625
Albums Rated
2.49
Average Rating
57%
Complete
464 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
2000s
Favorite Decade
Grunge
Favorite Genre
UK
Top Origin
Critic
Rater Style ?
63
5-Star Albums
188
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Southern Rock Opera
Drive-By Truckers
|
5 | 2.82 | +2.18 |
|
Warehouse: Songs And Stories
Hüsker Dü
|
5 | 2.86 | +2.14 |
|
When I Was Born For The 7th Time
Cornershop
|
5 | 2.91 | +2.09 |
|
A Northern Soul
The Verve
|
5 | 2.91 | +2.09 |
|
New Gold Dream (81/82/83/84)
Simple Minds
|
5 | 2.95 | +2.05 |
|
Copper Blue
Sugar
|
5 | 2.97 | +2.03 |
|
Rings Around The World
Super Furry Animals
|
5 | 2.97 | +2.03 |
|
Ray Of Light
Madonna
|
5 | 2.99 | +2.01 |
|
The Last Broadcast
Doves
|
5 | 3.05 | +1.95 |
|
Youth And Young Manhood
Kings of Leon
|
5 | 3.1 | +1.9 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
At Folsom Prison
Johnny Cash
|
1 | 3.99 | -2.99 |
|
The Doors
The Doors
|
1 | 3.95 | -2.95 |
|
What's Going On
Marvin Gaye
|
1 | 3.94 | -2.94 |
|
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Elton John
|
1 | 3.93 | -2.93 |
|
The Stranger
Billy Joel
|
1 | 3.86 | -2.86 |
|
Time Out
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
|
1 | 3.84 | -2.84 |
|
Green River
Creedence Clearwater Revival
|
1 | 3.78 | -2.78 |
|
Brothers In Arms
Dire Straits
|
1 | 3.74 | -2.74 |
|
Blood On The Tracks
Bob Dylan
|
1 | 3.68 | -2.68 |
|
With The Beatles
Beatles
|
1 | 3.66 | -2.66 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Radiohead | 6 | 4.5 |
| The Smiths | 3 | 4.67 |
| Green Day | 2 | 5 |
| Supergrass | 2 | 5 |
| U2 | 2 | 5 |
| The Verve | 2 | 5 |
| Nirvana | 2 | 5 |
| Led Zeppelin | 3 | 4.33 |
| Kings of Leon | 3 | 4.33 |
| Beck | 3 | 4.33 |
| Bob Marley & The Wailers | 3 | 4.33 |
| Jimi Hendrix | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Bob Dylan | 5 | 1.4 |
| Aerosmith | 3 | 1 |
| Kanye West | 3 | 1 |
| Tim Buckley | 3 | 1 |
| Miles Davis | 4 | 1.5 |
| The Beach Boys | 3 | 1.33 |
| Joni Mitchell | 3 | 1.33 |
| Steely Dan | 3 | 1.33 |
| The Byrds | 3 | 1.33 |
| Frank Sinatra | 2 | 1 |
| Pere Ubu | 2 | 1 |
| The Doors | 2 | 1 |
| Marvin Gaye | 2 | 1 |
| Nick Drake | 2 | 1 |
| Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band | 2 | 1 |
| Kendrick Lamar | 2 | 1 |
| Public Image Ltd. | 2 | 1 |
| Elvis Costello | 2 | 1 |
| George Michael | 2 | 1 |
| Dusty Springfield | 2 | 1.5 |
| Simon & Garfunkel | 2 | 1.5 |
| Elton John | 2 | 1.5 |
| Paul Simon | 2 | 1.5 |
| Beastie Boys | 2 | 1.5 |
| Orbital | 2 | 1.5 |
| Run-D.M.C. | 2 | 1.5 |
| Creedence Clearwater Revival | 2 | 1.5 |
| The Kinks | 2 | 1.5 |
| Isaac Hayes | 2 | 1.5 |
| Leonard Cohen | 2 | 1.5 |
| Yes | 2 | 1.5 |
| Fiona Apple | 2 | 1.5 |
| Tom Waits | 2 | 1.5 |
| Deep Purple | 3 | 2 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Van Morrison | 5, 1 |
| Beatles | 5, 2, 1, 5 |
| Pink Floyd | 4, 1, 5 |
| Björk | 5, 3, 1, 1 |
| Manic Street Preachers | 5, 2 |
5-Star Albums (63)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
The Flying Burrito Brothers
1/5
I have no words to describe how bad this is. I only have questions about how such an obscure and unsuccessful album can make this list. A generous 1 star.
8 likes
Erykah Badu
3/5
Very pleasant but unremarkable. If I had a posh dinner party to host I could play it to show how cool I am. A low 3.
6 likes
Cornershop
5/5
Thank you 1,001 albums. My faith in you has been restored. This is why I’m here! Obviously knew the mega hit single (who doesn’t?) so thought at least I’ll enjoy that. But, wow! Loved the start of this album, and then the album mix of ‘Brimful’ absolutely slapped! Not heard that version before and I prefer it. I then hoped that the album wouldn’t drop off as some of these do, but no, the energy just kept coming. Indie guitars, sitars, a bit of scratching and it just had me boogieing all through. The duet with the Doris really worked too (Good to be in the Road Back Hone Again).
5 likes
Os Mutantes
2/5
How bad does an album have to be before it’s good?
Who gave them the keys to the sound affect cupboard?
Was that a kazoo solo?
Have a band ever formed because of their musical differences?
Is it any wonder Brazil has a drug problem?
I’m really not sure what the hell I’ve just listened to, but I couldn’t bring myself to skip any of it, I was completely transfixed. So it can’t be a 1 rated album if it’s generated this level of wonder.
2 likes
Supergrass
5/5
5.0 out of 5. An absolutely stunning album. Still sounds fresh today. The songwriting and arrangements on every single track are top drawer. Everything seems so perfectly thought through and the whole album just flows together. An album of contrasts: ‘Richard III just bangs’, and ‘Late in the Day’ has an incredibly mellow vibe. It’s just so interestingly put together, with little brass sections, percussion arrangements, keyboard solos and guitar riffs popping up to change the dynamic of each song. An album to have in the background to brighten your day but also one that gets better when you have time to sit down and just absorb every detail.
2 likes
4-Star Albums (86)
1-Star Albums (188)
All Ratings
The Beach Boys
2/5
Pleasant enough! File under ‘Easy Listening’. Album propped up by the singles, especially ‘Sloop John B’. ‘Wouldn’t it be Nice’ has been spoilt by being overplayed on TV adverts recently but still a good tube. A mid-table 2 out of 5
Janis Joplin
3/5
A high 3. Great song writing and musicians to back up an incredible voice. First time I’ve ever listened to her and just read up on her story too. Another huge slice of education served up for me! Surprised how much of this I knew without knowing I knew it. Will get more listens I’m sure.
De La Soul
3/5
Enjoyed more tracks than I thought I would, as brought some memories back from that era. Not my bag, but glad I spent an hour giving it a listen!
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
Couldn’t get the passed the feeling I was listening to Meat Loaf. Knew the title track and Thunder Road, but wasn’t inspired by any of the other tracks that were new to me.
ZZ Top
4/5
Fantastic album with the unmistakable Billy Gibbons & Dusty Hill magic. I only discovered it about 5 years ago.
In a different life and time, I would have loved to have watched these guys play the blues.
RIP Dusty - uncomplicated but brilliant bassist.
Standout tracks:
Waitin’ for the Bus
Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers
La Grange
Sheik
The Band
1/5
You’d need to be in the right mood to listen to this. If you ever see me in that mood, please shoot me. Just awful. Never heard of this before and now I hope I can quickly unhear it.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Before listening to this album. I only knew Gimme Shelter (it was also my ringtone for years) and You Can’t Always Get What You Want. I’d only ever listened to The Stones hits before and never their album catalogue, so was curious when this popped up. Really enjoyable. Highlights ‘Live with Me’, and ‘Let it Bleed’
Carole King
2/5
Pleasant enough. Way Over Yonder is a stand out track. Undeniably beautiful vocalist and classic song writer. Just a bit too nice for my usual taste! Filed under ‘Easy Listening’
Gang Starr
1/5
Absolute garbage. I listened to the whole thing to be sure.
Gorillaz
3/5
Remember this being released. Very experimental sounds and there are pockets of brilliance on here. I just love the shoe-gazing melancholic lazy grooves and so many interesting sound loops. Stand out tracks for me are ‘Tomorrow Comes Today’, ‘Slow Country’ and ‘19-2000’
Sadly, Damon Albarn has spoilt quite a few of the tracks with some really strange vocal weirdness, and there are too many fillers to stop me scoring higher than a 3.
The second album ‘Demon Days’ built on this sound and delivered so much more.
Aerosmith
1/5
This was a bit of a test for me as I had a very negative opinion of Steven Tyler.
So this was a case of trying to separate the art from the artist.
I thought that ‘Sweet Emotion’ was one hell of a great track but when I listened to the lyrics it just made me cringe! Similar with ‘Round & Round’ - the lyrics about a 16 year old…and ‘Walk this Way’ about schoolgirls. He was 27 when this was released. Lyrics and story telling is a huge part of why I enjoy music, and this was just too sleazy against the backdrop of his life choices. It just made it too difficult to enjoy the art. I tried, but I failed!
The Who
3/5
Title track and ‘The Kids Are Alright’ are stand out tracks. The rest of the album had a few surprises, notably ‘The Ox’. A real mish-mash of styles on here but some lovely harmonies and hints of the bigger rock sounds that were to come later (and I prefer!)
Dusty Springfield
1/5
It’s a big fat no from me chief.
The Stranglers
3/5
A strong 3 rating. New album to me. Always loved ‘Peaches’ - such an iconic track. Really enjoyed ‘Sometimes’, ‘Get A Grip’ and ‘Hanging Around’. Going to give this a lot more of a listen in the coming weeks. I often play albums to match my mood, and this one matches one of my most common moods 🤣
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Massive album! No track needs skipping. ‘Ramble On’ is one of my all time favourite tracks - just rock perfection. I just love that you can really hear all 4 musicians shine, not just through their solos. The bass of John Paul Jones is especially strong throughout. This album has many gear changes, a great example being ‘Thank You’ which is essentially a beautiful love song. There are changes of pace within the songs too. They must have been incredible to see live and I know why so many of my favourite bands from the decades that followed cite Led Zep as a huge influence on their music. 6 out of 5 if I could.
Ella Fitzgerald
1/5
Ok, so she an undeniably classically beautiful voice. However, I am allergic to this type of Bing Crosby at Christmas songbook. I can’t imagine a single moment when I’ll ever play this again. One star to acknowledge the quality of her voice
Wilco
3/5
I know nothing about this band, but as a first listen to this, I am a little intrigued. Some really nice melodies and arrangements in amongst a little weirdness! My gut feel says a 3 star rating, as I’m definitely going to give this another listen when I have the time as it deserves an hour of my undivided attention!
The Mars Volta
3/5
Another band I’d never heard of (call myself a music fan?!).
Lots to like here. Positives: 1) the vocals - love his tone and range. 2) at times frantic guitars! 3) the unmistakably Flea bass style. 4) some decent mood changes.
Stand out track: Eriatarka
Judas Priest
2/5
My least favourite part of the broad church that is Rock. Find it a bit cliched, especially the vocal style. Fairly one dimensional musically, although quite enjoyed a couple of the tracks, especially ‘You Don’t Have to Be Old to be Wise’. Thank God for that!
Neil Young
4/5
Got a soft spot for Uncle Neil, the Godfather of Grunge. Probably because of his influence on Pearl Jam and their collaboration on the epic Mirror Ball album.
Standout tracks on this are the epic ‘Heart of Gold’, ‘Old Man’, ‘Alabama’ and ‘Words’.
Fela Kuti
1/5
Nope. Too repetitive
Lou Reed
3/5
New to me apart from the famous singles. A banging start to the album with ‘Vicious’. The David Bowie influence is clear!
Always loved the iconic ‘Perfect Day’, ‘Walk on the Wild Side’ and ‘Satellite of Love’. I might have been tempted to dish out a 4 star rating, but ‘Make Up’ and ‘New York Conversation’ are just poor album fillers, and the album tails off.
The Beach Boys
1/5
Dreadful stuff. I have no idea what they were trying to achieve here. Whilst there’s the unmistakable Beach Boys harmonies in every track, it doesn’t suit the songs at all. Not the vibe I associate with them. Nothing cheerful, fun or uplifting about any of it. Weird.
Beyoncé
3/5
Well that was a surprise! I’m clearly not her target market when she’s singing to her audience, and this is definitely not a genre of music I know. But, I actually enjoyed it a bit! She can sing, and unlike a lot of her peers, she rarely over sings which is a pet peeve of mine. A low 3 rating
Silver Jews
1/5
Oh. This might be quite a decent album if he’d just shut the f@&k up and stop ‘singing’. One decent track was ‘Transylvania Blues’, not just because it’s an instrumental (but that really helps), but it actually goes somewhere.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Not quite the perfection of ‘II’ despite the highs of the massive hits on this album. Knocked a star off as I always find myself skipping ‘The Battle of Evermore’ and ‘Misty Mountain Hop’. Having released 4 classic albums in 2 years whilst they were riding the wave, it’s not surprising that a couple of tracks miss the mark for me!
Arcade Fire
3/5
Always been intrigued by Arcade Fire when I stumble across them, but never owned any of their albums. Enough good stuff on here - love their unique sound. ‘No Cars Go’ stands out for me.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
1/5
Massive Attack
4/5
What an album and what memories of playing this in the early 90s. Still sounds fresh
Marianne Faithfull
3/5
Completely new to me, and much better than my preconception!
B.B. King
4/5
Derek & The Dominos
3/5
Decent enough. Enjoyed the blues guitars and the stand out track for me is ‘Anyday’. A strong 3 overall
Public Enemy
1/5
There’s bits of this I like, but it’s all a bit too much in one album.
The Who
5/5
Iconic album. Huge anthems in Baba and Won’t be Fooled again, but the rest of the album provides so much. Absolutely adore ‘Behind Blue Eyes’, and ‘Bargain’ keeps the energy up after the opener. I’ve watched the documentary on the making of this album before and was blown away about some of the pioneering recording techniques and the innovation of Townshend. So much musical depth here. Love love love it
The Modern Lovers
3/5
That were alright, weren’t it? A low 3
Nas
1/5
Nope, not for me
Frank Sinatra
1/5
Least favourite genre. Came out in a rash just considering listening to it.
The Beau Brummels
1/5
Awful
Simon & Garfunkel
2/5
I enjoyed this more than my preconceived opinion thought. More on here I recognised than I’d have guessed. Favourite track is ‘The Only Living Boy in New York’. Pleasant album but unlikely to form any part of my rotation going forward. 2 stars
John Coltrane
1/5
I used to think I had a pretty diverse music taste, but this week’s selections have thrown a few different genres, and I’m struggling to enjoy stuff that’s out of my lane. I can appreciate this for its technical brilliance, but it just doesn’t inspire any of the emotions that make me turn up the volume, or listen again.
Stevie Wonder
2/5
I’m had to wait until track 5 (Higher Ground) before I started to enjoy this, then found the rest of the album absolutely fine! Not my thing, but quite a pleasant Sunday morning listen.
Talking Heads
3/5
Whilst I would always turn up the volume when ‘Once in a Lifetime’ came on the radio, I’d never explored their albums. So this was a nice surprise to have a reason to give this a listen. Love the energy of the first side (fired up my Monday morning nicely), and then the change of pace and mood that followed in the 2nd side. Lots of grooves, loops and different influences. Rated as a high 3 star, but will definitely listen again and maybe explore some of their other work.
Dr. Dre
1/5
Nope. Lyrics and language = an immediate switch off. I’m not adverse to a bit of a potty mouth, but this is relentless from the start, hard to work out any odd word in between!
3/5
There’s a really good album in here. It’s just been infiltrated by some absolute rubbish tracks that make me cringe and reach for the skip button. But when I find ‘Take A Look Around’ or ‘The One’, I just can’t help but turn it up and rock out! Guilty pleasure? Maybe. Credibility? Nope. Cheesey? Yup. Huge smile? Absolutely. This would have made a cracking 8 track album and preferably would have had a different title too 🤣
Motörhead
4/5
As a rock music fan, what’s not to love? This was out long before I gravitated towards rock music, but most of the bands I love were in some way inspired by Lemmy and Motörhead. This album is just great. Simple punk rock and roll. Title track is just iconic but there’s real energy throughout.
Sex Pistols
5/5
Punk perfection.
Green Day
5/5
An absolute no brainer for a 5 star rating. 1994/95 was a great time of my life, finding my way in the ‘adult’ world and having my independence. My music tastes were expanding quickly, at a time when grunge was my main staple diet. I was exploring new stuff like Massive Attack, Portishead and The Prodigy. Whilst there was plenty of new Indie/Rock to explore, this album just smacked me in the face from the first listen. Short sharp powerful punk rock songs, with fantastic story telling. Basket Case must have been on the Jukebox in the Plume of Feathers every night. Happy days and happy nights.
Impossible to pick a favourite track from this. It just all works together. An album to put on and play from start to finish, LOUD.
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
1/5
At the start I thought that they sounded like they were having a lovely old time, but pretty soon I realised that I wasn’t. By the time I got to ‘Giddy Up a Ding Dong’ and ‘Next’ I’d had enough. Too theatrical.
Fleetwood Mac
4/5
Thank you to 1,001 albums for making me play me this again after a very long time. Whenever I feel in a Fleetwood Mac mood I do the obvious and put Rumours on. I was put off this album before as it lacked the unique edge of Rumours. I also hated so many of the Lindsey Buckingham lead songs on Tusk. Listening with fresh ears today, there is so many beautiful moments on this album. Stevie Nicks is just sublime. Beautiful Child and Sisters of the Moon in particular are just stunning and dreamy. But Buckingham’s songs are mainly so deliberately quirky and self-indulgent. They spoil the whole mood of the album. He is a brilliant guitarist. Mesmerising to watch. He has written and sung some great songs, but on Tusk it seems like he was too hell bent on trying to be different. In these modern times of listening to music streamed from my iPhone the problem is easily solved. By adding 14 of the 20 tracks (a few of Buckingham’s survived the cull), I now have a stunning (shorter) version of this album ready to play when I’m feeling in a Radio 2 Sunday Morning kind of mood. Which is increasingly often these days. My personal short version of the album is worthy of 5 stars, but I’d best rate your full version so it has to lose a star for Lindsey’s attempts to swim against the tide.
Rush
2/5
The first ‘side’ (the 20 minute opening track), just didn’t do it for me at all.
Pleased to see side 2 didn’t follow the same format. After surviving the cheesy faux Chinese melody of ‘A Passage to Bangkok’, the rest of the album improved. I really liked ‘Lessons’, but this was the only true highlight. 2 stars.
Sarah Vaughan
1/5
Nope
Neil Young
3/5
Decent enough album, but it just kind of trundles along without any real highs or any horrible lows. Nice country/blues vibe, and love the guitar work. However, there are times when his ‘unique’ vocal style gets a little strained, in fact some might say that he hits a few bum notes. Not my favourite Uncle Neil album.
Nightmares On Wax
1/5
Awful and talentless.
I just don’t understand who would buy this and for what occasion? I don’t see any talent in coming up with a 5 second long drum pattern and overlaying it with no more than 3 notes, then looping it endlessly until you lose the will to live.
I always read the Wiki reviews on each album to get a deeper understanding of the artist & the album. Having read about this one, I’ve learnt nothing. I just wonder why this obscure artist and album made the 1,001 list. It wasn’t for commercial success (and neither should it just be about that), and it wasn’t for outstanding critical reviews. It doesn’t seem to have inspired other artists and doesn’t seem groundbreaking in any way. I guess the author of the list just likes it. Each to their own.
The Smiths
5/5
Stunning album. Track one sparks into life half way through when Johnny Fucking Marr just takes over. The whole outro to the track is pure gold. For me, the album goes to another level with ‘Cemetery Gates’, the iconic ‘Bigmouth Strikes Again’ and the beautifully melodic ‘The Boy with a Thorn in His Side’ - 3 great tracks back-to-back in the middle of the album. The musicianship on ‘There is a light that never goes out’ is incredible. Yes, I love this album. I can’t help singing along to most of it…even after all these years, the lyrics are just burnt in to my permanent memory. I saw Johnny Marr in concert last year and he’s still very much got it. What a guitarist! Really enjoyed him revisiting the Smiths back catalogue, and it still feels fresh. Not a bad consolation for not seeing The Smiths live in their pomp.
Milton Nascimento
2/5
That was a nice surprise. Talented musicians and vocals. As somebody who likes songs that tell stories, I wish I wasn’t that typical English bloke that only understands English! But it was a very pleasant listen, I enjoyed the acoustic guitar work and the arrangements, which created a lovely relaxed atmosphere.
Elton John
2/5
I’m probably one of the only humans on the planet who managed to make it to their mid 50s without ever listening to an EJ album. I have an impulsive reaction to change the radio station as soon as I hear his tones, or if I’m somewhere in a public space I just put my fingers in my ears and shout blah blah blah blah until I’ve managed to escape the torture.
Irrational behaviour by an otherwise fairly rational and balanced man perhaps. It’s not just EJs long association with an unmentionable football club down the M1 that warrants this abnormal response, although I am guilty of playing up to this as it’s now simply expected of me. In the same way that I’m expected to keep repeating the same Dad jokes and laughing at myself whilst my family just shakes their heads and fondly pats my arm.
I knew that this day was coming as soon as I signed up to this 1,001 albums thing as I guessed there would be EJ presence. I thought I’d just skip it. But in this new progressive version of myself, I listened to the whole thing. Under headphones. So it’s our secret.
So, my review…
Positives
Song writing - there are some ok songs on here. How much credit does EJ take for this? I genuinely don’t know.
Arrangements - some beautiful orchestration and very clever use of tempo change, soft then loud and harmonisation.
The title track - great song with a nice atmospheric build to it.
Piano - obvious I guess but he can play the piano pretty well cant he!
Negatives
I absolutely hate his vocal style. Over pronunciation and over singing at times. It’s my number one hate on any piece of music (Mariah Carey for example) but EJ just has this weird exaggerated twang to his voice when he sings. What’s that all about? Like he’s either trying to be American or play a theatrical character? Ends up just sounding like a Benidorm club singer/Vic Reeves Shooting Stars parody act. ‘Indian Summer’ is an example.
I’m proud of myself for trying and for being objective enough in my review. Zero stars for his vocals and choice of football team, but 2 stars overall - carried by the quality of some of the songwriting and the production.
The Temptations
2/5
A nice change of direction for the 1,001 list, which brought a smile to my face. Sadly, the rest of the album didn’t hit the heights of ‘Papa Was a Rolling Stone’, but I still really enjoyed the album as a whole. Would probably give a ‘Best of’ album a listen, as it’s only the big hits that would make me decide to play this lot again by choice. A high end 2 stars from me (miles better than EJ🤣)
Gene Clark
1/5
Dull
Cowboy Junkies
2/5
Taking music to a new level of mellow. I really did like her vocals, and the bluesy guitar vibe. I’d happily listen to any single track on this album, but the whole album was just too one paced for me. Background mood music. A 2 star rating because I’d listen to this before any of the shite I’ve rated as 1 star, but can’t see myself buying it, or listening to it again.
Grizzly Bear
1/5
I started out thinking that this is going to be a very interesting listen, but soon found out that it was actually really hard work staying with it. Quirky and awkward. There’s obviously a lot of creativity and production gone into this, but it just feels like arty pretentiousness to me. Clever for clever’s sake.
Little Simz
1/5
Absolutely not for me. Before giving up on it, I spotted that Michael Kiwanuka appears on the last track, so I stuck with it. So much anger in the album, then we arrived at that final track and the gloriously soulful vocal of Kiwanuka. The world was so much better for just dialling down the hatred. A glimpse of what Ms Simz is capable of producing when she takes a more R&B path. Off with that rubbish…I’m off to indulge in Kiwanukas eponymously titled album.
Herbie Hancock
1/5
At least it was only 4 tracks! Turns out I’m just not funky enough for Herbie.
Hüsker Dü
5/5
An awesome album! Just love this genre of rock/punk/pop/Americana. I discovered Husker Du late, starting with Bob Moulds solo stuff, then working back through Sugar and then onto Husker Du. Moulds vocals and lyrics are great and I just love the relentless pace of this album.
Billie Holiday
1/5
I’ve not been sleeping much lately. This should help 💤
Circle Jerks
2/5
Wow. Not quite sure what happened there! Whilst I do enjoy a lot of punk influenced music, this was way too hardcore and extreme for me. It makes the Sex Pistols sound like a complete commercial sell out (which I guess it probably is considered to be by those that really love punk music).
I understand it and can appreciate it as a piece of art, but it’s just not something I’d ever buy. Glad I listened but can’t rate too highly.
James Brown
3/5
Don’t know much of James Browns work before he became a sex machine. So I quite enjoyed listening to this early version of him. Great voice and arrangements. Liked it 👍
Thin Lizzy
5/5
5 stars! The other albums that have got top marks from me were all ones I already knew and loved. This is the first complete surprise for me. I’d only ever heard a handful of Thin Lizzy songs, probably the ones that every other human has heard & I’d never really given the band another thought. So I played this one today curious to hear some more. It started really well, but I was kind of busy pottering around with it on in the background. When ‘Massacre’ came on, I started to pay some closer attention, then the guitar solos on ‘Still in Love with you’ just stopped me in my tracks. Awesome song.
The album got a 2nd play later on, under the headphones and without any other distractions. Blown away by it all to be honest. Phil Lynotts vocal and bass incredible. But the song writing and musicianship is so so strong. Plenty of variety here too. Slightly saddened to read on the Wiki review about the contentious amount of studio overdubbing of the live recordings, but it shouldn’t spoil things. It’s a brilliant piece of work, and I can feel the energy they must have had ‘Live’. Why has it taken me this long to realise that this a seriously good band?!
Deep Purple
2/5
Not for me really. Find it just a bit too cheesy. Overly long and pointless keyboard solos and maniac wailing just isn’t my bag. Music to gallop on a horse to maybe.
Pere Ubu
1/5
Complete nonsense.
Badly Drawn Boy
3/5
A really interesting album. One to listen to properly, not really background music fodder. I like his quirkiness and talent on so many instruments. I prefer some of the more stripped back songs that show off his melancholy vocals and songwriting. Quite vulnerable and emotional rawness. Highlights ‘Once Around the Block’, ‘Pissing in the Wind’ and ‘Another Pearl’.
A strong 3 from me. Let down by a few tracks that are just experimental fillers, and boosted by the fact that he was born in Dunstable. This makes him one of the best things to come out of Dunstable, apart from Kevin from Grand Designs. Oh, Faye Tozer from Steps. Top 3 ain’t bad for such a hot bed of talent.
Van Halen
2/5
Surprisingly, this wasn’t as terrible as I thought it might be. Probably as good as 1970s hair rock gets. Wasn’t expecting to find a Kinks cover on it and some of the other tracks didn’t seem to fit with my preconceptions. Loving some of the cheesy guitar riffs and some decent rhythm section moments. A mid 2 rating.
Franz Ferdinand
1/5
I can’t explain why I’ve never liked this band other than I’ve always thought of them as pretentious and annoying. Maybe it’s just the extreme disappointment I felt when I first heard ‘Take Me Out’. An incredible first 1 minute and 3 seconds of intro, that built my hopes up far too high for the dross that was to follow.
So, with an open mind I listened to this today. And I was right about them. Still just annoying. And there are better ways to experience 1 minute and 3 seconds of joy 🤣
Skepta
1/5
I did listen to the whole thing, reading the lyrics as I went. So much hatred, anger and violence. The violence isn’t even implied. Just couldn’t find anything I could hang a complimentary remark upon. Sorry, just not for me.
Dead Kennedys
2/5
Musically, so much better than the Circle Jerks rubbish we had on here recently. But I can’t stand the vocalist. So it can’t be any higher that a low 2 rating because of him.
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
Really enjoyed a little bit of groovy business on a wet Thursday afternoon! ‘Hard Times’ was the standout track for me. The tracks that were funkiest and had the most wah-wah action were the best. When I play it again (and I will) I’ll probably skip a few tracks in search of the magic.
Radiohead
5/5
What a masterpiece. Such a game-changing album. Achingly beautiful in places, it was such a unique and inspiring album. I was already a Radiohead fan when this was released and this one just blew me away with its creativity and fresh sound from the start. By the time you’re into ‘Paranoid Android’ you realise that this is different level. A onslaught on the senses! Some of the softer moments and harmonies are just incredible (‘Subterranean Homesick Alien’, ‘Exit Music’, ‘Let Down’, ‘No Surprises’), but ‘Lucky’ is still one of my favourite all time tracks. 26 years old, but still one of my ‘go to’ albums, and in the conversation for the best album of all time ever.
Fleet Foxes
3/5
Bloody lovely listen that! Beautiful harmonies and created a sense of tranquility. Stand out tracks for me were ‘Your Protector’, ‘Ragged Wood’ and ‘He Doesn’t Know Why’.
A strong 3 star, but might have grown into a 4 if had more listens.
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
That’s not normally the sort of music I listen to. If that was the sort of music I listen to, I’d probably listen to this. If that makes sense. Better than I thought it would be. Had a little snooze half way through but it didn’t induce nightmares, and when I woke up it was still bobbing along quite nicely.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
I really should like Nick Cave. I stumble across his songs here and there and really really like them. He’s a story teller and I like his voice. So I should like him. But then I look up an album and give it a play and it bores me to death. This is no exception, but there’s not even 1 banging track here that might have lead me to this album. ‘Idiot Prayer’ was as good as it got for me. Scrapes a 2 based on his voice and a nice violin here and there.
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
1/5
Found this very predictable and cliched. Sounds very old, and not in a good way. At one point my cat started joining in, and it might have actually improved it.
Kanye West
1/5
Kanye. West. Why?
Is he only famous for generating PR by being an idiot? That doesn’t impress me. Why does he have to collaborate with so many artists, producers, MCs or whatever’s on every track? To mask the fact that he is a talentless idiot if left alone to make ‘music’? If I judge the man just on this album, as I have tried to do, then there is literally nothing there to admire. A solid zero score.
The Killers
3/5
I love and hate this album. If this list was “The top Albums you that love the first half of despite the fact that the singer can’t sing a note”, then this would be in the conversation. The first 5 tracks are pure Indie Pop bangers. Songs you sing loudly to when drunk. And then it just collapses into a dreary whiny mess of a record. If anybody tries to defend the vocal ability of Mr Flowers, just play ‘Everything Will Be Alright’ then the prosecution can rest. He gets away with it for the first 5 tracks as the anthems are pumping and everybody is having a good time.
Taylor Swift
3/5
Much to my daughters disgust, I have always believed that Taylor Swift is an alien sent to this planet to infiltrate us and commit heinous crimes. I once let her play one of her albums on a car journey and she chose ‘Folklore’ the album before this. Having read up about this on Wiki, I now understand the similarity. I’m amazed to say that i actually like this album. So different from the horrible sickly sweet American High School princess diva pop shit I hated her for. Credit to her for evolving, and the fact that she has made 2 albums with such a folk vibe is showing she is more than I gave her credit for. There are some beautiful tracks on ‘Evermore’, my favourite being the title track at the end of the album. Ms Swift can really sing, some of these songs showcase that, and the harmonies with Bon Iver are just stunning. The album is a bit samey, however, the one track that is different is the one I like the least! (No body no crime). That’s a bit too corny Country and Western Yee Haw nonsense for my liking. I would listen to this album again. Maybe as Ms Swift gets older she’ll start to sing about things more relevant to me (like getting old and grumpy) and I’ll like her more. Was I wrong about her or is her evil now evolving to brainwash a wider audience now that she controls the minds of every young girl under 25. Am I doomed? Crikey.
A strong 3, maybe a 4.
Emmylou Harris
2/5
C&W is just not my thing at all, unless it’s a lot more subtle than a lot of this album. However, I stuck with it because of her voice. Undeniably a great singer. Got to ‘Boulder to Birmingham’ and found a song that I could enjoy, then the next track ‘Before Believing’ was really beautiful. But just as I was now off-guard and wondering if I could be a convert, the next track was everything I hate about the genre. I stayed with the album until in the end with optimism that I’d hear another track or 2 within my tolerance zone, but it wasn’t to be.
2 stars for her voice and for these lovey 2 tracks that I’ve added to my library so will stumble across at some point randomly again in the future.
Fugazi
4/5
Very raw and angry with some heavy subject matter. I really liked it and fully understand why Fugazi inspired so much of the music that I love. I can only imagine the energy they would create live, probably a much better live band than in recorded form. The album really builds for me. ‘Brendan #1’ drives it on at a furious pace and the album gets better from there. A solid 4.
Duran Duran
3/5
Nostalgia overload! I must have listened to this loads in my life, but not for at least 35 years! Simon le Bon pouting in a linen suit and/or posing on a yacht. Too much hairspray. Pastel colours. Jumpers for Goalposts etc etc. So it was nice to be reacquainted with an old friend. But just like a school reunion, whilst it was nice to briefly catch up, I’ve soon realised that I no longer have much in common and probably won’t stay in touch. Good bass guitar throughout. Stand out tracks ‘My Own away’ and ‘Hold Back the Rain’.
Sly & The Family Stone
2/5
‘Sing A Simple Song’ was awesome. It had the funk turned right up. ‘Everyday People’ just great, although I only really knew it from the Arrested Development sample. ‘I Want To Take You Higher’, and ‘You Can Make It If You Try’ was also good enough to get me throwing some funky shapes at breakfast time. The rest of the album underwhelmed.
Morrissey
4/5
I know Morrissey the human divides opinion, and so does his music. Now, I’m not saying I like the human, and he’s not my favourite member of The Smiths, but I do love this album. He brings his unique style of hatred and self-deprecation and mixes it with a few catchy pop songs. There are enough masterpieces on this album to warrant a 4 (‘I Have Forgiven Jesus’, ‘Let Me Kiss You’, ‘Irish Blood, English Heart’, ‘First of the Gang To Die’). Some lyrical brilliance, and some perfect musical arrangements. The guitar and keyboards on ‘Let Me Kiss You’ are magical. A few fillers so not a 5.
Slade
3/5
I made an audible sigh when I saw a Slade album pop up here. That album cover. That album title. I’m just not going to like this am I?
Scrolling through Apple Music looking for it, I couldn’t believe just how much music this lot made.
First impressions were that Noddys voice will just annoy me. But they all seemed to be having a bloody good time making music. I then got into a little run of tracks that must have broken through my inoculation against 1970s big-flared-cheese-rock and I realised that I was having quite a good time too. Maybe I had a bang on the head or something, but ‘I Won’t Let it ‘Appen Again’, ‘Move Over’, and ‘Gudbuy T’Jane’ are decent tracks! I’m a sucker for good bass playing and this was decent enough to distract me from Noddys screeching.
I guess this is why I’m still here with 1,001 albums every day. There’s some rubbish on the list, and some albums I already absolutely love. And occasionally I get a surprise like this! I’d never have listened to a Slade album and would’ve gone to my grave believing they were nothing more than a novelty Christmas act.
P.S. I bet they were great to see Live
P.P.S. Just because I like this it doesn’t mean I’ll suddenly like Status Quo. So don’t try it Mr 1,001 albums. Just don’t ok?
Kings of Leon
4/5
There are some phenomenal tracks on this album. Taper Jean Girl, Razz, Pistol of Fire, Four Kicks and The Bucket have such hypnotic energy. These boys used to know how to write banging tunes. Also, they really know how to end their songs (guitar solo outro on Pistol of Fire as a great example) No slow fade outs just brilliant crescendos.
I had to argue with my son and his KOL Suoerfan girlfriend about why I still couldn’t give it a 5 rating despite how much I adore most of this album.
It’s because…. I can’t understand a fucking word Caleb sings, and lyrics mean a lot to me. He has a great tone and rasp to his voice but boy does he mumble. Or is that just a southern drawl? Later albums don’t seem so bad on that front. Either he learnt how to enunciate properly, or the recording / production improved. I did some more research on the song lyrics to try and learn what I was missing out on. Having read them, I’m largely still none the wiser about what he’s on about, and the bits I do understand are often a bit questionable. For example, the track ‘Soft’….. hmmm…. a song about drug induced erectile dysfunction my teenage son explains. That wasn’t awkward at all.
And there’s also the track ‘Milk’. Just painful, yet they still manage a great outro!
I’ll stick with my 4 rating and will continue to dance like nobody is watching whenever I play ‘Taper Jean Girl’. The Kings of Mumble Rock used to be an epic band and this is still a phenomenal album.
Funkadelic
1/5
Never listened to Funkadelic before, much to one of my mates disgust. He was so enthusiastic about this album when I told him it came up on the list, bless him. So I listened with an open mind. Track one went as I imagined. Nice and funky (obviously). Soon went downhill as track two was poor. Track three was surprising - whilst I didn’t like it, I appreciated the variation of the lead guitar part. Track four takes the award for the best and the worst song title of all time, and just droned on for far too long. Did the Chef from South Park sing ‘Into You?’ - awful song. About to give up after that one, and started skipping tracks until ‘Maggot Brain’ caught my attention. So out of place on this album…more Jimi Hendrix than Funkadelic… really good stuff. Bad again after that ‘highlight’
Well, that was a lot more varied than anticipated, but a mixed bag of rubbish. 1 star
Miles Davis
1/5
I tried. But it seems that I’ll never be able to enjoy Jazz improv. I’m clearly not intelligent or cultured enough.
The Doors
1/5
Controversial opinion I’m sure but this is just over rated rubbish
Hole
4/5
Top album! Sets the tone right from the off with the first 4 tracks showcasing their strengths. Plenty of the old grunge sound but mixed up with some Americana pop and harmonies.
Standout tracks are ‘Awful’, ‘Boys on the Radio’ and ‘Heaven Tonight’. A solid 4 and a nice trip back down memory lane.
Supergrass
5/5
5.0 out of 5. An absolutely stunning album. Still sounds fresh today. The songwriting and arrangements on every single track are top drawer. Everything seems so perfectly thought through and the whole album just flows together. An album of contrasts: ‘Richard III just bangs’, and ‘Late in the Day’ has an incredibly mellow vibe. It’s just so interestingly put together, with little brass sections, percussion arrangements, keyboard solos and guitar riffs popping up to change the dynamic of each song. An album to have in the background to brighten your day but also one that gets better when you have time to sit down and just absorb every detail.
Joni Mitchell
2/5
Listening to Joni Mitchell is another first for me. I thought I’d recognise some of her songs but nothing jumped out at me, yet I’m left with an overall sense that I’ve heard it before. Probably just the sort of noise I would have heard on my dad’s radio in his Vauxhall Viva. Found it all too boring. Her voice was sweet enough but absolutely no edge to it…even more dull than The Carpenters. The lead guitar was nice in places, but everything was obviously playing accompaniment to Joni’s voice. A 2 star rating as I’d choose this over all of the Gangsta rap rubbish, or the country and western, or the rat pack, or the jazz improv that we’ve had on the list. Perhaps a beige Vauxhall Viva is the perfect analogy for this record. Cheap, boring, reliable and best left in the 1970s.
The Offspring
2/5
Not as good as i remembered it. Highlight is the brilliant ‘Self Esteem’. ‘Gotta Get Away’ is ok too. But the overall album just not strong enough.
The Magnetic Fields
1/5
Oh wow. Was interested by the concept but my interest soon disappeared. I tried to stick with it hoping to find some good songs, but no. I finished early. The irony of this is not lost on me.
Arcade Fire
4/5
This album really builds. Second listen of the day and it’s growing on me. I’ve always found Arcade Fire interesting when I’ve stumbled across them, and loved ‘Everything Now’ almost obsessively, but never ventured back to their early work. This album has the expected mix of instruments and arrangements that I hoped for. There really are a lot of musicians and instruments here and it all works. The male vocals are at times strained, yet they are quite mesmerising. Really liked the harmonies with the Bjork-esque female vocals on a couple of the tracks. ‘Wake Up’ and ‘Rebellion (Lies)’ are the immediate stand out anthems for me, and together with ‘Haiti’ sandwiched between them formed the best spell on the album. But that 2nd listen really prodded my senses more. So I’ll be adding this to my library and explore more of their work too. A solid 4.
Justin Timberlake
3/5
Much to my amazement I enjoyed the start of this album, but it really faded (or just became samey) after the first 5 tracks. Thought I was listening to Michael Jackson at times. I’ll give it a mid 3 based on how much I enjoyed some of earlier tracks and wasn’t offended by any of it.
Pixies
4/5
Love the opening bars of the first track ‘Debaser’ (that bass 🤩) and it then builds into that power-punk-pop sound that’s right up my street. And there’s that simple but beautiful bass again on ‘Tame’ the platform for some swirling guitar riffs and some weird angry and melodic vocals. What’s not to love? The pattern for the album is set with some great hooks and guitars. Highlights for me are ‘Here Comes Your Man’ (the catchiest and poppiest they get), ‘Monkey Gone to Heaven’ and ‘No. 13 Baby’. A high 4.
Beatles
5/5
Been waiting over a hundred albums for this lot to appear. Worth the wait for my favourite Beatles album (I think!?🤔). Going to be tough to write up this review as I don’t think I’m eloquent enough to describe it. It’s a straight 5. Nothing comes close from that era. The song writing. The variety of song styles. The richness of the guitar work. The way the B side just flows from one song to the next. All time classic songs. Just incredible and a regular ‘Go To’ album throughout my adult life. If I have to find a negative, then it’s Maxwell’s Silver Hammer, which isn’t very good but I’ll forgive and forget.
Manic Street Preachers
5/5
This really was one of my favourite albums of its time so have listened to this a lot in my life. So the 5 rating was a pretty impulsive response to seeing it appear on this list today. With the gift of time to be able to listen again properly, it was great to revisit it and see whether I had my nostalgic head on when throwing out a 5. But it still sounds great! As well as the big anthems such as Design for Life, it has some really enjoyable quirky and non conventional little tracks like Kevin Carter and some lovely little bop along pop songs too. Much more commercially accessible than their previous more punky offerings and some wonderful melancholy obviously shaped by the tragedy they had to go through. Great song writing and musical compositions. Everything delivered with emotion. Still a 5 rated album all day long.
A Tribe Called Quest
2/5
It’s not terrible. I quite like the lazy soft jazzy business but there’s just not enough happening on here for me. It’s all so samey. I’m sure the same drum pattern is on nearly all of the songs - maybe with a slight variation on the tempo or adding a high cymbal here or there. The creativity is only in the lyrics which aren’t bad. I quite like the vocal delivery but where’s the catchy chorus or the instrumental solos? Maybe I just don’t understand this genre. It’s listenable as background fodder only. It’s better than everything I’ve rated as a 1 so it gets a generous 2!
Dizzee Rascal
1/5
Dreadful init
Pink Floyd
4/5
A mid to low 4. Great songs when they eventually get around to them, but just too much nonsense in between. I suppose that’s art. Iconic album with iconic artwork, but too much nonsense I skip and not enough non-nonsense to enjoy. Best track ‘Us and Them’ - pure class
Depeche Mode
1/5
Disappointingly dull and basic.
Britney Spears
2/5
Nausea inducing.
Just can’t stand her voice.
Pop is not my thing, but even this cold old heart can be warmed occasionally by a nicely sung pop tune. We all have guilty pleasures right? Just not this bile.
The closest to thawing me out was ‘Sometimes’.
I’ll give 2 stars because it’s better than the other genres clogging up the bowels of the 1 rated albums.
Neil Young
3/5
Oh dear Uncle Neil. The 3rd album of yours we’ve been given so far and each one has got worse. What will the 25th one be like? I’m afraid that your vocals were harshly exposed on most of these tracks. I thought I was listening to Big Bird from Sesame Street on ‘Don’t Let It Bring You Down’. It was only when the guitars got cranked and the background vocals pitched up that you got away with it. ‘Southern Man’ was great. ‘Oh, Lonesome Me’ was good. ‘When You Dance’ and ‘I Believe In You’ are the only other tracks to make it to the prestigious Uncle Neil playlist. A low 3 stars as it’s better than both Elt@n Jo!n and Britney Spears, who I apparently gave 2 stars too.
Public Enemy
3/5
I’ve really wanted to like a hip hop album that this list has thrown at us before, and until now have been left disappointed. But this was great. It has the same hard hitting social commentary, but I found it so powerfully delivered. Loved the energy and pace of the record, it was just relentless. What sets it above the others for me is the music! Dumb thing to say perhaps, but this album was full of great tunes, and creatively mixed up with samples and story lines. It kept me listening (and reading) which is surely the best way to engage the listener. It has to be entertaining otherwise I’d switch off and the message would be lost. Added this to my albums as I know I want another listen. There’s too much going on to take it all in. A very high 3 rating.
Paul Simon
2/5
Uninspiringly beige.
Various Artists
3/5
A classic sound. You can’t hate on it in any way, it’s Phil Spector and it’s Christmas. 🎅🏻 🎄🍻
a-ha
2/5
When this popped up, I hoped I might enjoy it. I didn’t. Hasn’t aged well, and Mr Harket does whine a bit especially on some of those slower songs. Highlights were the 2 upbeat singles (Take On Me & The Sun Always Shines On Tv).
Spacemen 3
2/5
Very interesting. The dude makes some interesting noises, but…
It’s almost like he comes across something in a little jam session that sounds nice, doesn’t know how to drop it into a song and build it out so he just gets stuck. Perfect example of what I mean is on ‘Revolution’. The opening bars were awesome but a great song didn’t emerge. I think I liked it, but just when I thought I might give it a second chance, 11 minutes of ‘suicide’ killed off that chance.
Roxy Music
4/5
Wow wow wow! Never heard this album before. I was only familiar with some of their later stuff. Now on my third listen and I’m starting to really love it. ‘If There is Something’ builds into a great song and leads into the one song I knew ‘Virginia Plain’. The album feels fairly unique and quirky. ‘2HB’ dreamy keyboards (Brian Eno?). Overall, a slightly weird experience with lots of creativity and mood. Right up my street that!
King Crimson
3/5
I thought King Crimson was something completely different to this. Apart for the 5 or 6 minutes of nonsense jazz at the end of track 4, I really enjoyed this. The opener was lively but my favourite was the vibe of ‘Epitaph’ and ‘I Talk to the Wind’. Great vocals throughout. Really good album, maybe better because it was such a surprise! A really high 3.
Beastie Boys
2/5
Beavis and Butthead made a record? Who knew!
Apart from the classic ‘Fight For Your Right’ and ‘No Sleep Till Brooklyn’ (when the rock got cranked up), there’s nothing here for me. A low 2.
Q-Tip
2/5
Well that was much better than I imagined. There was enough music here to support the below average rapping, and the backing vocals really lifted it. The album had a nice flow to it and was quite easy to listen to. I enjoyed ‘WeFight/WeLove’ and ‘Good Thang’. A low and generous 2 stars
Röyksopp
2/5
Music for posh people I reckon. Pleasant enough but just kind of passed me by. Nothing jumped out enough to make me want to listen again. Background music. A mid 2.
Air
3/5
There are some really beautiful arrangements on this (Playground Love and Dead Bodies for instance). The album seems to lack something because it’s a soundtrack and therefore feels a little disjointed by the really short interlude tracks. However, listening to this was really interesting and has definitely motivated me to dig out some other Air albums and give them a go. And that haunting final track has made me want to look out the movie too. Having now heard the soundtrack it might give an extra edge to what feels like a decent (and potentially harrowing) watch.
The xx
4/5
Not heard this album before!
Instantly recognised ‘Intro’ - heard it a billion times on TV without knowing what or who it was. That opener made me sit up and take notice.
I was pretty blown away by the album on first listen. Such a simple stripped back lazy style. The vocals just work together somehow, although I prefer her voice. At times they sound completely disinterested in each other, but the melancholy is just beautiful. At times I’m reminded of some of the dark melodies on some of The Cures albums. The prominence of that bass guitar. It’s a properly moody album and I love it. Another big reason to crack on with this 1,001 albums business :)
Sufjan Stevens
2/5
Gave it a couple of listens but it really didn’t grab me. Nice orchestration and variety of songs but all in the pleasant easy listening style that just passes me by. 2 rated as not inoffensive!
The Rolling Stones
2/5
Nope. Corny basic rock and roll.
The Notorious B.I.G.
1/5
Firstly, I find it tragic that any 24 year old’s life was taken in such a violent way.
The album. Nauseating. Not sure if it’s the horrendous skits, the appalling lyrics or the consistent call to violence that I hate the most. The violence is glamourised and celebrated far too much. I don’t believe in censoring artists material, but I have a choice, and I will never choose this. If that makes me a boomer, then so be it.
Björk
5/5
Never listened to a Bjork album in my life. Have really liked some of her singles (Play Dead as an example), but always put off by her weirdness, her portrayal by the media and by the dreadful ‘it’s oh so quiet’.
This album was a complete revelation. Sure, I still hear some weirdness but either it’s below my gag-reflex trigger point, or I’ve evolved! The album is just beautiful. Her voice is distinctive and is a huge part of her art. And the music behind her voice is incredible on here. Fantastic arrangements with a wide range of instruments with a lovely flow from track to track, creating a hypnotic dreamy mood. Listening to this an experience and I bloody loved it.
Alanis Morissette
3/5
I owned this album but haven’t listened for ages so was looking forward to revisiting. I remembered that the singles banged but didn’t remember anything else about the other tracks. The album opens strongly full of rage and noise, but that disappeared on track 3 (Perfect) where she tried a sugary sweet ballad that was rubbish. She’s much better when she’s activated her angry bitch mode. ‘You Oughta Know’ is the stand out track for me - love that bass! ‘Mary Jane’ was the nice surprise for me - didn’t remember it at all… not angry bitch mode but she delivers it much better than some of the other slower tracks. A mid range 3 rating for a nice reminiscence.
Electric Light Orchestra
4/5
That was great. Unexpectedly so. I’m obviously aware of this band (how could you not be) and their distinctive style, but never listened to an album. I really enjoyed it. Bopped along nicely. A couple of times I felt it was going a bit Status Quo but that soon passed thankfully. Really loved the hits, and quite a few others. A beautiful and appropriate appearance by a cow bell on ‘Night in the City’. I’m a sucker for an appropriately used cow bell. I enjoyed ‘Steppin’ out’ and ‘Big Wheels’ too. Another ‘New to Me’ old album I’ve added to my library. A mid to high 4
Orbital
2/5
Twice as good as I thought it was going to be so I will give it twice the number of stars I thought I would.
Foo Fighters
5/5
Even without consideration for how and when Dave Grohl recorded this album, it stands up as a solid post-grunge album. However, it means so much more. To think he played every instrument and threw it together in its rawest form of garage recording, distributed anonymously via his friends on cassette tape makes it astonishing. It doesn’t stand up alongside some of the Foos following albums, but what it lacks in terms of production, big guitar layers and that obvious chemistry making a record as a group brought, it more than makes up for with raw emotion. It has all the soft soft loud ingredients, and cute melodies that define him. Thank God he found the strength to carry on as a musician and get this album out there. My world would be a much worse place without Mr Grohls music.
Five. Stars. All. Day. Long.
The Chemical Brothers
2/5
One of the few dance acts that when I see on Glastonbury I’ll watch. So I’m familiar with a lot of their hits and I really like some of their collaborations. I didn’t recognise anything on here. A strong start but soon enough it just deteriorated into lots of boring / annoying repetition. I stuck with it and in parts it improved but overall just passed me by. Still hoping there might be another Chemical Brothers album on the list that might be better. I could try and find one myself but I’m busy and can’t be arsed !
David Bowie
1/5
I really liked ‘Sound and Vision’ so was excited to hear this album. Wrong. Rubbish.
Stevie Wonder
2/5
Always put off of Stevie Wonder by the cheesiest of pop songs he released like ‘I Just To Say I Love You’ and ‘Isn’t She Lovely’. Whilst I’d never listened to one of his albums I knew that this one is highly regarded by many. I found it really laboured to start with. The first 3 tracks were a drag. Then it came to life with ‘Contusion’, ‘Sir Duke’ and ‘I Wish’ and became listenable. The rest of the (long) album was much the same. I definitely preferred the more funky tracks ‘Ordinary Pain’, and enjoyed the gospel parts. I skipped the large dollops of cheese.
Beck
4/5
I had no idea that Beck could make an album like this. It completely escaped me! I really like a lot of his stuff, very quirky and creative. The opener of this was brilliant - took me completely by surprise. Track 2 had fantastic orchestration and arrangements, and then track 3 had the right amount of country and western slide guitar action for it not to be vomit inducing country and western. I could play those first 3 tracks on repeat - just great. The rest of the album didn’t quite hit those heights but as with all Beck’s stuff it was a really interesting listen. The quirkyness dialled down and replaced with awesome melancholy and melody. If The Doris ever leaves me, I’ll reach for this album - it would be perfect. Not that I want to be heartbroken of course, but this might, just might, make it worthwhile 🤣.
A solid 4 rating - maybe will grow into a 5 with more listens.
John Martyn
1/5
First impressions not great. Track one just sounded like a drunk mumble. But that might be ‘jazz’. Never understood it. Warmed to the next couple of tracks marginally but lost complete interest soon after. Reading wiki I just can believe this fella has recorded so many albums yet I’ve never heard of him. Not saying I know everyone and everything, but if I’ve not come across him in all my years on the planet then maybe there’s a reason.
Kelela
2/5
A solid 2 mainly because of her voice. She can sing beautifully and the production elevates her vocal, the music plays second fiddle to her. I can’t imagine any situation where I’d play this album again, as it’s just not my thing, but I completely respect her talent. Just wish she’d sing something I’d like 🤣
Bob Marley & The Wailers
5/5
A no brainer of a 5 star rating. Love this album, especially the ‘B Side’. Doesn’t matter what mood I’m in, this album just hits the spot. Beautiful.
Queen
3/5
A really interesting listen. Album has one of my favourite Queen tracks on it (‘Now I’m Here’) and I loved the big guitars on ‘Brighton Rock’. But too much operatic nonsense to make me give more than a solid 3. ‘Leroy Brown’ just awful. ‘She Makes Me’ unexpectedly different. All very interesting.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
Sensational. My only criticism is that ‘Litte Wing’ is too short 🤣 That song is crying out for a lovely long dreamy guitar solo outro.
Eagles
3/5
I know it’s iconic and it’s a nice enough listen. But it’s maybe just a bit too middle of the road nice for me.
Arrested Development
2/5
Nice to hear the singles again I guess, but I don’t think they were the radio edits I remembered (?). The rest just passed me by.
Arcade Fire
3/5
Decent but didn’t really go anywhere. Not their finest work. A low 3.
Parliament
2/5
It was ok
Jack White
4/5
Strong opening (tracks 1 to 7), drops off in the middle (8 to 11) and a nice close out (12 & 13). When it’s good it’s absolutely brilliant - all energy and craziness, and some thoughtful storytelling. I love the mix of instruments on here and a great guest appearance by Karen Elson. A low 4. Prefer his work as ‘The Raconteurs’, especially ‘Help Us Stranger’…one of my favourite albums of the last 10 years.
1/5
Can’t find it on Apple Music. Having read the Wiki review I can say for sure that I would have absolutely hated it. Whilst I have been surprised a few times by this list, I have complete conviction in my guesstimate of a 1 rating.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
4/5
A solid 4. Don’t like the cheesy singles (Our House & Teach Your Children). The rest of it is great. ‘Almost Cut My Hair’ is the stand out track - that bluesy rock that’s right up my street with a superb guitar solo. Love it 🤘🏻
2/5
It was ok I guess. Recognised the last tune from the Fleetwood Mac sample on Tusk?
DJ Shadow
1/5
Monotonous uninspiring rubbish. Like I’d expect to hear in a wanky London restaurant or hotel lobby.
Todd Rundgren
1/5
Complete bollocks
Tears For Fears
4/5
I was pleased to see this appear and haven’t listened to it for decades! Better than I remember. There’s a real rich fullness to the sound and the songs are just great. A very high 4
Shack
4/5
Really really good! Surprised I’ve not heard of them as this was definitely my sort of thing back at that time! I guess the charts were full of similar artists and seeing as this lot didn’t have a lot of commercial chart success, they escaped me. Decent songs, vocals and variety. Reminds of ‘World Party’ and ‘Dodgy’ but with a little hint of ‘Waterboys’ folky business. Liked it!
Simon & Garfunkel
1/5
Boring. I know I’m dull, bat that was another level.
The Smiths
4/5
Not my favourite Smiths album but still decent with some banging tracks on it. Highlights for me are ‘Headmaster’, ‘Well I wonder’ and ‘Barbarism’. A solid 4.
The Flying Burrito Brothers
1/5
I have no words to describe how bad this is. I only have questions about how such an obscure and unsuccessful album can make this list. A generous 1 star.
The Undertones
3/5
A fun album. Listened to the version with the big singles on it, but the whole album was decent. Will listen to it again for sure.
Mott The Hoople
3/5
That was actually ok in places. You can really hear the Bowie influence and they love the same chords as they had on ‘All the Young Dudes’! There’s a fair amount of nonsense on here…especially ‘Violence’….alright, I get the point, you don’t need to sing it to me 117 times. But I really liked ‘Hymn for the dudes’ (they love singing about dudes), ‘Ballad of Mott the Hoople’, ‘El Camino’ and ‘I wish I was your mother’.
A really low 3
Lorde
2/5
It was ok! It had its moments I really liked (‘Supercut’ stands out), and some other tracks where her voice just really annoyed me. A high 2.
Oasis
5/5
Some albums define a stage in your life and evoke such strong happy memories. This is definitely (not maybe) one of those for me. I remember seeing these idiotic brothers being interviewed on a Sunday night MTV show I used to watch in my first house. Check me out - not watching whatever my dad wanted to watch for the first 20 odd years of my life. Their debut album was out the next day and I got to see a few of their tracks being played acoustically in the studio and their first video. I bought the album the next morning and it became the soundtrack to my first year of living alone. Well, my next door neighbour used to sing opera in the morning so she deserved a little fight back!
Possibly the best opening track to a debut album ever, and so many anthems throughout. Difficult to pick out a favourite track but Live Forever, Columbia and Slide Away are immense. Still a ‘Go To’ album for me, usually in the car when I crank the volume and sing and air-tambourine and let it all out. So much swagger. Iconic album cover. Great videos. A perfect album.
The Dandy Warhols
4/5
Really good! Enjoyed the more hypnotic trancey tracks to the pop ones.
Erykah Badu
3/5
Very pleasant but unremarkable. If I had a posh dinner party to host I could play it to show how cool I am. A low 3.
Peter Gabriel
4/5
I absolutely love Peter Gabriel’s voice. Such a rich tone. I find his music needs listening to properly (although he has had a few radio friendly pop tunes) and I had to give this a second listen under my headphones when I had time to myself. As background music it feels a bit odd in places. Now that I’ve given it my undivided attention, it is another fantastic piece of art. I can really sense his obsession with the arrangements, so much goes into the use of percussion and the overall composition. Never been this far back in his catalogue and glad that I now have
T. Rex
4/5
Surely the best of that genre.
Björk
3/5
I’m getting confused by Bjork. Before the 1,001 albums list I just dismissed her as a lunatic. However, this is the 2nd album so far in the list and I found lots I really like. Maybe the radio only really played the whacky silly pop tracks and that built up an intolerance. I’ve given this a second listen today and now have a slimmed down 6 track version of the album I’ll keep and listen to again. Gone are the nonsense tracks that irritate me and I’m left with a decent half hour of great music. ‘Crying’ and ‘One Day’ are the standouts, but some lovely mood, harmonies and percussion throughout. I have to give it a 3 star, as I’ve culled half of the album, but I’m really happy with the bit I’ve got left!
Joy Division
3/5
Undoubtedly a masterpiece of its time. As much as I love the bass (especially) and a lot of the guitar work, I’m afraid I just don’t like Ian Curtis’s vocal. I know it creates the overall mood but the music does that enough for me. ‘Heart and Soul’ and ‘Twenty Four Hours’ are absolutely brilliant, and shine so much more than the rest of the album.
PJ Harvey
2/5
It’s a full on assault of a listen. Loved parts of it (‘Missed’ and ‘Ecstasy’ stand out). Found it hard going at other times. A mid 2
TLC
4/5
I enjoyed that more than I should’ve. Was in a good mood and on a long road trip so pumped it up loud in the car and really enjoyed it. Knew more of it than I thought I would. Silly segue nonsense but that didn’t spoil my fun. I’ll give it a 4. Not sure whether that’s because I was I a good mood, or whether the album was good. I’ll listen again once my grumpiness returns.
Boston
5/5
Hmmmm. Boston. Nothing more than a guilty pleasure track ‘More than a Feeling’. Well, now I’ve actually listened to a Boston album for the first time, it’s now a guilty pleasure album. I love it all. Cheesey as hell, but it definitely scratches an itch or two. This one landed on a Friday so I’ve had a whole 3 days to decide if I’ve lost the plot. But it’s late on a Sunday night and I’m still air-guitaring like a twat and hand-clapping along with terrible timing. So it’s an unashamed massive FIVE from me. Good night and party on. 🤘🏻
Black Sabbath
3/5
Classic enough, but it’s just not Boston is it 🤣🤣
Run-D.M.C.
2/5
2 stars because it’s better than most of this genre, but it’s just not my thing. I did recognise more tracks than I thought I would!
Buena Vista Social Club
2/5
I can appreciate it but it’s not my thing. Far far worse albums on this list, so a low 2.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
Another Neil Young album? A mid to low 3. Much preferred it once he found where to plug the guitars in.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
2/5
Nope, not for me. Clash of styles and very aged production quality.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
2/5
It was ok considering they seem to have had Sean Dyche as lead vocalist. I preferred the more bluesy tracks than the straight up rock and roll ones like ‘Good Golly Miss Molly’, but only a low 2 stars for me.
Deerhunter
2/5
What a shame. High hopes for this after the first track but was left disappointed. Found another couple of tracks I really loved, especially ‘Fountain Stars’ but just left frustrated overall.
Radiohead
3/5
I absolutely love Radiohead (and The Smile), but I never did like this album or the follow up ‘Amnesiac’. It was just too much of a leap down the experimental route that was just too quirky for me to get into. Coming from the unbelievably awesome ‘Ok Computer’ this left me a bit frustrated. All the albums that came after ‘Amnesiac’ were a return to my taste, and had the right amount of weird to make them completely different to any other act around. When I want to listen to Radiohead, there’s too many choices to ever go for ‘Kid A’. So when this came up on the list, it was the prompt I needed to give it a go with fresh ears. Better than I remember but nowhere near their finest work. I can appreciate it but just won’t be reaching for it when I need some Radiohead.
Elbow
5/5
It’s a stunningly beautiful album. Melancholy, orchestration, story telling and Guy Garveys amazing tone. Love it. Mirroball and Friend of Ours stand out alongside the epic One Day Like This
The Who
3/5
As far as Live albums go, this is pretty good.
Rage Against The Machine
5/5
What an incredible album this still is. It got me at the first 30 seconds! Throughout the album, there’s such power. The bass rumbles along and then the guitars just explode. Whilst the lyrics don’t relate to my life (thankfully), it doesn’t matter. The album just delivers anthem after anthem. Always has been a ‘Go to’ album for me!
Frank Zappa
2/5
Never listened to an album of his before. Best track was Willie the Pimp, coincidentally the only one with a vocalist. That one had enough going for it. The rest was just too jazzy for me, apart from The Gumbo Variations which I kind of enjoyed. A mid to low 2
The Hives
2/5
A perfect punk/pop/rock banger to open the album - I love that track - regularly crops up on one of my playlist shuffles. But the rest gets nowhere near that level for me. A high 2.
Os Mutantes
2/5
How bad does an album have to be before it’s good?
Who gave them the keys to the sound affect cupboard?
Was that a kazoo solo?
Have a band ever formed because of their musical differences?
Is it any wonder Brazil has a drug problem?
I’m really not sure what the hell I’ve just listened to, but I couldn’t bring myself to skip any of it, I was completely transfixed. So it can’t be a 1 rated album if it’s generated this level of wonder.
Jorge Ben Jor
2/5
The 2nd best Brazilian album I’ve listened to this week. Nice happy vibe but I’m not loving his vocal. A low 2.
Elliott Smith
1/5
That was really boring. 1 star.
T. Rex
4/5
Awesome album! Buick Mackane the stand out for me.
Joan Baez
1/5
Bile inducing.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
2/5
Not much to write home about. It just kind of plodded along. Enjoyed the guitars on ‘Wooden Ships’ but nothing else jumped out. Thank the Lord for sending Neil Young their way to spice things up a bit.
Bob Dylan
1/5
Not a fan. Don’t like his voice and the music just too dull. Just don’t understand the hype.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
2/5
Felt like I was trapped in a Tom & Jerry cartoon. There’s worse places I guess. I can respect the musicianship gone into this and I have endured so much worse on this 1,001 list. At least the wife didn’t walk in and tell me to switch this rubbish off, so I will give a solid 2.
The Lemonheads
3/5
I think I had this in my collection once upon a time, but definitely not listened to it for ages, so was looking forward to revisiting. It was good, but not brilliant. Probably why it hasn’t lasted in my rotation!
Steve Earle
1/5
Yee-hah? Yee-nah.
Aerosmith
1/5
WHY DID I READ THE LYRICS!!!!
Listened to it once, fairy quietly as I did other things and actually thought it was pretty decent and worth an unprecedented second play of an Aerosmith album. So I had another go later and louder. Why is he so damned obsessed with young girls that he has to write songs about it and only it?
Sister Sledge
5/5
Disco perfection. Guitars and bass out of this world and smooth smooth smooth vocals. Not a disco fan so let’s file this under ‘Guilty Pleasure’.
1/5
Chas and Dave attempt Sargent Pepper?
There were some moments where some decent music attempted to break through the crap. Sadly, not often enough. A high 1 star.
Blur
3/5
Blur always frustrated me. When they were good, they were fricking epic. ‘This Is A Low’ is perfection. ‘End of a Century’ and ‘To the End’ are just awesome. As much as I tried to resist ‘Girls and Boys’ and ‘Parklife’ I just couldn’t help falling for their catchiness and they were part of a soundtrack to one of the greatest times of my life. There’s some undisputed rubbish on here too…little curiosities not ‘proper’ songs. It’s probably the sheer variety of styles in their songs that stopped me from becoming a fan. There’s no flow, no cohesion l. I also thought of their music as childish - but later discovered that it was wholly due to them coming from Essex. It’s not their fault.
Radiohead
5/5
The album has so many beautiful harmonies and arrangements amongst all the anger and bleakness. ‘Where I End’, ‘Go to Sleep’, ‘There there’ and ‘Punch Up’ are all just brilliant. ‘Sail to the Moon’ has the dreaminess of stuff to come on ‘In Rainbows’.
Not their best album, but some tracks are up there amongst their very best.
Jazmine Sullivan
2/5
I really enjoyed parts of the album when I had it on in the background whilst pottering about. Nice R&B arrangements and harmonies. Didn’t really tune into any of the lyrics or the narrative in the filler ‘tracks’. So wanted to give it a second listen properly. Second listen under the headphones whilst reading the lyrics. Wow, didn’t realise ladies were this direct in this day and age! I felt very old, in fact I felt like a dirty old man listening in on something I shouldn’t be listening to 🤣. A little relieved that I hadn’t casually popped this album on whilst having dinner with the family as I sometimes do with the 1,001 album list as it usually generates a conversation!
Linkin Park
4/5
Great album. Chesters vocals steal the show and just work with the crazy screaming rap/dude. Banging singles came from it. My standout track is ‘Pushing Me Away’.
Beatles
2/5
I mean, let’s be honest, it’s not very good is it? Sure, there’s a handful of classic songs on it (Helter Skelter, Dear Prudence and While My Guitar Gently Weeps). But there’s so much shit on here, it virtually makes it unlistenable as an album. Had they got so massive that they just threw any old crap ideas on it knowing that people would worship it?
Love
2/5
Like being trapped in an Austin Powers movie. Was decent in parts despite annoying vocals.
Devendra Banhart
1/5
If only this was an instrumental! Loved the guitar work and mood but ruined by a maniac trying to sing
The Teardrop Explodes
3/5
A solid 3 star album. Beautiful reminisce of the early 80s. Boosted by the epic ‘Reward’.
Fela Kuti
3/5
Shock horror. An album from this genre I enjoyed! What has this 1,001 list done to me? Doesn’t hurt to occasionally enjoy something outside my normal lane. This was a lovely soft melodic funky jazz, as opposed to the overly clever nonsense I usually run away from. A very solid 3.
Iggy Pop
4/5
Another pleasant surprise. Never thought I’d listen to an Iggy Pop album let alone enjoy it! Knew the 2 iconic singles before and that was it. But really loved this album. Can definitely hear the Bowie influence. And plenty of cowbell which is never a bad thing!
Cheap Trick
2/5
This is similar enough to the sort of music I like for me to have enjoyed this more. Maybe, because it’s a live album and I don’t know any of the songs it loses something on me, but nothing grabbed as different enough about them to make me want to look them up. A mid/high 2 as it’s kind of my thing, it’s done well enough, but not in the same league as the bands I listen to
Soft Cell
1/5
I never liked them at the time. And decades later and having listened to it in full for the first time ever, I still dislike it. I never liked that early 80s synth based music and it just sounds so dated now. I was obviously on the other side of the school playground away from all the cool kids who loved it. I was in hibernation, waiting for guitar based indie pop to break through and inspire me. It was worth the long wait.
Stereolab
3/5
A very interesting new discovery for me. Really liked the overall happy mood of the album. An eclectic mix of sounds and loops. Didn’t reach for the skip button at any point. A high 3 star
⭐️ ⭐️⭐️
Garbage
4/5
Another album I own but rarely listen to. Giving it a couple of plays this weekend makes me wonder why it doesn’t get more spins? I obviously have too much music annd anlways reach for, and still keep finding new good stuff to dominate the amount of hours I dedicate to my music. But this is a great album. Superb vocals. Moody. Great bass lines. What’s not to love? A solid 4.
The Black Keys
5/5
Sensational album. Perfect bluesy rock. Story telling. Great vocals. Interesting throughout. Riffs that just stick in your head for the rest of the day. The whole thing just hangs together - nothing to skip. Can’t really pick a favourite track, as it depends on how the mood catches me. Today’s mood was ‘Ten Cent Pistol’ for the lovely noodling on the lead guitar. Oh, and the slow groove of ‘I’m not the One’.
David Bowie
3/5
I think I must be a David Bowies Greatest Hits kind of guy. Whenever I listen to an album I just don’t get into it. A solid 3.
Blur
3/5
Just about good enough to scrape a 3. Song 2 is just perfection but countered by some absolute shit.
Saint Etienne
4/5
Perfect summer time listening that, just as the weather decided to play nicely. Such a fantastic mellow trip-hop style.
4 stars!
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
I really like this version of Bruce. Interesting backstory I just discovered about his management issues causing a delay in releasing this, and the anger that comes through in places.
I like the story-telling (although tainted for me by how the American politicians seem to hijack his songs for their cheesy ads - does this annoy Bruce?)
His vocals in places are just spot on, I prefer the less angry Bruce vocal like on Racing in the Street - the outro to this song is beautiful - the keyboards and the bass 👌
I also love the guitar solo on Adam Raised A Cain, and the quiet drum/vocal ‘duet’ on Something In the Night.
There’s plenty of the trademark harmonica / saxophone/ keys / bridges on the album, but there’s so much more to it than that almost cliched Springsteen Americana.
A 4 or a 5 star? Got all weekend to think about that one!
Songhoy Blues
4/5
Wow. I wasn’t expecting that! I thought that the African influences worked brilliantly with the blues/rock. The opening track kicked things off superbly. The backstory sounds insane. So much respect for this and can only imagine the energy they’d bring live.
Björk
1/5
Having listened to and surprisingly enjoyed 2 Bjork albums on this 1,001 albums journey already, I was looking forward to listening to this when it popped up this morning.
But what I got was that weird / jerky/ experimental Bjork that I thought I’d get on the other 2 albums. This did nothing for me. Her voice was so front and centre of all of it, I could hardly hear any of the clever musical arrangements and the variety of instruments underneath. And her vocal arrangement felt like it was deliberately quirky and angry to the point of making it unenjoyable and almost unlistenable. It was a break up album I believe. And when she’s in this mood I’d run as fast as I could in case she wanted to get back together.
Isaac Hayes
2/5
I hoped this would be a lot more fun than it was. I knew the iconic theme with all that lovely funky wah wah business. But as with all movie soundtracks (especially mainly instrumental like this one) it’s not a great listen unless you absolutely love the movie. Having never seen it, it was all a bit lost on me.
Christine and the Queens
3/5
That was a beautiful surprise. Was never into synth-pop in the 80s really, so why I liked this caught me off guard!
Great vocals and overall mood. Highlights were ‘Whats-her-face’ and ‘the Walker’
Willie Nelson
2/5
Not unpleasant but very middle of the road to the point of being boring. A low 2.
Norah Jones
2/5
Undeniably such a great vocalist, but just too middle of the road easy listening for me. A high 2 stars.
Kings of Leon
5/5
From when KOL kicked ass! So much energy. Red Morning Light one of the top 3 all time uses of a cowbell! Surely? Can’t argue with that.
Caleb’s vocals occasionally scream like a mad lunatic, sometimes completely incoherent but I still love them.
The album captures all of their live energy - simple party rock and roll.
Common
2/5
Hold the back page. I like an album from this genre!
Was fearing the worst once I’d read that Mr Common was a rapper and the album was produced by Kanye West. But…it was more than bearable. In fact, there was nice music! The vocals were really good and not too offensive lyrically and it felt like a nice R&B mood.
John Grant
1/5
Just terrible. Lyrics are just silly and put to random generic background music.
Ramones
1/5
Ah. The unmistakable sound of the world’s most over-rated band and most successful seller of T-Shirts. The word ‘repetitive’ doesn’t do it justice.
Portishead
5/5
Iconic! Such a beautiful trippy vibe. Incredible vocals. A solid 5 and a lovely revisit to a masterpiece.
The Replacements
3/5
Never heard of them but thought it was pretty good. A few tracks I’d skip if listened to it again. But I probably won’t, as it doesn’t offer anything new or exciting to add to my existing guitar based indie rock preference! A low 3.
Kate Bush
3/5
Enjoyed that more than I thought I would. Don’t know why, but I’ve spent my life avoiding listening to Ms Bush but now forced to listen to this album I gave in and can admit it was decent. I can’t stand ‘Hounds of Love’ which might explain my prior Bush-based intolerance. I’ve added half a dozen or so tracks to my library which will pop up from time to time and it will remind me how much I’m growing as a person 🤣.
The Beach Boys
1/5
No no no no no
Coldplay
5/5
I just can’t fault this album. Perfection. It’s always been a go to album when I’m in need of a mellow listen.
Green Day
5/5
Yes, I know it’s not punk like punk should be. But who cares? It’s non-stop energy, great songs and great musicians. Have always liked Billy Jo’s vocal. Whilst I hate rock operas and musicals, this is the exception to the rule.
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
Never heard this album and only knew their cheesy hits from Top of the Pops and wedding discos! I didn’t recognise any of these tracks which was a blessing. Really pleasantly surprised. His vocals slightly annoying at times and I’m not sure about the talky bits, but the music made up for it. The Irish music shone through. A very high 3 stars that could grow into a 4 with a few more listens.
5/5
Brilliant album. One of her most accessible albums? Got plenty of the dark melancholy edge but also has something much more joyous than I’d normally associate with her work. No bad tracks. The duet with Thom Yorke (This Mess We’re In) is standout, as is ‘This Is Love’.
Elton John
1/5
9 months ago I fractured my humerus in a cycling accident and had it pinned. This operation failed and I remained in pain. 2 months ago I had a full shoulder replacement and I’m now going through a painful rehab.
I’d rather go through all of this again than listen to another minute of this idiot.
Dusty Springfield
2/5
Smooooooth.
OutKast
1/5
2 hours? 40 tracks? They have too much time and not enough talent. Absolute rubbish.
Lauryn Hill
4/5
Decent. Love the vocals. Not so keen on the talky bits between some of the tracks, but a great collection of songs!
Everything But The Girl
1/5
Boring hotel lobby Muzak
Billy Joel
1/5
Just horrible, cheesy and over rated. Better than Elton John, but only just. And a whistling solo is a crime by the way.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
That was a striking experience. Very emotive. Glad I’ve listened to it as probably wouldn’t have stumbled across it. Glad because it’s just a very unique piece of work and the backstory to it is incredible. Won’t listen to it again, but can appreciate and respect it for what it is. 2 stars
The Isley Brothers
3/5
Perfect for a summer evening sat in the garden. Fantastic funky guitar solo on the opener, the classic ‘Who’s that lady’. Great vocals throughout. A high 3
Incredible Bongo Band
1/5
Now I love to bang my bongos as much as the next man. But even this simple act that produces such a wonderful sound can get painful after a while. If any one of these tracks cropped up on the radio it would be fun, but the novelty quickly wore off when faced with 78 minutes worth. Take the bongos away and the underlying music is pure Gorgonzola. A pure novelty album. It’s a no from me.
Nine Inch Nails
5/5
So very very dark but it really gets a groove on too! Lyrically suspect but he’s a great vocalist. Musically it’s heavy of course, but a great range of pace and style. I know I’ll end up in hell, but I really love this album. It’s an album for the right occasion, usually alone under headphones and not distracted but the joyous things in your life.
The Blue Nile
3/5
Never heard of these. It was ok. Tinseltown in the Rain was decent but on some of the tracks I just felt this vocal was strained. Not sure he was singing songs that suited his tone. But what do I know. Brandon Flowers has made a career out of it.
Guns N' Roses
4/5
The album is elevated by the epic singles, that make it deserve a 4 star rating overall. My issue with G&R is that there is such a narrow formula that the album tracks just seem to follow the same path. A bit of copy and paste at times. Great to have on rumbling away whilst you’re pottering about, and then turned up to 11 when Sweet Child comes on.
Prince
3/5
Sounds very dated, but in a good way. A welcome dose of nostalgia. Not my favourite album of his by a mile, but really nice to revisit. Little Red Corvette 👌
Lucinda Williams
2/5
There was a point where it all good far too stereotypically C&W but most of it was alright!
New Order
3/5
I love the New Order sound, especially the iconic bass lines but as always, Bernard’s vocals are as sketchy as. It doesn’t seem to matter on a lot of tracks but some are just far too much for him. Sunrise is the standout banger.
Run-D.M.C.
1/5
Boring and repetitive. Not for me.
John Lennon
3/5
A bit hit and miss. But when it’s good it’s great. Jealous Guy and Imagine 👌
3 stars.
The Avalanches
2/5
Repetitive uninspiring samples.
2 stars
Radiohead
5/5
One of the best albums of all time ever. Where do you start to describe this? Not sure I can do it justice really. It is beautiful, emotional and intoxicating. Thom Yorkes falsettos are just dreamy throughout with some unbelievable harmonies. The album jumps from full on to subtle. To think they just gave this masterpiece to the world for free and said pay us how much you want only if you want. The biggest ‘fuck you’ to piracy and leaks and commercialism. Can’t pick a favourite track. It’s all 💯
FKA twigs
1/5
If a complete mish mash of electronic sounds with squeaky breathy vocals is your thing then give this a go. It’s not my thing so I wish I hadn’t bothered. It screams pretentious hipsters to me!
Can
1/5
Like a child trying to play their first guitar. Basic and repetitive until it has weird bits then back to basic and repetitive.
Marvin Gaye
1/5
Was looking forward to this. Great vocals and chilled mood. But far too much cheesy-Jesus-business. I believe that’s the right technical term for this genre.
‘Save the Children’ really is the low point. Can’t argue with the sentiment but listening to that track makes me care about the cause slightly less. Yes, it’s that bad.
Taylor Swift
3/5
Synth based pop music is not my thing. However, this is a solid pop album. Had to skip ‘Shake It Off’ and ‘Bad Blood’ as they are just too sickly sweet (and probably over played), but there’s some great songwriting and arrangements on here. A respectful 3 stars.
The Mamas & The Papas
1/5
One ‘iconic’ song doesn’t make an album great
Faust
1/5
Dreadfully weird and repetitive.
Bonnie Raitt
1/5
Beige
Led Zeppelin
4/5
It’s a high 4 star. A bit more variety and exploration of styles than the other Zep albums, and without the iconic stand out tracks that have lasted the test of time. ‘Since I’ve Been Loving You’, ‘Out on the Tiles’ and ‘Tangerine’ are the highlights for me.
Pretenders
4/5
Wow. Wasn’t expecting this to be that good! Much more punky and more great guitars than I imagined. Added to my library and listened to a few times already.
Spiritualized
3/5
Left frustrated and a little disappointed by this. In places, it really draws you in and has you hooked. It’s a fascinating listen and the beat becomes a little hypnotic in a good way. But then I think it gets spoilt by overdoing it!!! Some of the static/feedback sections and outros just go on and on, and plays hell with my tinnitus. A big 3 stars to reflect the really great parts of it.
Iggy Pop
2/5
Decent opener and my hopes were high but soon dashed by some tiring stuff to get through until ‘China Girl’ lifted the spirits.
Public Enemy
3/5
I enjoyed that more than most from this genre. Rumbled along nicely.
Dolly Parton
2/5
I found a positive… great bass playing on so many tracks really stood out for me, but not enough to distract me from the rest of it. I guess it’s as good an example as you’ll find from an absolutely terrible genre. 2 stars for that.
Pixies
3/5
Got better after the first few tracks.
Cream
1/5
So boring. And what was that last track all about?
1/5
The positive: he has a nice voice.
But I just don’t get Prog. Too many ideas jumbled up into 1 track. No flow. Just weird.
The Adverts
3/5
Quite liked that
The Pogues
4/5
Love most of it. Great music for drinking, dancing and fighting (although I’m rubbish at all 3 of these activities). Title track, Streets of Sorrow, Lullaby of London and the Broad Majestic Shannon elevate this to a 4 star.
ZZ Top
5/5
Complete guilty pleasure of an album. It’s just fun straight up bluesy rock and roll. ‘I Need You Tonight’ is just incredible. Everything just powers along with such driving rhythm. Can’t help but turn it up. The cheesy videos were iconic and of that golden MTV age. Love it all.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
2/5
I enjoyed this twice as much as I normally like Country Music so will give it twice the number of stars I usually give Country Music. Liked the instrumental songs most! Even the story telling between tracks was bearable.
The Shamen
2/5
Started off with a bit of nostalgic hopefulness but soon faded after the first few tracks and a repetitive mundane feeling took over.
Steely Dan
2/5
Dad rock at its best/worst
David Bowie
4/5
Possibly my favourite Bowie album
Yes
2/5
Better than the other Yes album on here last week. But, my view of Prog hasn’t changed. Too much going on, not enough flow.
Wire
3/5
Musically I loved it more than most albums from this genre. Vocals pretty standard stuff though.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
Superb stuff.
John Prine
1/5
So bad
Nick Drake
1/5
So boring
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Cracking opening track and then into material that was new to me. Track 2 was good, not too much of the slide guitar to make it too cringey. But then what happened? A few awful tracks where I don’t think they knew what they wanted to be. It’s good to have a variety of styles on an album I guess, but this was awful. Back on track with the excellent ‘Street Fighting Man’, and I also liked the closing track with its gospel vibe. So it seems I prefer the Stones when they stick to their script.
John Lennon
4/5
Johnny Cash
1/5
Awful stuff.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
1/5
That’s not even music is it?
Kendrick Lamar
1/5
R.E.M.
4/5
A banging album of its time, and still great today. I prefer REM when they either have the jingly jangly happy guitars alongside the melancholy vocals, or when they rock it up a bit. And this album does both of those things brilliantly. Not 5 stars as the slower stripped back songs don’t do it for me.
Pop Song 89, Stand, World Leader Pretend, Orange Crush and Turn You Inside Out are all just mega!
Randy Newman
1/5
What’s with that voice? Like he’s trying to sing like a spoilt-brat-child. Songs are dross too. Zero stars.
Cornershop
5/5
Thank you 1,001 albums. My faith in you has been restored. This is why I’m here! Obviously knew the mega hit single (who doesn’t?) so thought at least I’ll enjoy that. But, wow! Loved the start of this album, and then the album mix of ‘Brimful’ absolutely slapped! Not heard that version before and I prefer it. I then hoped that the album wouldn’t drop off as some of these do, but no, the energy just kept coming. Indie guitars, sitars, a bit of scratching and it just had me boogieing all through. The duet with the Doris really worked too (Good to be in the Road Back Hone Again).
Suede
2/5
I’ve never been much of a Suede fan but this wasn’t too bad despite Brett’s crooning. ‘The Wild Ones’ is the standout track for me, with some lovely noodling on the guitar.
Bon Jovi
2/5
This really hasn’t aged well has it? Everything about it is pure hair-rock-cliche. The ‘love songs’ on here are just so corny. Did girls in the 1980s really want to hear that and feel loved? I wouldn’t know as whatever I was doing in the 1980s wasn’t working either 🤣
5/5
Perfection. This came out when I was 16 years old and was my first purchase on CD. This hasn’t aged at all and still never fails to give me goosebumps. The band were on the top of their game with Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno’s production bringing the best out of them. Adam’s bass the constant driving force and The Edge producing the magic throughout.
I started to write a track by track review but will save any dear reader from my constant gushing. Let’s just say that I find the album absolutely faultless. I get lost in its magic every time I play it. It’s a huge part of my life.
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
Ironically, I just found this boring
Baaba Maal
3/5
That was really enjoyable! Will need to listen again to appreciate it fully. I hope it doesn’t matter that I don’t know what he’s singing about. I’m sure it’s nothing bad!
The Who
1/5
I’ve struggled to write a review on this for some reason. Firstly, I don’t like musicals or ‘rock operas’ unless I like the story. And I really really really don’t like this story. Therefore the songs are just too hard to listen to. The vocals feel like they are forced in to tell the tale rather than something that makes a lovely song! This was all about Pete Townshend being too arty/clever/up his own arse.
Beastie Boys
1/5
For all of the clever little samples, this is just Beavis and Butthead trying to be hard.
The Flaming Lips
3/5
Ok, time for me to perform a U-turn. Last week I said I don’t like musicals / rock operas as the vocals seem crowbarred in to tell the story. Well, this is a bit of an exception! The songs transcend the need to enjoy the story. I’m not sure Japanese-anime-robots-meaning of life-stories are my thing at all so I’ll swerve the musical.
This album is really good. Lovely melodies and harmonies. Quirky and interesting. A very high 3 stars.
Burning Spear
3/5
Finley Quaye
3/5
‘Even After All’ is one of my all time favourite songs and I bought this CD off the back of it. The other singles are good but don’t hit the same highs for me. Overall, a really solid album which was nice to revisit
Kings of Leon
4/5
I refer the rougher edgier early albums. This was much more polished and the resulting singles suffered from complete radio overplay. Still a solid album with the standout tracks being ‘Crawl’ and ‘Notion’
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
1/5
Coldplay
4/5
I rarely reach for a Coldplay album to play, but whenever I do, I can’t fault it too much. This one is just great. Beautiful arrangements throughout. Only 4 stars as there’s clearly something missing as I’d play them more!!
Machito
1/5
Tom and Jerry the musical
Bob Dylan
1/5
His vocals are just terrible and so is his harmonica playing. There, I said it. You’re all thinking it. He gets stuck in this monotone ranting whingeing style so much that he permanently sounds miserable and angry. And his harmonica is just gratuitous; for example on ‘Gates of Eden’ he seems to fill any gap with a single toot on his organ. Unnecessary nonsense.
Bert Jansch
2/5
The guitar work was really exceptional in places, but I couldn’t take to his vocals.
MGMT
2/5
Time to Pretend is an epic track, Electric Feel decent too. The other single I know (Kids) is ok. But the rest of the album is pretty poor overall. I bought this CD off the strength of the singles and it’s somewhere gathering dust as I was disappointed then with wasting my money..2 stars for the banging singles and I also enjoyed ‘Of Moons, Birds and Monsters’. The rest was garbage.
Fatboy Slim
2/5
It’s really good in small doses, but an album full of it is just too much for me. He does go on a bit doesn’t he? Throwing any Fat Boy Slim track on at a wedding disco is fine with me. Always gets the drunk aunties up dancing.
Genesis
1/5
I didn’t realise until now that it is possible to be even more underwhelmed by a Genesis album than I previously imagined.
Tim Buckley
1/5
Thought this was going to be ok. Decent musician and vocal. But then the jazz took over. Kept getting the feeling that he was singing along to a different song than he was playing. But maybe that’s just jazz for you. Gypsy woman just killed the whole thing off for me. How many times does he have to say that a gypsy woman has cast a spell on him? The answer is 12 minutes worth.
Joy Division
3/5
A solid 3. Great bass obviously.
Eminem
3/5
I really shouldn’t like this because of many things, but mainly because of the continuous homophobia and misogyny. But, somehow I do. I can’t take him too seriously and I don’t actually think he takes himself too seriously either. There’s no denying that his vocals are superb. He has such variation of styles and the music is too catchy.
Sade
3/5
So smooooth. Got so much soul, and some funky wah-wahs too. Had this album back in the day which was way out of my usual taste. A very high 3.
Ute Lemper
1/5
There was some interesting arrangements and quite a list of collaborators. But it was still a load of crap. Sounds like a musical.
Alice Cooper
3/5
I’ll add this to the list of pleasant surprises provided by the 1,001 albums. I’ve never bothered to listened to an Alice Cooper album as just dismissed it as over the top parody. But, this album is really really good! (With the exception of the loving dead people bit). It’s musically so much better than I imagined, with great arrangements and a decent vocal.
Muddy Waters
3/5
I usually find this type of album too generic, but this one is superbly done. I now understand why he is credited as being so influential.
Rush
3/5
I did groan when I saw another album by Rush pop up, as I really wasn’t keen on the last one. But this was so much better musically. I’m not keen on his vocal but it was overall worth a solid 3, and probably another listen some time
Michael Jackson
3/5
Side one of the LP an unquestionable 5 stars. If that doesn’t get you moving and grooving then you’re not wired up right. Disco/funk perfection.
Side two of the LP far too mushy.
Drive-By Truckers
5/5
Great album. Love a bit of blues rock and this is so well done. They’ve got something to say and I wasn’t offended by it either! Some brilliant guitar work. More please!
Suede
5/5
I owe Suede an apology. The 1993 version of me was overwhelmed by so much good music, I dismissed Suede as not as good as too many others. I was wrong. This is a stunningly beautiful album and I glad I rediscovered it!
Public Image Ltd.
1/5
So desperately bad at the start that I nearly gave up but thankfully stuck it out until ‘Annalisa’ which was a banging track. Musically so much better with awesome bass guitar. The next couple of tracks were ok but as an overall album, absolutely dreadful.
The Rolling Stones
2/5
Some classic tracks on here but the album is spoilt by Jagger trying to do some parody Country and Western vocals on too many tracks. It was a parody right?
Radiohead
4/5
This album was difficult to get into, and as a rule that should be a bad thing. The opener and track 3 are just too random, experimental and awkward. But, I’m a sucker for Thom’s vocals and Johnny’s guitar work, and they start to shine through on ‘You and Whose Army’, quickly followed by ‘I Might Be Wrong’ and ‘Knives Out’. When the chemistry works, it creates a beautiful, hypnotic and melancholic sound.
Bebel Gilberto
3/5
An album I’d have never stumbled across without this list. I’m glad I’ve listened to it before I die. Beautiful vocals and atmosphere.
Bob Dylan
1/5
Not as bad as the previous Bob Dylan album I had to endure on this list, but still pretty tedious stuff.
Miles Davis
2/5
I’ll give this a mahoosive 2 stars. More than I’ve ever given a Jazz album. This I could tolerate. It was much more accessible to an idiot like me. Quite mellow. Reminded me of watching the TV series ‘Homeland’. The highlight for me was the bit that went Be-doo-be-dum-da-doooo-parrrrrp
Nina Simone
2/5
I can respect it, but it’s not my thing really
Funkadelic
3/5
That was a nice surprise. Shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, or an album by its title! Enjoyable guitar work as I’d expect from this lot, but some really weird samples that spoilt things.
Jane Weaver
2/5
A fairly recent album by an artist I’ve never heard of is quite rare on this list, so I was looking forward to it. Started really well. I liked her vocals and the mood. But then a few tracks in, it sounded like Les Dawson had joined the band. Overall, the songwriting just didn’t match the quality of her voice.
Suzanne Vega
2/5
Can’t decide whether this is pleasant or boring. Very of its time, just simple songs sung simply but proficiently.
Elvis Presley
1/5
Well, it was a much simpler time I guess.
I think I may have been a backing singer for Elvis in a former life.
At least the tracks are very short.
My brother loved Elvis, but preferred Shakin’ Stevens, which explains a lot.
Joni Mitchell
1/5
Don’t like her vocals. Too high pitched so that its borderline whingeing
The Doors
1/5
The Doors really are over-rated crap aren’t they.
Scissor Sisters
1/5
There’s nowhere else to start with this review than the criminal assassination of ‘Comfortably Numb’. Has there ever been a more heinous cover version?
There are some fun tracks on here that might have doubled my rating, like ‘Take Your Mama’ for example.
M.I.A.
1/5
This didn’t help my hangover. Too much going on. Maybe I need to go and have a lie down in a dark room and give it another listen later.
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
Groovy and chilled. A high 3.
David Bowie
3/5
For a Bowie album, it’s pretty good.
Elvis Costello
1/5
Not my favourite genre by any stretch but quite liked the short opener and the bass driven second track ‘Miracle Man’. But it’s the more pop/rock n roll/doo-wap-crap tracks that are bile inducing. And there are plenty of those.
The Smashing Pumpkins
5/5
Freak out and give in.
And so it began. Stunning intro to the album…Cherub Rock grabbed my attention way back when.
I can’t explain just how beautiful I find this album. The Smashing Pumpkins have their own completely unique sound (not just the unmistakable vocals) which is really quite an achievement in the early to mid 90s when guitar driven indie rock was living its best life. The blend of soft/loud is exceptional. There’s the heavy distortion of the sweeping guitar riffs coupled with some very intricate and delicate guitar work too (‘Today’ being a superb example of how it should be done). And they throw in some beautiful arrangements with a variety of instruments. There’s even bells for
fucks sake. I know Billy’s voice isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it just works for his music. This 1,001 list has been a slog recently with some music I’ve tried hard to find a level of appreciation from, and largely failed. But when this came up today I could really indulge with multiple listens, and I fell in love with it all over again. Knocked 30 years off me tonight 😊
Stereo MC's
3/5
I did not expect to see this album on the list! I loved it back in the day but almost forgot it existed. It’s probably in a box in the garage somewhere. Really enjoyed listening to it again. It’s decent enough throughout with no bad tracks. The energy and momentum keeps going. A high 3 stars! I can’t rate it higher as I’d had enough when it was finished, as it is a bit samey. Won’t be hunting it out of the garage any day soon.
Bauhaus
2/5
No, not for me. If I want gloomy and dark (and I often do), then there are so many bands that do this so much better. It does get a bit of a groove on at times, when the lead singer gives us a break, and that’s when it’s at its best.
Deep Purple
1/5
Getting bored by the constant basic rock by numbers from the 1970s so popular in this list.
R.E.M.
4/5
What a time to be alive. Turning 18 and discovering lots of new exciting things. Music was changing for the better too. This album was my introduction to REM. A band who continually hit and miss for me. But this album grabbed me with the simplicity and perfection of ‘The One I Love’. Such an awesome rock pop song with harmonies, banging bass lines and dancing guitars. ‘Finest Worksong’, ‘Disturbance…’ and ‘Oddfellows…’ are other stand outs for me. Back then, I found the whole album fresh and interesting, and it still holds up well. 7/10 rounded to a low-ish 4.
Primal Scream
3/5
The album hits a real high from ‘Kowalksi’ through ‘Star’ and ‘If They Move Kill ‘Em’. Great album - very high 3 stars
Lupe Fiasco
2/5
Not as terrible as most from this genre so I’ll give it a massive 2 stars
The Byrds
1/5
I am grateful to the list for making me sit through albums from artists I’ve heard of but never listened to. This is one of the many artists that I now know that I never have to bother with again. Beige.
The Cure
5/5
An all time classic album. Dark, beautiful, introspective, atmospheric and emotional. Too many highlights to call out individual tracks, but collectively this is the best Cure album for me.
Earth, Wind & Fire
2/5
For some reason, I expected something different to what I’ve just heard. Yes, it’s lovely and positive, in a gospelly way. These fellas have a lot of love to spare for you and me, which has to be a good thing as there’s plenty enough angry music about. But it just sounds dated to me, and not in a nostalgic way. 2 stars as it’s inoffensive and nice and I’m not dropping my rating for some of the mad outros or intros.
Fats Domino
2/5
Enjoyable stuff
Dire Straits
1/5
I thought this would show up sooner or later. I remember listening to it ‘passively’ when it came out. Just couldn’t avoid it at the time. Having just sat through it today, I have no connection to any of the music or the lyrics or anything. The only half decent track comes right at the end, the title track is decent enough, very atomospheric, but it’s not enough to lift this piece of trash from a 1 star.
LL Cool J
3/5
I really enjoyed that. I know that might surprise you Dear Reader, but not as much as it surprised me. Not sure I can explain why, but I guess I don’t have to justify it. I know I’ve just listened to it, wasn’t offended by it, and liked the variety and originality.
3/5
It’s not bad is it?
Nick Drake
1/5
I now know the backstory, but I can only judge it on how I like the album. Whilst it’s simple singer songwriter stuff with a beautiful acoustic guitar, I just found it so dull. Not something I’d reach for to play again.
Happy Mondays
2/5
Hmmmm. Not quite sure why this made the list. Compared to the other Mondays stuff, or even Black Grape, it’s unremarkable. It funks along nicely in parts but really doesn’t hit any highs where you just want to turn it up and/or dance (even in a 54 y/o dad dance head nod kind of way). As a foot note, how on earth has Shaun Ryder carved out his own mini National Treasure status these days? Ah, look, it’s Mad Uncle Shaun with his lovely new teeth on the telly again.
The White Stripes
4/5
Love this album. It rocks. It’s quirky. It has attitude.
Tracy Chapman
4/5
For me, this is the best of its genre of its time. Beautiful vocals and arrangements.
Solomon Burke
2/5
It was ok for that sort of thing. Better than Elvis and Shakin Stevens combined, so that’s worth 2 stars.
U2
5/5
Stunning album and an instant favourite from its release, and still one of my ‘go to’ albums to this day. It was a complete change from the 1980s U2. I didn’t think they’d make a better album than the Joshua Tree, but this comes very close. The introduction of the distortion to the guitars mixed with a very dancey foundation to a lot of tracks was new for them. Even Better Than The Real Thing is perfection. No bad songs on here, just happy memories of a very care free time. I also love the album cover, and all of the artwork surrounding its release and the visuals for their tour and their videos from this era too. Happy happy days.
The National
3/5
Very interesting. Heard of them but never listened to them. Started off mildly intrigued but the album grew on me the further I went. So much so that I listened again with headphones on. Like the arrangements and the mood. Vocals excellent too. But it just didn’t quite hit the mark overall. I will have another listen to a playlist of their other work as there’s something there. Might be a grower!
Van Morrison
5/5
Music hey? Weird isn’t? Logic says I wouldn’t like Van Morrison. It’s all too close to so much I don’t usually enjoy (Jazz, Croon, Swing). But I love so much of his work. When it works for you it works for you, no need to overthink it. This whole album is great, but ‘Into the Mystic’, ‘Brand New Day’ and ‘Glad Tidings’ are different level of beautiful. The album artwork though would get zero stars!
(I’ve seen him live. Exceptional voice, catalogue of songs and musicians with him. But my God he’s a miserable bugger. Never said a thing between songs, never thanked his band, didn’t acknowledge the crowd for coming. Nothing. Just went on, sung his heart out and fucked off 🤣)
Elvis Costello
1/5
No. I really tried, honestly. But just can’t find any joy or inspiration from this man’s music.
Stan Getz
1/5
There’s only so much that can be created from a bontempi organ on the bossa nova setting, and a saxophone. It was the perfect soundtrack to shredding old bank statements. The sound of the shredder added something that was missing on the original recording.
Metallica
4/5
Classic album from one of the best years of music ever. I’m more at the ‘Nothing Else Matters’ and ‘The Unforgiven’ end of the Metallica scale, but an all round solid album.
Soul II Soul
3/5
Lovely bit of nostalgia. Brought back memories of some awesome nights in CinderellaRockerfellas. Very chilled and smooth.
Sam Cooke
2/5
Great energy throughout and fantastic vocal performance. The audience noise really helped with the whole feel good party vibe. My only criticism is that it’s a bit samey.
Giant Sand
3/5
I’ve never heard of them and a quick read of the Wiki thread didn’t give anything away at all.
With an open mind I had a listen whilst on a long drive. Very interesting album, and one that can’t really be labelled by a sticking a genre on it. I wasn’t blown away by the first few tracks but then the step change from ‘X-Tra Wide’ to ‘1972’ grabbed my interest. What followed was such a varied catalog of songs and instruments and arrangements and tempos. Will give it another listen when I’m not as distracted by the idiot drivers on the M3.
The Verve
5/5
Sensational album full of anthems. Weirdly, ‘The Drugs Don’t Work’ turned me off of this band at the time as it was just too morose. But, I was blown away by ‘Lucky Man’ and ‘Sonnet’. The album has songs of real beauty and melody, and has the rousing anthems too. ‘Space and Time’, ‘Weeping Willow’ and ‘Velvet Morning’ are the stand outs from a consistently incredible album. Full of reverb, and groove, and inspiration. I was lucky to see them at their hometown gig in Wigan - what a night 🧡
Blondie
2/5
A high-ish 2 stars. Nothing on the album hits the heights of ‘Heart of Glass’ or ‘Hanging on the Telephone’. What a shame.
Kid Rock
2/5
2 stars. Musically decent but lyrically suspect.
KISS
1/5
Completely forgettable
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
3/5
A really beautiful listen. I can appreciate this enough for a solid 3 without really loving it enough to add to my collection.
Fiona Apple
2/5
First track was great. Banging bass guitar, angry keyboards and angry vocals. Just got dull after that.
Pearl Jam
5/5
Oh man. What can I write about this album? I’ll start by stating that this has to be the most influential album I’ve ever owned. It changed everything for me about where my future music journey would take me. I knew nothing about them when a mate I worked with leant me a cassette of this. I was blown away by it and every subsequent listen just cemented my love of it. It was only later on that I started to understand their backgrounds, and the journey that brought them together and an obsession started. Following them around live in the last 15 years or so has elevated my love of the band to a different level. No other live act can match them. Their studio work comes alive with the energy they create on stage.
Listening to it through my 2024 ears, it hasn’t aged. But I’ve listened to it a lot in every year from 1991 until now so why should it have done I guess. It’s full of incredible songs and songwriting. Mike McCready’s guitar solos are epic. Jeff Ament’s bass rumbles throughout. Stone Gossard’s guitar adds the texture, and Dave Abbruzzee’s drumming is wild. (By the way, Matt Cameron is the only current band member not on this record and is an upgrade compared to Dave). These songs have matured and evolved, and the live versions of all of these songs take on a whole new life.
Eddie Vedder is a force of nature. An incredible human who has survived this industry and remained true to his values. His song writing has always spoken to me and even today he throws out the right words at the right time that resonate. I guess I have grown up from a young man to a married father at the same time….clearly very different lives but he always manages to sum up my feelings.
Back to this album. It’s not the most polished. It’s not their best work. But it’s raw, angry, passionate, emotional,….the songs flow seamlessly into each other. Even Flow is still one of my favourite songs ever. Black is an incredible love song. Release gives me goosebumps. Porch is relentless. But there’s no bad track. All 5 stars.
To summarise…I hope everybody has found their Pearl Jam. It doesn’t have to be Pearl Jam, but finding a musician or a band who gives you as much as these gentlemen still give me is possibly the nicest wish I could grant for anyone.
Bill Callahan
2/5
I quite liked his vocal style, but the album just too samey and dull. Liked the opener and the last track (although that was too long).
Guided By Voices
4/5
Wow, what a quirky album. Love the fuzzy lo-fi simple recording style. The songs are over so quick that you’re just starting to enjoy a melody or a mood, and bang, it’s done and they’ve veered off in another direction. I hear a lot of influences…noticeably The Beatles but on other tracks there’s a dollop of New Order/Joy Division and then Dinosaur Jr. It works for me!
Brian Eno
2/5
As diverse and creative as I expected. But that didn’t make it any good.
Metallica
2/5
I just find it too cliche. Metal by numbers. Best track is the instrumental. I prefer the black album as it has a bit more variety, leaning away from the thrash and into something more listenable in places.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
Let’s get the BIG negative out of the way first. The lyrics. They are either complete nonsense and/or very slightly morally questionable. And song writing and story telling is a big part of what makes a great artist. Musically, I absolutely love the album. Flea’s bass just slaps throughout and has his distinctive funky energy turned right up. I’m a big fan of Chad Smith’s drumming. And the band are at their best when John Frusciante decides he wants to turn up for work. Thankfully the quality music is enough for me to see past the artist that is Anthony Keidis and appreciate the art. Would be a clear 5 stars if they outsourced the lyrical part of the songwriting.
Frank Ocean
2/5
Pleasant enough but instantly forgettable. I know this because a few hours have passed between finishing listening to it, and typing this. And I can’t remember any highlights or lowlights. I know I wasn’t impressed enough to bother with a quick re-listen.
Kate Bush
1/5
High pitched shrieking, and over use of the sound affects cupboard. Did I hear an oompah band in there too? All nonsensical musical theatre.
The Stooges
4/5
The opener just smashed me in the face. What a track. The stripped back recording really works throughout the album and you can just feel the power of the musicians. Track two did the same. Overall, I much prefer ‘side one’ of the album… it just rocks relentlessly and worth all 5 of my stars. ‘Side two’ mellows very slightly but as an overall album it’s absolutely brilliant. I can see why so many of the artists I love were influenced by this band.
Jurassic 5
3/5
Not bad at all. As good as it gets for this genre? A low 3
Nirvana
5/5
This album felt like a test for those ‘new fans’ that got caught up in the wave of popularity from Nevermind. I absolutely loved (and still love) the comparitively harsh and punk elements of the album. Distortion, feedback and eye-widening lyrics. There’s still smatteings of the softer poppy side of Nirvana. The simple and haunting guitar intro and riffs on ‘All Apologies’ is just stunning. This is a 5 star all day long. No debate needed.
Gotan Project
3/5
I really enjoyed that and massively didn’t expect to! I listened whilst driving and my pre-conception was that I could rattle through it by listening to a bit, then skipping forward, and get to the next album on the list as I’m a couple behind. But, I didn’t skip anything. Although tempted at times on some of the very long tracks. Found it hypnotic and interesting. Female vocalist was cool. If I hadn’t have been driving, I might just have grabbed a rose to hold between my teeth and sweep my Doris off her feet. Thank God for the A420 from Swindon to Oxford. It saved her from potentially the worst hour of her life.
The Triffids
2/5
Not offensive but not overly impressive. Feel like I’ve heard it before, but by others and done so much better.
The Icarus Line
4/5
New band to me, but not sure how I missed them at the time. Noisy and fun, and I liked the vocalist. Stand out track at first listen is ‘Spike Island’ but most of it kept me really interested. Deserves a 2nd listen to see if it’s a grower. It’s probably a high 3, but I’m optimistic I’m going to enjoy this band so will give it a 4 for an impressive first impression.
Isaac Hayes
1/5
That got increasingly worse the further I got into it. Had to give up a couple of minutes into track 4. What’s was that about?
Beatles
1/5
It’s terrible isn’t it? Pure cringe. Thank God they evolved / found drugs.
Pixies
2/5
I should like Pixies really. Sometimes I think I do. Then I listen to this album and I wonder why. Just a bit dreary really. The high points weren’t very high at all. Not their finest work.
The Waterboys
5/5
I needed this album today. A sad and emotional day, and then this popped up. An album I absolutely love because of a handful of joyous songs, but today it’s the sad and reflective songs that speak powerfully. The Waterboys dynamic is quite unique, and a ‘go to’ for me when I feel a certain way. Today, ‘When Ye Go Away’ hit the mark, and as I was listening to the Collectors Edition I also got the pleasure of ‘You in the Sky’ and ‘Let Me Feel Holy Again’. RIP Uncle John. Your legacy as a much loved husband, father and grandfather is an inspiration 🩷
Christina Aguilera
3/5
That was as terrible as I anticipated. In fact is was pretty good. The fact is, she can really sing. There were a few tracks that were scoring slightly too high on the Mariah-ometer. It’s a pet hate of mine when singers sing about 9 different quick notes, when 1 would absolutely do just fine. But a lot of it was great. A lot of the album tracks were better than the big singles, which made it all very listenable.
Miles Davis
1/5
Who let the toddlers have access to the music box at the nursery? Tinnitus inducing mish-mash of uncoordinated noise.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
1/5
They might make a fairly decent pub band if they keep working hard.
Korn
2/5
There was plenty about this I liked, but….so many vocal bits that went beyond the standard growl/scream/roar of this genre and into some absolutely comical, cringey, pathetic noises. Not even lyrics, just silly noises. I just don’t get it, and I couldn’t get past it. As soon as I started to enjoy a track, there he was with his silly childish nonsense.
Pink Floyd
1/5
Absolutely terrible. Just plain odd. I’m sure that anybody using the same drugs as the band might be on the same wavelength and appreciate it. I can’t help wondering if they hadn’t have gone on to record their better work later on, would anybody care enough about this to make the list? I’m sure it was groundbreaking at the time but that doesn’t stop it from being a steaming pile of 💩
Eric Clapton
3/5
Was expecting the worst, but on this occasion my preconceptions were unfounded. I really enjoyed this. Soft bluesy easy going loveliness. Only knew the one (obvious) song from it, but it all flowed nicely. Not sure I’ll make a point of listening to it again, but I’m glad I have!
Eagles
2/5
It’s ok, just so beige. Hated the birdie tweeting business and I’m not planning any chug based action anyday soon by the way.
Kanye West
1/5
Gave it a listen as I always do, despite a very strong preconception of what I was going to hear. This time my preconception was right. An absolute pile of steaming plop.
The Divine Comedy
2/5
I’ve never liked this dude. Pretentiously unfunny. Feel like I’ve just listened to a sound track to a Hugh Grant rom-com. Thank God it was indeed a Short Album. I’ll give it 2 stars as it’s not Jazz, Ganstaaaa rap or Country & Western.
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
Really enjoyable listen. Must be one of my favourite albums I’d never heard discovered so far on this list.
Aphex Twin
1/5
No, not for me chief. Just a lot of white noise and tumbleweed.
Bill Evans Trio
1/5
Better than that Miles Davis nonsense the other day. I prefer piano based Jazz, but not enough to elevate the score any higher than the 1 star.
Radiohead
5/5
In the conversation for one of my favourite albums ever. Power and beauty.
Tim Buckley
1/5
His complete over-performance of the vocals just annoyed me. Over-shadowed anything nice there might have been in the music.
Talking Heads
2/5
A bit one paced. I do like Talking Heads but this one not one of my favourites, he sounds more demonically possessed than normal.
Madonna
5/5
When this came out it, she had me on track one. I wasn’t ever a Madonna fan at all. In fact a bit of a hater, ever since my then girlfriend dragged me along to see her at Wembley Stadium.
But this album felt like a complete reinvention for her. Not just the musical style which is a really cool trippy vibe, but her vocal style. Her annoying squeaky pop voice was gone, and she performed this with much deeper, richer, breathy tones and a fantastic range. As I said she had me on track one with that!
It was a guilty pleasure then. Normally played loud in the car alone! But it’s stood the test of time, and I’d play it in the company of those I love without fear of judgement! ‘Drowned World/Substitute’ and ‘Nothing Really Matters’ are the standouts for me.
Hawkwind
3/5
I can completely forgive the spoken word nonsense, all the space-noise-twiddly business and the terrible production. Because behind all of that is a solid rock album.
Beth Orton
3/5
That was very nice. Will have to listen again to decide if it’s very very nice or just nice.
The Mothers Of Invention
1/5
An all time low for this list. Absolutely garbage.
Roni Size
2/5
Whilst there’s plenty of interesting melodies and guest vocal collabs going on, you’ve got to love that drum pattern to love this. And I’m afraid it’s all just too much for me.
Neu!
4/5
I really enjoyed that! The first 3 tracks felt quite meditative, with track 2 ‘Seeland’ being a standout. The 2nd half of the album saw the tempo lift which stopped it getting too samey. A high 3 / low 4.
Donald Fagen
1/5
Started off as inoffensive easy listening, but the further into the album it just became awkward. Lyrics crowbarred in a jazzy style over the cheapest bontempi organ in town.
The Go-Betweens
3/5
Well, it’s definitely the sort out thing I would have been listening to in the late 80s, but I’ve never heard of them despite this being their 6th album apparently! I really liked the guitar work, and thankfully it provided the melody that the vocalist didn’t. It definitely got better when the female vocalist joined in on a few tracks. Highlights for me were ‘Streets of Your Town’ and ‘You Can’t Say No Forever’. Could have been a 4 star if the vocalist was better.
fIREHOSE
2/5
I listened to it twice and still don’t know what to write. I can’t even work out if I like it. I guess that means I don’t really like it that much, otherwise I’d be saying I like it.
Weather Report
1/5
It’s jazz and it’s shite
The Sugarcubes
4/5
An apology, a congratulations and a thank you.
The apology: Sorry Bjork for never taking you seriously back in the day.
The congratulations: Well done Bjork for ditching the band as soon as the 3 album deal was done. The male vocalist was crap, and you totally outshone him on this. The songs were great though, very cool and funky. The standout track is Coldsweat, and not just because the geezer didn’t sing. Birthday also gave me Robert Smith vibes.
The thank you: Cheers to the 1,001 list for helping me realise just how great Bjork is. As I said, I dismissed her at the time as was just too weird. Maybe now I’m able to embrace my own inner weird. Her voice is just an incredible instrument, and on the right song is just breathtaking. The solo Bjork stuff and now this one that have cropped up on the list has allowed me to discover what i stupidly dismissed.
Sugar
5/5
This album makes me happy. Love Bob Moulds various bands and projects. Always makes poppy grungey happy dancey guitar based loveliness. Stand out tracks ‘Changes’ and ‘If I Can’t Change Your Mind’
Gram Parsons
1/5
Shockingly bad
Nirvana
5/5
Perfect and iconic. A true game changer of an album.
The Residents
2/5
Got to be worth 2.5 stars, much to the horror of my son who was listening in. He asked who took the ket to the circus.
However, I was so intrigued by its uniqueness and complete craziness. I never intend to listen to this ever again, but it was a decent way to spend a bit of time. Better than jazz, C&W and gangsta rap all day long.
Miles Davis
2/5
In a break from tradition I won’t be giving this jazz album a 1. I have to respect a man who can be at the top of his profession for his chosen instrument, and a very dull one-dimensional instrument at that. This was listenable and in places a recognisable song almost broke out. It was much more easy listening (I hate that genre/term) but it meant I was able to complete the whole listening experience without wanting to punch a wall.
Barry Adamson
1/5
Sorry, no, I just don’t get it. I have a bit of a mental blockage when it comes to movie soundtrack albums anyway. They can be just a jumble of different styles and only mean something to the those that love the movie. This one was a jumble. But, it was an imaginary movie? Why bother? Sorry my brain does not compute. If it was strong musically then I might not have been bothered, but it’s not.
Missy Elliott
2/5
It was better than I thought! Apart from the preaching.
Steve Winwood
2/5
Electric gazoo boogaloo.
Being called a ‘Second Hand Woman’ can’t be very flattering. I bet he was a hit with the ladies.
All very dated, but weirdly enjoyable in a funky groovy 1970s American Cop Movie soundtrack kind of way. ‘Night Train’ the standout for the great guitar work.
Dion
2/5
Ssssh. Don’t tell anyone, but I quite liked this. Highlight was ‘New York City Song’. I’ll only give it a 2 stars as don’t want to draw too much attention to myself.
Moby Grape
3/5
A solid 2.58 rating from me. Which is 0.01 higher than my average across the first 425 albums I’ve reviewed. I’m glad I went to the relative effort of finding it on YouTube and was rewarded by some lovely blues guitar work as the album rocked along nicely. Unspectacularly likeable.
Aimee Mann
1/5
Well that tailed-off steeply after a mildly interesting opening track. Became all a bit boring, like a Poundland Sheryl Crow.
Bob Dylan
2/5
As an ardent disliker of all things Bob Dylan, this one surprised me. Quite enjoyable swamp blues in places. Was considering a 3 rating, but that last track just droned on and on. Which gave me time to remember how much I dislike his moany voice.
Steely Dan
1/5
Uffff. If the cast of ‘Friends’ formed a band it would sound like this. I bet they wore linen suit jackets and jeans and rolled their sleeves up. Ufffff.
Buffalo Springfield
2/5
Plenty going on here. 1st track drew me in, but the 2nd had me running for the hills. Weird. Really enjoyed ‘Bluebird’, and ‘Rock & Roll Woman’. The rest was ok.
Arctic Monkeys
5/5
Perfection. They used to be a great band didn’t they? This is lyrically so strong. Every song tells a decent story. It’s edgy, dark, funny, beautiful and riotous.
Tori Amos
1/5
Couldn’t really settle in to this. Just as soon as I started to enjoy an aspect of it, she started up with some weird vocal exercises. Not for me chief.
Steely Dan
1/5
I know there’s some randomness in the daily selection, but 3 Steely Dan/Donald Fagan albums in such quick succession could create civil unrest. So so bad.
Leonard Cohen
1/5
After hearing the other Cohen album on this list, I wasn’t expecting that opener! Knew the song, but hadn’t expected such a camp disco vibe. The rest returned to the form I expected and was morosely dull.
Meat Puppets
4/5
What an absolute gem of an album. Just love the dweeby dorky vocals and the lo-fi production. There’s variety, great guitar work and greatbass, and some catchy melodies. “Oh, Me” is just sublime. Only 1 criticism, the drumming; so basic.
Willie Nelson
2/5
That was alright. Love the simplicity of the arrangements so that the vocal and story telling was crystal clear. A very high 2
Ray Charles
1/5
Flashbacks to sitting in the back of my dads Vauxhall Viva enduring this sort of thing crackling away on his Medium Wave radio wishing that the journey would end.
The The
2/5
What surprised me the most about listening to this was that I remembered pretty much every track. I must have owned and played this back in the day quite a bit. Surely it wasn’t the strongly political lyrics that drew me in? However, seeing how I can’t have listened to it in over 25 years, and I forget owning it, it will get the 2 stars it deserves and not a star more.
Wild Beasts
2/5
I wasn’t too sure about his falsetto vocal but got used to it. The album was pleasant enough as background noise but it just rumbled along without anything exciting happening. Therefore a mid 2 star.
Adele
2/5
Adele does irritate me. It’s like she’s become a caricature of herself. When I’ve seen her in concert (on my tv, never in person), her ‘banter’ between records is jarring. But people pay big money to go see her. And she can sing well enough. Hearing a Cure cover on here stopped me in my tracks. I have to say it wasn’t an awful version of it, but still felt weird.
Anita Baker
3/5
Smoother than a freshly buttered banister. It didn’t sound as dated as I thought it would.
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
A decent album of its time. Enjoyed listening to it again but not one I’d regularly go to. A solid 3.
The Smiths
5/5
Nobody else does it like this. The joyfulness of Johnny Marr’s guitar melodies overlayed by Morrissey’s unique self-deprecating dark humour. His vocals are stunning and the storytelling brilliant. Just a sensational album. My most favourite Smiths tracks aren’t on here, but it all just hangs together beautifully.
Ride
2/5
I think I should like this, and shoe-gazing stuff, more than I do. It has all the components that I like. But it just seems to wash over me without leaving any real impression. Maybe that’s the point. Maybe it’s just a meditative thing, but I’m looking for more than that when I choose what to listen to. It’s ok enough for a mid 2.
The Young Rascals
2/5
The only reason this doesn’t get a 1 star from me is because I’ve remembered just how bad the albums are that swim in the cesspit that is my 1 ratings. This just manages to keep its nostrils above the floaters. It’s a very low 2 from me. I have also learnt a new genre label, blue-eyed soul. So there is that I guess.
Fred Neil
1/5
An absolute croonfest with a suspect album cover. Not for me chief.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
It’s ok. Considering it’s always featured in any ‘best album’ list you’d care to look at it, it’s not great! Got some catchy guitar hooks and some decent bluesyness here and there, but by no means a classic album. ‘Tumbling Dice’ and ‘Soul Survivor’ the stand outs for me.
Frank Black
3/5
I’d pretty much written this off before I started listening, so had it on in the background whilst doing other stuff. Found myself unconsciously enjoying it, so had to give it another listen with a bit of attention!
I like this incarnation of Francis. The songs are varied and interesting, and his vocal style a lot more palatable.
Christina Aguilera
2/5
The positive: she can definitely sing and for that I’ll award 2 hard fought stars.
But the rest of this ‘package’ is not for me. Pop music in its sickliest sweetest form.
Tom Waits
2/5
Firstly, this album is bonkers. But there’s a lot of interesting stuff here. Enjoyed ‘16 Shells’, ‘Soldiers Things’, ‘Gin Soaked Boy’ (a very Seasick Steve vibe) and ‘Rainbirds’. I admire the complete ‘fuck you’ freedom with which he must have had to record and release this. Having said that, probably won’t ever listen to it again!
Morrissey
4/5
Standout track for me is ‘Everyday is Like Sunday’. It’s up there with any of the iconic Smiths/Morrissey/Marr songs. There’s also some absolutely beautiful songs and arrangements on this album. ‘Break Up the Family’ and ‘Margaret…’ absolutely beautiful. Nearly forgot the anthem that is ‘Suedehead’, stunning track.
Sepultura
1/5
One paced, one dimensional, zero enjoyment, one star (because zero stars wasn’t an option).
Pulp
2/5
Mega conflicted by this album. I absolutely hate Jarvis Cocker. He’s a wrong un and although I’m sure he thinks he’s clever and funny, I don’t.
Thankfully this album didn’t have some of the mega hits that grind my gears. So I tried to listen with an open mind. Musically, it’s so much better than I thought Pulp were capable of. There are some really strong songs and arrangements on here. But here’s the big problem… the lyrics just underline all my preconceptions about Jarvis. Just comes across as a perv. Title track hammers home this point, superb musicians let down by suspect lyrics, but most songs are littered with his grubbiness. If only the band had found themselves a better front man then maybe, just maybe, they might have been a real force. 2 stars for the contributions of all band members not called Jarvis.
Buzzcocks
2/5
I got everything I might expect from a buzzcocks album. It’s ok.
Haircut 100
1/5
What a great opportunity to listen to ‘Favourite Shirts’ again, and the rest of their poppy-jazzy-bongo-loveliness. Edit: 5 songs in. Enough already.
The Youngbloods
3/5
That was really great in places! Standouts for me were ‘Darkness, Darkness’, ‘Beautiful’ (great bass and guitar noodling) and ‘Quicksand’. The last track was a lovely gentle way to end too. A few of the best tracks were then followed by something less enjoyable, a bit goofy or gimmicky. But, I will be adding a slimmed down version of this to my library as there’s much to enjoy. Surprisingly!
Simple Minds
5/5
An absolutely stunning album. Simple Minds were probably the first band I got really into and all because of this album. The combination of that bass, the dreamy/atmospheric synths, Charlie Burchill’s magic and Jim Kerr’s vocal is just beautiful. It’s still a Go To album for me, as it’s just full of joy and positivity. 100/100.
Femi Kuti
3/5
Yep. Really enjoyed that. Great energy.
The Darkness
4/5
Once you get past the very heavy layer of cheese, it’s really a very competent album. The big hit was overplayed to death, and they really seemed to play up to the exaggerated caricatures they created for themselves. And why not? (££££s). I really did enjoy listening to this. So it’s an unashamed 4 from me.
1/5
Nope. There’s something completely robotic and completely unauthentic about Muse. I’ve just never been able to connect with whatever it is they are trying to achieve.
Pink Floyd
5/5
Not sure I have the words to do this masterpiece justice. Luckily this one fell on a day when I was doing a long drive on my own in somebody else’s car, so I could abuse the speakers and my eardrums to drown out the monotony of the M1 and M6. It’s just a stunning work of art. My one and only slight criticism is why did they just fade out the epic ‘Comfortably Numb’? It deserved better than just turning the volume down slowly. A very minor annoyance but a pet-peeve of mine!
Mike Ladd
2/5
There’s a lot of nonsense lyrics on here, but at least the music is interesting and different, at times almost enjoyable.
The Beta Band
3/5
That was a journey into the unknown with a band I’d never heard of. They caught me on a good day and I enjoyed the lovely ambience, sampling and harmonies. So I’ll give it a high 3. May not be as generous if I ever bothered listening again. It’s all about the timing.
CHIC
2/5
Really excellent, but after a track or 3 it just starts to become repetitive
George Michael
1/5
I think I deserve a medal for sitting through all of that torturous crooning.
Jeru The Damaja
1/5
The music was ok (some great bass lines in there) but I have no clue what the message was. Reading the song titles it’s probably for the best. The world of perverted Monks and da Bichez is a world that can remain alien to me. Rating wise, I’m giving it as high in the 1 star range as I can before it tips over into an unwarranted 2.
The Psychedelic Furs
3/5
Decent
2/5
Whilst there are some nice arrangements and orchestration in places, the whole thing is underwhelming. Vocals drone on and on, and spoil any pleasure in the musicians. And I had to listen to it on YouTube which annoyed me. What’s that about? Do they think they’ve created such a masterpiece that it’s too good for music streaming services? Twats.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
Very enjoyable listening.
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
1/5
Surely only here to tick a box to say all genres have been included. Just terrible, with ‘Grey Goose’ being in the conversation for the worst track on any album in the 1,001 list. Quack quack 🪿
Sonic Youth
4/5
Great album. Energy, distorted guitars and angst. What more could you want?
Black Sabbath
4/5
That was a bloody lovely surprise. Not heard this before and really enjoyed the whole experience. Will add this to my library and will definitely give it more plays. Respect!
The Cars
2/5
Not sure whether it grew on me, or it got better, but I enjoyed the last 4 tracks. The first 5, including the only hit I knew, just didn’t do it for me. Basic Americana by numbers.
Killing Joke
4/5
Fantastic energy and attitude
Adele
2/5
I could just copy and paste from my review of the last Adele album on here. I forget how old she was then but she was younger than this one but it’s still pretty much the same. I can acknowledge she is great at doing what she does. I just wish she didn’t have to do it.
Echo And The Bunnymen
2/5
I enjoyed the singles on here. Their signature sound but with an even more dramatic production. But the rest of the album was just a bit rubbish.
Slipknot
1/5
“The album spans several genres” it says on the Album summary. I must have missed that.
2/5
Thank the Lord for the 2nd LP. I nearly gave up before I got there, as the 1st LP was just a monotonous moan-fest interspersed with a shite harmonica solo here and there. At least the 2nd LP was lifted by the band joining in. Almost made it listenable, although Bob’s horrendous vocal still spoilt the whole thing. The lowest of low 1 stars for LP1. 2 stars for LP2. Generously rounded up for the rousing version of ‘Like A Rolling Stone’ to finish.
Youssou N'Dour
3/5
Beautiful guitars and percussion.
Girls Against Boys
1/5
Never heard of them, and there’s nothing on here that hasn’t been done better by countless others.
Amy Winehouse
2/5
I don’t like jazz, but there is some of Amy Winehouse’s music I enjoy. On this album, the standout tracks are ‘Stronger Than Me’, ‘In My Bed’ and ‘What Is It About Men’. The rest not so great.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
2/5
It turns out that there is a limit to how much distortion, reverb & feedback I can handle. This album pushes it too far over the limit for me. Some tracks are completely unlistenable because it just drowns out whatever else is happening. It’s a shame as there are some beautiful melodies when they choose to let them out. Later albums get the balance right, but this? Nope.
Daft Punk
1/5
Way way way way way way way way way way way way way way way way way way way way way way way way too repetitive. And soooooooooo lonnnnnngggggg. And repetitive.
Doves
5/5
Absolute perfection! I’ve always loved the rich tones of Jimi’s vocals, and the contrast of when Jez and Andy take the lead. They always create a huge atmosphere and sound, and the songs have amazing production. One of my favourite all time albums.
The Temptations
4/5
Very enjoyable listen. Are these as good as anything in this genre? I reckon they might be!
Magazine
2/5
Nothing at all exciting here. Was ok.
k.d. lang
1/5
Truly horrendous.
Pere Ubu
1/5
Weird vocal just ruined any joy I might have got out of this. Some tracks were ok, most were awful.
Aerosmith
1/5
Musically so much more enjoyable than their last inclusion in this list. I know that so many artists, from this period of time especially, made some questionable life choices. But this fella was so far over the line that I can’t separate the art from the artist. If I could it might scrape a 3. Because I can’t it’s a 1.
Super Furry Animals
5/5
I’d completely forgotten how brilliant this album is. I’m not sure when or why it faded out of my rotation but I’m glad this list chucked it back at me. I only listened to it 4 times today, just as I probably did the first time I heard it. It’s a stunning collection of songs, with so much variety to them, but they all sit together well. Very hard to achieve! I love his vocals. Lyrically interesting and amusing without going too far down the path of Divine Comedy who became cringingly unfunny. Time to explore their other work further again… exciting.
Hot Chip
2/5
I don’t know why, but I tried too hard to like this. But, I’m left with the same ambivalence as I feel whenever I’ve come across them before. I’m mildly entertained for about 10 minutes then quickly lose interest.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
1/5
So much better than I thought it would be
Tim Buckley
1/5
Well he certainly believes in what he’s singing about. That much comes across at least. Not my thing.
The Pretty Things
1/5
Not for me at all
Kendrick Lamar
1/5
Dear Kendrick,
Why have you collaborated with so many producers and musicians on every track? Were you chasing some kind of world record? What bits did you actually do? Were you also chasing a world record on how many times you can say naughty words on one album? I reckon you’ve won that one at least. All seems so provocative. Well you’ve provoked me into dishing out one lovely shiny gold star for your troubles.
The Auteurs
1/5
Simply put, I really do not like his voice. The songwriting is really poor too. Only ‘Show Girl’, ‘Idiot Brother’ and ‘Early Years’ were worthy of better than a 1 star.
Dagmar Krause
1/5
Dreadful. Cant stand musicals. Or anything operatic.
Al Green
4/5
Great singer (a rare event for recent albums thrown up on the list!), and in then main, very enjoyable. 3.5 generously rounded up to a 4 to counter all the 1 ratings I seem to be chucking about recently!
Baaba Maal
2/5
Quite meditative
Morrissey
4/5
This is a solid album. I like the more rockier start across the first 2 tracks, and then it settles into a very listenable collections of songs. Nice variety of light and shade that you’d expect from Mozza. Good job sir 👍
Brian Wilson
1/5
Filed under Tedious
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
A decent listen, until ‘Voodoo Dolly, which was a weak end to a good album.
Depeche Mode
3/5
Enjoy the Silence is just superb and would get 5 stars by itself. Overall, a solid album and the only Depeche Mode album I ever enjoyed. A high 3.
The Fall
1/5
I rarely give up on an album on this list quite as early as I did with this pile of rubbish. Talentless.
The Jam
4/5
I agree with Mr Weller. This is their best work. Love the run of tracks part way through, starting with ‘Set the house ablaze’, then ‘Start!’ and ‘That’s Entertainment’.
AC/DC
4/5
Despite so many suspect lyrics I really like this album. I’ll prefer to assume that all of their obvious hornyness is aimed in completely legal ways. That way I can just enjoy the great and cliched ‘rock’ style and the gravelly vocals.
CHVRCHES
3/5
Well that was a decent way to kick off the 2nd half of this 1,001 list. It’s what I’m here for. An artist I’d kind of heard of but couldn’t place. Maybe it was the wanky use of a “v” instead of a “u” that made my mind up to avoid them. It’s also not my genre at all being so synth and pop based. However, sat alone on a train with earphones on gave it a platform to present itself to me. And despite all of my preconceptions it delivered a pretty decent listening experience. Not all the way through, but in places they created a nice atmospheric set of songs.
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
Another nice surprise from the list. Steady on, this is becoming a habit! Very enjoyable and varied throughout, and I was hooked as soon as I heard the cow bell on track 2 :)
Will be listening again and having a delve into other works.
LTJ Bukem
2/5
So hard to find the version that matches the album detailed on the list. But I persisted and found most of the album on YouTube. Some songs removed for copyright reason. Why some, and not all? No idea. Thank God it was shortened. I can actually appreciate the art of it. But, it’s too repetitive for me to stay engaged in for long.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
The high points are really high, and the exceptional guitar work is a clear influence on so many of the artists I love. But, when he’s not melting my face off (which is a great thing by the way), there’s too much filler on here that falls in the Eric Clapton end (not a good thing), or even worse, into a bit of aimless jazzy ad hoc nonsense. So it can’t be a 5 star.
William Orbit
2/5
Pleasant enough but I was pottering about whilst listening, and found it impossible to know if a new track had started whenever I came back into the room. Nice for background stuff, but not worthy of playing again when I could give it my full attention
Belle & Sebastian
1/5
Such tediously boring vocals. And when there is an attempt at harmonies, it’s like finger nails on a chalk board. The quirky songs weren’t strong enough to save it.
The Yardbirds
1/5
Just when a good track came along they’d spoil it by being a bit strange.
Alice In Chains
4/5
An iconic album from that scene for sure, but not at the levels of other bands in my uneducated opinion. Still a great album that gets a play when I’m in the mood for Layne Staley’s tones. Standout tune ‘Down In A Hole’.
Orbital
1/5
Track one started so promisingly and I thought I might just enjoy this album. But no, it descended into everything I expected. Endless ambient loops on repeat, with just a few little spikes of something different.
Iron Maiden
3/5
No surprises on here. You get what you expect and it’s very good!
Goldfrapp
4/5
That was a beautiful surprise! Thought this would be electro-pop but it was much more chilled. Great voice and selection of songs. Only one that induced hitting the skip button. Standout tracks ‘Cologne Cerrone Houdini’ and ‘Little Bird’.
A great find thanks to ‘The List!’
Einstürzende Neubauten
1/5
Seriously. I’m here to discover different music. This doesn’t qualify. Sure, so nice percussion patterns here and there, but it’s just not for me. Well, at least I can say I have experienced something different.
Kate Bush
4/5
Never been a fan of the Bush, but this was a grower. Took me 3 goes to decide if I did really like it, or was it just a novelty. But each time, I kept finding extra layers to enjoy. Atmospheric and sonically brilliant. Reminded me very much of some of the Gabriel albums of that era. Explains why they did that duet I guess.
Van Morrison
1/5
I like a lot of Van Morrison, however. I could t find much to like on here. Crazy flute and screechy vocals put me off. More Mulligan and O’Hare than Van the Man.
David Holmes
2/5
I was so bored for so long listening to this. But I persevered as I was driving for ages so thought ‘why not’. Was it me, or did it get better in the 2nd half of the record? After the James Bondy one things seemed more interesting and listenable. But nothing outstanding.
Marvin Gaye
1/5
Surely there must be a better offering by Marvin Gaye than this?
Prince
1/5
I remember enjoying the big hits at the time. But, wow, this has dated badly. He makes so many strange noises. I always have considered Prince to be an awesome guitarist, but definitely not on this evidence. Poor.
Ian Dury
2/5
A generous 2. It’s so hit and miss for me. The opener ‘Wake Up and Make Love With Me’ was absolutely banging. But then it descends into Chas and Dave level crap in places.
George Michael
1/5
I don’t understand why this fella was so highly rated. Hate his breathy voice so much. Don’t like his song writing. And I wish he’d stop going on about wanting sex.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
2/5
Happy and energetic business. I can respect the musicianship, but it’s never a genre I’m going to choose to play.
The Pogues
3/5
I like The Pogues. The tunes make feel happy and I love the story telling.
Michael Kiwanuka
5/5
I love this album. Well almost all of this album. If it wasn’t for the horrendous lah-lah-laaas on the opener ‘You Ain’t The Problem’, which come back louder and more repetitively on ‘Living In Denial’. It’s like finger nails on a chalkboard. If and when you can put that aside, I think this is an absolute gem of an album. His rich tone and guitar work just sublime. The album gets better as it progresses and the final 4 or 5 tracks form a beautiful fade out to the album. Can I dock it a star for the lah-lah-lahs? Would you dump the sexiest girlfriend you could imagine because the way she holds a knife and fork gives you ‘the ick’ (as the young people say). No. Of course you wouldn’t. Therefore, it’s a 5.
The Undertones
4/5
Fantastic pop-punk album. The band are so tight, and you can appreciate each and every instrument on here, as the production seems to give them equal billing. Can’t for the life of me understand why a cover of ‘Under the Boardwalk’ is on here. It just doesn’t go! It doesn’t appear on my download of the album anyway.
Black Sabbath
5/5
Did the 1,001 random daily album generator deliver this to me coincidentally on the morning after Ozzy passing? Or did somebody at List HQ override the system? I’d like to think that the Rock Gods made it happen.
Ok, so I’m determined not to let yesterday’s news drive some kind of misty-eyed overly generous rating, so I’ll simply just give it the 5 stars it deserves. It is absolutely brilliant and genre defining. RIP Ozzy 😢🤘🏻
Thelonious Monk
1/5
Tom and Jerry soundtrack.
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
A generous-ish 3. Rounded up as it’s as good as anything that dance music throws my way. Apart from Faithless. And The Prodigy. But 3rd best ain’t bad. Got some classic tracks on here, and some filler.
Ryan Adams
1/5
Arrrgh. Ryan Adams. And that challenge of separating the art from the artist rears its ugly head again. Thankfully, this is at the rubbish end of his repertoire, so I can dish out a 1 purely on the art, and can save my moral dilemma for if and/when one of the albums I used to think was decent shows up. ‘Come Pick Me Up’ is the only track on here I like. But overall, it’s just too C&W for me.
Billy Bragg
3/5
A lot better than I thought it would be. More interesting production and musical arrangements than I suspected. Still underpinned by the social activism for sure, but very listenable and enjoyable despite that!
The Cult
4/5
Far from original or groundbreaking but executed brilliantly. What a vocalist. It’s just a happy goth/rock good time record, and that’s just fine with me.
Björk
1/5
Oh Björk. What have you done. I was pleasantly surprised by some of her other albums on this list. So I was keen to see what this one would bring. But, I’ve worked out that playing a Björk album for the first time is a complete lottery. You know it’s going to creative and diverse, some of it is stunningly beautiful, some of it you just don’t understand, some of it is not recognisable as music and some is plain irritating. Unfortunately, this didn’t give me much of the beautiful. She has such an incredible voice but for me it’s showcased so much better on other offerings than this one.
Air
4/5
I thought I’d quickly get bored of this once the singles were out of the way, but it was great all the way through. Created a lovely mood which I hope stays with me throughout my day! ‘All I Need’ is the absolute standout track. Just beautiful.
Megadeth
2/5
More music than I expected.
Joe Ely
1/5
I. Just. Can’t.
Fiona Apple
1/5
Firstly, she can’t sing. Or perhaps she just chooses not to sing as she’s too busy being angry and quirky. Painful listening. Making no connection with me.
Cee Lo Green
1/5
Bops along in a poppy cheesy way and seems less offensive than other cheese based pop. But I’ll never choose to listen to this again.
Sabu
1/5
This offers me nothing.
Joni Mitchell
1/5
I think I’m the wrong demographic for this crap.
The Cure
3/5
I wanted to love this album, because it’s The Cure, and I love The Cure. But this wasn’t anywhere near the top of the game and I’m puzzled why it’s included in this list. Unless every other album is on here too.
Nitin Sawhney
2/5
Wow. There’s a lot going on. So much variation of styles. Some of it worked for me, but some was just jarring. The more experimental stuff was just too weird. Amongst it was some enjoyable trip-hop and some sweet female vocals.
Rocket From The Crypt
2/5
Much better than I thought it would be. Vocals sounded a bit Bob Mould in places. The album also features my third favourite song about rope.
Living Colour
2/5
What in the 1980s, Miami Vice, cheese rock is going on here? Respect to the vocalist as he can sing right enough.
David Crosby
2/5
I really loved parts of this. ‘Cowboy Movie’ was beautifully bluesy. ‘Laughing’ was great. Some nice guitar work throughout. Lost it for me with way too much ‘do-be-doo-ing’. Sometimes for whole songs. A high 2
Motörhead
4/5
What a fantastic piece of history captured here. There is so much more musicality than other metal bands and with Lemmy’s unique vocals they are a class apart. It’s rare for me to really enjoy ‘live’ albums, but this is exceptional stuff.
Beck
4/5
It’s just Beck doing Beck type things. But I love it. Groooovy.
Manic Street Preachers
2/5
Nice to see the Manics on here, and I’m not surprised by this one being included. The whole attitude was very different to other albums being released around that time, which was appealing, but the song writing not great. Quite hard working listening to it, which can’t be a good thing. I prefer their more pop indie stuff, but that’s just me!!
Fairport Convention
2/5
Gentle enough and it the musicians created a lovely folky trance whenever the Doris stopped warbling for a while. Heard lots worse on the list, so a very generous 2 star rating.
Neneh Cherry
1/5
A nauseating jumble of pop and phoney attitude.
Madness
1/5
Sing a long a cheeky cockney musical. Aren’t they so clever and funny.
Keith Jarrett
2/5
With jazz being one of my least enjoyable genres, and with this being a ‘live’ album too, I feared the worst. But I found it just a little bit enjoyable. The backstory to it is quite remarkable. 2 stars to respect the technical competence and for not making put my giant wotsits in my ears.
Louis Prima
1/5
Jazzhands-tastic mate
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
I’m so hit and miss with Bruce. And this was a hit overall. Song writing absolutely top notch and having read the wiki notes about the album I understand why. Great guitar work and the band flawless. Stand out track for me ‘Nothing Man’. Why not a 5 then? A few songs did grate a bit. ‘Skin in Skin’ and ‘The Fuse’ especially.
ABBA
1/5
I didn’t expect to enjoy an ABBA album very much, but this was even worse than I imagined. Even my ABBA-tolerant wife was disappointed.
Missy Elliott
2/5
She gets a bit too potty mouthed at times. All the little spoken segue bits are annoying and on brand for the genre. So many collaborations that I don’t know which bit she does. And I have no clue what she’s on about for much of it and I daren’t look up the lyrics. But apart from that there was some really good soulful and harmonious sounding bits.
Destiny's Child
2/5
Straight out of the traps with the expected ‘bangers’. Had the other passengers in my car in a good mood at least. But once they were out of the way, the 2nd half of the album just descended into a beige mush.
Soft Machine
1/5
I can’t even start to imagine who might reach for this and play it because they like it. All that music out there in the universe and somehow this makes the cut. Unbelievable Jeff.
Talking Heads
3/5
Very enjoyable. Great story telling in that quirky arty unique way. I had to wait for the standout tracks, both appearing at the end of the album… the classic ‘Psycho Killer’ and the uplifting ‘Pulled up’
Aretha Franklin
4/5
A sensational vocal performance and some great tunes. This caught me on a good day and the songs lifted my mood even higher!
Drive Like Jehu
3/5
I really wanted to like this more. I listened to it a while back and wanted to give it another dedicated listen before rating it, as something peaked my interest. Some great guitar moments and some lovely rumbling bass playing. It got better for me after the first 3 tracks. Not sure whether the vocalist calmed down an octave or 2, or I just got tuned into him a bit more. ‘Super Unison’ is the stand out for me, and the first few minutes of ‘Sinews’ showed another side of them that I’d have liked to have heard more of. But even after another listen, there’s something missing for me. I think it must be the vocal style, and not enough change of pace like Sinews promised.
SAULT
3/5
A nice surprise. They’ve got a message, but they delivered it beautifully in a soulful trip hop style. Stand out track ‘Wildfires’
Rod Stewart
1/5
Whilst I’m much more inclined to like Rods early work than his later stuff, this was a load of pish. He’s now just become that drunk uncle at a wedding who thinks he can croon and fancies himself with all the pretty bridesmaids.
R.E.M.
4/5
There’s enough beauty here to warrant a 4 star. ‘Sweetness Follows’, ‘Ignoreland’, ‘Nightswimming’ and ‘Find the River’ just superb.
ABBA
3/5
No ABBA for over 500 albums then 2 come along almost together. This was miles better than the other one, with more songs on that I knew due to complete overplay. Not my thing at all but I can appreciate that this is peak pop. So a 3 it is.
Supergrass
5/5
Considering this is a debut album from three fairly young lads, it’s an absolute belter. It has a lot more depth and quality musicianship than your typical ‘Britpop’ album from that time. I think they went on to make a better record with the follow-up, but this is still an extremely solid album. Great guitar work and striking vocals. What’s not to love?
Paul Simon
1/5
So dull. Flacid music. Lyrical genius at work writing a songs about allergies and the mind-bending observation that ‘Cars are Cars’.
Digital Underground
2/5
Well it was funny. I think it’s intentional. Peaked on track 1. I almost got up and did a little Humpty Dance all of my own.
Grant Lee Buffalo
2/5
Not bad. Stays a little safe though.
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
1/5
Supergroup? Really? Some nice musically moments spoilt by one of Albarn’s poorest vocal performances, at his whining worst.
Bee Gees
1/5
What a weird period for music, and this certainly was weird. I wasn’t expecting this at all. No wonder they stumbled into the disco.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
That wasn’t as terrible as I imagined. There were some desperate moments where his vocal style was starting to chafe, but I’ll give it a mid 2 stars.
The Zutons
3/5
Fun and competent without being spectacular. A generous 3.
Neil Young
5/5
There’s so many brilliant tracks from Uncle Neil to enjoy in his set list, but a delve into his huge back catalogue is a mixed bag. I’d not tried this one before, and it’s an absolute beauty. His vocal performance is right up there, without any of the expected weaker tracks to bring it down. This was just stunning, great guitar work, supporting musicians and story telling throughout.
Standout track is the title track.
Faith No More
3/5
A very high 3. I like what they did with War Pigs, and ‘Epic’ is quite literally epic obviously. Not a go to album, but nice to dust it off and give it a spin.
Television
5/5
Anybody who does this list and talks about it will get asked which albums did you discover and love. Well, this has jumped to the top of the pile for me. I was 7 when it came out so I guess I can be excused for not knowing it when it back then, but I’m amazed I haven’t stumbled across it or been recommended it based on what I’ve grown up to love. The guitar work is just outstanding, and deserve all 5 of my stars on their own. The vocals are decent too, and definitely add to the feel of the record. I’ve listened to it a few times before going back and rating it and it just gets better and better. The fact that there’s not much of a back catalogue for me to go and discover is intriguing but I will give the other stuff a listen. The lead singer seems to have released quite a bit of solo work, so I’ll give that a try. I just hope his musicians can deliver what Television were able to on this masterpiece, else it just won’t compare.
Chicago
2/5
It took me a moment to get over the complete surprise of this. I was expecting some soft rock, but got, erm, I’m not sure. Sounded like the band on a Saturday Night from the Royal Palladium Variety Show hosted by Jimmy Tarbuck. I was half expecting Michael bloody Buble to start singing. Oh God, we haven’t had Michael Buble yet on this list. Have I jinxed it by mentioning him? If he pops up it’s my fault. Sorry.
Back to the album. It had some ok moments where they got a bit of a bluesy flow going. But it wasn’t for me. An extra star awarded because it wasn’t Michael Buble.
The Byrds
1/5
Pleasant enough. But the harmonies and jingle jangley business just became repetitive. Mr T was lovely enough but they just got stuck in the same gear. And the gear was beige.
Venom
1/5
Oh wow. So bad. One dimensional. My ears are bleeding.
Copy and pasted this review from the Black Flag album review.
Black Flag
1/5
Oh wow. So bad. One dimensional. My ears are bleeding.
The Coral
1/5
If you like superficial fun then this is the band for you. Apart from the big hit, this offered absolutely nothing and I have no idea why it’s even here.
X-Ray Spex
1/5
A fifth 1 star rating on the trot. A new personal best (worst). But this was better than I expected, but not by much.
The Verve
5/5
Still a go to album for me. They can really bring it on tracks like ‘This Is Music’ but then can switch into a dreamy psychedelic trance on tracks like ‘Life’s an Ocean’. The guitar work and interplay with Richard’s vocal is just mesmerising. The overall atmosphere created on the album is just incredible, and it stands on a par with the more commercially successful ‘Urban Hymns’. I feel lucky to have seen them back in the day, and they were just as brilliant when playing live.
Incubus
3/5
It’s actually ok. Found it very listenable, and they got some nice grooves going. Not sure I’m going to become a fan of them any day soon, but I’m glad I invested a little of my time to enjoy it.
Method Man
1/5
Such a cliche.
Small Faces
1/5
Just plain weird
Maxwell
4/5
We don’t seem to have had many albums from this genre yet (almost 600 albums in), and it was a lovely surprise! Never heard of him, but hooked on the first half of it. Very smooooth, with some great bass playing and some funky wah-wah business going on. The vocalists were great. All very enjoyable, although the second half did seem to tail off and completely mellow out. I guess that was completely intentional. Reminded me of early Michael Jackson with a huge pinch of Fun Lovin’ Criminals.
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
3/5
3 stars is huge for me for a hip hop album. They had something to say, and it still felt relevant all these years later. Glad I listened to this once, and the delivery style definitely made me listen!
Mercury Rev
1/5
A band I’ve heard of but not listened to, so I was looking forward to this. The opening couple of bars was promising! Then he started ‘singing’, and I wished I’d have played the instrumental version I saw in Apple Music. A couple of minutes in and I’ve abandoned the idea of playing the instrumental as the warble on the penny whistle is like finger nails down a chalkboard. I suppose it matched the horrendous wailing of the vocalist.
The album just got worse and worse, bottoming out at ‘The Happy End’.
It then turned a small corner with the familiar and bearable ‘Godess on a Hiway’ and then the highlight ‘The Funny Bird’.
Not enough to lift it to a 2, as there’s far too much experimental out of tune nonsense.
Aretha Franklin
3/5
A respectful 3 for a stunning vocal performance, even if the music is not to my taste.
Fairport Convention
4/5
She has a stunning mystical voice against the backdrop of some great storytelling and musicianship. I really enjoyed it from start to finish.
Beck
5/5
Yes Beck. All grooves and creativity. An absorbing listen as there’s always something new to discover no matter how many times you play it. A classic of its time, and still fresh today.
Syd Barrett
1/5
Boring. A very bad Beatles impersonation.
The Black Crowes
2/5
Safe rock. Inoffensive, apart from ‘Hard to Handle’ which offends me to my core with its middle-of-the-road-cheesy-bar rock bollox.
Eels
5/5
An absolute gem of an album. Beautifully groovy and melancholic. So many stand out songs for me means the album as a whole must deserve a 5! If I had to pick one, then it’s ’Not Ready Yet’.
A brilliant live act if you get the chance. I went along as a gig buddy for my mate a couple of years ago, and was blown away by the musicianship and catalogue.
XTC
2/5
Not terrible but it evoked absolutely no emotion of any kind. Seemed like they were going through the motions.
Metallica
1/5
What a load of nonsense. It just didn’t work for me. I can’t imagine it working for a die hard Metallica fan either, but I guess it must’ve done.
The Kinks
2/5
Completely unremarkable and very dated
Ozomatli
3/5
From the bits I was able to find, it sounds like they were having a lovey old time. Shame that the whole album wasn’t available anywhere and I’m not sure if everything I found was actually part of the album. But I’ll go with vibes and give it a 3 that I hope it deserves.
Public Image Ltd.
1/5
I can only find one positive on this album. The bass playing is superb. Unfortunately, John can only hold one note, so the vocal performance is at best monotonous, and at worst blood curdling.
Dire Straits
4/5
A solid album. Mark Knopfler’s guitar work is exceptional. It’s probably just me, but there’s a fine line between really enjoyable blues rock and less enjoyable C&W. This mostly stayed the right side of the line for my palate, but occasionally strayed over. Nudges it down from a 5.
Frank Sinatra
1/5
Thanks for providing a completely unwanted ear worm on track one. Thankfully the rest of the album just descended into a white noise level of dull, which hopefully has removed it.
Kanye West
1/5
That was a little insight into the world of Kanye. Mad, egotistical, angry and rude.
Deep Purple
3/5
If I’d have been 20 years older, then maybe, just maybe I’d have seen this lot live and bought the album as a memory. I do like an unnecessarily long live solo, with a bit of call and respond between the band, but it doesn’t have the magic if you’re not a fan of the band. A respectful and appreciative 3 for the musicianship, and for making their live performance a proper event, rather than just going through the motions.
David Ackles
1/5
Tortuous
Slint
1/5
They’re not bringing anything new or exciting to the party. I’m sure it’s all very clever and deep, which is why is over my head.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
5/5
Just a beautiful album to listen to. The social commentary is there, but this is the way to deliver it (unlike so many other albums in this list). Really tight musicianship throughout, with great songwriting and vocals. What’s not to love? Joyous.
Thundercat
1/5
23 tracks with very little difference. Just heinous jazz-based bollocks.
Orange Juice
2/5
A very quirky pop album. Edwyn Collins has a very strange voice and some of these songs took it to some very strange places. But it was interesting and fun. Glad I got to listen to ‘Rip It Up’ again, but I’m not sure I’ll ever play this album again.
Jamiroquai
3/5
Apart from when he goes into full on Jazz mode, I found this enjoyable enough. Great energy despite the heavy social commentary. It got the old feet tapping along and I even joined in with some Stevie Wonder-esque do-do-do’s.
I can’t work out whether Jay Kay is a complete knob or not. I think he may well be. But if I judge the art not the artist, then it’s a 3 from me!
Calexico
4/5
Wow! I wasn’t expecting that! A complete cinematic masterpiece. Had me hooked all the way through. It definitely created a mood, and it was a bit of me. I loved the little instrumentals as much as the vocals. I don’t think I’d have ever discovered Calexico without this project, so this has been another big reason to see the list through.
Scott Walker
1/5
Middle of the road crooning business? Not for me thank you very much.
Napalm Death
2/5
This is getting 1 star more than I expected, because it made me smile. A lot. This is despite the horrendous noise that the vocalist makes. I know it’s a stretch to describe him as a vocalist. I actually find it funny that Apple Music has the lyrics on some of the songs, which makes it fun to sing a long to. I might play it again and sing along in the style of Michael Buble. It also has to be said that the first 1 minute 19 seconds of ‘Scum’ was great guitar work. Music managed to break out here and there in other occasions. On another positive note, they only needed 33 minutes to thrash out their repertoire of 28 anthems. Well played.
Footnote: I’d rather listen to this than Kanye West. Or Adele.
Astrud Gilberto
1/5
Lazy and boring
Laura Nyro
1/5
What a very strange vocal performance. I found her very difficult to listen to. Not sure who or what would actively seek this out for enjoyment.
The Byrds
2/5
It went too deep into either bad country or bad psychedelia for my taste. The straight up jangly guitar based pop was ok for its time.
Rufus Wainwright
3/5
A surprising 3 star rating from this tired listener. It matched my Sunday night mood. The excellent “Fo or Go Ahead” was the standout for me.
N.W.A.
1/5
Ah, my least favourite sub-genre in one of my least favourite genres. So no surprise, it’s a 1 star. Any worthwhile message is lost on me by the aggression throughout.
Beatles
5/5
Sensational stuff. I can’t even justify knocking a star off for the silliness of Yellow Sub. There’s too much good stuff here, especially the last track ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’
Germs
3/5
Possibly one of the best punk albums I’ve heard on here so far. Haven’t got a Scooby doo about what the singer is saying, but that’s probably for the best. Guitar work deserves the 3 stars all on its own.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
1/5
All very predictable. Competent but just not my thing.
The Afghan Whigs
3/5
I’m a bit torn by this. There’s so much about it I like. It’s rawness and emotion create a real story throughout. But there’s a question mark over the vocalist and some of his lyrics. Decent listen though.
Tom Waits
1/5
Abysmal
Ash
3/5
All the ingredients are there, but somehow it just doesn’t hit like other jangly guitar based indie bands of the time. Nice little stroll down memory lane though.
Mekons
4/5
Wonderful stuff! Not listened to these before, so was a great surprise. Very Pogues/Waterboys… not just the Irishness of the strings, but the punk delivery very Shane McGowan. At times they walked the line of in tune/out of tune gloriously. When they crossed it, it sounded just right. This will get more listens for sure.
The Pharcyde
1/5
I’m well over 600 albums deep into this list, and have managed to find joy in some strange and surprising places, from all sorts of genres that are alien to me. But I now know enough to understand that I just won’t find any in this corner of the musical planet. I’ve really tried. And I do keep listening to all of the albums. At least this was less angry. Whilst I didn’t delve into the lyrics, I didn’t sense anything that was inciting hatred either. Which is a positive. This just seemed to go on and on without changing gear. Nothing creative or inspiring. Guess I’m destined to never get it.
The Monkees
1/5
Maybe I’m just old and cynical. But this must have been a cash grab, surfing off their TV fame. There’s nothing there of any musical merit. Just a complete jumble of songs and style. Most of it cringey as.
Minor Threat
3/5
Yep. I like it. No mucking about. Got something to say and somewhere else to be. There’s even some music going on there too.