminal role in creating the sound & culture of Punk Music - but to get the full flavor of their music, I highly recommend their compilation album, "Ramones Mania". Punk brilliance without artifice or indulgence.
It was creative, but a little too over-produced and "eclectic" for my tastes. There is a talented team behind this album, but it doesn't do much for me.
It was OK. Not great, not bad - just OK.
Was quite good for psychedelic 60's rock. TBH, I'm shocked I had never heard of this band before. The style is not necessarily to my taste, but there's no denying the quality of this album for what it is. I have no idea why rock history has virtually ignored this band.
I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Probably won't listen to any more of their stuff as it doesn't quite draw me in, but I see the value in it.
An epic 80's album... Plenty of hits and not a lot of misses on this one, but I will say that the song "Mother" (by Andy Summers) is absolutely unlistenable. When listening to the album, I realized I'd heard that song before but didn't exactly recall who/where.
Oh. My.
But the album more than makes up for hit like absolute bangers like Synchronicity II and King of Pain. Would've perhaps earned 5 stars from me, but with Mother on the album, the best it could deserve is 4.
Definitely a foundational album in the area of Funk Music. A great vibe, but a bit "too much of the same" in my opinion. Still, the respect this album deserves can't be denied. Worth a listen if only to appreciate the socio-cultural underpinnings of funk.
I listened to the whole thing just so I could say I gave it a fair shake. There was a short time during the Dracula song that I actually thought, "Hey, that's a pretty cool beat they got going there." But that was the extent of my enjoyment of that album.
This is what pretentious people listen to and pretend they like to be seen as "avant-garde", but unless they like people banging things and making noise with no discernible intent or rhythm whatsoever, they are lying to themselves. This is worse than toddlers banging on instruments. At least toddlers are cute. Ugh.
An excellent rock album by one of the best rock bands. I wouldn't say I'm a Who *fan* - but they do have some hits I really enjoy and their artistry and longevity can't be denied. Definitely recommended even if only for the opening tune (Baba O'Riley) and the last tune (Won't Get Fooled Again).
I'm sure there are those who absolutely love this album. I am, sadly, not one of them. Are all the musicians talented? Absolutely. But I just can't enjoy stream of consciousness jazz - music without discernable form or function other than to make noise. Not my bag.
More musical wizardry from Robert Smith and the gang. The sonic landscapes are a bit dark but this first album of what would be known as the Trilogy (the other two are 1989's Disintegration and 2000's Bloodflowers) is excellent. The Hanging Garden is a particular favorite. Disintegration, in my view, remains their best album (and one of the best albums by anyone, ever), but you can't go wrong with any album by The Cure.
It wasn't bad... TBH, I kind of expected it to not be all that great, but it grew on me. The first few songs or so were just OK, but the more ambient nature of the final few songs were quite nice to listen to. As if there was a bit of an evolution/growth in his sound and style. The ambient songs seemed a bit ahead of their time, which takes the rating from a 3 to a 4.
Truly a hidden gem. Had never heard of Nick Drake, but I really enjoyed this album. Saturday Sun sounds like an early version of a smooth jazz song you'd hear today - def a bit ahead of his time. Much more like an 80's/90's singer/songwriter than one from the late 60's/early 70's. A really nice listening experience.
While I wouldn't say I'm an IM "fan", there are several of their songs I have continued to enjoy over the years (decades!). That said, as this is an album with their original singer (Paul Di'anno), it's not really quite up to IM standards. Some great tunes on this album, to be sure - some even considered classic IM tunes - but without Bruce Dickinson's stellar vocals, it's just OK. But the musicianship, as always with IM, is top notch. Would give it a 4, but the disappointment over the vocals drops it down to a 3. Sorry, Paul - Bruce makes you sound like an angry high-schooler.
Dancing Queen is a pop gem that for me holds a special memory, so I'm already predisposed to like this album. Perhaps I'm spoiled by listening to Abba's greatest hits "Gold" album, but my overall reaction to "Arrival" is that it's OK. There are a few solid hits on this album, and I appreciated that the version I listened to had "Fernando" on it, but much just felt like pop filler. And "I Kissed the Teacher" (or whatever it was called) is a bit cringey given current sensibilities. At the end of the day, though, it's ABBA, so it's at least an enjoyable listen, even if I won't be revisiting this album often.
It was OK. I know I say that quite a bit in these reviews, but it's how I feel. I enjoyed their album Aja a whole lot more. "Countdown to Ecstasy" is quite the misnomer - more like "An Assortment of 'Meh'".
Enjoyed it more than I thought I would, and I was impressed by the musicianship more than I thought I would. Roadhouse Blues is an absolute killer track, and the rest are a great variation on the Doors' sound. Surprisingly good.
Prediction: I won't like this. Result: I liked it more than I thought I would. But his voice is so unique, that it makes just about every song feel very similar. Still, I appreciate him as a singer/songwriter more than I did when I saw him as just a kind of cliched "writer of songs for soundtracks".
Was good. Didn't blow my mind, but some impressive musicianship and worth a listen.
It was OK. One or two songs were good, but overall just kind of there.
Captivating and strange. I'm not sure why I like this album, but I do. But if it took "Joy Division" to get us to "New Order", I'm OK with that. Ian Curtis was clearly a troubled and tortured soul, and this album proves it. But it's a good listen and definitely worthy of "the List".
First thought: "Another Bob Dylan album? Really?" But then after seeing the track list, my second thought was: "Oh. OK. Some of the good stuff." This is classsic Bob Dylan when he was more easily understandable and the lyrics were very much "of the moment". If I ever get the hankerin' for listening to some Bob Dylan, this likely would be the album I'd choose. And if anyone ever reads this and is curious, the girl on the album cover was his girlfriend for 4 years and she died in 2011.
It's interesting how some bands manage to have a singular sound, and yet each song feels unique in some way. Meanwhile, other bands have a singular sound and each song kinda feels like the same thing just with different words. Well, with Motorhead, it's the latter - at least on this album. The only song I knew of theirs was "Ace of Spades" so I enjoyed hearing it, only to realize that's pretty much all they bring to the table. Still, it was a nice meal. I'd give it 3.5 stars, but since we don't have that option, I'll be kind and round them up to a 4.
Meh. It was OK. Not a fan. Will likely never intentionally listen to a Byrd’s song ever.
It was fine. Moments of brilliance and at least one moment where I had a visceral reaction to the cacophony of noise and had to shut it off. But very creative, imaginative, and very much a "world music" kind of album. Probably won't remember Talvin's name tomorrow, but he's definitely talented.
Like a lot of albums I've been listening to on this list, this one also seems a bit "second verse, same as the first" - the same kind of beat with just different (but similar sounding) lyrics. But to the extent that this sound was more or less unheard of before his time, and that it established the foundation for what would become "rock and roll", this is a classic that everyone should listen to at least twice. Once to get the feel of it, and once more out of respect for its place in music history.
Having listened to it before because of the hype, I didn't recall really liking it that much. But I must admit this time around that I actually enjoyed it. I much prefer "smooth jazz" to what I would call "real jazz", but this is up there in the pantheon of jazz albums that must be listened to.
Like many albums I don't know by bands/groups/people I don't know, "it was fine". Pleasurable background music to be sure, but nothing that really caught my ear as "wow! that's an undiscovered gem!". The most noteworthy item about this duo is that it is actually comprised of two Scottish guys both named Stuart.
I enjoyed this more than I expected. The musicianship and the overall quality of the album was a very pleasant surprise. There is so much music out there that I don't know if I'll really seek out any other Zappa music to listen to, but I can say I wouldn't avoid listening to it if I came across it.
Not a big fan of Springsteen - I don't "own" a single album of his and almost never ever purposefully listen to any of his songs, but he does make some quality music even if it doesn't resonate with me. But for what this is, it's good stuff. Bruce turning into a political liberal is a bit of a disappointment given his working class roots (?), but that's what the luxury of financial success can buy you.
Good album? Sure. Sad that it was his only one while alive? Absolutely. One of the best albums ever? Are you high?? It's actually an enjoyable listen, and he's a gifted songwriter and vocalist, but it doesn't quite live up to some of the hype. 3-1/2 stars but not quite worthy of rounding up.
Not bad. A bit more "funk" than I might have expected, but certainly appropriate for the time. "Fame" is a classic tune. For the overall quality, I'd give it a 3.5, but for this album, I'll round up.
Nope. A lyrical genius but filled with gutter trash. Having a gift and using it to spew vile and foul mouthed trash is such a waste of talent.
I didn't know what to expect, but was surprisingly pleased at what I heard. TBH, the name of the group and the name of the album are such that I would never have bothered to listen. It's not "great", but certainly not bad.
Never heard of this band before, but really enjoyed this album. Will likely listen again.
Don't need to listen "again"... Have listened to this album all the way through several times over the last couple of years - and a couple of times already just this week! Definitely worthy of this list. Just great music and solid lyrics.
This was a really good album. Kind of a blend of 80's/90's Depeche Mode meets Europop meets Atmospheric electronica. Definitely pleasantly surprised by this, and will quite likely seek out other albums of theirs to listen to, which is rare in my book.
A few real gems on this album, but is otherwise just a solid album with good, basic, American rock & roll. Wanna give it a 4 for nostalgia sake, but it's really a 3.
Wasn’t horrible… wasn’t great… a couple of tunes had kind of a Ramones vibe (which I liked), but otherwise not particularly groundbreaking or unique.
It's Steely Dan. It's just quality music that is almost universally acclaimed. Not every song is a classic, but there are a few here on their debut album that are just a harbinger of the brilliant tunes that would come. I enjoy their album Aja more, but this is still worth remaining in regular rotation in your playlist for this genre.
Not really to my taste, but a solid effort that feels like a blend of Punk and Rock that makes for a fairly unique sound that feels a bit like if the Ramones decided to branch out a bit musically.
Solid Springsteen. Yeah, he's not really a "flag-waver", and the misdirection on all the marketing for "Born in the USA" smacks of commercialism off something he doesn't really believe, the tunes are undeniably good. "Glory Days" should resonate with almost every athletically-active guy.
Tried to give it a shot. Felt like a poor man's The Ramones. TBH, their song composition and musical abilities may be a little better than the Ramones, but it just isn't The Ramones. Sorry, guys.
A fantastic debut album. LS pretty much created and defined "Southern Rock". Definitely a slice of music history, even without the classic "Free Bird". I'd put it in a "Top 50 albums you should listen to".
For the time (1971), it was a bit ahead of its time, so I can see the historical value in it. I even enjoyed it a bit. But it's also a bit "OK, man, I get it... can we move on already?". 3-1/2 stars, but rounding up to 4 for the historical value of the blending of genres that would eventually become "southern rock".
It's Rio... By Duran Duran... An album that almost *defines* the early 80's. The album artwork, the music videos, the music itself - all helped define the decade. Great and memorable tunes that have and will stand the tests of time.
I'm not sure what I was supposed to get out of this other than the newfound knowledge that The Byrds actually made a fairly decent country album. But as country albums go, while I like country music, was just OK. Nothing particularly impressive or noteworthy that stood out.
Honestly, I fully expected not to like this and was pleasantly surprised. Felt like a smooth blend of soul and blues with a touch of funk. An enjoyable listen!
Meh. Not a fan.
Enjoyed it more than I thought I would beyond just the classic "Mannish Boy". Solid stuff.
Not bad. Pleasantly surprised.
Sorry, but this album is crap. It just sounds like self-indulgent noise without even a half-hearted attempt to resemble listenable music. I love the Ramones so I'm not averse to punk music, but this sounds like high schoolers banging on their instruments to get out their teen angst. I'll give 'em a 2 for making the effort, but this album is not worthy of this list.
This was actually really good. Was pleasantly surprised.
I mean, this is the kind of album these lists were made for... albums that may fly under the radar for some but are definitely worth the listen. Morrissey's voice is a little too whiny in my view, but it does work for them considering the genre of music they play.
"How Soon is Now?" (not on this album) will always be one of my quintessential 80's tunes, but this album shows where The Smiths were heading and establishing themselves as Alt royalty.
For what it is, this is average. It may be "new" for its time, but it still has a derivative "garage-band" feel filled with stereotypical 60's hippie-ish angst. Meh.
It was OK/fine until it got weird about 70% of the way in. Then I just stopped listening because it was unlistenable. But most of it was OK so I'll give it a begrudging 3.
