1001 Albums Summary

Simple, calm and yet melancholy album that captures the feeling of suburban angst like lightening in a bottle

A timeless classic at this point. What more is there to say that hasn't been said about this album. The meticulously orchestration over Kanye's playful, often crude , and often pained lyrics makes this a slam dunk 5/5

What can you say about the record that basically invented Pop music in the US that hasn't been said a million times before. . Basically everything in pop music since is derivative of this in some convoluted way or another Record starts with the fictional Sargent pepper man introducing itself. Transitions into the uplifting "Little Help from my Friends" . Then into the hazy yet whimsical "Lucy in the Sky". The rest of the record flows pretty seamlessly with a lot of simple moments. That is all blown away by the finale , " A Day in Life" which is an orchestral roller coaster of complex ideas being thrown at you with just enough time to process before it moves onto the next idea We all know every song here and most people probably know the words to Every song by heart. These songs are more time than Christmas carols. This is a slam dunk 5/5

This album had an amateur sound I found very charming. The albums monotone vocals laid out over catchy guitar riffs contrast creates a unique sense of identity. I could see how this album inspired a lot of DIY punk albums even within the last several years. It has a more laid back energy than something like the Sex Pistols, trading in the raw emotion for a dancier , more palatable kind of style. I can't say if that's better or worse but I can say is the ideas presented in this album have been expanded upon in so many different ways in the last several decades I can't imagine myself going back to this anytime soon. Immediately bands that possibly draw influence from this come to mind that have Violent Femmes, Neutral Milk Hotel, hell even some Artic Monkies (much more polished but still does the monotone voice over catchy guitar parts) . Still enjoyable and since it's older and ahead of the curve I'll round up a 3.5 to a 4

This album sounds like a Starbucks. Norah clearly is a talented vocalist which sounds nice over the modest instrumentals but it's also just so damn boring. The only emotion being conveyed seems to be longing. Obviously don't know wide is pretty timeless but the rest of the album all blended together for me and was vert hard to focus through or distinguish between the tracks

This is my favorite Artic Monkeys album. It's packed full of personality. While they hadn't really found their signature sound yet traces of it can be found here inside more abrasive packaging. The album starts with some fast tempo tracks like the view and the afternoon and I bet you look good on the dance floor. The comparisons to the strokes are inevitable as these tracks feel effortless cool and apathetic. Even slower tempo tracks like Mardy Bum have a comically self depreciation charm to them that makes me laugh. Nostalgia may cloud my judgement for this one in particular but I'm feeling a solid 5/5

Quintessential New York Hip Hop Album. Nas flows and annunciates his words with style in a clear precise way. The beats are all orchestrated to almost replicate the natural sounds of an urban environment. His words are chosen so carefully in the sense that every syllable flows in rhythm with the production. Verbiage from this album is still relevant in cultural vernacular to this day, specifically the line " life's a bitch and then you die".Nas seems hungry here. Passionate about his craft. I don't think he aspired to create an album that would be considered a timeless adding to the authenticity. He simply had an urgency to get these songs out into the world. The production is so brilliantly simple. Percussion heavy with piano or other subtle instrumentals to compliment. Hip hop has evolved so much since Illmatic and in part because of Illnatic. Makes it even more impressive how well this holds up. This album is a triumph with infinite replay-ability.

I've struggled to get for years and this listen was no exception. It's got a very lush soundscape with powerful orchestration but the thing is it's just so goddamn boring. I guess it's suppose to be tranquil but surface level nature imagery over folk adjacent indie rock isn't really coming off as sincere considering these boys are from Seattle. The album is inoffensive, it's fine background music but it's hard to engage or feel connected to it. By the end I was relived it was over. Rounding down to a 2

Sounded too much like hair metal. 2