Faust IV
FaustThis was… noise. Did I need to be on drugs to enjoy this? It wasn’t good.
This was… noise. Did I need to be on drugs to enjoy this? It wasn’t good.
The concept is there. But my heavens these vocals are so bad they just kill the whole album. The lyrics are also... just very meh. Sometimes people try way too hard to make lyrics that seem philosophical or deep but this time, they just fall flat. It's a bunch of pseudo-intellectual drivel.
Mostly great album, has a couple pretty skippable tracks. Nice ethereal indy rock sound. Very high production value, and the album as a whole is a quite lovely concept.
Really good piano performance. Nice variations in each piece. That said, it's just not my thing. This one is a pass from me.
Has 2 bangers and a whole bunch of meh. It's definitely the 80s, both good and bad.
This album is just rock solid. Wonderful guitar riffs, great vocals, great concept. 5/5
I struggle with The Who. Are they a serious band? Are they a purely commercial enterprise? Are they just some dudes having fun? I still have no idea. But this album is a ton of fun. The sound is a bit all over the place, and the guitar playing is pretty loose. That said... it's a really good listen.
This album is a blast. Early hip hop at its best. Quirky sampling, fun lyrics. I loved everything about it.
Really fun, active album. That said, jazz/jazz fusion really isn't my thing. It was a neat listen once, not something I'm going to return to.
Noise with rhythm, that's the single most basic definition of music I've heard. And this was really close to hitting that definition on the head. I see no good concept here. The music is dull. Maybe this was really just meant to be enjoyed while high? Whatever the case, it was a big miss from me. I'll be perfectly happy if I never hear this album again.
I was hooked from the first sounds. The songwriting is gloriously clever, the instrumentation is a fantastic accompaniment to the themes of each song, and the album as a whole is a really good concept. Also goodness, I wasn't familiar with Bill Callahan coming into this, but I'm a fan. What an awesome bass-baritone voice.
This is such a subjective thing I suppose, but I just didn't really enjoy this album. The whole concept of their sound just isn't my thing.
I love the concept. But her pronunciation just drove me nuts.
I really like Prince, so this was right in my happy zone. That said, I don't think this is Prince's strongest album. It's really good. But it also has some tracks that are very mediocre (The Ballad of Dorothy Parker, Hot Thing being two examples). Still a really solid listen.
I wasn't overly familiar with Suede coming into this, but was very pleasantly surprised. I loved this album. Probably my fav album of the day thus far.
This was a little too experimental for my personal taste. Nice production value, but too many tracks just sounded like someone tossed a bunch of samples from a random noise generator together and hoped to produce something unique. It was... unique, but not particularly inspiring.
I found this quirky and fun, but my goodness his voice stole the show. What a voice. This was a great album.
Man this album just wasn’t it.
This was… noise. Did I need to be on drugs to enjoy this? It wasn’t good.
What a fun album. It’s punk. It’s rockabilly. It’s country rock. It’s just a boatload of fun.
Jerry Lee Lewis was a master of his craft, and this album really let that craft shine. I thought this was an incredibly well-mixed live album. Great from beginning to end.
Great album. Some really enlightened lyrics combined with awesome sampling throughout. I thought the Chinese Restaurant Skit was incredibly well-done, and an awesome addition to the album. I can see why it was considered groundbreaking at the time, and it holds up well.
Just wasn't for me. I'm not a fan of 80's-90's pop, and this was many of the worst parts of that era. Pretty bland lyrics, not a great sound. This one's a pass.
I liked the general vibe here. Nice almost-country but with a Brit twist. That said, it had some pretty meh filler tracks. So, good potential on the album, but I don't think it hit as high as it could have.
I’m not really a jazz fan, but this was a good album.
I went into this expecting to like it more than I did. I've liked many of Simon & Garfunkel's songs, but this album just contained too much experimental filler. I'm sure some will say the lyric writing is genius. Outside of a small handful of songs, I found it far too pretentious.
Much better than the last S&G album. This one really was them at their best. Such good variety within the album. I thought "Keep the Customer Satisfied" was a particularly great track. And Cecilia is always a bop.
In theory I should like David Bowie. He's just a bit out there for me I guess. It was an ok, not spectacular album for me.
This album was fun. Some really great tracks, made for a very fun experience.
In reality, this is an album full of the same song. Different lyrics, but stylistically they're basically the same. But Norah Jones is just so good at what she does, it made me not care. One of the best easy listening album's I've ever heard.
Really nice rock album, but just lacked something. I think it needed 1 really "hit" track to make it a truly dynamic album.
This is Hendrix at his best. Crazy guitar riffs, really weird lyrics, and overall awesome tracks all the way through. Great album.
The concept is there. But my heavens these vocals are so bad they just kill the whole album. The lyrics are also... just very meh. Sometimes people try way too hard to make lyrics that seem philosophical or deep but this time, they just fall flat. It's a bunch of pseudo-intellectual drivel.
Ethereal rock isn't my fav, but this was quite well done. That said, I'll be happy to not listen to it again.
One of my favorite albums. Sure it suffers a bit from being really just one sound for an entire album, but... that one sound was groundbreaking.
I've come to grips with the fact I'm never going to be a jazz guy. But this was really solid. Coltrane is famous for a reason, the sax runs are just phenomenal. Great album.
This is probably just me. But I absolutely can't stand Sufjan Stevens' music. It's pretentious drivel with an extra heaping dose of ridiculous noise thrown in the background. Pretty sure this was the worst album thus far.
Has a nice experimental rock vibe, but there's too much of one thing through the album: super filtered distorted guitar. It's fine for a couple tracks. A full album of it was a bit much.
Still not really a jazz guy, but this was a good album. There's a lot of variety contained within, and the instrumentation is absolutely top notch.
I love the variety in this album Paul really stretched for this album, pulling in some blues, country, and even a bit of bluegrass elements into this alum. Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard is the famous single from this, but goodness I think Armistice Day should get more love. Great slide guitar, and some really underrated lyrics.
The music is really good. Bruce's voice just doesn't do it for me, especially on this album.
The few decent guitar runs were very too infrequent to redeem this very mediocre album. The vocals are meh. Just a very meh album.
Mudhoney never really got the love they deserve. This is a great grunge album. The songs were fun, everything about this album was a really good listen.
Something about this album was just... right. It's just such a good listen.
I enjoy Outkast, but this isn't my favorite album of theirs. Nice early low-fi beats to many of the tracks. The Way You Move is a really nice track, but honestly otherwise its two discs of forgettable music.
I enjoyed the variation within this album. Starts bordering on some nice edm tracks, then transitions to a bit of pop and finally heads to pretty straight rock. Really good. The vocals are also top notch.
Evermore is a bit of a slow burn. The first time I heard it, I wasn't a huge fan. Listened to it a bit more over the last year and it really does grow on a person. I'm not saying its for everyone, but man it's a really good, well-crafted album. The lyrics are rich, the music is just the perfect addition to the lyrics to help them really soar. Really a 5/5 album.
Green is a fabulous album. Stand is probably the truly standout track, but the whole album is full of bops. Just an awesome straight up rock album.
One of if not the best Christmas albums around. Phil was obviously not a good human being, but man his production skill were absolutely top notch. Great album.
I wasn't overly familiar with Rufus Wainwright coming into this, but I was pleasantly surprised. The opening song is fantastic with the marching band sound going behind the lyrics. And it just gets better. Really one of my favorite albums thus far.
You never have to wonder what you're getting with Franz Ferdinand. They're that fun rock sound that they along with a few others really embraced in the early/mid 2000s. Some people love it, some people hate it. But this was a good album through and through. Not perfect. They along with Jack White need to find a closer relationship with a guitar tuner at times, but still an enjoyable, fun experience.
There are some definite highs on this album. My Beloved Monster is a great track, and has some good nostalgia factor from Shrek. But much of the album was just pretty average. It wasn't bad, but not something I'm planning to return to.
As a movie soundtrack, it's not bad. As a standalone album, it doesn't do it for me. Too much ethereal music meant to just accompany a movie. It's got some really good pieces, but as a whole it falls a bit flat for me.
This isn't Crosby at his best. He always hit his highest heights while playing in groups. The Byrds and the several iterations of Crosby, Stills, Nash, etc. all reach heights that this album fails to reach. It's not a bad album per se, but it's very safe. It has one sound/recipe and really doesn't deviate from it much. You can tell it's David Crosby from beginning to end, but aside from that, it's not really an album I'd deem worthy of inclusion on this list.
Solid but uninspiring.
So let's divide this into pros and cons. Pros: This is undeniably David Bowie. Has his distinct take on rock through and through, and it's produced very well. The instruments are really well done. Very good production value to the entire album, and it's worth a listen because of that fact. Cons: David was very much past his prime for this album. The vocals leave much to be desired. And as that was a great strength for David in his earlier years, that's a really sad miss on this album. It also means it just doesn't compare to his earlier work.
There are some really good highs on this album. Elected, Billion Dollar Babies, and No More Mr. Nice Guy all stand out as great tracks. There are a few filler tracks, but honestly it's a quite good album. It has the almost required slow ballad in Mary Ann, though I will say it doesn't hold up well at all to other similar ballads by groups of the same era. Still, a good solid album that's worth a listen.
I don't enjoy Reggae, but this was a well done album for those who do.
Solid rock album. There wasn't really a highlight track for me, but just a nice solid listen throughout.
1 song of The Hives is phenomenal. Great aggressive punk rock. 2 songs is good. A full album honestly is a bit much. It starts to sound just frantic. I liked it less and less as the album went. Unfortunately, the first song is by far the best song on the album, and its just one long downhill slide for the rest of the album.
This is one where in theory I should like this. I enjoy alt rock. I enjoy rock from the early 90s. But this one just didn't do it for me. To much just... noise in this album.
This was just not a good album. The vocals were all over the place. The guitar playing was sloppy. The lyrics were... a thing. Altogether they combined to make a very regrettable experience.
There's a reason this album is so lauded. It's just pretty darn perfect. Every song fits just right, the crowd interaction is perfect. It's really a phenomenal piece of art.
This might be the best album I've had thus far. The guitar work is just masterful (as expected) but man, the sound is just out of this world for several tracks. Computer Blue was an unexpected gem.
How on earth did this make the list??? This was an awful album. I don't find a single redeeming quality in it. It's just experimental noise. This is right up there with the absolute worst albums I've been given so far.
Nice soft rock/electro pop album. No real standout track, but it made for a nice listen.
Not my favorite Dolly album, but still very solid. The title track is a great song, as is Traveling Man. Really for me it's just missing that one big track to take it over the top for me.
This album is a wild ride. It ranges from grunge to indy rock to circus waltz (The Debt Collector). I'm not sure how exactly to rate it so I guess it gets 3 stars. It's a mediocre grunge album. It's a mediocre indy rock album. The Debt Collector is actually a quite good track. So, weird album. Not great album, but not bad either.
I'm generally a fan of punk. But... this shouldn't be a 1001 album. It's just a generic derivative of the punk that came before. Absolutely a pass for me.
Oh joy. Another album of noise. At least this one has some sort of melodic structure unlike the German nonsense from last week.
I don't think I want to like this album. But... It's actually quite good. I really just knew Adele as the lady with awful vocal technique who kills her voice, but she shows a range of technique and style that I wasn't expecting through this, going from the expected powerhouse ballad (Hello, When We Were Young) to a sound harkening back to some early 90s piano ballads (All I Ask) with a bit of the unexpected coming in the drum groove of I Miss You. I won't say it's going to have the staying power of a true classic, but it was better than expected.
I like Bob Marley quite a bit. But this isn't one of his better albums.
This is one of those unfortunate albums that hits extra hard on track 1 with an incredible track, and then gets worse and worse as the album goes on. I think Runaway Child, Running Wild has a really neat vibe and concept, but unfortunately outside the first 3 tracks, this was a somewhat forgettable album. Not the Temptations best for sure.
This is a quite objectively good album. I'm not the worlds biggest Lana Del Rey fan, but the concept here is really solid, and the execution throughout the album is just spot on. Don't come in expecting to get a ton of hard, loud songs, but just really well mixed, well sung mostly ballads that tell a good story.
This album is excellent. From beginning to end, there's not a down track to be found. Little Ghost was an unexpected treat.
Little Richard was obviously an incredibly influential figure in the history of rock and roll. And he was seriously good at what he did. However, an entire album of the exact same formula song after song was a bit much. By the end, I was left asking "when will it be done," "are we going to get any variation at all?" The answer to that second question was unfortunately, no. This album has some definite highs. But it's just too one-note on style/sound to go higher than 3 stars.
Aerosmith had some amazing albums in the 70s. They had some amazing albums in the 90s. Outside of Permanent Vacation, their 80s output was very mediocre, this album included. This album is pretty forgettable. Monkey on my Back is a nice refreshing track, but otherwise, it pulls in some of the worst parts of the 80s with really corny synths underneath some fairly forgettable distorted guitar work. There are a couple of singles from this album that are at least semi-famous, but still, for me it's not really Aerosmith. It was Aerosmith trying desperately to stay relevant in a changing music scene before they finally rediscovered the magic in 1993 with Get a Grip. I honestly don't really think this album deserves a place on 1001 albums.
Up to this, I'd been quite unimpressed by the electronic offerings from 1001 albums. This one finally felt worthy of inclusion on this list. Air does a great job of setting up and layering each track. I've been extremely impressed with the structure they utilize. New Star in the Sky was a particular delight. The chord structure was unexpected and really enjoyable.
I'm struggling trying to review this fairly, so I'm going to divide into good/bad aspects. Good: The mixing is absolutely top notch. The guest artist appearances are spot-on. The instrumentation is really good for a (mostly) hip-hop album. There's a lot of nice variation in this so it does't grow particularly stagnant at any point. Bad: I just don't like it. Beyonce has some really good tracks in her catalog. Shame none of them came from this album. It really just comes across as a self-absorbed person writing narcissistic songs about how awesome they are. The instrumentals also get incredibly repetitive within several tracks. So while the album itself never grows stagnant, individual tracks could've used with some more dynamic development. So there ya go, that's why I'm struggling here. I guess it gets 3 stars because I feel like less does it an injustice. It's a fine album for people who like this style. I just don't.
I think How to Disappear Completely is a really good track on an otherwise forgettable album. I'm just not a huge Radiohead fan. They're... fine. But that's as far as I can ever go with them. This album is no exception.
This was really good. The opening title track is honestly phenomenal. Really a great album of the day.
I was already familiar with "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life" and "Superstition," but I now think this album deserves even more recognition than it already gets. This is a truly great album. Honestly, there's not a single track that is a let down. Every track is almost a totally distinct musical journey than the one before. 5/5 and one of the best albums I've reviewed so far.
Much better Bowie album than the last. It's still not his best, but it provides a nice listen.
This is the kind of album that is a bit hard to review, simply because it wasn't written for or out of my cultural context. There is much to like here for me. The instrumentation is excellent. The singing is good. But man the entire thing is just so different from what I would normally listen to. I think it probably deserves 5 stars for what it is.
I have really two minds on the who. On one hand, they wrote some really catchy tunes. But man, they became so over-commercialized that they're nearly ruined for me. If their music hadn't been so overdone on marketing campaigns, this is probably a 5 star album for me, but... eh 4 sounds right. This is a good album. If it was almost any other band it's probably a 5.
If this album only had the first 4 songs, it’s a 5 star album. But the final 6 songs really let it down. They’re not bad per se, but they’re just meh modern rock songs that pale in comparison with the arranging genius at work on Clocks and The Scientist.
I apparently am a Rufus Wainright fan. Because I loved this. The entire album is just amazing.
Endtroducing is a somewhat pioneering album with some of the ways Shadow manipulated sequences into tracks. I respect it. But I don’t really like it. That said, I’m not sure that this is really meant to be “liked” in the normal sense. I think it’s meant to really make you think. And it does a good job at that.
I came into this thinking U2 might be the most overrated band in history, and I’ve found nothing to change my mind with this album.
I really just equate Marvin Gaye with date night music, but this album was much more than that. There's some really good, deep lyrics in this album that surprised me. The title track is fantastic, and it sets the tone for what is a lovely album all around. Maybe could've used a bit more variety, but Gaye knew his sound, and he leaned into his strength well.
Otis Redding is fantastic. This is a phenomenal album. So many of these tracks were later recorded by other artists that became huge hits. But they all come back to Otis Redding. The entire album is full of hits. From start to finish, there's really not a low point to be found.
It's hard to separate the modern day Kanye with the earlier music of Kanye. I'll try. This album is pretty good. Personally, I think it goes a bit long, but it's got some real high points. Jesus Walks is a great track, as is Through the Wire. But it's also got some pretty meh filler between good tracks. Not one I'm likely to listen to often, but it was a good once through.
Alt Hip Hop is definitely not a genre I'm overly familiar with, so take this with a grain of salt: this album was a blast and a half. The lyrics told some great stories. Fit but You Know It is hilarious. Incredibly witty writing combined with some really well done instrumentals make this a memorable album. I hope to get more like them.
One of the gold standard albums of lounge-room music of the 40s-60s, this is Sinatra at his best. Outside You Make Me Feel So Young and I've Got You Under My Skin, it's full of really fun standards of the era/style. That said, it gets to be a bit much by the end of this album for anyone who isn't a huge Sinatra fan.
I've listened through this album several times before this. It's quire nice, though I will say it gets a bit one-note by the end. I can only do symphonic light rock for so long before it makes me sleepy.
Such a fantastically weird album. David Bowie was wild and wacky with his music creation, and it created some truly memorable albums, Young Americans being a great example. Probably not one I'd want on repeat for long periods of time, but it's a great change the pace album. And there's not a bad track on here. 5 stars all around.
The harmonies are excellent. Really good album. However, the songwriting on a good part of this album just wasn't for me. It's a good album still, but not what it could be.
If you like punk, you'll probably like this. If you don't like punk, it won't be for you. This is unashamedly punk through and through. Personally I quite like this, but I will say I think I'd get pretty tired of it if I tried to listen more than once every few weeks or so.
This album is simply phenomenal. My personal favorite CCR album.
If this was just a review of the album highlights, this is 5 stars all the way. But man there are some snoozers on this album. I wish it ended better as well. The last 3 tracks really just feel forced to get the album to length. Personally I'd be happier if it was just shorter and they left those on the cutting room floor.
Sonic Youth was quite a groundbreaking group in their day. And I can see why. Some really unique tonal approaches to their guitar work. Some nicely put together tracks. That said... man this just wasn't my jam. Groundreaking, absolutely. Enjoyable to listen to for more than a couple of tracks? Eh....
What an interesting album. I'm not sure I'd say I love it, but I respect the heck out of what I just listened to. It's pretty all over the place both lyrically and musically, but it's incredibly well-done. It's not something that'll go into my regular listen rotation, but I'm glad I got to listen through it. It was a pretty unique experience.
This is a glorious celebration of psychedelic experimental rock. Definitely not something I'll listen to all the time, but it's a fantastic album, and was really a groundbreaking album in its day.
Really good album beginning to end. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Solid in your face, unapologetic classic rock. If that's your jam, this is an album for you. If that's not your jam, you'll likely give this one a pass. I thought it was a solid listen. Nothing overly extraordinary, but a solid classic rock album.
Why on earth is this in this list? This has to be Bowie's worst album, and it's not even close. I'm going to be real happy never listening to this again.
Boy, wasn't one Slipknot album enough? I wish I could give this 0 stars.
I wasn't overly familiar with Elvis Costello, but this was a rocking good time. And honestly he was ahead of his time. This sounded like an album from 1993 or so, not 1977. A thoroughly enjoyable experience.
Solid rock album. Reelin' in the Years is the standout track for me, but there really isn't a bad track on here.
Really well done, well-mixed album. Cars is a great standout track. Not really something I'm going to regularly return to, but that doesn't take away from what is a solid album.
This album was perfection.
This album starts out with a bang with Roadhouse Blues, and though I don't think it quite rises to those same heights again, it stays solid all the way through. Has some nice variation between tracks, and makes for a really good listen.
Its funky delicious. Seriously, this is a blast of an album. Give Up the Funk is obviously the most well-known track, but honestly there's not a bad track on here. Great album.
This is definitely one of the albums that has ever existed. It has tracks I think identify as songs? Man straight up, this album was absolute trash. Maybe if you were in the middle of a coke-fueled binge this would be passable? No idea, but man this was a bad album.
I just absolutely love the Arctic Monkeys. They get 5 stars always.
It's not the best Beastie Boys album, but it's good. It's definitely them from beginning to end. Tons of energy, in you face lyrics, and a lot of whimsical interjections.
This is one of the best albums thus far on 1001 albums. It hits hard, beginning to end, though All Along the Watchtower is obviously the most famous one on here (for good reason.) Truly a great album.
This album is just all over the place. It takes you on a journey from classical jazz to early hip-hop to smooth jazz to lounge to light rock. It truly is quite the listening experience. But it's somewhat hard to rate effectively. There's not really a standout track on here. You're the Best Thing is the most well-known track, but if you don't know that, it's not really one that sticks out. All-in-all, it's a good, not great album.
If you love dark soundscapes, this album will be for you. If, like me, you prefer to not question your sanity repeatedly over the span of 2+ hours, give this album a pass. I won't argue that it's not quite brilliant. This was academic synth soundscape heading into mainstream. And it's incredibly well done. But it's (to me) just not enjoyable.
Daft Punk knows their style and does it arguably better than anyone. Great album, with Around the World as the standout track.