1001 Albums Summary

First album that a got to review here was an instant classic. As a guy who used to imitate James Hetfield and Dave Mustaine all throughout high school, both in guitar playing and image, I am a bit biased when it comes to rating this record. It was a turning point for me and got me through a lot of tough moments. If you are pissed off at the world and need to release some steam, this is a perfect album for that. Everything has already been said about the flawed mix of this album. The bass is nonexistent. The clean guitars sound dry as a desert. Drums are too loud. Lead tone is harsh. Having said that, the mix makes sense to me and comes together to form a unique atmosphere of hopelessness, rage, grief and overall injustice of the world. Makes total sense that it was written by young men, who have just lost their friend. The riffs on this record are some of Metallica's finest. Don't think I've heard anything quite like this in their later work. The guitar tone adds extra power and aggression to the passages and makes them stand out in your mind l, compared to the rest of their catalogue. Blackened is an absolute banger. One is a heartbreaking masterpiece of a song. Dying eve has one of James's most honest lyrics. Shortest straw is a riffing masterclass. The record still holds up. With a polished Bob Rock sound this material would have lost it's honesty. Still, would be nice to hear some bass from time to time 😁

Tried listening to "To pimp a butterfly" on my own before and found it a bit too chaotic for my liking. However, this record has a better balance of experimentation and accessibility. I still have to listen to it again to get a fuller picture, but even the first listening experience was extremely enjoyable. One of the best hip-hop records I've heard so far.

Very interesting record. Lots of odd riffs and melodies tied together masterfully. And of course, Chris Cornell was one of a kind. What a voice...

A couple of fun upbeat songs on this one, but the rest is too chilled out for me. No edge or excitement to be found on some of these tracks. Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five saved the whole thing for me, the record ended on a banger. But the middle kinda fell flat. But still, props to McCartney for staying an active artist after the Beatles and trying different musical directions.

Snooze fest