520
Albums Rated
2.96
Average Rating
48%
Complete
569 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1950s
Favorite Decade
Hard-rock
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
43
5-Star Albums
52
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whatever | 5 | 2.82 | +2.18 |
| Imperial Bedroom | 5 | 3.01 | +1.99 |
| Dare! | 5 | 3.05 | +1.95 |
| Bad Company | 5 | 3.26 | +1.74 |
| Faith | 5 | 3.27 | +1.73 |
| Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs | 5 | 3.33 | +1.67 |
| My Aim Is True | 5 | 3.35 | +1.65 |
| 25 | 5 | 3.36 | +1.64 |
| Smash | 5 | 3.38 | +1.62 |
| Hybrid Theory | 5 | 3.39 | +1.61 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kid A | 1 | 3.71 | -2.71 |
| Blackstar | 1 | 3.48 | -2.48 |
| Different Class | 1 | 3.42 | -2.42 |
| Channel Orange | 1 | 3.31 | -2.31 |
| Something Else By The Kinks | 1 | 3.25 | -2.25 |
| Soul Mining | 1 | 3.17 | -2.17 |
| Exit Planet Dust | 1 | 3.16 | -2.16 |
| Roxy Music | 1 | 3.11 | -2.11 |
| Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle | 1 | 3.02 | -2.02 |
| Safe As Milk | 1 | 3.01 | -2.01 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Johnny Cash | 3 | 4.67 |
| Aretha Franklin | 2 | 5 |
| Beatles | 2 | 5 |
| The Rolling Stones | 3 | 4.33 |
| Black Sabbath | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| My Bloody Valentine | 2 | 1 |
| Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band | 2 | 1 |
| Public Image Ltd. | 2 | 1 |
| Radiohead | 3 | 1.67 |
| The Fall | 3 | 1.67 |
| The The | 2 | 1.5 |
| Common | 2 | 1.5 |
| Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds | 4 | 2.25 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Prince | 2, 5 |
| King Crimson | 4, 1 |
| Grateful Dead | 4, 1 |
| The Kinks | 4, 1, 3 |
| Led Zeppelin | 4, 2, 3, 5 |
5-Star Albums (43)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
David Holmes
1/5
Let’s see. This isn’t music that you would listen to in the background like jazz. This isn’t music that I would expect one would go to a nightclub in college and try to dance to. This isn’t music that is catchy that you would later find yourself humming to one of the tunes. This isn’t music to sing to because, by and large, there aren’t lyrics, although some songs do rap over the musical track. So, I find myself asking, “what is the purpose of this album and why is it important that I listen to it before I die”?
I don’t normally look up artists that I am unfamiliar with when one is generated and presented to me but I did look up Mr. Holmes. I guess I could see some of this being used for soundtracks and apparently he makes a good living doing just that.
Radio 7 is supposed to be one of the outstanding tracks on this album. It’s a mystery to me how sampling the Bond theme and laying a drum track over it passes for clever. Aren’t you just leaning on the work of others like a crutch? It’s not like when Johnny Cash made Trent Reznor’s “Hurt” his own. Or when Sinead O’Connor did the same with “Nothin Compares 2 U” when she covered Prince’s tune.
From my point of view most (alll?) of the tracks are pointless and monotonous. This music doesn’t really seem to have a purpose. Without a movie or a show to assist, what is the artist trying to say? I’m not giving another moment of thought to try to answer that question.
8 likes
The Zutons
2/5
Okay album. I have nothing good nor bad to say about it.
2 likes
My Bloody Valentine
1/5
Noisy, muddled and often unlistenable (e.g. "who sees you"), this is another one of those albums that seems to be the list simply because the band is from the UK. It is difficult to understand the vocals as the lead singer mumbles his way through the songs.
"is this and yes" is another example of how awful things get. It's like one of those songs that the free streaming channels play on show breaks because they can't get anyone to advertise with them.
Don't get me wrong, I love guitars and fuzz pedals but this was too much fuzz. Even the vocals are fuzzy. Why so much fuzz?
I couldn't wait for the album to end but it did. It was terrible.
1 likes
Fred Neil
2/5
Not my thing - overrated album in my view (for what *that's* worth). I often felt like the musicians were playing different songs at the same time. +1 because Fred has a pleasant voice. Oh and Harry Nilson did "Everybody's Talkin'" better.
1 likes
Sinead O'Connor
4/5
I picked up this CD when it first came out. The album is full of haunting and seemingly autobiographical songs. In her biggest hit, Sinead takes Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U” and makes it her own. I think “The Emperor’s New Clothes” was a single too. Really good album.
I’m glad this came up to listen to when it did. Sinead recently passed and it was good to hear her once again. Incredible talent. So sad she was such a tortured soul. I hope she finds peace.
1 likes
4-Star Albums (103)
1-Star Albums (52)
All Ratings
Oasis
3/5
Oasis not quite at the top of their game. You can see hints of what's coming with their sophomore release, (What's the Story) Morning Glory?
Best cuts: Rock 'n' Roll Star, Cigarettes & Alcohol, Side Away
Worst cut: Shakermaker
Fleetwood Mac
4/5
I tend to like the Lindsay Buckingham songs best. My favorite is Not That Funny, I Know I’m Not Wrong and of course, Tusk.
The Christine McVie stuff is mostly too mellow for me. Lovely songs - just too mellow. Exception: Brown Eyes. Of course, John McVie’s bass lines are impeccable. Having Peter Green on guitar doesn’t hurt.
Stevie Nicks seems to be less of a presence on this album. They played the crap out of Sara on the radio but Angel is her standout track on this album.
Buckingham and McVie dominate this album. In retrospect, I can see why they got together and toured later.
It’s a departure from Rumours but in the end it can’t recapture the magic. If Rumours is a “5”, this has to be a “4”
Beyoncé
1/5
Not my thing. Beyoncé is clearly talented but I found the songs monotonous with the thumping beat in what seemed like the time signature. Also did not see the point of the explicit lyrics on some songs. A good example is Partition. Leave nothing to the imagine or to interpretation. People have been singing about sex forever. It’s more interesting when veiled in euphemisms than coming right out and saying it. A waste of 90+ minutes
The Kinks
4/5
This album is very much a British Invasion album. Released in 1966, many of these songs could've been Beatles songs (Party Line) or songs by other British Invasion bands like Herman's Hermits (Dandy). Sunny Afternoon is the most popular hit from this album.
It's amazing to compare the songs here with their earlier work with the bluesy/power chords of You Really Got Me and All Day and All of the Night. I would've expected this album to have preceded those releases where they took more of a rock approach vs jangly acoustic guitars. It's almost like two different bands.
Overall, this is an album full of really solid pop songs and very enjoyable.
10cc
1/5
The “Wall Street shuffle” is a not so subtle indictment of Wall Street style capitalism. Next up is "The Worst Band in the World" which takes a bit of a poke at the music industry. Entirely sure about what the song “Hotel” is about. It sounds like they don’t like Americans and Americans’ tendency to buy the better things. They even want the Yankees to go home. All to a calypso influence “Old Wild Men is a melancholy, mellow ode to men, who apparently reached the end of their lives and, having seen better days are waiting to die. "Clockwork Creep" is frenetic and nonsensical. I have no idea what it’s about. “Silly Love” is a pretty rockin’ tune. And I guess it’s 10 cc attempt at doing a love song. If there was one good word to describe it would be silly... "Somewhere in Hollywood" predates Eagles’ "King of Hollywood" by 5 years while covering the same topic. "Baron Samedi" starts out as an uptempo since but then changes time signature about one minute in and then picks back up a minute later. Back and forth throughout. It’s just an odd song. It might be about a superhero. Or, I might be about a vampire. It’s a head scratcher. "The Sacro-Iliac" pitches a new dance for those who don’t want to. Not surprised that it never caught on. The album closes on a high note “Oh Effendi” as we move to the Middle East and oil based capitalism.
10cc was always very experimental. And making music for art sake is all well and fine but making records is usually a decision to make money as far as the music industry goes. I have no idea how this album ever got made. I can’t imagine a record executive thinking that this was ever going to produce even a single hit
Stevie Wonder
3/5
Good album. Starts off slow but picks up by the 3rd song. Did not care for "Too High" and "Visions" at all. Arguably three best songs are also the three that probably received the most airplay" "Living for the City", "Higher Ground" and "Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing."
Most impressive: Stevie Wonder reportedly played all the instruments. Also, was surprised to read that this was his 17th album.
Guided By Voices
1/5
Most of the songs are immelodious and the guitars are discordant. “Good Flying Birds” was okay but all the songs leading up to that were awful. “Motor Away” was pretty good. “My Valuable Hunting Knife” sounded like an actual song in that the few instruments on the track were on the same page. “Alright” was so bizarre! It’s nearly three minutes long. Other than some ‘Alrights’ early on, there are no lyrics until there are 20 seconds left. Gratefully, the songs are short. Garage rock at its worst.
Sinead O'Connor
4/5
I picked up this CD when it first came out. The album is full of haunting and seemingly autobiographical songs. In her biggest hit, Sinead takes Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U” and makes it her own. I think “The Emperor’s New Clothes” was a single too. Really good album.
I’m glad this came up to listen to when it did. Sinead recently passed and it was good to hear her once again. Incredible talent. So sad she was such a tortured soul. I hope she finds peace.
The The
2/5
Some catchy tunes. Some quirky tunes. I kind of had this playing in the background, and the only song that really stood out to me was “Slow Train To Dawn” with Neneh Cherry. Overall, just an okay album. I might give it another listen.
The Waterboys
4/5
Enjoyed the Waterboys! After listening to Sinead O’Connor’s “I Do Not Want…” album, a Waterboys song played next as Spotify often chooses a related artist’s song. Well, they are Irish. And British. And Welsh. And Scots so…
This album is an amalgam of Irish folk tinged rock and roll. Favorite songs with “Fisherman’s Blues” (including the alternative version) "And a Bang on the Ear". Despite being awfully long, it’s a really good album.
The Byrds
4/5
Very Beatle-esque but they still have their own distinct sound. Jangly guitars and 3 part harmonies though out. Some political commentary common to the music of the time
Great use of stereo. Sounds great when listening with headphones. Why doesn’t anyone do real stereo anymore. It was cool listening to “Mr. Tambourine Man” and hearing guitar on the right channel and bass on the left!
Favorites:
“I’ll Feel A Whole Lot Better” - cool intro. I like the use of repetition of the verse by the lead vocal by the background singers.
“It’s No Use” - great guitar work and very upbeat. Alternate version adds some interesting lead guitar and makes it a much more rockin’ song.
“Don’t Doubt Yourself, Babe” - love the drums and vocals. Dig the harmonic solo.
This particular album version includes alternative versions of “I’ll Feel A Whole Lot Better” and several other songs. It’s always interesting to hear a different song arrangement.
David Holmes
1/5
Let’s see. This isn’t music that you would listen to in the background like jazz. This isn’t music that I would expect one would go to a nightclub in college and try to dance to. This isn’t music that is catchy that you would later find yourself humming to one of the tunes. This isn’t music to sing to because, by and large, there aren’t lyrics, although some songs do rap over the musical track. So, I find myself asking, “what is the purpose of this album and why is it important that I listen to it before I die”?
I don’t normally look up artists that I am unfamiliar with when one is generated and presented to me but I did look up Mr. Holmes. I guess I could see some of this being used for soundtracks and apparently he makes a good living doing just that.
Radio 7 is supposed to be one of the outstanding tracks on this album. It’s a mystery to me how sampling the Bond theme and laying a drum track over it passes for clever. Aren’t you just leaning on the work of others like a crutch? It’s not like when Johnny Cash made Trent Reznor’s “Hurt” his own. Or when Sinead O’Connor did the same with “Nothin Compares 2 U” when she covered Prince’s tune.
From my point of view most (alll?) of the tracks are pointless and monotonous. This music doesn’t really seem to have a purpose. Without a movie or a show to assist, what is the artist trying to say? I’m not giving another moment of thought to try to answer that question.
Suede
3/5
I hear hints of Bowie’s influence and I think that this band must’ve influenced The Darkness’ vocal stylings. Solid tunes and a good mix between slow songs and up-tempo rockers.
I don’t think I have any favorites off this album nor do I have any that I really dislike. I’ve always liked Justine Frischmann although I have to admit I knew her from her work with Elastica rather than Suede. I think her great guitar work is the highlight of this album rather than any given song. This album gets a 5 or 6 out of 10 for me.
The Kinks
1/5
This album was “Something Else” that’s for sure. I’m not sure what to make of it. There were some songs that were just awful like ”Lazy Old Sun”, and “End of the Season”.
Sometimes, like on “Tin Soldier Man”, I felt like they were trying to be Sergeant Pepper‘s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Other songs like “Afternoon Tea” felt like they were trying to capture a mood ala Queen’s “Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon” but this song was rejected by the band and the Kinks found it while rummaging through the trash.
In any case, I did not enjoy this album at all and I’m not sure why it made the list.
The Band
3/5
At the risk of sounding like a certain political leader, The Band is a band full of members that make up The Band.
I’ve never really understood why folks think that The Band is so influential. To me, the music sounds a lot like other rock music that was put out at that time. Don’t get me wrong, it’s good rock music but I just don’t see how The Band influenced the acts that succeeded them. But what do I know? I am sure that some music critic, who declared this album “one of the most influential albums of all time” knows.
My favorite tracks are “Across the Great Divide” and “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down”.
Jamiroquai
3/5
This album was a pleasant surprise! I knew of Jamiroquai by name, but never really paid much to attention them. Very funky and jazzy grooves. Very listenable!
k.d. lang
3/5
Good album. Easy to listen to. k.d. lang has a beautiful voice. “Constant Craving” is the only song I have heard before.
Beach House
2/5
Dreamy, lush and ethereal sounding. The songs are all roughly in the same tempo. I found the only real difference between one song and the next depended largely on who was singing. The instruments were often indistinguishable from one another, lost in a background of synthesizer. Not my thing but not unpleasant in any way. Just meh.
Jefferson Airplane
5/5
Based on “White Rabbit”, people seem quick to write Jefferson Airplane off as just a psychedelic rock band, but I don’t think that description does them justice. They can do it all. They rock on “Somebody to Love”. With “Today” they prove they write a top notch ballad. “Coming’ Back to Me“ is beautiful in its simplicity. “3/5 of a Mile in 10 Seconds” sports some great electric guitar work. On “How Do You Feel” they give the Mamas & the Papas a run for their money with lush harmonies. “Embryonic Journey” is an upbeat acoustic instrumental. They tackle the blues “In The Morning”. Check out the spectacular bass lines on “Come Back Baby”.
This production value is right up there with the best of that time period. I one of the first things that jumped out at me is the brilliant use of stereo. This is another album best listened to with headphones on.
This is truly a great album. The musicianship is top notch, they make great use of harmonies and sophisticated lyrics and melodies. Will be listening again and again.
Eurythmics
4/5
Full disclosure: I had this album on vinyl was it was released.
I’m a big fame of the 80s New Wave movement. Even though synth pop bands like Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), Blancmange and Human League preceded them, to me the Eurythmics were different in that Annie Lennox can actually sing.
The songs are well written and the arrangements are lush. "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" is the breakout hit but their cover of Sam and Dave’s "Wrap It Up" is really good.
I also enjoyed "The Walk” due to the addition of horns. “This is the House” gets high marks for that wicked bass line (and horns!)
There aren’t any *bad* songs on the album but “Jennifer” comes close. It’s subdued and repetitive. It’s just okay. Not sure who she is (maybe Annie’s alter ego?) or why she warranted over 5 minutes of attention although I do think she drowned. I’m going to put “The City Never Sleeps” in this category too. It’s a trip that never actually goes anywhere.
Compared to their contemporaries, this album is probably a “5” but I am going hold my ground about not giving out many 5s. So 4 of 5.
Bill Callahan
1/5
Huh? What just happened here? The only thing I came away with from this album is the fact that I could be a lead singer in a band that somehow got a recording contract.
Oh and even though you changed one note, nice job stealing the bass line from Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer” on “Eid Ma Clack Shaw”
Massive Attack
3/5
After listening David Holmes’ Let’s Get Killed, I did not have high hopes for this album. I guess this trip hop too but it’s much more listenable. It’s still not my thing but I appreciate the production value and the fact that they have various vocalists, and less repetitive sounding tunes. I enjoyed “Safe From Harm” and “Unfinished Sympathy” with Shara Nelson on vocals. I enjoyed the tracks that only rapped the least.
Goldfrapp
2/5
When I saw that Goldfrapp was considered electronic pop, I thought, “Great! Maybe l’ll hear something like Yaz or the Eurythmics” but this album is very different than those bands. None of the songs moved me. Many of the songs felt like themes for James Bond. Color me underwhelmed.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
I like Elvis Costello. I like this album. Do I think it is his best album? I do not (check out My Aim is True or When I Was Cruel or a half dozen others). But there is not a bad song on this one.
Spacemen 3
2/5
Long repetitive spacey guitar driven rock songs. Not for me.
The Boo Radleys
2/5
Not impressed. Lots of what sounds like songs being played backwards. Some songs were okay when they finally started singing. I enjoyed “I Hang Suspended” and “If You Want It, Take It” but that’s about it. Overrated album imo.
Sarah Vaughan
4/5
I am not a jazz enthusiast by any stretch but I have been exploring the genre more and more. I found this to be a really good 50s style jazz album. Sara Vaughan sure can sing and her backing band is great.
I listened to this on both loud speakers and headphones. If it wasn’t for the applause and the glitch at 4:03 of "Willow Weep For Me” (a mic or something was knocked over), you might mistake this for a studio album. So charming the way she recovered and sang some improvisational lyrics making fun of what happened.
The recording is so good, this one would be worth owning on vinyl.
Scissor Sisters
3/5
Better than I thought it would be.
Holger Czukay
1/5
Imagine you are a musician with formal training. Now, imagine someone gave you a $40,000 Moog Synthesizer in the late 70s and told you to learn how to use it. So, you spent a few days with it and decided to record what you learned down in your Mom’s basement. Then you dubbed it some guitars, bass and drums. And you invited some friends over to contribute to your recordings. And everyone just played whatever they wanted with little regard for melody, harmony, or rhythm. Then, just for fun, you’d lift some sounds of people talking and splice that in.
Okay, I admit the part about Mom’s basement was unnecessary but if you did the rest of that, you’d have this album. And you’d be considered avant-garde and a pioneer for sampling.
John Lennon
4/5
I thought I never really liked John Lennon’s solo work based on the stuff that got airplay. But I really enjoyed this! I don’t think I have ever heard any of the tracks on this album before. Top picks for me are “Working Class Hero”, “Remember” and “Well Well Well”
Scott Walker
2/5
First things first. The guy can sing. The songs vary between cabaret and 1970s variety show tunes. Just okay.
Steve Winwood
3/5
Solid album. Reminds me of college. While they played the crap out of “While You See a Chance”, “Arc of a Diver” is the standout song to me. The album is remarkable, and that Steve Winwood plays almost all the instruments.
Kate Bush
3/5
In general, I am not a fan of Kate Bush’s breathy, little girl soprano. She’s a terrific lyricist and, to me, many of her songs have this ancient Saxon feel to them.
“Love and Anger” is a welcome departure from that. The album seems to go back and forth between songs that kind of rock (“Heads We’re Dancing”), songs that have a lot going on (“The Fog” starts out clear and becomes a muddled mess about halfway through.) and soft love ballads. “This Woman’s Work” is an outstanding example of the ballad. “The Sensual World” is an ode to what must have been some pretty hot sex. “Reaching Out” starts out with some lovely piano and left me wishing she had kept it simple throughout.
Machito
3/5
Big band jazz with Latin rhythms! What’s not to like?
Suede
3/5
The second Suede album on the list. Good album. The songs have a certain fuzziness to them. I guess that's a feature of their sound. Song-wise nothing really stands out to me though except "The 2 of Us" because it was so different than the rest of the album.
Death In Vegas
3/5
This album is considered to be electronica but with the addition of guitars and bass it’s really much more complex and layered and quite good. Very listenable.
I enjoyed almost all of the songs but especially those with vocals: "Dirge", "Soul Auctioneer", "Aisha", and "Broken Little Sister". The choir arrangement on "Aladdin's Story" was very interesting too. The only song I did not care for was “Death Threat”. I was noisy and monotonous.
AC/DC
4/5
Great album. From Bon Scott’s tongue-in-check lyrics combined with Angus Young’s lead guitar riffs and solos, and Malcom Young’s rhythm work (whose timing that you could set a watch to) the album just rocks. The album doesn’t have a bad song on it.
Aside from the hit title track, my favorites are “Touch Too Much”, “Beating Around the Bush”, “If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It) and “Night Prowler”.
Buena Vista Social Club
3/5
Their musicianship is undeniable. I don’t speak Spanish so I don’t know what they’re singing about but the music was pretty good.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
Super mellow synth pop with some guitars and strings mixed in on various songs. Some songs have a bit of an R&B feel. Didn’t really do anything for me to be frank but I appreciate the production value and the songs are very well crafted.
Elvis Costello
5/5
His first and my favorite Elvis Costello album. This is one I would consider getting on vinyl (so I did!) My favorite tunes are "Alison" (love the guitar work), "Watching the Detectives" (is there a better lyric than “red dogs under illegal legs”?) and "(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes".
X-Ray Spex
2/5
Loud, frenzied riffs. The lead singer sounds like she is a female version of John “Johnny Rotten” Lydon. Interesting use of horns and sax though out.
Mike Oldfield
3/5
I was just a kid when The Exorcist came out but I remember the hysteria around it all. As I recall, Part 1 was used as the theme for the movie. However, I had no idea until listening to the album here that it was over 26 minutes long (pretty sure the long version never made it to Top 40 radio haha). Impressive that he played almost all of the instruments. Extra credit for doing that at 19 years of age.
Billie Holiday
3/5
Good jazz album from 1958. Billie Holiday's voice had changed significantly by this point (listen to her earlier work to see what I mean) apparently from drugs, alcohol and illness (she died the next year) but it gave her voice so much character.
The Byrds
3/5
This is my second Byrds album (the first was Mr. Tambourine Man) on the list. I have to say, I enjoyed Mr. Tambourine Man more. Some good songs, jangly guitars (that often sound like sitars) and two instrumentals on this particular version of the album. There are also some songs that are kind of all over the place and guitar solos that just sound like someone playing as many notes as they could without regard to the underlying tune.
Some standout tracks for me are "Why" (both versions), "Eight Miles High" (the only song I've heard before) and "John Riley". I think their version of "Hey Joe (Where You Gonna Go)" was good too - really different than the bluesy rock version by Jimi Hendrix or Wilson Pickett's soulful rendition.
Sisters Of Mercy
3/5
Although I recognized the band's name, I never listened to them as I thought gothic rock is kind of dark. However, this album is surprisingly listenable! While the lead singer's voice sounds like many others in the genre, it works. I liked "Dominion"/"Mother Russia", "Lucretia My Reflection" and "This Corrosion". No real dislikes.
Nightmares On Wax
3/5
Innocuous, laid-back background music. I really couldn’t tell the difference between most of the songs. But it was good.
Genesis
3/5
Pretty typical album of the 70s prog rock genre. Peter Gabriel is the vocalist on all but one of the tracks. Phil Collins sings on the other and, as a ballad, it is the least progressive in terms of style. Some songs are really long as prog rock songs tend to be.
Phill Collins' drumming is pretty interesting. Steve Hackett contributes some cool riffs. Tony Banks' keyboard seem to dominate most songs.
Overall, it's a good album if you like prog rock.
Portishead
4/5
Really good! Easy to listen to. I really enjoy the lead singer’s vocals. I didn’t come away with a favorite song, but there weren’t any that I disliked.
George Harrison
4/5
Very good album! I had forgotten what a great songwriter George Harrison was. I really enjoyed the alternative versions of "What Is Life" (backing track/alternate mix) and "My Sweet Lord (2000)".
Talk Talk
3/5
Interesting album. I’ve always thought of Talk Talk as a synth pop band. This album, while it employs synths, seems to have more emphasis on guitars, bass and non-synth keyboards. Favorite song: “Life’s What You Make It”.
Alice Cooper
3/5
This album holds up pretty well over the 50 years since its release.
Jane's Addiction
3/5
Interesting album. “Jane Says” is the track that everyone has heard before but I found the rest of the album louder (in a good way) than I expected but a bit noisy at times. I enjoyed Dave Navarro’s guitar work.
I am amazed by the album cover. My first thought was to wonder how the band got away with it in 1988 while the Black Crowes caused such a s-storm with their Amorica album cover in 1994. That said, I am pretty sure the twins had implants.
In the end, I just can’t get into Jane's Addiction as a whole. I just don’t care for Farrell’s voice - to me, a little Perry Farrell goes a long way. Listening to this album left me wondering just who is Jane anyway that she had a song written for her by a band named after her and her neuropsychological disorder?
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Well, unfortunately, only “A Case of You” was available on Spotify so I wasn’t able to listen to this album. But Joni Mitchell’s voice is lovely and the song is lyrically beautiful.
I found the whole album on YouTube. Weird to me that it is available but not Spotify. I guess she’s monetizing by playing commercials that you must dismiss after *every* song.
Once I got to listen to it, it turned out to be a really good folk album. I think Joni Mitchell is a better songwriter than singer, but the album really doesn’t have any bad songs.
Buzzcocks
3/5
Typical punk rock. Good album if you are a fan of the genre. Think Sex Pistols instead of the Ramones
Fleet Foxes
3/5
Never heard of them. Nice folk rock. Good harmonies. Super mellow and dreamy tunes. Easy to listen to.
The Rolling Stones
5/5
Dang! The Stones do it all on this record: rock, blues and even a little country. Awesome album! Of course, you have "Gimme Shelter" and "You Can't Always Get What You Want" but my favorite is "Midnight Rambler".
Belle & Sebastian
2/5
The musicianship is good, and the lyrics are better but lead singer's voice ruins it for me.
Khaled
2/5
Spotify only had one song: "El Harba Wine". I'd characterize it as Middle Eastern Pop. It was nothing special so I am not going to chase down the other songs on YouTube or wherever. Not my thing but the guy can sing though so bonus point.
SZA
2/5
Whenever an album comes up on this list, I look at it from the perspective of why I must hear the album before I die. I'm drawing a blank on this one.
The musicianship has some value and it sounds well produced but SZA seems like just another artist too reliant on autotune and explicit lyrics. There are some catchy tunes but most of it was just run of the mill R&B with some hip hop mixed in.
I've heard a bunch of albums that take me out of my comfort zone and make me want to give it another listen but this is not one of them.
LTJ Bukem
1/5
Found the reviewed album on YouTube. High BPM drums. Some sampling. Repetitive. Sparse vocals. Innocuous music. High energy - might be good to run to. Or dance to if you were really high. Otherwise without value imo.
a-ha
3/5
I find this to be a typical new wave synth-pop album in manyy respects. The musicianship/programming is top notch and the vocals are different than a lot of other bands of this period. Compare them to Human League, Heaven 17 or even Depeche Mode and you’ll find that the lead singer, Morten Harket, has a bit more range than those lead singers even if the top end of his range is falsetto. We’re not talking Jimmy Somerville/Bronski Beat falsetto, Harket uses it more sparingly.
The best songs on this album are probably those that were released as singles. Made me want to see their videos. Interestingly, the video for “Take on Me” has over 1 billion views which is pretty rare. When I first saw it on MTV, I think it was the fist to use animation so kudos to whoever thought of that.
All that said, I still think it is just a 3. Maybe 7/10.
Teenage Fanclub
3/5
Good album. 90s Alternative. Familiar with the name but never heard their music. Why aren’t they more popular? Lots of overdriven fuzzy guitars and good pop sensibilities. Very catchy. Can hear the Beatles and Byrds influences. Totally underrated band. Will give another listen!
Roxy Music
1/5
Too artsy and pretentious for me. I found Bryan Ferry's vocals especially annoying with that vibrato thing he does. I guess I am just not appreciative of the "avant-garde"
Linkin Park
5/5
*Great* album. Tremendous mix of hard edged guitars, gritty vocals, heavy lyrics and perfectly designed rhymes. This album is so good, it’s hard to believe that it is the band’s first album. Every song is produced to perfectly blend heavy metal and rap/hip-hop. It’s hard to pick out a favorite, but "Cure for the Itch" feels like filler. The magic occurs when the lyrics, raps, scratching, samples and guitars all play off one another.
John Martyn
3/5
I get this album, see the name John Martyn and look him up. He’s described as a British folk singer-songwriter. I thought great, another Joni Mitchell album (folk is not my thing). Boy, was I pleasantly surprised! This is a good album!
The Triffids
2/5
Okay songs. Okay band. Okay singer. Okay album.
Elvis Presley
4/5
The King! TCB⚡️
David Bowie
2/5
Let’s face it. Bowie is brilliant but weird. The songs on this album reflect that. There’s a reason that “Heroes” is really the only hit single from this album. I found the rest of it mostly unlistenable avant-garde crap. But it’s Bowie so an extra star for that.
Anthrax
3/5
Thrash Metal. They seem to like long intros. The songs range from fast tempo to blazingly fast tempo - often in the same song. There must be a dozen tempo changes in “Among The Living” on the track.
Vocals are just okay. Lyrics are meh. Rhythm guitar work is tight. The bass and drums are amazingly in synch. Not my thing but I can appreciate the musicianship.
Air
3/5
Dreamy, spacey electronic music. Some of the sounds are a little dated but overall it’s not a bad album. Easy to listen to and not repetitive like some songs on similar albums.
Saint Etienne
3/5
This was okay. In general, songs with vocals were better than the instrumentals. Some songs were just too long and monotonous.
Talking Heads
3/5
Talking Heads is one of those bands that I did not appreciate when they first came out. I think many people see them as love 'em or hate 'em. They've grown on me over the years. Glad to revisit this album.
A wonderfully weird debut album. "Psycho Killer" is likely the only song most people have ever heard of. The rest of the album is very good too.
The Velvet Underground
2/5
I don't know. I think The Velvet Underground is overrated. I find Lou Reed to be overrated. Frankly, Andy Warhol is overrated too. He certainly doesn’t deserve a bridge named after him in Pittsburgh.
I’m not sure who Nico is or what songs he sings. All of the vocalists are mediocre. The album is pretty dark and covers some seedy topics. I am coming to the conclusion that “art rock” is not my thing.
Gene Clark
4/5
It’s hard to believe this album didn’t get any love when it was first released. A little rock and a little folk with some country mixed in. Not at all like The Byrds. Well written songs and vocals. Very good!
Traffic
3/5
Not to my liking but you can’t deny their talent and musicality.
M.I.A.
3/5
Not bad. Not hip hop as I think of it. Interesting rhythms combined with some good melodies.
Radiohead
2/5
OK album, I guess. I don't see what all the adulation is about with Radiohead. Musically, this album seems very experimental. The vocals are boring. For me, it's just meh.
The Who
4/5
Easily the best Who album imo. Never listened to it with headphones before. The guitar work is sublime ;-)
Robbie Williams
3/5
Pretty good. Vocals remind of Oasis although this is more pop than rock.
Orbital
2/5
Boring, monotonous, background techno. Don't see the appeal. People who use drum machines should figure out how to do fills and tempo changes.
The Everly Brothers
4/5
The simple arrangements mark the period/time when musicians performed good, wholesome music. Beautiful harmonies and wholesome rock 'n' roll!
Janet Jackson
3/5
Did you ever notice you never saw Michael and Janet together at the same time? And since he passed away, Janet no longer performs? Coincidence? I think not. I'd rate this a "2" but there is some wicked guitar work mixed in throughout this album so +1.
Milton Nascimento
3/5
This stuff is pretty catchy. The songs are in Spanish so I did not know what he is singing about but it was pretty good pop music. Easy to enjoy.
My Bloody Valentine
1/5
Noisy, muddled and often unlistenable (e.g. "who sees you"), this is another one of those albums that seems to be the list simply because the band is from the UK. It is difficult to understand the vocals as the lead singer mumbles his way through the songs.
"is this and yes" is another example of how awful things get. It's like one of those songs that the free streaming channels play on show breaks because they can't get anyone to advertise with them.
Don't get me wrong, I love guitars and fuzz pedals but this was too much fuzz. Even the vocals are fuzzy. Why so much fuzz?
I couldn't wait for the album to end but it did. It was terrible.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
3/5
Long, seemingly pointless songs. Impressively synchronized playing by all three musicians. Progressive rock at its finest? I guess. Extra points for the armadillo tank.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Bruce got the band back together! Although, to be honest, there are several songs that sound like the E Street Band is not playing on The Boss' album at all. Then Clarence Clemons chimes in and all is well. It's a pretty somber album but pretty well executed.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
Gabriel’s first album after leaving Genesis. Some songs are throwbacks to the progressive rock thing he did in Genesis. A few other songs that kind of rock. The radio friendly “Solsbury Hill” is here too. Not his best album in my opinion but pretty good for a debut.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
Two Peter Gabriel albums in a row (1 and 3). I like 3 (aka Melt) better than 1. It's supposedly more experimental but I found it more listenable. Enjoyed "I Don’t Remember" and "Games Without Frontiers". "Family Snapshot" was very interesting (and disturbing).
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
I am not sure what to make of this album. It's not very musical. I would call it spoken word art if I had to pick a way to categorize it. There are some places were singing occurs but a lot of it was a guy with a cool voices telling a story. No effort to rhyme. But good imagery from the "lyrics".
The Prodigy
2/5
Is it me or does all of this style of electronic music have the same beat? I was listening to this album and when it ended Spotify put on a similar artist and I swear that they had the same drum track. I guess this music would be good to dance to but otherwise I didn’t have much use for it.
Bobby Womack
3/5
A little soul, a little, old school, R&B, and even a little funk makes this a really good album. It’s too bad the entire thing was not available on Spotify because I really enjoyed it.
Elliott Smith
3/5
Not familiar with this artist. Thoughtful indie rock. Surprisingly good. Too bad he is no longer with us.
Judas Priest
4/5
Never was a big Judas Priest fan but this is the band at its best. Strong songs, tight musicianship and high quality production shows how quintessential this album is.
Adele
4/5
Very good album. Blues, pop and soul all come into play on this, Adele’s second album. It’s deeply personal as she wrote about the relationship troubles she was having at the time and her voice brings this all to life.
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
Lush harmonies. Sophisticated lyrics. More Simon than Garfunkel. ‘Nuff said.
Elliott Smith
3/5
Good album. I'd rate it higher except for the fact that Smith’s voice has a very limited range, and that leads to many songs sounding very much the same.
Underworld
3/5
More electronic dance music. It seemed to be more varied than some of the other stuff that I have listened to on the list. Drum tracks varied. Synths varied. Some songs seemed awfully long. Blueski was different (which is why I looked to see what the name is) and short. It was okay. Extra credit for variety.
Germs
3/5
It's loud. Much what you'd expect from a punk rock album. Extra credit for the Germs being one of the first punk rock bands.
Soft Cell
2/5
More like Non-Stop Erotic Karaoke. Pretty awful. Extra star because of Tainted Love
David Bowie
2/5
I don’t know how somebody writes a brilliant song like “Changes”, and then comes up with the rest of the stuff that’s on this album. Although “Queen Bitch” was pretty rocking and sort of amusing.
Echo And The Bunnymen
2/5
Okay album. The highlights here are “The Killing Moon” and “Seven Seas” The lowlight here is “Thorn of Crowns”.
3/5
Not a big Dylan fan. I think his voice is annoying and his harmonica playing is dreadful. That said, this is a pretty good album. No doubt about his songwriting. He can write.
Pulp
1/5
Dreadful.
Van Morrison
3/5
Van Morrison has one of coolest and most distinctive voices in Rock 'n' Roll. This album is super mellow and the music is pretty stripped down. I don’t think the songs do him justice but his vocals are pretty great nevertheless.
Marilyn Manson
1/5
Never listened to Marilyn Mason before. Never will again. Unless there is another album on the list. Then that will be the last album.
Eagles
4/5
Great album. Although it is probably not fair to compare the 1972 version of the band with the 1976 version, if Hotel California is a 5, then this is a 4.
Fela Kuti
3/5
Good! Very jazzy and upbeat.
Bob Dylan
3/5
He can't play harmonica or sing but these are darn good songs.
Booker T. & The MG's
5/5
All instrumentals. Classic rhythm & blues.
The Who
3/5
Never did get to see The Who live but, if this album is any indication, they are pretty good. Solid live album with really good recording quality.
Eels
3/5
Mid-tempo alt-rock from the 90s with slacker lyrics that pass for thoughtful. No bad songs but nothing really stood out either. Could have used a drum machine (maybe they did). Cover is pretty disturbing tbh
Solomon Burke
3/5
Pretty good. About what I'd expect from the genre and time period.
Bebel Gilberto
3/5
Very pleasant listening. Wikipedia says it is bossa nova but most of the songs sounded like more like jazz to me ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. Good album!
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Really good album. The only song I did not enjoy was the title track. There is something dissonant about the way it sounded to me. Minus 1 for the severed penis haha
Marianne Faithfull
3/5
Good album - it's well written and Faithfull's is very expressive. I know I have heard the title track but did not realize it was done by Marianne Faithfull. Pretty sure I have heard Working Class Hero before too.
Madonna
3/5
Madonna at perhaps her peak creative powers. Did not care for Act of Contrition but everything else was good.
Michael Jackson
3/5
Good album but totally over produced. MJ’s squeaks, gasps, woots and hee-hees wear thin quickly. I find it difficult to take his songs about women seriously given his reported proclivities and Speed Demon is just ridiculous. Still there are bunch of hits on this album, hence the score.
Lou Reed
2/5
I’m not a big Lou Reed fan. But this album is okay.
The Specials
3/5
This album is good. It sounds like they had a lot of fun recording.
Black Sabbath
5/5
Classic. Compared to the schlock played these days, this album is a 5. I remember listening to this in high school. Even though it had been out for several years at that point, there was really nothing else like it.
Johnny Cash
5/5
The quintessential Johnny Cash album. Outrageous at the time. Who goes and plays a concert for convicts? The Man In Black. That’s who. Singlehandedly started the whole outlaw country genre imo.
Klaxons
3/5
I liked it. Energetic synth pop.
Wilco
3/5
I had no idea what to expect. I heard the band's name mentioned but never heard their music. I did not care for it at first but it grew on me. Surprisingly good.
Miles Davis
3/5
I don't know if it was just Spotify but this album was *long*. Good album if you like experimental, improvisational jazz... I don't. I much preferred Davis' Kind Of Blue album to this one. That said, the musicianship here was top notch. Still, I cannot rate it any higher than a 3.
Joy Division
3/5
My previous exposure to Joy Division was "Love Will Tear Us Apart". I've always thought that was a terrible song mostly due to lead singer Ian Curtis' inability to carry a tune. With that out of the way, this album was a pleasant surprise and better than I expected. I can definitely see how Joy Division became New Order.
Metallica
2/5
Congratulations to Metallica for playing together with an orchestra 30 years after Deep Purple did it. The Who actually wrote a rock opera to be played with an orchestra around that same time. I'm sure there are others. Nothing groundbreaking here.
Kacey Musgraves
4/5
Kacey Musgraves has a very pleasant, pretty voice. It's a really good country pop album. Maybe a perfect pop album. Not a bad song on it. That said, I am not sure why it is among the 1001 Songs. Credit where credit is due: 7/10
Sonic Youth
3/5
This was better than I expected but still kind of hit and miss. It started off strong and went downhill from there. I don’t care for the Kim Gordon “vocals” all the much. I really liked Dirty Boots. Mildred Pierce was about 2 minutes too long.
Fred Neil
2/5
Not my thing - overrated album in my view (for what *that's* worth). I often felt like the musicians were playing different songs at the same time. +1 because Fred has a pleasant voice. Oh and Harry Nilson did "Everybody's Talkin'" better.
The Kinks
3/5
What a weird and quirky album! Never heard it before. I kind of like it but will probably never listen to it again. I'm going to go read the review to find out what was going on when they recorded this because it is a very strange album.
Ramones
3/5
I can’t say it better than this:
"We play short songs and short sets for people who don't have a lot of spare time."
Tommy Ramone
Miles Davis
5/5
I own this album on vinyl. It was my introduction to Miles Davis. I find it to be the perfect jazz album.
Queen
4/5
Really good album! It's pretty rockin' - not really a bad song on it. Killer Queen is the hit here and is probably the first song I ever heard from Queen.
My favorites are (in album order): Brighton Rock, Killer Queen, Tenement Funster, Flick of the Wrist, Now I'm Here, Stone Cold Crazy, and Misfire.
I am ambivalent about Lily Of the Valley, Dear Friends, Bring Back That Leroy Brown and The Lap Of The Gods... Revisited.
In The Lap Of The Gods is strange and the song I liked least.
Songhoy Blues
2/5
An interesting melding of Eastern music and American Blues. I really did not care for it overall. I think the musicianship was fine but I did not care for the vocals. I liked "Soubour" and "Nick" but the rest of the songs were just meh. I feel like this album would not be included in the list if it weren't for the Band's backstory and the obstacles they overcame to create their music.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
2/5
I know this is supposed to be their seminal album but it doesn't really do anything for me. It's just okay 1980s synth pop. I prefer Yazoo (Yaz), Blancmange, Erasure, Human League or Heaven 17 to OMD and New Order. 2/5
Sly & The Family Stone
2/5
I remember some of these songs as singles when I was a kid. The whole album has that thin late 60s production sound. Album was just okay for me.
Dexys Midnight Runners
1/5
What an awful album. I kind of liked the first song “The Occasional Flicker” and then I realized it sounds a lot like “Come On Eileen”. It went downhill from there for me. The vocalist has the most annoying vibrato I think I’ve ever heard. As if that isn’t bad enough, most of the songs are too long (e.g. the 12+ minute “That is What She’s Like” - BTW, what’s with the pointless conversation in the beginning?) Others are unoriginal (“One of Those Things” rips off Warren Zevon’s “Werewolves of London”). It’s hard to believe that this is same band that came up with "Come On Eileen". DMR is clearly a one-hit-wonder and I found the album without any redeeming qualities. 1/10.
Jane's Addiction
3/5
Overrated. Not sure why this album went double platinum - it came across as a hot mess to me. I always say “a little Perry Farrell goes a long way”. I can only take him in small doses. +1 for Dave Navarro‘s guitar work which is always tasty.
Lana Del Rey
3/5
Soft, mellow and dreamy. Lana Del Ray has a nice voice but little range. The songs all sound very similar to the point that I mistook the first 3 songs ("White Dress", "Chemtrails over the Country Club" and "Tulsa Jesus Freak") as the same song. I enjoyed "Let Me Love You like a Woman" and "Wild at Heart". The rest of the album was just okay. Not enough variety for me to revisit this particular album.
The Monks
3/5
Loud, edgy and primitive. Pretty good!
808 State
3/5
Interesting listen - for a genre that makes use of a repetitive 4/4 time signature, I found that there was enough varieties between songs that I did not feel like it was a 30 minute-long song. Not too bad overall!
Kraftwerk
3/5
The album consists of several instrumentals except the title track with is largely instrumental with some lyrics. A sample:
Wir fahr'n, fahr'n, fahr'n, auf der Autobahn
Wir fahr'n, fahr'n, fahr'n, auf der Autobahn
Wir fahr'n, fahr'n, fahr'n, auf der Autobahn
Wir fahr'n, fahr'n, fahr'n, auf der Autobahn
for 22 minutes hahaha. Well, except the instrumental parts.
Very industrial. Very German. I like it. I can see why it is thought of as the foundation and influencer of synth pop.
Pearl Jam
5/5
Ahh, 90s grunge. Or is it 90s alternative? Whatever you call it, it rocks. I think the only thing that makes it "grunge" is the timeframe it was released and the flannel shirts.
It's a great album and has aged really well. I think you could release this today; it's not dated at all.
Dolly Parton
3/5
Old time country with fiddles, steel guitar and banjos. It's a collection of low tempo songs sung by three great voices with lush harmonies. Even if you don't like country, you have to appreciate how talented these ladies are.
Lauryn Hill
2/5
I enjoyed the songs where she sings (she has a good voice) but the rap and hip-hop did nothing for me. I'm neutral on the reggae flavored cuts. Overall, just an okay listen for me. Kind of overrated. And way too long.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Blues based rock - great album! This may be my favorite Zeppelin. Brings back fine memories of high school.
Massive Attack
2/5
Not sure why there are two Massive Attack albums on "The List". Subdued rhythms, guest singers and electronic sounds. Blue Lines popped up for review in August 2023 and I don't really find any difference between the two albums. Had I died before hearing this, I don't think I would have missed much.
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
2/5
This is supposed to be an album by a super group? Super bad maybe. Just an awful album. 2/10. +1 for some interesting work by the rhythm section so round up to a "2"
Led Zeppelin
2/5
I listened to Led Zeppelin in my high school years. My recollection of Led Zeppelin I through IV albums was that they were very good. I just reviewed Led Zeppelin I the other day and it was as good as I remembered. However, this album is not as good as I remember. Okay album.
Pink Floyd
4/5
I don’t really like Pink Floyd But this was surprisingly good. David Gilmour‘s guitar licks are fantastic. My main criticism would be that “Shine on you crazy diamond” song was awfully long.
Deee-Lite
2/5
Okay dance music, I guess. I find the music to be very formulaic. Start out with a synth line for one measure, add a bass line in the next measure, add symbols then drums in subsequent measures. Different lines, lyrics and sometimes different tempos so the songs don’t sound alike. Ho hum. Not impressed.
Mudhoney
2/5
I’m okay with this musically but the vocals are awful. Taking a point away because the vocalist ruined this for me.
Brian Eno
3/5
Strange and not my thing but at the same time beautiful and haunting.
Les Rythmes Digitales
3/5
Pretty good dance music! Probably won't listen to it again but I did not hate it.
Bad Brains
4/5
Rockin’! The guitarist has chops!!
Funkadelic
3/5
Take some bluesy guitar work, add a whole bunch of funk and integrate it with some weird themes -= good stuff
Rocket From The Crypt
3/5
Usually, when I ask myself "why is this on the list?", it's because the album is really bad. This is not bad at all. But the question remains: what is so important about a mid-90s punk rock album that it made the list? I have no answer...
Elton John
5/5
Is this his greatest album? It may be. Even though there are a few snoozers, I feel like Elton John and Bernie Taupin were at height of their creative powers. 9/10.
Queen
3/5
This was good. But if “A Night at the Opera” (their Magnum Opus) is a 5 and I gave “Sheer Heart Attack a 4 then I can only give this a 3.
New York Dolls
4/5
I knew of the New York Dolls but never paid them any attention. That was a mistake. I can hear (and see) how the Dolls influenced the early albums by KISS and you can hear how The Rolling Stones influenced the Dolls. About a zillion bands credit the Dolls as an influence. All influences aside, I really enjoyed this album and will probably listen to it again.
Beck
3/5
I thought I knew Beck based on some of the songs that were released and played on the radio that really doesn’t capture his weird, eclectic style. An enjoyable listen.
The Cramps
3/5
It's been quite a ride over the past three days. The New York Dolls on Sunday and the Cramps on Tuesday and Beck's Odelay in between. I didn't realize that I was a fan of punk. The Cramps throw in some rockabilly which I have always been drawn to. They have a spooky Halloween feel to some of their songs which seems appropriate since Halloween is a two days away. Good stuff!
Harry Nilsson
4/5
Amazing album - I had no idea that Harry Nilsson was this good. I remember hearing "Without You" as a 9 year old kid. As an adult, I think it is one of the saddest songs ever written (and a Badfinger cover at that). Recently "Gotta Get Up" has bubbled into my consciousness from a commercial or something. To be honest, I thought it was a Billy Joel song. I'd give this album a 7 of 10. An unexpected gem that I will listen to again.
Dennis Wilson
2/5
I have mixed feelings about this album. I’m sorry he passed away. Dennis Wilson cannot sing very well.
+1 because… The Beach Boys
Stephen Stills
3/5
Good 1970s album.
Jack White
3/5
Is there anyone in the last 25 years or so that is more prolific than Jack White? Between the White Stripes, The Raconteurs, The Dead Weather and his solo work it seems like he was everywhere for a while.
This was an interesting album. It is a bit all over the place in terms of musical styles and that's a good thing. Not a bad song on the album. Nothing to get too excited over either.
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
Imagine you visit London on a business trip. Your daughter is going to school there for the semester and you meet her for dinner. She convinces you to go with her to meet her friends who are going clubbing. You agree to go for one drink and one of those “friends” slips you some MDMA at the club and the drug kicks in. The next hour+ of your life sounds like this album.
In all seriousness, I found the album to be pretty repetitive except "Setting Sun" and "Where Do I Begin" both of which had vocals. I did enjoy the bass lines in several of the songs but the drums were rather annoying throughout.
Manic Street Preachers
3/5
Good alternative rock - the Manics have a good sound. I don't think there is anything that differentiates them from other bands in this genre. To me, the most interesting thing about the band is the disappearance of their lyricist/rhythm guitarist Richey James. It's a solid album.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
Why is Nick Cave so melodramatic? I don't care for his vocals. If the vocals are not there then I can't look past the alleged greatness of this album. 3/10.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
This is a pretty amazing album. It's an hours and 46 minutes long. I looked it up and it was originally released as a 2 LP vinyl set.
Released in 1976, it has held up very well. It does not sound dated to me. If you are familiar with Stevie Wonder at all, you'll recognize \"I Wish\", \"Sir Duke\" and \"Isn't She Lovely\". While those are hits, there aren't any bad songs. Wonder is just that talented. Little wonder (no pun intended) it is considered his best. It's pretty much a perfect record.
ABBA
4/5
Ah, the 70s. Simpler times, simpler songs. Compared to lyrics written for songs today, these songs are filled with naive, almost childlike lyrics. It was just a more innocent time I guess. Many of the songs have the same feel as songs lifted from musicals (long before Mama Mia debuted on Broadway).
The recording and production is first rate. Many hits: "Dancing Queen", "Fernando", "Knowing Me, Knowing You", and "Money, Money, Money" "Dum Dum Diddle" was kind of dumb, "Tiger" was pretty cheesy and I am not sure what's going on "When I Kissed the Teacher".
Overall, this album was a 7/10 for me so I'll round up.
Black Sabbath
4/5
This was an amazing album! It was a lot more complex than I expected. I have listened to them in my youth but I can’t say that I am a Black Sabbath fan but I think this is worth listening to more than just once for this project.
Bill Evans Trio
4/5
It's jazzy piano, bass and drums. The bass solos are a little too improvisational for my liking but in general it's a pretty easy listen. The recording is excellent. I did not realize it was a live album until the audience clapped. Very good album.
Einstürzende Neubauten
1/5
I write this paragraph before listening to this album. Prior to this, I listened to four albums that were 4s in my book. Will this album make 5 in a row? Or will my 174th album reviewed break the streak and drop down below 4 or break the streak and achieve a rare 5. I have to admit that, based on the title (“Collapsing New Buildings” according to Brave's AI search), my expectations are not great. Having not read too much about the band beyond their name and their "experimental and avant-garde sound", I am hoping to be pleasantly surprised.
After trying to listen to the album I can only rate this as awful. I only made it into the 6th song. I felt like I was walking through some modern art exhibit where this album was playing in the background. Dreadful. 1/10
Richard Thompson
3/5
Celtic/English tinged folk music set to electric guitars. Some songs have a country western feel to them. Guitar work is very good. I could take or leave Richard's vocals. I think Linda's voice is wonderful. This album was (too?) short even with the bonus live tracks. Good album.
Joe Ely
3/5
Good country rock album. Ahead of its time, really.
The Residents
1/5
Mostly unlistenable dreck - this strikes me as art for art's sake. That is to say it is without any discernible purpose. The best part of the album was the songs were, gratefully, short.
Venom
1/5
I thought this was awful. It reminded me of a technically proficient high school band of misfits whose singer owned the mics and PA so he got to be the vocalist.
Neil Young
2/5
What's the big deal with this guy? Neil Young is totally overrated. I was glad when the album was over so I could listen to something better (in this case, whatever arbitrary playlist of "similar" songs by "similar" artists that the Spotify algorithm came up with).
Young has always been sub-par as a vocalist but this album takes it to new lows for me. He's frequently flat, his voice cracks in several places in multiple songs. The one song whose lead vocals that stood out to me, "Come On Baby Let's Go Downtown", isn't even sung by him.
Does he write good songs? Yes, I guess so (although I can think of very few I like personally). So I am going to magnanimous here (how pompous of me) and give him a 3/10.
Jeff Beck
4/5
Good blues-based rock and some good blues cover plus Rod Stewart on vocals is a 7/10 for me.
The B-52's
4/5
The B52's don't take themselves too seriously and that's part of the appeal. The lyrics are silly, vocals often over the top and the melodies are simple. The guitar work is my favorite part. It's just enough and fits in perfectly with the stripped down keyboards, solid drums and various noise makers like toy pianos and buzzers. Fun album!
Country Joe & The Fish
3/5
Good album but somewhat unremarkable. It's a typical late 1960s psychedelic rock album in my view. Heavy on the organ and thin 60s style guitar work.
Basement Jaxx
1/5
House music. Not my thing.
Pink Floyd
4/5
Ah, the classic Pink Floyd album. Classic cover. Classic prog rock. Two classic singles: "Money" and "Us and Them". It’s as good as I remember as a kid and I’m not even a Pink Floyd fan.
Muddy Waters
5/5
What a great blues album! Absolutely perfect in my view. Will get this on vinyl.
Dusty Springfield
4/5
This album is very polished and well produced. Her vocals are soulful and sexy. She has such a lovely voice. It is a very easy listen.
The Crusaders
2/5
I found this to be pretty generic jazz albeit with lots of saxophone and horns.
The The
1/5
Another completely overrated album whose presence on the list baffles. A merely ordinary new wave band with typical new wave vocals. Meh.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
I've always thought of myself as "not a big CCR fan" mostly because they've overplayed the hits over the years. That said, I was pleasantly surprised on how good the other songs are on this album. Sure, "Proud Mary" is an awesome tune and covered by many artists (I like the Ike & Tina Turner version best) but every other song on the album is solid. A solid 4 for me.
The Go-Go's
5/5
Great album! It has held up very well for an album that was released 40 over years ago. Not a bad song on the album. Too bad it was so short; I was really enjoying it. A classic. Vinyl worthy.
The War On Drugs
4/5
Liked the album opener "Under the Pressure" but it kind of went downhill from there for me. The songs have a dreamy feel to them where all the instruments work together but seldom really stand out. And that's the formula throughout albeit with varying tempos. Additionally, the songs are pretty long averaging around 6 minutes give or take. So if you love this, you are definitely getting your money's worth. I found myself looking forward to the album ending about 45 minutes in...
Overall it's not a bad album. There just aren't any songs that moved me. It's a solid 5 out of 10 for me.
The Fall
2/5
I really don't have much good to say about this album. Not the worst album but certainly not the best. Musicianship is not the worst but certainly not the best. The lyrics were not the worst but certainly not the best. The vocals were (arguably) not the worst but certainly not the best. Once again I question whether or not it is yet another UK album that appears to be on the 1001 list only because of the band's geographical roots.
Wild Beasts
1/5
Dreamy but boring. The falsetto singing ruined it for me. It reminded me of the Muppets’ Miss Piggy after some singing lessons.
Cocteau Twins
3/5
Dreamy and ethereal with a distinct 80s feel. Can’t understand any of lyrics. Better than other dream pop I’ve heard so far.
The National
3/5
Never heard the band before this. Glad that I did. I like the vocalist's voice. No single song stood out to me but good album.
Faust
1/5
Nein!! Not for me. I found it noisy and distracting. The vocals, when there were any, were ludicrous.
The White Stripes
4/5
Finally, after days of stuff that I did not care for, I finally got a really good one. Meg still pounds on the drum kit in her signature minimalist style and Jack lends plenty of riffs like their earlier work. But this album is definitely not a repeat of \"Elephant\".
Is there anyone as prolific as Jack White? The album is still very much garage rock but White adds some piano and acoustic on several tunes which I think shows his versatility.
Fun ride! I hope there are more White Stripe albums in the future.
Marty Robbins
5/5
Clean, well produced and sparse. There are just a few instruments and you make out each instrument and they never trample over the vocals. The songs tell stories and if you listen you can imagine what's going on as the vocalist weaves his tale. A C&W masterpiece.
Happy Mondays
1/5
Impressed that the band managed to record this at all given their reported drug-addled state during recording. On the plus side, recording and production quality was pretty good. Other than that, not sure what all the hullabaloo surrounding this band is all about. 37 minutes later, I found myself relieved it was over.
R.E.M.
4/5
Still a great album 32 years later! The Spotify version has live versions of the songs which was really good. Album has many hit singles: "Drive", "Everybody Hurts", “ Find the River", "Man on the Moon", "Nightswimming" and "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite". Good stuff!
Frank Ocean
1/5
Ooo, look at me! I’m an R&B “artist” and I can sing because of autotune! Utter crap.
Doves
3/5
For the first six songs, I thought I was listening to songs that didn’t make it onto the last Oasis album. Then “Melody Calls” and “Catch the Sun” gone one and I look at my phone to see if the album ended and a new band queued up. They seemed to jump back and forth between downbeat and upbeat songs after that. In the end, they sounded like a poor man's Oasis to me. Decent album, all said.
Prince
2/5
I thought I would love this but I grew increasingly tired of it as I neared the end of it. It's an okay album. I think Purple Rain is better despite it being a soundtrack. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Green Day
4/5
I really can't stand Green Day but this album slaps. Greats songs except for \"All By Myself\" which is just a ridiculous, adolescent ode to onanism. I guess that's to be expected from an album named after what the artwork monkey is trying to decide to throw (or not). This was a fun album - it's too bad Green Day sees themselves so self-important these days.
Tom Waits
2/5
This was an interesting album. Waits is a strange cat. He talks at various parts in the album and, to be honest, his singing is not much different than the way he talks. He is a storyteller through song and as you listen you can imagine the scenes he describes. In the end, a little Tom Waits goes a long way. I struggled to make it thru the album.
D'Angelo
1/5
Awful. That’s all I have to say about that.
King Crimson
4/5
This is a quintessential prog rock album. Very good!
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
I think this is a pretty typical early 80s new wave album. I’ve heard the single “Rescue” a bunch of times. Other than that, the album was good. Not a lot of variety of songs mostly because the lead singer doesn’t have much range, but he does have a pleasant voice.
Emmylou Harris
3/5
Classic country album. Very easy to listen too. Good album. You'll probably rate it higher if you love old school Country. Check out her cover for the Beatles' "For No One". It's pretty amazing and totally different from the original.
The Offspring
5/5
Amazing album. Has aged well over 30 years. Love the energy and guitars. 9/10 for me.
John Lennon
3/5
Good album. I don’t think any of the Beatles are as good as solo artists as they were as a group.
Solange
2/5
Low key minimalist modern R&B. I didn’t hate it.
The Sabres Of Paradise
1/5
Without value.
Small Faces
2/5
What a strange ride. The second half of the album reminded me of Monty Python but not in a humorous way - just offbeat. Very weird but I kind of like it. I’ll never listen to it again but I am glad I heard it.
Green Day
3/5
Solid song craft and power pop. They are no longer punk as far at this point. Sellouts.
Morrissey
3/5
Good album. Take The Smiths and drop Johnny Marr on guitar and you have this album.
R.E.M.
4/5
Very good album. With hits like Stand and Orange Crush, I feel like the band was just beginning to hit their creative stride.
CHVRCHES
4/5
Very good album. Heard of the band but never paid much attention to them. I like synth pop in general and this has an 80s feel to it. The female vocalist has a sweet voice and the lyrics are good. I found enough variety between songs that the album did not feel as long as it was. Most of the songs were very catchy. Not sure that belongs on the 1001 list but I liked it enough to listen to it again but probably would not buy it on vinyl.
Various Artists
4/5
What’s not to like? The Ronettes, the Crystals, the Wrecking Crew and the Wall of Sound. Merry Christmas! 🎄
David Bowie
3/5
It’s Bowie. It’s good in spots. Not so good in others. It’s better than the album they derived the cover from.
Willie Nelson
3/5
Nice enough country western album. Good storytelling. I don’t care much for Nelson’s nasally vocals but it works perfectly with these songs and their stripped down arrangements. The songs/album is pretty short so there isn’t enough time to be irritated by his vocals which I find easier to take in small doses.
Throwing Muses
3/5
I tried to find this on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon and Tidal. So I listened to their University album because it was mentioned in the Wikipedia review. It's probably not fair to compare a debut album with University, their 6th. If the two are anything alike, it's a good album albeit somewhat unremarkable. I liked the vocals - Hersh has a cool voice. The rest of it guitars, bass, drums) was competent.
Aretha Franklin
5/5
Unbelievable. ‘Nuff said.
The Smiths
3/5
Good album. Marr’s guitar shines throughout. Rourke’s bass line really stands out on "Barbarism Begins at Home". Morrisey is… Morrisey.
David Crosby
3/5
Good album. Crosby has a cool voice. Unfortunately there were places on this album that did not seem substantively different than any given Crosby Stills & Nash album. For example, the harmonies on "Laughing" and "What Are Their Names" are very much CS&N. Overall, an enjoyable if somewhat short album.
Jean-Michel Jarre
3/5
70s synth instrumentals. Very spacey and innocuous. Easy enough to listen to. I think I would be hard-pressed to distinguish one song from another after one listen.
I read somewhere that this was his first album not written specifically for a movie. But some songs ended up in some movie soundtracks so I not sure he met his goal from a practical standpoint.
The Allman Brothers Band
4/5
While I prefer studio albums to live recordings, this one is one of the exceptions. It really good start to finish. Be forewarned that if you dislike long jam sessions in your live cuts, you probably will be triggered listening to this album.
The Clash
5/5
Great album! Sounds as good today as it did when it was released 45+ years ago!
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Very good album. Several singles/hits. Interesting to hear how the band had grown from their previous album in their songwriting and use of different instruments on this album.
The Temptations
4/5
Very good album. I like the Motown stuff. Their version of “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” is very different (but really good) than the others I am accustomed to (Marvin Gaye and Gladys Night and the Pips as well as CCR)
Le Tigre
3/5
Genre: riot grrl? Hahaha
I liked it
Christina Aguilera
3/5
Good album. Not my thing musically but Aguilera sure can sing. The vocal gymnastics wear on me after a while. My favorite song was “Make Over”.
Laibach
2/5
Okay album. I didn’t dig this at all. It seemed like the band was trying perform a German rock opera. I think the musicianship was there but the album couldn’t end early enough for me.
This is an okay album. Nothing really jumped out at me. The band does not seem as great as they used to be. Bono's voice sounds a bit tired and strained at the limits of his range. The Edge's guitar work is solid and more versatile than it was earlier in his career. Bass and drums are tight. The lyrics were just okay. They didn't seem as well thought out as in previous albums.
Nirvana
5/5
Very good album. It was really cool to hear Nirvana perform stripped down versions of their songs and several covers. I thought it was ironic that Cobain felt like he was as going to blow it but then crushes it by making Bowie’s “The Man Who Sold The World” his own. It might be the best live album ever.
Flamin' Groovies
2/5
Okay album. I wasn’t sure what to expect with a band name of “Flamin’ Groovies” but it was not too bad. It was a bluesy rock for several songs, country rock in places and rockabilly in others. I came away with the feeling that they had a big following in their hometown and surrounding areas but never really made the transition to the “big time”. Glad to have heard this album but I won’t return to it. I was torn between a 2 and a 3 for this one so erring on the side of caution.
Emmylou Harris
3/5
Good album! Emmy Lou Harris is a country music icon so when I saw this album come up, I thought that is what I'd be getting. While the album has some of those elements, I did not feel like I was listening to country music. It is something else entirely. Not quite country and not quite folk either. There are some rock elements too. It is very lush, heartfelt, spritual and melancholy. Anyway, interesting album. Glad I heard it
Beatles
5/5
Great album! This album is very much like "Meet The Beatles", the second album released in the US. My earliest memories of listening to music was "Meet The Beatles" spinning on the record player (a piece of furniture really - a massive wooden console with builtin speakers and radio) watching the Capitol rainbow ring on the label spin round and round.
The differences between the two releases are few (12 vs 14 songs respectively). I do miss Meet The Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand", "I Saw Her Standing There", and "This Boy" but enjoyed the covers on With The Beatles' "Please Mr. Postman", "Roll Over Beethoven", "You Really Got a Hold on Me", "Devil In Her Heart", and "Money (That's What I Want)".
Radiohead
1/5
Awful. Based on this album, I would only conclude Radiohead is terrible. Seriously though- how can this be the same band that came up with “The Bends”?
Steely Dan
4/5
Really good album - the recording and production quality on the album is amazing. The songs are really more pop with less of the jazz influences from the previous albums. The Fagen and Becker incorporate many different musical genres and instruments combined with amazing musicianship. The single "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" is the only song I recognized but I didn't think there were any bad songs.
Some albums on the 1001 list are insufferably long. This one was just the opposite. Most songs were very short and the album run time clocked in at a little over 30 minutes despite there being 11 songs.
Dagmar Krause
2/5
I poured a glass of schnapps, put on my smoking jacket, lit a Ernte 23 cigarette and listened to this on my vintage gramophone while in my sitting room. I came away a changed man. After listening to this album's 26(!) songs, I feel like I listened to the soundtrack for the fictional "Springtime for Hitler: A Gay Romp With Adolf and Eva at Berchtesgaden". Gratefully most of the songs were short.
Spiritualized
2/5
This was okay. I thought it was pretty innocuous. Nothing jumped out at me as good (or bad). It was kind of like background music. Something i could listen to while working and not have it be distracting.
John Coltrane
3/5
I am going to rate this as a good album even though it did not do anything for. I've never cared for improvisational jazz. It just seems like everyone is doing their own thing. It's a cacophony of instruments to me. But in the end, it's Coltrane and the musicianship is undeniable.
The Flaming Lips
2/5
This was an okay album. Not what I expected from the Flaming Lips. Wayne Coyne's "singing" is better taken is small doses. I liked "Race for the Prize". The rest of the album was unremarkable.
Sufjan Stevens
2/5
I found the album to be okay and not at all what I would've expected. It's challenging to categorize by genre with the extensive orchestration.
I never heard of this fellow so I searched the interweb and found his website. Apparently, he turned this album into a musical. I guess it makes sense that way.
Megadeth
3/5
Good album. Whether or not you enjoy speed/thrash metal you should be able to appreciate the musicianship because here because Mustaine's rhythm guitar work is impeccable. I thought the vocals occasionally sounded like Metallica which makes sense I guess given the history between the two bands. Cool cover too if somewhat macabre.
Nick Drake
3/5
Very folksy guitars. Very folksy singing. Very folksy songs. Very folksy album.
Jimmy Smith
3/5
Good jazz album. Songs were very long but I enjoyed the ride.
Amy Winehouse
4/5
Really good album. Feels like a modern take of the Motown girl groups. Another amazing talent lost to drug and alcohol abuse.
The 13th Floor Elevators
3/5
Good album. Very 60s album from a recording standpoint. I detect hints of Jefferson Airplane and the Rolling Stones from that same time frame. It was kind of interesting listening to the mono recordings and then the stereo versions.
Sebadoh
1/5
I believe that if an album is going to be listed as one of the 1,001 it should meet some minimum standards. It should be a quality recording. It should have excellent production. The musicians should be competent and the song writing should have some aesthetic qualities.
Does an album have to have all of these attributes? Not necessarily. Sometimes a recording is done in such a way to try to capture, say, the band live foregoing what we would typically think of uus "quality". Likewise, an album doesn't have to have the production value and perfectionism of, fore example, Steely Dan or Boston.
Musicianship can be a tricky one. Was Kurt Cobain a great guitarist in the same echelon as Les Paul, B.B King or Eric Clapton? No, but he knew his limitations and worked within them to produce something unique. He had competency and then some.
Lastly while aesthetics are often in the eye of the beholder, there is usually something about a song that draws the listener in and makes a connection with them. It might be a lyric or a theme or an energy. But there has to be something.
Almost all the albums that I’ve heard so far meet the standards I listed above. Perhaps the album has all of these qualities. Perhaps it only has some of them. This album, however, has none of those qualities in my opinion.
The songs are monotonous and discordant. The vocals are weak. Musically, the album is just cacophonous.
It reminds me of a bunch of guys that got together in high school and learned to play their instruments in their garage or basement. They’re not good enough to do cover songs so they wrote their own material and bang their way through it with what barely passes as musicianship. Then they bought an inexpensive recording device off Alibaba and created a overly saturated demo that they sent to the local radio and cable stations in an effort to try to get a record deal.
While they did get that deal, it doesn’t mean they are very good or that the material is very good. It’s simply gives the rest of us talentless hacks hope as we dream to someday play in a band.
Sabu
3/5
Good album. Recording was excellent with good use of stereo. The percussionist(s) were awesome. Good guitar work. So-so vocals.
David Bowie
3/5
Good album. Give Bowie credit where credit is due: he never rested on his laurels. He always tried different things; from his ever-changing personas to tackling different genres of music. I think he is a little over his skis on some of these songs on this album and he struggled a bit with his take on soul. However, he has a nice voice and it is a very listenable album.
Giant Sand
2/5
OK album. It was a bit of a chore to get thru though.
The Last Shadow Puppets
4/5
Very good album. It has a retro feel. While all the songs were good, I really liked the "Meeting Place" for the images and emotions it evokes.
Sugar
4/5
Really good album! While I find it hard to believe it took so long for a band to take the name “Sugar”, I was even more surprised by how good this album is. Having just listened to it, I am torn between a 4 or a 5. Luckily I have until tomorrow before I have to make a decision.
I think my favorite song was the opening track “The Act We Act”. The whole album is of the same quality.
The Byrds
2/5
Okay album. It started out as what I would expect from The Byrds with jangly guitars and lush harmonies. I was okay with the country western influences. With the more experimental, jazz and psychedelic cuts, I grew less enamored with the album.
The Flying Burrito Brothers
3/5
Good album if you like the country rock genre. Interesting that this band spun off from the Byrds. Gene Clark (also of the Byrds) also pursued a country rock direction after leaving the band. Makes me wonder how they decided to pursue a Beatlesque sound when the Byrds first came out (noting that you could see were things were headed as there were country themed songs on the Younger Than Yesterday album). Solid musicianship and song craft.
The Verve
2/5
OK album. They have a cool sound but I wish there was some variety. I found it pretty monotonous.
Tori Amos
4/5
Very good album. When this album came out, I seemed like Amos was oversharing. I had read that she'd been raped and this album felt like a therapy session that I accidentally overheard.
It was uncomfortable. Her pain was evident. In retrospective, I can see how this was probably cathartic for her and others who suffered through sexual assault.
This album really is a masterpiece of sorts. To be able to put your feelings out there and make an album that people can relate to really is something special.
The Black Keys
4/5
Very good album. I am a big fan of the blues rock genre and this album does not disappoint. "Tighten Up" and "Howlin' for You" are the two singles that introduced many (including me) to the band. This lead me to explore their other albums along with Dan Auerbach's solo work and side projects. Auerbach is very prolific and has a distinct style. No one else sounds like him.
The Monkees
2/5
This was an okay album. I feel like everything with The Monkees is contrived. They don’t really have their own sound (they sound like the Beatles or the Byrds.) Their television show was little more than a rip off of the Beatles movies. And it seemed like they were trying too hard. I think it would be difficult for a group like this to try for legitimacy but, unfortunately, I don’t think they pulled it off.
Thin Lizzy
2/5
I like Thin Lizzy. There is nothing remarkable about this album. Additional point off because it is a live album with alleged overdubs.
The Zutons
2/5
Okay album. I have nothing good nor bad to say about it.
Napalm Death
1/5
Frenetic Drop-D powerchords.
Thunderous drumming.
Lyrics delivered in a demonic shout.
Repeat. 28 times.
Awful.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
1/5
I listened to it seven times and I still don’t get it. Two awful albums in 2 days (Napalm Death and now this).
Gil Scott-Heron
4/5
What a gem!
Love
2/5
This was an OK album. 60's "psychedelia". Nothing really jumped out at me but I did not hate it. The singer's vocals were a little grating as the album went on. Musicianship was okay too - what I would expect from the time period.
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
Before listening I thought: "Great... another Echo & theBunnymen album. What's up with that? Do we really need three(!) albums by them on this list?"
Starts out well enough with "The Cutter". It kind of goes slightly downhill from there for me but overall, I'd rate this as a good album.
The Cult
4/5
This is a really good album! I always thought that The Cult was underrated and it is kind of unfortunate that they get grouped in with 1980's New Wave because they could really rock out. I enjoyed the album all the way through. My only complaint is that is it too short.
Gene Clark
3/5
Good album. Well written and performed. Not all like the Byrds. Seems more like a C&W album.
John Cale
2/5
Okay album. When I first saw the name, “Cale”, I thought I was in for JJ Cale. I guess I set my sights too high.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Very good album. Enjoyed the bluesy tunes and use of horns.
Lightning Bolt
2/5
"In the beginning, there was noise. Noise begat rhythm, and rhythm begat everything else."
Mickey Hart
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
Good album. Some classic S&G songs. Very enjoyable.
Chicago
3/5
Good album. Amazing the way they combine traditional rock instruments with the horn section. I’m not sure if they were the first to do this, but I don’t think anyone has ever done it the way they did. The only thing I did not care for was the more experimental songs.
Nirvana
4/5
Very good album. This is the Nirvana album that served as my introduction to the band along with the vast majority of the world. All the songs are good or great. Except “Endless, Nameless”. I didn’t care for that much.
Incubus
2/5
OK album. I don't see what Incubus brings to the table that puts on the 1001 list. The only song I was familiar with before listening for this review is "Drive" and, for whatever reason, I thought is was the guys from Alice in Chains singing.
My Bloody Valentine
1/5
Bloody awful.
Michael Jackson
5/5
I have mixed feelings on this one. This is undoubtedly a classic album. It was commercially successful with seven singles. The musicians who performed on this album played perfectly. The recording is clear as a bell. The production is remarkable. It’s pretty much a perfect pop album. There really isn’t a bad song on this album.
The downside for me is it is too perfect. The production is almost clinical in execution. Some of the songs are incredible: “Beat It” and “Billie Jean” come to mind. On the other hand, there’s “The Girl Is Mine” with the ludicrous discussion between Jackson and McCartney about who the girl loves more.
Michael Jackson was a massive talent despite the personal goings on that came out toward the end of his career and after he passed away. In the end, I have to give credit where credit is due and separate his personal life from his recordings. 9/10 for me.
The Byrds
3/5
Good album if you like this genre. If you dislike “country rock” you’ll hate this because it is more country than rock. It’s interesting to see The Byrds evolution from psychedelic to country. Beyond that, there isn’t much else to say about this album.
Morrissey
3/5
Typical Morrisey. I don’t see where he broke any new ground with this album. That said, it’s a good album.
Fever Ray
2/5
This was an okay album. It's different from anything I heard before in the synth pop genre. Not sure if I like it but I don't hate it.
My random observations during listening:
- Not much difference between songs
- Roughly the same tempo for each song
- Many of the songs had an Eastern influences (like China or Japan rather than India).
- Electronic sounds used for rhythm; no drums per se
- Lots of electronic animal noises like birds or things you'd hear in a forest
- Lots of synth washes
- Dreamy and ethereal
- I don't really understand the heavily electronic tuned down "male" vocals. Sounds like an evil spirit on downers
- Fever Ray's vocals occasionally remind me of Björk in the same way that Dolores O'Riordan occasionally reminds me of Sinead O'Connor
Hookworms
3/5
This was pretty good. Not at all what I expected. Noisy yet melodic.
The Who
3/5
Good album. Not what I expected from The Who. I rather enjoyed it though. It is interesting to see how much they changed from these early mono recordings. If not for the song "My Generation", I could have easily wonddered who this band was as the style of music goes from Blue to 60's Rock to hints of Hard Rock as we know it.
ZZ Top
5/5
Great album! Texas Blues-Rock at its best. Crunchy guitars and rock solid rhythm section. Nobody does pinch harmonics better than the Reverend Billy F. Gibbons. I found all of the songs except "Hot, Blue and Righteous" to very strong. That one just didn't do it for me. So 9/10 for that but gotta round up. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sheryl Crow
3/5
Good album. Musically, I thought the album was pretty good. Interesting lyrics. For me, the vocals were either spot on or absolutely dreadful.
Killing Joke
3/5
Three songs in and I was thinking "this is pretty bad. There's nothing about any of these songs that makes one stand out over another."
Gratefully, as the album goes on, it gets better. Digging the remixes at the end of the Spotify version of the album.
Solid 6/10 for me. Good album.
Paul Simon
3/5
Good album. There are quite a few musical influences on here and it comes across well. Simon's voice is pleasant but thin. He is a good song writer.
I know that this is supposed to be his masterpiece and the album generated a few singles but I feel like there is quite a bit of hype over the album because he had South African artists on the album. That's all well and good but I am betting outside of a few critics and Simon super fans that there weren't many consumers that said "boy, I have to get this album because there are musicians from different countries on here."
The Darkness
3/5
Good album. Great crunchy power chords. Annoying falsetto vocals.
Public Image Ltd.
1/5
Note: on Spotify the album is called Second Edition
This is a dreadful album. Although I got through the whole thing, I found it to be largely unlistenable. 0/10
M.I.A.
2/5
Okay album. Interesting meld of different genres of music.
Pixies
2/5
I feel like I want to like Pixies, I really do. This album was just okay though. I think I heard “Gigantic” before and I definitely have heard “Where IsMy Mind?” as it gets regular play on Sirius XM.
Musically it’s primitive in that the musicians really don’t seem to have much experience. Lyrically there’s not much to praise here. The vocals weren’t great. Nice cover though haha.
3/10. Rounded up.
G. Love & Special Sauce
3/5
Never heard of these guys so I read the Wikipedia summary. I wasn't sure I would dig rapping over blues but somehow they make it work. Good album.
The Avalanches
2/5
Another electronic dance music album with a bunch of noises in each song that weren't musical at all. Unless they were the first artist to do such an album in this genre, I just don't see how any of this music differentiates itself from the other artists in the genre. Just an OK album in my book. 3/10 stars rounded up.
Caetano Veloso
2/5
It’s okay. I neither liked nor disliked it.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
Good album. Not at all like I expected. I thought the Henry's Dream and Ghosteen albums were awful but this was better. Still not sure why three Nick Cave are on the 1001 list. Hopefully, that's it.
The Thrills
2/5
Okay album. Nothing remarkable.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3/5
Good album. Seems to be a pretty typical album for the time.
Björk
1/5
I've always thought Björk was overrated. I don't think this album changes my mind. Lots of wailing and vocalizing. Even when there are lyrics, there is lots of wailing and vocalizing.
John Lee Hooker
4/5
Classic Blues by a legend. Lots of collaborations with other great Blues artists. What's not to like?
Rod Stewart
3/5
Good album. Melds Rock with English Folks with a dash of Country and Western. I've heard three of these songs: " "Every Picture Tells a Story", "Maggie May". and "(Find a) Reason to Believe". His cover of Big Boy Crudup's "That's All Right" which is followed by "Amazing Grace" are noteworthy.
Portishead
3/5
Good album. It's really different from their previous stuff. Very listenable and creative.
Radiohead
2/5
Okay album. I liked it better than “Kid A”.
Grateful Dead
4/5
Better than I thought it would be. My impression of The Dead is influenced by "Truckin'" (which I hate). It's definitely not the best song on this album. Overall I'd rate this 7/10 rounded up.
The Fall
1/5
Utter rubbish.
Bob Dylan
4/5
I am not a Bob Dylan fan although I did enjoy his work with the Traveling Wilburys. He is clearly a good writer but most of the stuff I heard really annoyed me because of his nasally delivery.
When I saw this album, I did not have high hopes. I have to say that I am pleasantly surprised. It's all pretty low key with slow to mid tempo songs. Some of it is really bluesy and that really appeals to me. While he still is not much of a singer, his voice has developed a raspy edge to it as he's aged. It adds a lot of character. Very good album.
Shuggie Otis
3/5
Good album. Dig the funky guitar work.
Alanis Morissette
4/5
Very good album. It was played to death and in the 90s and I think I heard every song on it. I'm not sure I'd want to be the guy in a romantic relationship with Alanis based on "You Ought to Know". Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
The Mothers Of Invention
3/5
From what little I knew of Frank Zappa, I didn’t think I would like this album. I am pleasantly surprised. I try not to read the reviews or the Wikipedia article before listening to ann album. I listened to this on a road trip and came away with the impression that The Mothers were trying to make fun of their other musical genres. I wasn’t surprised when I read the Wikipedia article and found that it was supposed to be satirical. That said, I think it’s a pretty good album.
The Stranglers
2/5
I thought this was just OK. None of it was really bad, but I don’t feel like playing an organ in a punk band (which seems to be their only unique quality) justifies thinking of them as innovative. I never heard any of The Stranglers’ music before this and I doubt I will seek out any of their other work.
The White Stripes
3/5
Good album. Very much like the other White Stripes albums.
The Sugarcubes
3/5
Good album. It helped me realized that I like Bjork better as part of the Sugar Cubes than as a solo artist. That's in spite of the ridiculous Eurovision-style rapping in some songs.
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
1/5
I listened to this during a traffic jam while driving North out of Washington, DC on a Sunday morning.
Maybe my opinion of the album was colored by frustration of being stuck in traffic but seriously it felt like it was the longest 64 minutes of my life.
After listening, I looked this up. Sorry this guy was so mentally disturbed but that still doesn't make this an album that I needed to hear. I'm betting his mental condition is the only reason that this song is on the list.
Peter Frampton
4/5
This is the live album that put Frampton (and the Talk Box Pedal) on the map. It’s a very good album.
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
3/5
This was better than I thought it would be. Some of the song topics (e.g. Gang Bang) are ridiculous but, hey, that's rock 'n' roll. Good album.
Talvin Singh
3/5
It was OK. Interesting meld of RDM and Eastern musical styles. Call it EEDM. Good album but I won’t revisit because EDM is not my thing.
Grateful Dead
1/5
Pretty awful. A rock version of improvisational jazz where each musician is doing their own thing. But pretty awful.
Girls Against Boys
2/5
Good musically but I did not care for the vocals. An okay album in my view.
Bob Dylan
4/5
Still not the biggest Dylan fan but I thought this was very good. I like the electrified version of Dylan better than the folk version.
Supergrass
3/5
Sometimes they reminded me of the Beatles. Sometimes Oasis (so the Beatles). Sometimes they reminded me on Neon Trees. Vocally, the guy occasionally sounds like Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins. Nothing remarkable here. Good album.
Everything But The Girl
4/5
I thought that this was really good. Kind of jazzy. I prefer the songs sung by the woman vs the guy.
Buck Owens
3/5
Good album - songs are short and well performed. If you like C&W, you'll like this
Steely Dan
3/5
Good album - classic Steely Dan
Dinosaur Jr.
2/5
This was an okay album. I found the music to be noisy (in a good way) but the vocals are awful.
Michael Jackson
4/5
Before Michael got weird. Very good album. Very funky, delivered in very well produced manner. Musically precise, almost flawless. Jackson just sings and mostly avoids many of those stupid squeaky sounds he delivers on Bad and Thriller. Very listenable and danceable (thinking a little disco here).
Slipknot
1/5
Terrible. How does anyone “sing” like that without destroying their vocal chords? The drumming was unbelievable though.
Funkadelic
4/5
Pretty amazing! There is almost as much rock on this album as there is funk. The bass and guitar work is outstanding.
Dire Straits
4/5
Very good album. Quite a debut. Sultans of Swing sounds as good today it did (almost) 47 years ago. If Brothers in Arms is their masterpiece then this is a "4".
The Mars Volta
3/5
Good album. Very progressive. Amazing how fast the drums and guitars are.
Hugh Masekela
4/5
Really good jazz album. Masekela's trumpet work is fantastic. This is an album I would consider purchasing if I can find it on vinyl. I'm torn between a 4 and a 5 on this one.
Stephen Stills
3/5
Good album - sounds a lot like Crosby, Stills and Nash except for the country rock songs.
Led Zeppelin
3/5
Good album. A little too long - not sure if the original was this long or if they added songs when they remastered. In any case, they are some great songs ("Kashmir" and "Trampled Under Foot") and some snoozers ("In My Time of Dying". "Ten Years Gone" and "Down By the Seaside"). I liked the rest of the songs. Overall, I enjoyed the album but I'm thinking there is maybe one disc worth of really good material here.
George Michael
5/5
Pretty much a perfect pop album by perhaps the greatest voice in that time period.
Nick Drake
2/5
Droning and monotonous. Lyrically the songs have depth but the music ruined it for me.
Deerhunter
2/5
Yet another indie shoegaze band. 🥱 Easily my least favorite genre and one that I did not even know existed before my 1001 Albums project started. Thanks for nothing Dimery.
The Fall
2/5
I just don’t think they’re that good
The Divine Comedy
1/5
The only comedy here is the singing. It's like karaoke.
Brian Eno
3/5
Dreamy and ethereal. Background music for airports, elevators, high end coffee shops, etc.
Johnny Cash
5/5
This one deserves to be judged on its own apart from ‘Live at Folsom Prison’. The songs are great but the ad-libbing, the interplay between Cash and the audience, the telecast crew and his band are priceless. It must’ve driven the producers fits.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
While I can see that The Boss is maturing as a songwriter on this album, I found his vocals (which were often mumbled) to be a distraction on an otherwise good album. The best three songs on the album were the three released as singles: "Prove It All Night", "Badlands", and "The Promised Land". I know this will be a blasphemy to some, but I feel like Bruce Springsteen is overrated.
Love
3/5
Weird but good I guess. It’s very different. I’m torn between a 2 and 3 but there was nothing objectionable so a 3 it is.
Rufus Wainwright
3/5
This was very interesting given that I did not know what to expect especially from a guy whose father wrote “Dead Skunk”. Despite that, I thought it was a pretty good album.
The Beach Boys
3/5
I know this is supposed to be their masterpiece, but I really didn’t like it all that much hence the “3”. I think it was the orchestral elements that make it less appealing to me. That said, it’s a good album. I should probably give it another listen given all the critical acclaim and Wilson’s apparent descent into madness.
Carole King
5/5
A masterpiece. Not dated at all. Holds up well 54 years later. Worthy of owning on vinyl. Listen to it with headphones - they don’t seem to do stereo like this anymore.
Frank Sinatra
3/5
Sinatra begat Harry Connick Jr who begat Michael Bublé
The Coral
2/5
This could have been a good album if half of the songs were just better.
George Jones
3/5
Good ol’ fashioned country. It’s a good album if you like the genre. The production quality is really something. Makes me wonder if tape recordings and the tubes were better than our fully digital modern recordings.
Deep Purple
3/5
It's a good album as far as live albums go. I will say, however, that drum solos really don't belong on live albums as they don't translate in the same way as they do when you go to a live concert. Having said that, if you aren't into drum solos they are always a good opportunity to go to the concession stand (or the kitchen) for refreshments.
Turbonegro
3/5
Good album. I’d give it a 4 if not for the coarse language. I’m not above swearing myself but I think a lot of bands believe it makes them edgy. It doesn’t. It’s the easy way out lyrically in my view.
Dion
2/5
It’s just an okay album. I don’t think this showed off Dion‘s pipes at all. I blame Phil Spector. What a disservice to a great vocalist.
Metallica
3/5
Take one part crunchy power cords, one part progressive rock style synchronized bass and drums and one part growling vocals and go. Repeat 7 times. Throw in one song using the same formula less vocals (gotta give those pipes a break, right James?). Put it all together and you have this album. Good album for those thrash metals fans. Me? I’m still bitter than they helped to kill Napster (talking to you, Lars). Viva la Spotify 🙄
Fela Kuti
3/5
Good album although I honestly only remember the drum solo cut
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
This was a huge album when it came out. I think it really put Springsteen on the map as a superstar just because of the sheer number of songs that got airplay at the time.
Aretha Franklin
5/5
The Queen of Soul. 'Nuff said.
Joan Baez
3/5
A collection of mostly traditional Anglo folk songs, arranged by Joan Baez. Lovely voice, remarkable recording and production. Good album.
Meat Loaf
5/5
Big man. Big voice. Big compositions. Big album.
Faith No More
4/5
I wasn’t sure what I was in for having only heard the band’s “Epic” (and realizing later that "We Care a Lot" was also theirs from a different album). But I thought this was really good. Their cover of “War Pigs” is spot on. Great guitar work and the bassist just kills it.
Paul McCartney
3/5
Good album. Different from his work with The Beatles and Wings.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
He's not much of a singer. Not sure about the music from a songwriting standpoint since the songs are very spartan. The lyrics are good. He's really more of a storyteller. Think short stories set to music. Good album. Better than I thought it would be.
T. Rex
3/5
Good album. Very sparse sound - there's not a lot of going on so you can hear all the instruments with great separation. I feel like the recording and production was very typical of albums at that time.
The Chemical Brothers
1/5
My two least favorite genres are "shoe gaze" followed closely by "acid house". Exit Planet Dust is rhythm forward, high energy but repetitive within each song and from song-to-song. I don't see the point (probably because I am not currently not stoned).
The Lemonheads
4/5
I forgot how good this album is. It's very good. Favorite songs are "Confetti", "It's A Shame About Ray" and "Mrs. Robinson". I enjoyed the demos.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
This is a very good album. The songs are well crafted with big chords and guitar solos that work for the songs. The band is tight and work well with Neil Young. I’d give it five stars but for one thing: Young’s vocals. He’s just awful.
Sepultura
3/5
It was a good album. Thrash and Death Metal is not really my go to but I listened to the whole thing and never once wished it was over (something I cannot say about every album on the list) but I really don't think I will play it again. I appreciate the musicianship if not the vocals.
Keith Jarrett
3/5
Good album. Lovely playing. This is the kind of music I like to have playing in the background when I need something other than quiet and working on some technical.
Frank Sinatra
2/5
This was an okay album, I guess. Sinatra has nice enough voice but the songs are slow and plodding. Every song sounded the same. I honestly couldn’t wait for the album to end. But the songs are probably fine if you like Sinatra and he’s a bit of a legend so it’s a “2” for this one.
Ryan Adams
3/5
The songs were good not great. The musicianship was good not great. The song writing was good not great. The vocals were prosaic but the songs are generally a good listen.
Overall, I'd rate this a good album if somewhat unremarkable. Not sure why it is on the list. 5/10 so ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Big Black
2/5
I thought the songs were good musically. Interesting mix of pink and industrial. The drumming was really good. The vocals were awful. I’d give this a “3” if the vocals were better.
Common
2/5
This was an okay album. I was pleasantly surprised by the use of musical instruments and melodies. But in the end I can only give it two stars because I can't relate despite having failed Calculus in school ;-)
Prince
5/5
His magnum opus.
Hanoi Rocks
3/5
Good album. I thought the lyrics were kind of cheesy but the music was good. It sometimes felt like the band was just mimicking hair bands (almost like karaoke) but I am just going to write this off as lyrics lost in translation from Finnish to English.
Stan Getz
3/5
Portuguese jazz and bosso nova? I did not expect to like this but I did. Good album.
Beatles
5/5
Overall, this a great album. There is so much to choose from and, while some songs are stronger than others, it really is a great collection of songs. I did not care for "Revolution 9" - too avant garde for me.
The Bees
2/5
Never heard of The Bees. This didn't hit me at all but I didn't hate. It was just okay.
Gillian Welch
4/5
Very nice!
Bad Company
5/5
Great album from one of the greatest voices in rock 'n' roll. Shame his talent was cut short by a couple od strokes.
The Human League
5/5
Great album by one of the best 80s synth pop bands.
Bauhaus
3/5
Dark Wave!
Adele
5/5
I want to find a reason to give it less than a 5, but I just can’t. It’s a perfect pop album. I’d love to hear her sing jazz or something more challenging because she has a great voice.
Quicksilver Messenger Service
3/5
I found this to be a good album. Nothing to get excited about. Perhaps the longest version of “Who Do You Love?” ever recorded for no particular reason.
Pentangle
3/5
Big grand versions of folk songs. Many songs have a Celtic feel. Interesting and unexpected use of sitar. Female vocals are way better than the male vocals. Good album.
The KLF
3/5
I thought this was pretty good. It reminded me more of 80s synth pop extended dance mix versions than your typical acid house or rave.
The Smiths
4/5
This is their best album. Johnny Marr is awesome.
Dire Straits
5/5
I don't even have to listen to this again. This is a "5". Money for nothin' and chicks for free!
Goldie
2/5
Okay album but not my thing. One of the definitions that I came across for timeless is "Having no end; interminable; unending". That's how this album felt to me. Like it would never end. It's just too long. +1 for the artist to be able to maintain focus long enough to cobble together an album that runs for nearly 2 hours. I could listen to 4 to 5 Ramones albums in that time. Sheesh.
Brian Wilson
2/5
Pretty sure this came up because Brian Wilson passed yesterday. So much for random album selection.
I’m going to call this a okay album because I feel like I’m missing something that others are seeing as brilliant. Sometimes it sounds like The Beach Boys with the lush harmonies. I can see where this would have been a follow up to Pet Sounds with the orchestral elements. But this mostly felt like a bunch of song fragments patched together in the studio. The lyrics were often childish and tiresome. Had anyone else done this album, I feel like this would’ve never been released.
Depeche Mode
4/5
Dark, brooding songs driven by synths and guitar. Very good.
Bob Dylan
4/5
I like Electric Dylan better than Acoustic Dylan.
John Martyn
3/5
Easy listening soft rock. Good album albeit nothing remarkable.
Throbbing Gristle
1/5
Meaningless noise.
Johnny Cash
4/5
Very good album. Cash owns "Hurt". His voice has aged and it provides such character and sadness. It's hard to listen to Trent Reznor croak out the song after hearing this version.
Ray Price
3/5
Ray Price has a great voice. Backup band lineup is amazing. Normally I would be all in for a concept album. Sadly a few songs in, the song topics became repetitive and there was not enough variation from song to song to hold my interest. In the end, it was a good album but not anything I would listen to again.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
5/5
Very interesting. I like it. Great album.
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
This was an okay album. I found it to be largely repetitive. Springsteen is overrated.
4/5
Straddling the space between punk runk and new wave, Devo delivers. Each instrument seems to mix together just right. Very good album.
Steve Earle
4/5
With a few exceptions, the songs on this album could have been written by John Mellencamp had he been raised in Texas instead of Indiana. Very good album.
Arcade Fire
3/5
Arcade Fire doesn't really appeal to me in any way but I thought this was a good album.
Gram Parsons
4/5
I enjoyed this very much- even more after I discovered Emmy Lou was doing the female vocals. Very good album.
Coldcut
3/5
Surprisingly listenable - good album!
Can
2/5
I thought that this was an okay album. For experimental music, it’s not off putting at all. That said, this is not music that you’ll find yourself humming afterwards. I came away wondering if there’s a happy medium between a 3 minute song and a twenty minute one. I don’t think 4 songs averaging 10 minutes each is the answer.
The Vines
3/5
Good stuff. The Vines are to Nirvana what Jet is to The Vines.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
4/5
Very good album phony audience sounds aside. Janis Joplin sure could scream.
Duran Duran
5/5
Great album! Duran Duran was written off by many as a teeny bopper band at the time but they really could play. Tight rhythm section with John Taylor who is one of the best bassists in his lifetime. The lyrics don't always make sense but by and large these are great, well-crafted songs.
Pet Shop Boys
4/5
Very good album. Classic British synth pop - the sound of the ‘80s. Holds up well after almost 40 years. Not a bad song on it.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
For whatever reason, I like Neil Young and Crazy Horse more than I like him as a solo artist or with CSN&Y. Very good album.
Orange Juice
2/5
I saw this and I thought "Cool. A Scottish post-punk band. I like Scotland. I like post-punk as a genre. This has to be at least a good album because I have been a roll with 4 star and 5 star albums." I jinxed it.
It went downhill from there.
Minus 1 star - the vocals are ridiculous. It's like bad karaoke. Okay maybe 4 stars then.
Minus 1 star - several songs in and I am thinking that there is literally nothing remarkable going on here. 3 stars then.
Minus 1 star. It has literally taken me three days to get through this. I dreaded it that much. Down to 2 stars.
I'm tempted to take away another star just because the name of this band is Orange Juice and apparently their first hit song was called... yes, "Orange Juice".
The cursor is hovering over that second star. Do I click it? No, there is nothing offensive here. Okay album. But why are these clowns on "The List of Songs..." No idea.
Todd Rundgren
2/5
What a hot mess. This, kids, is why you shouldn't use drugs. +1 for "Medley".
Rod Stewart
4/5
Very good album. This was apparently made before Rod Stewart decided to suck.
Joni Mitchell
4/5
Very good album. In many ways, it epitomizes that 70s soft rock sound and yet has a sound all its own. Mitchell just such a rich, sweet voice. I think that is her best album.
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
3/5
Good album but I did not enjoy this as much as I thought I would. Vocals are overweighted in my mental review system. If the vocals are out of tune or the harmonies aren't great, it just ruins it for me. "A Minor Place" and a "Nomadic Revery (All Around)' set that tone. "I See A Darkness" redeems things a bit just in terms of its profound sadness. The whole album is sad. Well written songs though even if the execution was a spotty.
Sam Cooke
4/5
Very good album. Not usually a fan of live albums but this is a top notch recording. It feels very organic. Amazing when you consider it was recorded in 1963. Oh and did I mention that Sam Cooke performs on the album? Lots of classic songs from a more innocent age.
Black Sabbath
4/5
I was a little young to remember this album coming out but my friends and I listened to "Sabbath" in high school. This album was not among the ones we listened to. In retrospective, this album is very good. I actually enjoy the side 2 more with their blues-rock approach as I now appreciate the genre. R.I.P. Ozzy
Pantera
3/5
Good album. Vulgar display of vocal cord abuse. Love “Walk” though: “Can’t you see I’m bothered by persistence? … Be yourself, by yourself. Stay away from me.” What great lyrics.
Dinosaur Jr.
3/5
Good album. A little J Mascis goes a long way.
Gang Of Four
3/5
I was introduced to GO4 via their song "I Love A Man in Uniform". This album seems very different from that songs. The tight rhythm section and guitar work is there just a little more raw. Good album.
The Young Gods
2/5
Okay album. Industrial is really not my thing. Performing in French did not change my opinion.
Pavement
3/5
From the vocal school of J Mascis, I present to you the band Pavement. Good album.
Django Django
3/5
Good album. I was pleasantly surprised that it was very listenable. I feared the worst when the album summary called this art rock.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
Stevie Wonder at his best. Pretty much a perfect album.
PJ Harvey
3/5
Pretty good. A little shriek-y at times.
Joy Division
2/5
Okay album. The vocals don't do anything for me. Most of the songs are okay though.
The Associates
1/5
This was pretty bad. The vocals are horrendous. The instrumentals weren't too bad. This album did not age well.
David Bowie
1/5
Awful album. Way too artsy for my liking. I doubt this album would have received the critical acclaim that it did had Bowie not passed away shortly after its release.
Tom Waits
4/5
Tom Waits is a strange cat. He has a unique voice. This album was a pleasant surprise and very good.
The La's
3/5
Good album but unremarkable. Not sure why is this on the list.
Slayer
3/5
Good album. I imagine this is considered to be a great album by those who enjoy Thrash Metal. Kerry King's guitar solos make no sense to me. It's like he is soloing to a different song.
Common
1/5
Can't relate to socially conscious hip-hop at all. Common is a better actor than rapper imo
Ms. Dynamite
2/5
Not a big fan of the genre but this was an okay alum for me.
Joni Mitchell
2/5
I didn’t care for this. I came away feeling like this was Joni Mitchell’s Hour Long Guest DJ on a FM Smooth Jazz channel. Oh and do we really need 4 Joni Mitchell albums on The List?
Eric Clapton
2/5
Okay album. I found it kind of boring for the most part. "I Shot the Sheriff" and "Motherless Children" were the highlights. He may be a great guitarist but it ends there. His vocals detract.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
Still not a big fan of CCR. But it's a good album
Kate Bush
1/5
Super fucking annoying
The Only Ones
2/5
Okay album. Band is better than the singer.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
Good debut album. Petty only got better over time. R.I.P.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
Okay album. This is my fourth Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds album on the list. At least Cave tries to sing on this one. But seriously - 4 albums? I’m taking away a star just because I had to sit through another album. Just kidding. It’s still a two star album for me.
Blur
3/5
Good album. I really like "Song 2". Not sure how these guys ended up being compared to Oasis.
Duke Ellington
4/5
Very good album. I haven't been a big fan of jazz over the course of my life but it's growing on me. I found this to be very enjoyable. The musicianship is top notch.
Ministry
1/5
Pretty dreadful
Neu!
2/5
I had no expectations when this album popped up. I figured by the “Neu!” it was German. And it was okay. Mostly instrumental but a few songs had vocals. Songs were a little long for my taste but nothing on here was objectionable.
Bee Gees
3/5
Good album. Great harmonies. Songs are very Beatlesque. Many are very big, dramatic songs. A little of the famous Bee Gees falsetto is present but nothing the Saturday Night Fever disco stuff.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Very good album. They don't make Funk./Soul albums like this anymore. Superstition ain't the way, yeah
Meat Puppets
3/5
These guys are surprisingly versatile. Good album.
Cat Stevens
5/5
What a beautiful album. Cat Stevens has such a cool, expressive voice. Not a bad song on this one.
Arcade Fire
4/5
Very good album.
Red Snapper
1/5
Eleven unmusical, pointless techno/electronica tracks.
Femi Kuti
3/5
Good album. Interesting combination of jazz and African musical influences. The rhythm section is outstanding, and the drums are amazing.
1/5
If you like a rapper doing his thing over heavy metal guitar riffs and thunderous drums, you'll love this. Not my thing.
The Velvet Underground
2/5
Okay album. Nothing remarkable.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
3/5
When this came out I thought it was great. It's big, almost orchestral. I don't think it aged well.
Guns N' Roses
5/5
This is a really good album but I am going to add an extra star because it was their debut album.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Very good album and I don't really like CCR all that much.
The Verve
4/5
Very good album.
Gotan Project
2/5
Okay album. French Jazz I guess. I can imagine this playing in the background while Dr. Fauchard, my dentist, was performing a root canal.
T. Rex
3/5
Good album. Many low tempo songs with a couple of rockers. This album would benefit by using modern instruments and recording techniques. It did leave me wondering, however, which came first “Bang A Gong (Get It On)” or “Telegram Sam”.?
The Youngbloods
3/5
Good album. 60s folk rock with hints of bluegrass.
Bob Dylan
4/5
Dylan has grown on me. His later work, where he went electric, is better in my opinion. I think it hides some of the flaws in his harmonica player which can be harsh at times. I enjoyed this. I think it was very good.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
1/5
This started off as a 3 for me with the first couple of songs. Midway through, the vocals started grating on my nerves. By the end of the album, I found it unlistenable.
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
A solidly okay album. Of the 3 albums on the list, I think this is their weakest effort. I feel like this is another album where the context is more important than the album itself. In other words, it's only part of the 1001 because it's their "coming-out" album.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
I rarely read the reviews before I listen but in this case I did (for some reason). In my opinion, it's really not as bad an album as I feared. I'm going to call it a good album despite Cohen being totally overrated in my book.
Jerry Lee Lewis
4/5
Really good album. Even for a live album. The man sure could play the piano. He must have been quite the showman. So despite his personal life, I am going to give him 7/10 rounded up.
Van Halen
4/5
This is the VH album that gets all the hype. Probably because of "Jump" and, to a lesser degree, "Hot for Teacher" and "Panama". But to me, it is way too short at 33 minutes. It's even shorter if you throw out the instrumental "1984". I'm taking off a point for only 8 songs clocking in at 32 minutes.
Derek & The Dominos
5/5
I know the blues aren't everyone's jam but this was excellent.
Butthole Surfers
1/5
They play this album in Hell to prevent you from getting any sleep.
The Stooges
2/5
This was just okay.
Joanna Newsom
1/5
The global review rating was 2.8 when I wrote this. In the reviews I read, people seem to either love this or hate this. I wish you could see the distribution of ratings but most of the scores that I saw seemed to land on 1 star or 5 stars. I am guessing by the cumulative average rating there are more haters. While hate is a strong word, count me in this group. I dare you to listen to the vocals on this album and try to avoid picturing a child-aged Shirley Temple singing "On The Good Ship Lollipop".
Prefab Sprout
3/5
Heard the band name but never heard their music until now. Good album.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
I gave Led Zeppelin I a "4" so this is a "5"
The Police
4/5
This album is very good. I don't really understand all the hate for The Police. Let's move on. They have. Andy is a photographer. Stuart does soundtracks. And Gordon is still Sting.
Beth Orton
3/5
This was pretty good. The lyrics were great. She has a nice voice. She reminded me of Sarah McLachlan, Natalie Merchant, and Dido vocally. She's a little pitchy at times.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
5/5
What a great album. I've never heard the whole thing before now. Definitely worth owning on vinyl.
Ella Fitzgerald
5/5
Like Ira, I never knew how good the Gershwins were until I heard Ella Fitzgerald perform their stuff. Even if you don't like this type of jazz or the album was too long (and it is), you have to appreciate the arrangements and lyrics. Who can write like this in today's day and age?
Hot Chip
2/5
Middlin electro pop from a band that does not belong on the list. I hope it’s not the last album that I hear before I die.
Grizzly Bear
2/5
I thought by the band name that I was gonna hear some headbanging, go to the chiropractor and get your neck adjusted rock n roll. Not sure what I got instead. It was okay.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
3/5
This is a good album if you enjoy progressive rock played live.
The Cure
3/5
Good album. I liked it better than most of the singles played. It’s dark wave. I listened to the remastered version on Spotify. I would like to have heard the songs mixed with better separation between instruments; it’s a bit muddled. That’s a quibble - it’s a solid album except “Pornography” which seems more like filler
Elton John
4/5
This is a very good album. The only thing that prevents me from giving it 5 stars is “Razor Face” (WTF?) and “Rotten Peaches” which is pretty awful.
Slint
2/5
This was okay.
Rush
4/5
Love "Side 1" of the album. The song "2112" is really cool as a story done as a song with multiple movements. Progressive rock at its best.
Side 2 starts out with "A Passage To Bangkok" which has such a great riff. "Lessons" and "Something for Nothing" are very strong as well.
Very good album.
.
King Crimson
1/5
Did not enjoy this at all.
Sonic Youth
4/5
Very good album. Enjoyed it more than Goo
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Good album. I think Leonard Cohen would be amazing if he were a better vocalist
Randy Newman
2/5
Okay album. I feel like if you've head one Randy Newman song, you've heard them all.
Patti Smith
3/5
This was pretty good. Never heard any of these songs before. I'm only familiar with Patti Smith from the singles that got lots of airplay over time.
Earth, Wind & Fire
3/5
That's a lot of falsetto and funk.
Dead Kennedys
4/5
Raucous! Better than I thought it would be. Very good album.
Motörhead
3/5
Pretty good! I'm not a fan of live albums because of song selection (or compilation albums for the same reason) but I was pleasantly surprised by this effort. Good recording given it was 40+ years ago.
Tina Turner
2/5
I really don't think this is a good album. I usually appreciate good production value. But this seemed over produced to the point that it feels sterile, clinical. Which is too bad as Tina Turner really has a cool voice. There are several hits here. The highlights for me were "Private Dancer" (lyrically, it's such a sad topic) and the cover of "I Can’t Stand The Rain" (Turner really captures the emotion here). The low point for me was the cover of the Beatles' "Help". The arrangement was just too far from the original.
Korn
1/5
Tedious nu metal. If there weren't gaps between tracks, I would have thought it was pretty much a 67 minute song with tempo changes.
Aimee Mann
5/5
This is one of the best albums you've never heard. Aimee Mann (of Til Tuesday fame) is a really great song writer. The songs usually tell a story and have a great hook. She has a nice voice. "Stupid Thing" was a stand out track for me.
Everything But The Girl
3/5
This was pretty good if you like heavy rhythm/dance beats. I thought the first album (Idlewild) was better.
Gary Numan
4/5
Love me some 1979 synth-pop.
Elvis Presley
3/5
Classic Elvis
Nitin Sawhney
2/5
Mellow, boring jazzy electronica with some Eastern music sprinkled in. No new ground broken here. Songs regarding nuclear war? The American folk music scene is the 60s covered that. Incorporating Indian musical influences? The Beatles did it better. Another album that's only on the 1001 list because of the editor's bias toward UK acts.
Ozomatli
3/5
It's pretty good if a little repetitive. Kind of like Miami Sounf Machine with guys signing, scratching and rapping.
Wilco
2/5
It's a okay album I guess but I really looked forward to it ending. That said, there were no bad songs on it. I'm not sure why the critical loved it.
Brian Eno
1/5
It's just noise. Oh no! I sound like my parents!
Megadeth
3/5
Good album if you like thrash metal.
FKA twigs
2/5
Lovely voice but a little falsetto goes a long way and this was way too much. Sounds like the music was created on Apple’s Garage Band or some other DAW.
David Bowie
3/5
Haven't heard any of these songs except "The Jean Genie". The whole album is full of straight-up rockers. Pretty good.
David Bowie
3/5
Another good album by Bowie. Nothing too weird. Like many of his albums, only one single from it: "Golden Years"
The Doors
5/5
Great album. Bluesy rock. Morrison had a cool voice. I enjoyed this one and I am not really a Doors fan.
Haircut 100
4/5
Very good album. I was surprised by the musicianship. Singing was pretty typical of the new wave era. No bad songs as far as I am concerned.
Mj Cole
2/5
Not my thing. Beats were kind of repetitive and monotonous. OK album
Todd Rundgren
3/5
Good album. It's kind of all over the place stylistically but I guess that just shows Rundgren's versatility.
Queens of the Stone Age
3/5
Good album. Straightforward power trio rock with some odd time signatures thrown in. Very enjoyable but nothing so special to deserve being called out as on of the 1001.
New Order
3/5
Pretty typical new wave synth pop. Good album but nothing special about it. I do think it's weird that you never see New Order and OMD at the same concerts. Coincidence or conspiracy? You decide...
The Replacements
4/5
Really good album. Loved the Kiss cover of "Black Diamond"
Justin Timberlake
2/5
OK album. So 2 stars. Why not 1 star? I'm going to assume that this is really good for those that like this genre. The production value was there. So was the cultural appropriation. I just don't see how this is one of the 1001. To me, it was a wasted hour.
Astor Piazzolla
3/5
I feel like I am in a 1920s silent Italian move and this was the soundtrack. Good album if not my thing.
Tim Buckley
2/5
Okay album. I found the songs to be typical of the late 60s time period. Nice voice. Great hair!
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
Very good album. Love me some synth pop. And by Americans no less. Surprised this made the list given the UK bias. I like Karen O's vocals. She's not a great singer but her vocals fit with with the material. Heads Will Roll!
Elis Regina
3/5
Good album. No idea what she was singing about but she has a great voice. Nice find for the 1001 list.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
2/5
Okay album. This was my least favorite NY & CH album on the list
Tim Buckley
2/5
OK album. This is my 2nd Tim Buckley album in the past week. I did not care for this one anymore than I did the first ("Happy Sad"). I don't what to make of his work. This album aspires to be big and dramatic but musically it seems to fall flat. I think his voice is nice but it is better suited to musical theater. Sometimes he'll try to hit the high notes and it's cringy.
3/5
Good album. It's hard to believe that funk and soul has largely been supplanted by modern R&B. I find this to be much more accessible.
Kate Bush
3/5
Good album mostly on the backs of the singles of "Running Up That Hill", "Hounds of Love"
and "The Big Sky". I owned this on vinyl back in the day when you had to buy the whole album to find out whether you liked it or not. I want to like Kate Bush but I just don't. Unfortunately, I find I can only take her music in small doses. I think it's her (melo)dramatic soprano.
4/5
Super massively good album. No one else sounds like Muse.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
I neither love his songs nor hate his songs. He is a lousy vocalist but a great songwreiter.
Public Image Ltd.
1/5
I couldn't listen to this with my ear buds in. I put it on speakers across the room. Never has anyone achieved so little with so little talent. Dreadful.