In a nutshell: Messy. Bloated. Frantic. Confusing. You’ll either love it or despise it. It’s supposed to be a concept album but I don’t understand the brief. The bass and drums are amazing (the galloping beat, swoon!). Can hear the Led Zeppelin, Frank Zappa and Aphex Twin influences; perhaps early My Chemical Romance or early Muse (Absolution was recorded at the same time as De-Loused and released in the same year). I’d say this is an influential album, just not for me. Overall: 5/10

In a nutshell: mellow protest album influenced by reggae and ska. Sounds more ambient dub than mainstream reggae. Always appreciate a DIY/made on a shoestring album. It’s unfortunate that the variety in the backing beat is missing. Overall: 5/10

Highlights: Natural Mystic, Guiltiness, Waiting In Vain, Turn Your Lights Down Low. My initial interpretation of reggae was “protest songs with backing singers, groovy bass and subtle percussion”. Today I learned that it is, and also more than that. Albums like “Exodus” weave themes of celebrating progress, unity, love, socio-political commentary, understanding one’s existence, repatriation, optimism, “downpression” (a variant of oppression) and Rastafari life. Seamless transition between songs on Spotify. Overall: 7/10 Reviewed on 1001 Album Club: 4+ Not reviewed on 1001 Album Complaints (yet)

Highlights: Disorder, New Dawn Fades. Overall: 8/10 Reviewed on 1001 Album Club: 5+ Yet to be reviewed on 1001 Album Complaints

"nobody is excluded from my poking fun at. Nobody. I don't discriminate, I don't exclude nobody...If I do something fucked up, I'll make fun of myself - I'm not excluded from this..." Eminem. With that said, this was a difficult listen for me. I was in my mid teens when this album came out. My younger sister (13 at the time) was a fan and after hearing her crank The Real Slim Shady to 11 on repeat, I listened to the album myself. I was mortified. How the hell can someone record misogynistic, violent and homophobic lyrics and get away with being released?? Because, controversy sells. Retrospectively, it's still terrifying to listen to. There is a lot of dated references and cliched hip hop tropes ("mic check 1-2", name dropping, skits on albums). Instead of crossing the line between satirical and offensive, he pissed on the line while flipping the bird. The lyrics are definitely (a) offensive, even though you know the tracks were deliberately created to offend you (and now you're mad that you reacted the way you did), (b) darkly comic, (I didn't find it funny but I bet a small audience will) and (c) are a sharp jab at everyone and everything. Listen "The Way I Am" first, decide if you're prepared to hear more, then make your own conclusions. I won't be listening to this again, too many bad memories. As for you, brace yourself. Overall: 3/10

6/10/23 Highlights: 15 Step, House Of Cards. It’s okay: Weird Fishes/Arpeggi, Jigsaw Falling Into Place. Not my fave: Nude, Reckoner. Overall: 7/10. Not reviewed on 1001AC (yet)

Highlights: Le Freak It's okay: Chic Cheer, I Want Your Love. Not my fave: Happy Man, At Last I Am Free, Sometimes You Win. Overall: 5/10 Reviewed on 1001 Album Club, yet to be reviewed on 1001 Album Complaints.

Highlights: Old Man, Alabama, The Needle and The Damage Done, There’s A World, Are You Ready For The Country? Words Not My Fave: A Man Needs A Maid. Overall: 8.5/10 Reviewed on 1001 Album Club Not reviewed on 1001 Album Complaints (yet)

Highlights: all of Side A Good but not great: The Twilight Zone. Not my fave: A Passage to Bangkok. Overall: 7/10 Reviewed on 1001 Album Club (4+) Not reviewed on 1001 Album Complaints (yet)

Highlights: Aladdin Sane, Cracked Actor It’s okay: Let’s Spend The Night Together Overall: 8.5/10 Reviewed on 1001 Album Club (5+) Not reviewed on 1001 Album Complaints (yet)

Highlights: “Can we have everything louder than everything else?”, Highway Star. Not my fave: Strange Kind of Woman Overall: 7/10. Note: avoid watching The Simpsons episode “Weekend At Burnsie’s” if you love “Smoke On The Water”. All I could hear was Homer singing the second verse wrong and couldn’t stop laughing. Reviewed on 1001 Album Club: 5 neutral. Not reviewed on 1001 Album Complaints (yet)

Occasionally good horns, drums and guitar; played furiously. Kinda bluesy glam rock. This is album reminds me of "hair metal" and I wouldn't be surprised if bands from that genre cite this as an influential album. 2/10

Highlights: Disorder, New Dawn Fades. Overall: 8/10 Reviewed on 1001 Album Club: 5+ Yet to be reviewed on 1001 Album Complaints

Highlights: Push It Along, Luck of Lucien, I Left My Wallet In El Segundo, Can I Kick It? Not my fave: Pubic Enemy. Overall: 7/10 Not reviewed on 1001 Album Club or 1001 Album Complaints, yet.

Highlights: The Ecstasy of Gold, The Call of Ktulu, No Leaf Clover, Devil's Dance, Until It Sleeps. It's okay: "Of Wolf and Man", Human. Overall: 7/10 First time listening. BRILLIANT arrangements by Michael Kamen. Fusion genres such as symphonic metal or bands like Metallica may not be everyone's shot of bourbon. That said, it's worth listening to this album- even if it's just once- to appreciate musicians who push their own boundaries. Plan an intermission if streaming, it's 133 minutes.

Highlights: Pretty Green, But I'm Different Now, Set The House Ablaze, Music For The Last Couple, Boy About Town, Scrape Away. It's okay: That's Entertainment, Monday. Overall: 8.5/10 This album is compulsory listening. I loved it.

Highlights: The Sick Bed of Cuchulainn, The Band Played Waltzing Matilda. Overall: 7.5/10

Highlights- The Boxer (my favourite S&G song), Cecilia, Baby Driver, Bridge Over Troubled Water “It’s okay” - Why Don’t You Write Me Not my fave- The Only Living Boy in New York, Bye Bye Love (live cover) Overall: 6/10 You need to be in the right mood to listen to Simon and Garfunkel. Time will tell if ‘Bridge…’, the duo’s final studio album, is a better listening experience than previous outings (this is the first of three S&G album reviewed). Unless my ears are deceiving me, it sounds like Paul is mixed louder than Art in the duets. I sorely wanted to like this album, but there is something about it that doesn’t stick. Reviewed on 1001 Album Club: 4+ Not reviewed on 1001 Album Complaints (yet)

I couldn't finish this one, it's a sensory overload. Can hear slithers of garage rock and hearty serves experimental rock from the tracks I could tolerate. Reminds me of J Mascis. Can understand the underground appeal. 4/10

First thought: I wonder if Hot Chip and The Presets listened to The The in their youth? Although not directly cited as an influence, the synth use and vocal style from Soul Mining reminded me of 'One Life Stand', 'In Our Heads', 'Apocalypso' and 'Beams', only at a different tempo. Songs were too long. Not my thing. Will revisit this album when another synthpop or new wave title comes up. 4/10

In a nutshell: the man from Style Council and The Jam does dad rock/northern soul. The songwriting isn’t much to write home bout, the guitar work is fine. Although Gomez do not directly cite Weller as an influence, I can hear bits and pieces of Paul’s music in the band’s first two albums (see Sunflower, Country and Has My Fire Really Gone Out then compare to Get Miles and Make No Sound). Overall: 3/10

Highlights: Love and Anger, The Sensual World. It’s okay: Heads We’re Dancing Not my fave: The Fog Overall: 7/10 The third and last Kate Bush album in the book, my first album reviewed for the generated list. Soft, moody, sometimes sensual. I recommend bookending with Kate’s debut The Kick Inside to see how her trademark sound and songwriting has refined over time. Controversial opinion, but would gladly trade Neneh Cherry’s Raw Like Sushi for The Kick Inside. Not reviewed on 1001 Album Club or 1001 Album Complaints (yet)

This is noise, not music. Or maybe I just don't get the concept. Skip this album and listen to Hot Chip, Art vs Science or Modest Mouse instead. Overall: 1/10 Not reviewed on 1001 Album Club or 1001 Album Complaints, yet.

Not bad

Sad bastard music meets whiny rage music. Overall: 1/10 Not reviewed on 1001 Album Club or 1001 Album Complaints podcasts at time of writing.

Listener warning: some tracks are "quiet-loud-quiet" so be careful when turning up the volume. Heard of the band name, never heard their music. Was anticipating punk rock based on the short description on here. Nope. Don't let the opening sentence of the album's Wikipedia entry fool you, this isn't the rock music you're expecting. This album is definitely punk. It's more in the experimental noise genre than rock. It felt... grimy? First thought that came to mind after I finished the album: "if anyone was to act out The Aristocrats joke, this album would be playing in the background" So, yeeeeaaah, I'm not listening to this again in a hurry. 1/10

Overrated. Might listen to back catalogue. 2/10

Highlights: Australia. It's okay: Victoria, Brainwashed, Mr Churchill Says. Not my fave: Yes Sir No Sir, Shangri-La. Tl;dr: a concept album that doesn't hit the target. I'd say skip Arthur and go to "The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society" (a better album that pokes fun at British culture). Overall: 4/10 Reviewed on 1001 Album Club. Not reviewed on 1001 Album Complaints at time of publication.

Walked in completely cold. Until it occurred to me the band's early single 'Teenage Kicks' featured in the film Good Vibrations (tl;dr: want to open a record store and foster the underground punk movement in 70s 'The Troubles' era Ireland? Challenge accepted). Think 80's pop-punk, reminiscent of Madness and DEVO. Maybe The Specials? Can hear influences of early Beatles, Ramones and the Buzzcocks. Not a repeat listen for me, but I'm thankful to have listened to it. Reviewed on 1001 AC club: all positive. 6/10

Highlights: Love Hurts, Cathy's Clown. I found myself skipping a lot of songs on this album. I knew of an earlier Everly Brothers single "Bye Bye Love" and was hoping this album showed an expansion of their sound. Nope. Just heard more of the same melodies. The Everly Brothers definitely influenced future musicians, especially in the UK. There is too much filler on this album to justify its place on the list. Overall: 2/10 Reviewed on 1001 Album Club. Not reviewed on 1001 Album Complaints at time of writing.

This album was nice to listen to. And from what I’ve learned, this is skilled piano improv. It's proof that it's how you play, not what instrument you use, that makes music great. 7/10 Reviewed on 1001 Album Club Not reviewed on 1001 Album Complaints

Highlights: Junkie Chase, Give Me Your Love (Love Song) Not my fave: Pusherman, Little Child Runnin’ Wild, Eddie You Should Know Better. Hearing the title track so many times over the years has unfortunately spoiled my listening experience. It’s a shame, because the backing band is excellent! Mayfield’s lyrics illustrate a dark reality, noticed a narrative arc. Tracks 1-3 could have been shorter or changed into an instrumental. Haven’t seen the movie, so this review may change after watching it. Verdict: 6.5/10 Reviewed on 1001 Album Club (5+) Not reviewed on 1001 Album Complaints yet.

Haven't listened to this album in full before, and only familiar with the band's hits. Gotta say, it's almost flawless. Starts at a blistering pace then goes into head bopping mode, rarely venturing into boredom. I always appreciate a band who ventures into different genres on an album while still sounding coherent and familiar. LZ III is the first Zepp album to appear on the generator. But is it their best? Time will tell. Ask me again in a few months. 9/10 Reviewed on 1001 Album Club (4+) Not reviewed on 1001 Album Complaints (yet)

Highlights: Tiger In Your Tank, I Feel So Good, I've Got My Mojo Working. My first blues album of the generated list. Waters and the backing band are on fire! Felt a lull with tracks 1-4, but maybe my ears are more accustomed to upbeat blues? Reckon it's time to listen to Muddy Waters' studio albums. Reviewed on 1001 Album Club (4+) Not reviewed on 1001 Album Complaints (yet) 6.5/10

Highlights: Natural Mystic, Guiltiness, Waiting In Vain, Turn Your Lights Down Low. My initial interpretation of reggae was “protest songs with backing singers, groovy bass and subtle percussion”. Today I learned that it is, and also more than that. Albums like “Exodus” weave themes of celebrating progress, unity, love, socio-political commentary, understanding one’s existence, repatriation, optimism, “downpression” (a variant of oppression) and Rastafari life. Seamless transition between songs on Spotify. Overall: 7/10 Reviewed on 1001 Album Club: 4+ Not reviewed on 1001 Album Complaints (yet)

In a nutshell: Live and tame. Overall: 3/10

Highlight: So Many Tears. This was a difficult listen and I stopped halfway. Therefore, I can’t give a fair review on this album. Not reviewed on 1001 Album Club or 1001 Album Complaints. Overall: 5/10

Highlights: Selfish, Wounds. Sounds like: Ms Dynamite and Missy Elliott. Slick production. An air of vulnerability. Feeling indifferent about the album. It’s not my kind of music. Overall: 5/10 Not reviewed on 1001 Album Club or 1001 Album Complaints at time of writing.

Highlights: Showroom Dummies, Franz Schubert, Endless Endless. First of three Kraftwerk albums reviewed via the generator. You know Kraftwerk when you hear it: synth, sequencers, minimalism, monotone vocals, loops, feels like you're on a journey. It's comfortable, familiar music. Six of the eight songs are over 4 minutes so it will be a challenging listen for some. A Kraftwerk album is compulsory listening, but unsure if Trans-Europe Express is *the* album. Overall: 6/10 Reviewed on 1001 Album Club: 3+ Not reviewed on 1001 Album Complaints (yet)

Highlights: Josie, Deacon Blues It's okay: I Got The News. Not my fave: Black Cow, Home At Last. First of four Steely Dan albums reviewed. This would have been a bitch to record and mix, sounds like there are so many components to organise (props to Katz and the music engineers there). Much respect to the session musicians and singers who made an appearance (including Doobie Brothers frontman Michael McDonald, he actually has range!?!), they are on fire. There's something about Aja that feels off that I can't put my finger on. 'Black Cow', 'Aja' and 'Home At Last' would benefit from pruning. The title track is cringe by today's standards. I dunno? It's not my favourite of the four in the book. Overall: 5/10 Reviewed on 1001 Album Club (5+) Not reviewed on 1001 Album Complaints (yet)

Highlights: Starling, The Fix, One Day Like This. Not my fave: The Loneliness of a Tower Crane Driver Went in only knowing one single from this album. It's a mixed bag. Brooding, aching, a bit drab occasionally. Many songs are too long but hang in there as some songs have lyrical gems. Elbow Frontman Guy Garvey reminds me of Peter Gabriel (one of Guy's inspirations) but with a Mancunian lilt. Overall: 6/10 Not reviewed on 1001 Album Club or 1001 Album Complaints (yet).

It’s okay: Back From Somewhere, Friend You've Got To Fall. Bob Mould was right - “Warehouse would have made more impact if it was paired down to a single record...” I struggled to find something positive about Warehouse. It feels middle-of-the-road (spot the REM and The Replacements influences) and was a slog to listen to. Overall: 3/10 Reviewed on 1001 Album Club: 1+, 1-, 1 N. Not reviewed on 1001 Album Complaints (yet).

Highlights: Ponta De Lança Africano, Taj Mahal Pleasantly surprised by this album! It's fun, sensual, chill and get-up-and-go-dance music. I can picture some songs appearing on Late Night Tales compilations. Think funk, soul, light disco and bossa nova, all in Portuguese. Overall: 7/10 Reviewed on 1001 Album Club Not reviewed on 1001 Album Complaints (yet)

Highlights: Gotta Get Up, Coconut. It’s okay: Early In The Morning, Down, The Moonbeam Song. Not my fave: Without You. Ahh yes, Nilsson. The guy responsible for the nauseatingly heartbreaking cover of Without You (yep, it’s a cover. Written in 1970, by two members of Badfinger), Gotta Get Up (an absolute banger that experienced a resurgence after appearing in Netflix's Russian Doll) and the catchy jam-fest Coconut (read between the lines, friends). Jump Into The Fire is overplayed on classic radio stations and overused in commercials (groan), promoting cars and adventure activities. Which is a shame because the extended cut with instrumental breaks are fantastic. I really wanted to like this album but just couldn’t. However, I gotta give Harry props for his vocal acrobatics throughout and the session musicians. Overall: 5/10 Reviewed on 1001 Album Club: 3+ Not reviewed on 1001 Album Complaints.

Highlights: Suliram, The Click Song, Lakutsh'n Ilanga, Mbube, House of the Rising Sun. It's okay: The Retreat Song. Not my fave: One More Dance. A delightful fusion of jazz, African melodies and blues. Makeba's voice is one you won't forget. Overall: 6/10 Reviewed on 1001 Album Club. Not reviewed on 1001 Album Complaints at time of writing.

Highlights: Season of the Witch, The Trip, The Fat Angel. Not my fave: Legend of a Girl Child Linda, Guinevere. Part folk rock, part psychedelia, light touch of baroque pop. It’s music you immediately identify with the cliched care-free part of the 60’s. Donovan was dismissed by critics as “a Dylan clone”. They’re wrong. There is a crossover but no ripoffs here. Many folk musicians- including Donovan and Dylan- would cite Martin Carthy, Woodie Guthrie, Rumblin’ Jack Elliott, Joan Baez, blues and British/Irish folk music in general as their forerunner influences. Donovan even taught John Lennon a different way to finger-pick a guitar and it was incorporated into ‘Dear Prudence’. Overall: 6/10 Reviewed on 1001 Album Club: Not reviewed on 1001 Album Complaints (yet)

Synth pop is not my thing, couldn't finish this album. However, I feel that Pet Shop Boys deserve credit for the contributions to pop culture and 90s music. I may have more opinions when "Behaviour" comes around. Not reviewed on 1001 Album Club or 1001 Album Complaints (yet) Overall: 5/10 (neutral rating)

Highlights: It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine), Exhuming McCarthy. It's okay: The One I Love, King of Birds. Not My Fave: Fireplace, Strange, Lightnin' Hopkins. First of four R.E.M. albums reviewed. I only know of R.E.M.'s hits, so it was a fresh listen for me. It wasn't a boring listening experience, but it wasn't pleasant one either. The sax solo was an odd choice in Fireplace. Michael's voice was screeching while holding some notes (eg in Strange "riiieeeeeeghht"). Many of the songs sound similar to me. I might change my mind when I listen to Automatic For The People or Murmur. At least one R.E.M needs to be on this list. Document isn't it IMHO. Overall: 4/10 Reviewed on 1001 Album Club: 4/4 positive. Not reviewed on 1001 Album Complaints (at time of writing).

Highlights: Man at C&A, Sock It To ‘em J.B., Holiday Fortnight. In a nutshell: drawn out album by two-tone/ska heavyweights. I can hear elements of Northern Soul and avant pop on here. More Specials has some good moments, however not enough to earn a high mark. I’d imagine that The Specials would be incredible live. Overall: 4/10

Highlights: Strength of Strings, From A Silver Phial A commercial flop upon release, praised by critics, dubbed as "a lost masterpiece" years after Clark's death. Think Neil Young but with blues/jazz/gospel flourishes. Some long songs but they don't feel long. This will require repeat listens to appreciate No Other. Give it a chance. Overall 6/10

First thought: is this Australian hip hop? *Checks Wikipedia* nope, Jurassic 5 are from LA. "Alternative hip hop". Okay. I can get into that. Think A Tribe Called Quest/De La Soul but with the tempo of a heartbeat. I didn't mind it. It wasn't blown out of the water awesome. Overall: 5/10 Not reviewed on 1001 Album Club or 1001 Album Complaints (yet).

Highlights: Sure Shot, Tough Guy, Root Down, Sabrosa, Sabotage, Flute Loop, Transitions. It's okay: Bobo On the Corner, Get It Together, Ricky's Theme. Not my fave: B-Boys Makin' With The Freak Freak. First of three Beastie Boys albums reviewed. It's a long album by current standards (59:37). Could do with a trim to make it 40 minutes and release other songs separately. Overall: 7/10 Not reviewed on 1001 Album Club or 1001 Album Complaints at time of writing.

All songs sound 'meh' to me. This must have been a popular album (underground or mainstay) upon release. I just don't dig it. You might like this if you like Tears For Fears or Joe Jackson. Overall: 1/10 Reviewed on 1001 Album Club. Positive: 2, Neutral: 1, Negative: 1. Not reviewed on 1001 Album Complaints at time of writing.

In a nutshell: one of the last great concept albums of the century. If you’re already familiar with the album, try listening in “original vinyl version” track list order (see the Wikipedia page for details) so you can get a different listening experience. Overall: 8/10

Without clicking on the Wikipedia tl;dr, the album sleeve design of a focused musician indicated to me early 60s jazz. Correct! Four track album that runs under 35 minutes got my attention. Was prepared for drawn out tunes. Pressed play... and I liked it. The vibe goes from chill to frantic then a slow, rousing coda. One or more of these tracks is something that would suit a lazy Sunday morning or while cooking dinner. Overall: 7/10 Reviewed on 1001 Album Club. Not reviewed on 1001 Album Complaints at time of writing.

Highlights: The Magic Number, Eye Know, Tread Water, Say No Go, In a nutshell: old school sampling meets late 80’s hip hop, but not as you know it. I don’t think anyone had heard anything like this album (maybe Public Enemy’s It Takes A Nation…?) at the time. It’s not my thing. I definitely appreciate this album’s importance to music history and I do like the fusion of rap, jazz and sampling. Also, damn you De La Soul for inventing the hip hop skit! (shakes fist at sky) Overall: 6/10

A work of pure genius. If you haven't heard of this album or of The Avalanches, put everything you know about sampling aside. This album puts the samples front and centre. Every song is a collage of sounds lifted from obscure vinyls found in thrift shops and pasted together to create a sonic journey. It is an engineering feat to create an (18 track!) dance album in the late 90s with minimal studio interference. And it doesn't sound messy. Robbie and Darren didn't keep track of how many samples were used. Numbers range between 200 and 3500. Based on the website WhoSampled, I'd say over 800 samples sounds about right. This number includes a handful of samples used throughout the album to tie it all together. It's a nice foreshadowing tool. Example - the horse neighs from Frontier Psychiatrist (Track 13) make an appearance in Stay Another Season (Track 2). It may not be to everyone's taste but The Avalanches deserve credit for creating a complex DIY album. Brace yourself for a long ride, but a fun one. Overall: 9/10 Not reviewed on 1001 Album Club or 1001 Complaints at time of writing.

I think it’s one of those albums that resonated more in the 70’s and rode the wave of the band’s (Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young) commercial success. Excellent guitar work by Stephen Stills, as one would expect. Not an album I’d play again. Overall: 3/10 Reviewed on 1001 Album Club: neutral. Not reviewed on 1001 Album Complaints at time of writing.

It feels like the band relied heavily on the formula that worked for them. Pity. Skip this album and listen to Electric Warrior instead. Overall: 2/10 Reviewed on 1001 Album Club: 3/3 positive. Not reviewed on 1001 Album Complaints at time of writing.

Formulaic hard rock songs. Grew bored after 'Live To Win'. Overall: 3/10 Reviewed on 1001 Album Club: 5/5 Positive. Not reviewed on 1001 Album Complaints at time of writing.

Nice transition between some songs. Interesting use of samples/loops. But that's about it. The album is laced with hip hop cliches ("one-two", name dropping, self referentials) and IT'S JUST TOO DAMN LONG. It's 77:55?! This could have been a great album, especially with Common collaborating with genre heavyweights (D'Angelo, Questlove, J Dilla) but it doesn't deliver for me. Overall: 3/10 Not reviewed on 1001 Album Club or 1001 Album Complaints at time of writing.

Folktronica. Let that word settle in. How does it make you feel? The Beta Band play with trip hop, electronica, experimental rock and a touch of folk to make an album "something completely incredible, that didn't sound like anything else..." You have to give the band credit - they succeeded in their brief. It's not going to be everyone's cup of tea. Overall: 4/10 Not reviewed on 1001 Album Club or 1001 Album Complaints at time of writing.

In a nutshell- Latin rock, Chicano rock and blues musicians meet in a bar... Went in only knowing Oye Como Va and Black Magic Woman, left appreciating Carlos and his band. WOW! There's a noticeable flow to it. Each band member's skills are on show. Carlos seems to work WITH the band rather than above the band. Truth be told, I'd listen to 70's Santana over Eric Crapton anyday. Overall: 7/10

Highlights: Broken English, Guilt, The Ballad of Lucy Jordan, Working Class Hero, Why D'Ya Do It. Lyrically iconic. Sonically unique. Marianne Faithfull establishes mood and beat from the get go. Wikipedia labels this as new wave but it waltzes with and away from said category. And I don't hear any filler! So many gutsy and captivating lyrics are to be found, from the title track ("It's not my reality. It's just an old war. Not even a cold war... What are you fighting for?") to the closer 'Why D'Ya Do It'. The final track is a spiteful, yet eloquent piece reminiscent of an X-rated Patti Smith poem ("When I stole a twig from our little nest and gave it to a bird with nothing in her beak, I had my balls and my brains put into a vice and twisted around for a whole fucking week" And that's the 'tame' lyrics!). The common complaint of Faithfull is her voice and crass lyrics. Yes, it's not for everyone. Thus the basis of its appeal (am I a hypocrite for complaining about Michael Stipe's voice and not Marianne's? Probably). You NEED to listen to this album. Perfect length (36:35), challenging and thought provoking. Give it a chance. Overall: 9/10 Reviewed on 1001 Album Club: 5/5 positive. Not rated on 1001 Album Complaints at time of writing.

Note: Spotify has pulled all but two songs from this album ('Believe' and 'Love and Hope'), so this review is based on the two songs I had access to. The two songs I listened to are a jumble of genres including (wince) "rap rock". Not my thing. Overall: 2/10 Not reviewed on 1001 Album Complaints or 1001 Album Club (at time of writing)

Highlights: The Virgin, White Light, One In A Hundred, Tears of Rage. If you remember The Byrds and like Dylan's earlier albums, look no further. It's nice. This is folk rock album you can enjoy while slowly sipping a drink and watch the summer sun set. Overall: 6/10 Reviewed on 1001 Album Club. Not reviewed on 1001 Album Complaints at time of writing.

Highlights: Mannish Boy, I Want To Be Loved #2, Deep Down In Florida, Crosseyed Cat. The thing I’ve learned about blues from this project is that songs of this genre follow a template but it’s rarely boring. You can appreciate the solos and the musicians jamming. Some tracks on this album didn’t need to be over 4 minutes - a common complaint of mine is song length- but I’m guessing that it’s a live studio album, so you roll with it (perhaps the band is in one room and does it all in one take? I don’t have a good enough ear to make a distinction). Overall: 6.5/10 Reviewed on 1001 Album Club. Not reviewed on 1001 Album Complaints at time of writing.

Highlights: Date With The Night, Black Tongue, No No No, Y Control. It's okay: Tick, Maps, Poor Song. Not my fave: Modern Romance. For context, this album was released in the same month as "Elephant" by The White Stripes. It's difficult to not compare Jack and Meg White with Karen O, Nick Zenner and Brian Chase- two garage rock revivalists blazing their own trails, two albums that sound similar and slightly different. IMHO, ending the album with 'Y Control' or 'Poor Song' (forgo Modern Romance or relegate it to a hidden track) would be the better choice. I have a soft spot for the band's follow up album "Show Your Bones", so this may be skewing my opinion. Overall 6/10 Not reviewed on 1001 Album Club or 1001 Album Complaints at time of writing.

"San Quentin, I hate every inch of you." The audio quality of this album is good given the time and location. Thankfully the banter between Johnny and the audience remains. I can't add more to what is already been said by many. This is an important live recording. Overall: 7/10 Reviewed on 1001 Album Club Not reviewed on 1001 Album Complaints at time of writing Overall: 7/10 Reviewed on 1001 Album Club. Not reviewed on 1001 Album Complaints at time of writing.

“You still gotta make a decision- leave tonight, or live and die this way” A powerful debut album. Go listen. Now, if buskers can stop performing “Fast Car”, that would be great. Don’t get me started on *that* sped up cover. Overall: 7/10 Not reviewed on 1001 Album Club or 1001 Album Complaints at time of publication.

Cool album art. I got bored after track 3 for some reason. Will take the word of the Wikipedia article and associated references as being an important album for thrash metal. Overall: 4/10 Not reviewed on 1001 Album Club or 1001 Album Complaints at time of writing.

In a nutshell: prime candidate for a film or game soundtrack. Early 90s house with a song played on chillout radio ad nausea ("Original") Overall: 3/10

Highlights: Up In The Skies, Spanish Castle Magic, If 6 Was 9, Castles Made of Sand. First of three Jimi Hendrix albums reviewed. Tl;dr: a series of groovy and trippy jams. Don't expect anything remarkable lyrics wise. Just enjoy the drums and guitar work. Overall: 6/10 Reviewed on 1001 Album Club. Not reviewed on 1001 Album Complaints at time of publication.

Two things you need to do: 1. Remember that the album is a product of its time. Some lyrical content is cringe, offensive and/or sexist. Some of it is okay. The 90s were a weird decade, trust me. 2. Listen to the 1001 Album Complaints episode instead (Episode 127) Overall: 2/10 Reviewed on 1001 Album Complaints. Not reviewed on 1001 Album Club at time of writing.

In a nutshell: why listen to ABC’s Lexicon of Love when you can listen to a-ha, Duran Duran, Frankie Goes To Hollywood or The Buggles? The production is good though (courtesy of Trevor Horn). Overall: 2/10 Reviewed on 1001 Album Club (2 neutral, 3 negative). Not reviewed on 1001 Album Complaints at time of publication.

Frantic surf punk meets psychobilly. I can imagine it being the pre-match music at a roller derby game. It would be an important album in the subgenre, it's just not for me. Overall: 3/10 Reviewed on 1001 Album Club: 5/5 positive Not reviewed on 1001 Album Complaints at time of writing.

"nobody is excluded from my poking fun at. Nobody. I don't discriminate, I don't exclude nobody...If I do something fucked up, I'll make fun of myself - I'm not excluded from this..." Eminem. With that said, this was a difficult listen for me. I was in my mid teens when this album came out. My younger sister (13 at the time) was a fan and after hearing her crank The Real Slim Shady to 11 on repeat, I listened to the album myself. I was mortified. How the hell can someone record misogynistic, violent and homophobic lyrics and get away with being released?? Because, controversy sells. Retrospectively, it's still terrifying to listen to. There is a lot of dated references and cliched hip hop tropes ("mic check 1-2", name dropping, skits on albums). Instead of crossing the line between satirical and offensive, he pissed on the line while flipping the bird. The lyrics are definitely (a) offensive, even though you know the tracks were deliberately created to offend you (and now you're mad that you reacted the way you did), (b) darkly comic, (I didn't find it funny but I bet a small audience will) and (c) are a sharp jab at everyone and everything. Listen "The Way I Am" first, decide if you're prepared to hear more, then make your own conclusions. I won't be listening to this again, too many bad memories. As for you, brace yourself. Overall: 3/10

Highlights: I Ain’t The One, Tuesday’s Gone, Free Bird. In a nutshell: the go-to album for a 70’s movie soundtrack. A pleasant listening experience but not spectacular. Overall: 6/10

In a nutshell: indie folk revivalists that spawned many imitators. I *really* wanted to like this album, but I didn’t. A friend of mine calls this type of music as “beige”. Many songs sound alike and feel limp instead of stirring. I found myself comparing the album to folk rock/indie artists who came before, at the same time or just after (The Decemberists, Grizzly Bear, The Mountain Goats, Boy and Bear, Bright Eyes, The Middle East). The aforementioned, in my opinion, delivered better albums and are easier to listen to. However, I will give Fleet Foxes some credit for generating a renewed interest in the genre. Overall: 5/10.

In a nutshell: a case of sophomore album blues. Loops galore, glockenspiel, cowbell, handclaps… I don’t hear anything groundbreaking or new here. Overall: 2/10.

Highlights: Armenia City In The Sky, I Can See For Miles, Sunrise. It's okay: Mary Anne With The Shaky Hand Not my fave: Odorono, Tattoo, Silas Stingy. The first of five albums by The Who on this list. In 1967, the public would not have heard music like this before. Compared to the band's debut "My Generation", The Who's third album "The Who Sell Out" embraces the concept album format. Admirers of The Who's mod pop sensibilities will take solace in "I Can See For Miles", "Sunrise" and "Rael 1 & 2". It would have won new fans upon release. As to if this is The Who's best album- as many critics claim to be the case- I can't say for sure. We'll see. Overall: 6/10 Reviewed on 1001 Album Club Not reviewed on 1001 Album Complaints at time of writing.

First of four (4?!?!) Morrissey albums to be reviewed. In a nutshell: This *album* is full of crashing bores. The music and lyrics have aged badly. Save yourself the 48 minutes - skip it

Highlights: The Bells of St Mary. It's okay: Here Comes Santa Claus. Not my fave: I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus. Well played, Album Generator. Overall: 5/10. Not reviewed on 1001 Album Club or 1001 Album Complaints at time of writing.

Highlights: Unfinished Sympathy It's okay: Safe From Harm, Blue Lines Not my fave: One Love In a nutshell: an essential album for anyone new to triphop. By the way, stunned that Mezzanine isn't on the list! Overall: 6.5/10 Not reviewed on 1001 Album Club. Not reviewed on 1001 Album Complaints at time of writing.

Highlights: Turkish Song of the Damned, Bottle of Smoke, Fairytale of New York, Fiesta, Medley: The Recruiting Sergeant/The Rocky Road to Dublin/The Galway Races, Sit Down By The Fire. It's okay: If I Should Fall From Grace With God, Thousands Are Sailing, Streets of Sorrow/Birmingham Six, The Broad Majestic Shannon. The gritty and dirty Pogues make a polished album, one of the best of the decade. I recommend you have the lyrics nearby before pressing play, sometimes Shane's singing voice renders some songs incomprehensible (jury is still out if it’s the thick accent or if it’s alcohol induced) After you finish this album, Google "Rockwiz Fairytale of New York". This live cover - featuring Tex Perkins, Clare Bowditch and backing band The RocKwiz Orkestra - is sentimental to many Australian music fans. You might just fall in love with Tex, Clare, the backing band or all of the above. Overall: 7/10 Reviewed on 1001 Album Club (5 positive). Not reviewed on 1001 Album Complaints at time of writing.

Highlights: Roundabout, Cans and Brahms, Five Percent For Nothing, Heart of the Sunrise. First of three Yes albums reviewed. In a nutshell: Virtuoso prog rock. The band, along with album cover illustrator Roger Dean, build a universe with each song. Without the band’s new direction and the inclusion of Rick Wakeman on keys, rock music wouldn’t be the same. Some songs are long (Heart of Sunrise, America) but will give a free pass because they hold my attention. As for the “one song per member, the rest as a group” concept, it feels fractured to me. Reviewed by 1001 Album Club. Not reviewed on 1001 Album Complaints at time of publication. Overall: 6/10

Highlights: All I Want, Carey, Blue, California, A Case of You, This Flight Tonight, River, The Last Time I Saw Richard. It's okay: My Old Man, Little Green First of five Joni Mitchell albums reviewed. Blue is so close to perfect. The lyrics are deep, Couldn't quite dig Little Green, sounds like a cliched devotional to a hippy child. I didn't mind the length of the songs. If the composition and/or lyrics are right, any song over 4 minutes can be exceptional. Joni's vocal range is impressive (some quavering notes, but I forgive this. There is a wide range to cover with complex arrangements). I am swooning at the storytelling and world building lyrics. This is compulsory listening. Go buy this album. Overall: 9/10 Reviewed on 1001 Album Club (5/5 positive). Not reviewed on 1001 Album Complaints at time of publication.

Wait, this was all recorded in a band member’s basement studio?! And it’s a debut? Wow. It’s a gear shift in music cannon and it was ruined by commercial radio overplayed the singles. Shame, because the music is good. Overall: 5/10

Highlight: We'll Let You Know It's okay: The National Front Disco Second of four Morrissey albums reviewed. Bland. Many success subs similar to me. Better than You Are the Quarry, but not by much. Overall: 3/10 Not reviewed on 1001 Album Club or 1001 Album Complaints at time of publication.

Highlights: Tears of Rage, The Weight. It's okay: This Wheel's on Fire, In A Station, Caledonia Mission, We Can Talk, I Shall Be Released. Not my fave: To Kingdom Come, Long Black Veil, Lonesome Suzie. TL;dr: a multi-genre album cooked in a basement studio. Harmonies, organ, piano and country/blues guitar jams. The only exposure I had to The Band was the Jennifer Saunders/Joanna Lumley karaoke cover of This Wheel's On Fire (which is the theme for the British sitcom Absolutely Fabulous) and this album's hit "The Weight" (one of the best songs of the late 60s and probably the best song about troubadour life that I can think of, probably ever). Music From Big Pink has occasional good moments but I was largely disinterested after track 5. My main complaint is that the vocals sound whiny. I know that this album is sentimental, nay important, to many classic rock music fans, so I'm not going to write off The Band completely. There's still the self titled follow up to review. Overall: 6/10 Reviewed on 1001 Album Club and 1001 Album Complaints at time of publication.

Highlights: Shapes of Things, Beck's Bolero. Not my fave: Greensleeves. Tl;dr: straightforward blues rock album full of covers. Wear your good earphones for this one. The bass and drums sometimes get lost in the mix if you're listening to this album on a streaming service. Rod Stewart scene steals and shows off his lyrical prowess on most tracks (he definitely sounds horned up). The Jimmy Page cameo is obviously awesome. The applause mixed in on Blues Deluxe was unnecessary, a little tacky IMHO. Also, isn't there already enough blues rock in the book anyway? P.S. people cite this album as early heavy metal. I don't hear the heavy metal roots on here. Show me where it is. Overall: 5/10 Reviewed on 1001 Album Club: 3/4 negative, 1/4 positive. Not reviewed on 1001 Album Complaints at time of publication.

Highlights: Sway, Bitch, Brown Sugar, Can't You Hear Me Knocking, Sister Morphine. It's okay: You Gotta Move, I Got The Blues, Dead Flowers, Moonlight Miles. Not my fave: Wild Horses First of six Rolling Stones albums reviewed. I have listened to the opening track dozens of times but didn't pay attention to the full lyrics until it was time to listen to this album. Sometimes I couldn't hear Mick's voice. Knew that there are slavery references in Brown Sugar (which is a little uncomfortable to hear) but was completely unaware of the real meaning of "tastes so good" (younger me thought it was about interracial kissing. Nope. It is not. How naive I was). It's hard - dark lyrics, problematic lyrics but the music is so good. Sticky Fingers is everything you would expect from a Stone's album - a fusion of dirty blues, country flourishes and balls to the wall rock guitar riffs. Overall: 7/10 Reviewed on 1001 Album Club. Not reviewed on 1001 Album Complaints at time of publication.

There is something missing from #1 Record and I can’t put my finger on it. It has the markings of the “your favourite indie rock band’s favourite album”. Pleasant listening though. Overall: 5/10

Highlights: I feel The Earth Move, So Far Away, It's Too Late, Home Again, Way Over Yonder, Will You Love Me Tomorrow, (You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman. Carole's hits from Tapestry are still hot, the lesser known songs are warm and satisfying listening. Name me five people from the 60's or early 70's who wrote songs for other people then became a singer-songwriter with critical success? I can't name one. Carole King wrote 7 and co-wrote 4 of the 12 tracks on Tapestry, so it's not really a cover album. Performing and recording aforementioned songs yourself when they are already in the public conscience would be a risky business decision for a record label. But it succeeds because it has energy, charm and composition strength. It's worthy of it's classic album status. Enough said. Overall: 9/10

A big departure from the glamourous Supernature and synth pop banger Black Cherry (both albums had hits, why aren't either of those on the list?!). I hear a bit of Dusty Springfield in "Clowns" and Katy Steele/Little Birdy throughout (specifically "Some People"). It just feels... beige. Beach House (self-titled, Devotion), Blonde Redhead (23), Au Revoir Simone (The Bird of Music), M83 (Before The Dawn Heals Us) and The Sleepy Jackson (Personality - One Was A Spider, One Was A Bird) released dreampop-esque albums in the same year or earlier and did it far better than Seventh Tree. Overall: 3/10

Prince deciding to make this a double album feels like a flex. Thankfully this was released as a palatable single LP in some countries. The hits (1999, Little Red Corvette) still pack a punch. Subsequent tracks are hit and miss, mostly due to the length. The funk driven drums and synth combo definitely have inspired artists to come. Odd choice to include women crying at the end of Automatic or the amused baby noise at the end of Delirious. We can trust Prince to perform each song at an epic scale. Many lyrics range from flirtatious to seductively sinister. Out of the three Prince albums on the list, this is the front runner for holding its place. Overall: 6/10

In a nutshell: short, fast, loud. Recorded by the pioneers of grindcore - a sub-genre that fuses punk, metal, industrial, anarchy and the kitchen sink. Not my kind of thing but feel that genre and sub-genre diversity is important for this project. Overall: 3/10.

In a nutshell: the origins of punk. Starts strong then runs out of steam midway. Overall: 5/10

In a nutshell: ambitious and haphazard passion project number 2. Overall: 2/10

Second of five Leonard Cohen albums reviewed. In a nutshell: Leonard Cohen not-really-sings-he-recites-poetry-in-his-baritone-voice about being ready to die. Again, Cohen is reliable for creating memorable lines. The music arrangement is consistent (the bass, bass synth, melotron, stripped back drums, strings etc) although cliched in my opinion. Overall: 6/10

Highlights: Precious, The Phone Call, Space Invaders, Kid, Brass In Pocket, Mystery Achievement. It's okay: Stop Your Sobbing. In a nutshell: You're in for a treat if you only know Brass In Pocket, there are some 80s new wave punk rock/guitar pop bangers on here. I can hear influences of Patti Smith, Iggy, The Kinks, maybe The Police. It's so satisfying to hear Chrissie mumble "fuck off" in Precious. Overall: 8/10

Highlights: Baba O'Reilly, Bargain, My Wife, Getting In Tune, Going Mobile, Behind Blue Eyes, Won't Get Fooled Again. Second of five albums by The Who on the list. Energetic, chaotic, heartfelt, progressive, skilled. Opens and closes strong, no filler. This is my favourite studio album by The Who (unless My Generation can convince me otherwise). Compulsory listening. Enough said. Overall: 9/10

In a nutshell: Marvin Gaye sings about being horny in 1973. Overall: 5/10

In a nutshell: acid house/rave music. If you like EDM, put on this album, turn off the lights, indulge in substance of choice and let the high take you away. It's not my jam, however I can see why this album made the book. Overall: 2/10.

Highlights: Rock ‘n’ Roll Star, Supersonic, Cigarettes and Alcohol. It’s okay: Digsy’s Dinner (aka Digsy’s Diner), Slide Away, Married With Children. In a nutshell: in Noel’s words, sung by brother Liam “You’re not down with who I am. Look at you now, you’re all in my hands tonight”. Decent debut but it doesn’t have that “it still sounds as awesome as it did thirty years ago” feeling for me. Overall: 6/10

In a nutshell: Messy. Bloated. Frantic. Confusing. You’ll either love it or despise it. It’s supposed to be a concept album but I don’t understand the brief. The bass and drums are amazing (the galloping beat, swoon!). Can hear the Led Zeppelin, Frank Zappa and Aphex Twin influences; perhaps early My Chemical Romance or early Muse (Absolution was recorded at the same time as De-Loused and released in the same year). I’d say this is an influential album, just not for me. Overall: 5/10

Highlights: Autobahn, Kometenmelodie 1, Kometenmelodie 2. Second of three Kraftwerk albums reviewed. Robert Christgau, you were wrong. This is not inferior to Tubular Bells and it's unfair to compare Kraftwerk to Mike Oldfield. Layered, hypnotic, atmospheric. Never boring. Just close your eyes and picture yourself driving on a local highway for twenty minutes Autobahn), the car takes off into space; coasting in orbit (Kometenmelodie 1, Kometenmelodie 2), slowly returns to Earth at midnight (Mitternacht) before driving home as the sun rises (Morgenspaziergang). If you love Air's Moon Safari, you'll love Kometenmelodie 1 & 2. Overall: 9/10

Highlights: Ace of Spades, Stay Clean. In a nutshell: dad rock/hard rock, but live. If given the choice between this and Motörhead’s fourth album The Ace of Spades, I’d pick No Sleep til Hammersmith. Motörhead sound like a band better heard live and in their prime. Overall: 5/10

In a nutshell: bland psychedelic rock. Overall: 2/10

First of five Cohen albums reviewed. Highlights: The Stranger Song, Hey That's No Way to Say Goodbye, So Long Marianne. It's okay: Suzanne, Winter Lady, Stories of the Street. In a nutshell: wry heartbreak poetry set to stripped down music. This is where it all began for Cohen, a Canadian poet who became a singer-songwriter. No baritone singing here, more folk standard singing voice akin to Donovan. The overuse of "and" as a sentence starter was irritating. Some songs were longer than necessary. BUT, there are fantastic lines within ("you held onto me like I was a crucifix" from So Long, Marianne). It's a decent debut, but not spectacular album for me. Overall: 7/10

Highlights: Jacqueline, Take Me Out, The Dark of the Matinee, Darts of Pleasure. Yes, yes, I get the comparisons to The Strokes, BUT Franz Ferdinand did it better. Sexy, witty, slick, catchy as all hell. Jacqueline is an underrated opener. Take Me Out still gets your toes tapping. Nostalgia might be tingeing my review, but fuck it. Overall: 9/10

In a nutshell: uninteresting alternative country that is okay for background music. Overall: 1/10

I can’t slot this album neatly into a sub-genre. Alternative country? Easy listening folk? It’s not quite country and not quite folk. The deadpan sing-speaking throughout is boring (reminds me of The National’s Matt Berninger baritone voice, but without the charisma). One point for the line “All my fine memories are fucking me down” in ‘Eid Ma Clack Shaw’. Overall: 1/10

Second of four Steely Dan albums reviewed. In a nutshell: more of the same formula of jazz rock arrangements and strange lyrics. But it works. Steely Dan released an album a year between 1972 and 1977. Four of those five are on the list (Can't Buy A Thrill, Countdown to Ecstasy, Pretzel Logic and Aja). Pretzel Logic seemed like a last roll of the dice for Steely Dan as Ecstasy did not get traction on the charts. Logic's first single 'Rikki Don't Lose That Number' was a hit. Any artist with three or more albums on the list will face this conundrum: is there charted growth and/or change in sound between albums? You can see the progress made between Thrill and Aja. I *kinda* see some evidence of growth between Thrill and Logic. It's not the Steely Dan album I'd recommend to a new listener (my pick is Katy Lied, which isn't on the list. Maybe Aja depending on the person). Not terrible, but not as memorable as Aja. Overall: 4/10

Highlights: Lovely Head, Paper Head, Human, Felt Mountain. In a nutshell: electro-cabaret mystery tour. Whimsical, eerie, romantic, experimental. Can see the comparisons to Portishead, Felt Mountain is downtempo and ambient. Touches of 60’s Shirley Bassey. I dig it. Overall: 7/10

In a nutshell: a starter pack to early punk rock. The only bummer on this album is the slow track "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend", which sounds like it was played under duress. Overall: 8/10

In a nutshell: groovy British Invasion band from the Midwest that try to sound like everyone else but themselves. Strong composition, kinda bluesy, kinda psychedelic pop. Overall: 6/10

Highlights: Bookends Theme, Overs, Mrs Robinson. Second of three Simon and Garfunkel albums reviewed. A concept album that haphazardly explores the chaos of life. However, the duo seem to ditch this great idea at the end of Side A. Side B sounds disjointed, even with the inclusion of runaway hit from The Graduate “Mrs Robinson”. The album would have more impact if the duo dedicated themselves to one theme and given more time to overcome their writer’s block. Is it me or is Paul’s vocals mixed louder on most songs compared to Art’s? I noticed this when reviewing Bridge Over Troubled Water. Overall: 5/10

Highlights: Piano Joint, Another Human Being, Living In Denial, Hero, Final Days, Solid Ground. Holy hell. Michael Kiwanuka, this album is impressive! There is something special here. Modern Northern Soul, indie rock, funk and folk rock all thoughtfully blended. Dramatic yet personal. I was reminded of Donald Glover's "Awaken, My Love!" (released under the name Childish Gambino) and Leon Bridges while listening to Kiwanuka. Maybe Frank Ocean (channelorange era?). Yet Kiwanuka doesn't imitate Glover, Ocean or Bridges. He sounds like himself. I feel that albums need about 4-5 years breathing room before it can be considered as a 1001 Albums inclusion. Hype around release and awards eligibility can hinder good judgement sometimes. At time of publication, this album just snuck in as it was approaching 4.5 years since it's release date. It gets to thumbs up from me. Kiwanuka is a treasured find. Overall: 8/10

In a nutshell: uninspiring and mostly bland psychedelic rock/folk/country rock. This could have been good. It’s not. I don’t hear anything different or new compared to other albums released in the late sixties that can be found on the 1001 Albums list. Save your time. Listen to Crosby Stills Nash and Young or The Byrds instead. Overall: 2/10

Highlight: St Olav's Gate This is how I imagine American country music sounded like in the 80s to early 90s - mellow, tough, delicate. Country with a touch of folk. Perhaps country pop? Nanci described her style as "folkabilly". The charm wore off by track 6 unfortunately. Overall: 5/10

In a nutshell: "The Monkees on acid" YouTube user. Overall: 1/10

In a nutshell: pleasant, minimalist jazz meets gentle samba (is it really bossy nova?). The kind of music you’d hear in a 4 plus star hotel lobby or you would play while cooking dinner. Overall: 6/10

I agree with previous reviews of this album - it sounds like a demo. The bare bones of QOTSA's trademark sound are there. The band just needed some experience and time to polish up (which is noticeable on sophomore release Rated R and third album Songs For The Deaf) Overall: 5/10

In a nutshell: a country concept album that WORKS! Stripped back composition. Consistent and engaging story. I’m not a country/western music lover, but I liked this. Overall: 8/10

In a nutshell: mellow protest album influenced by reggae and ska. Sounds more ambient dub than mainstream reggae. Always appreciate a DIY/made on a shoestring album. It’s unfortunate that the variety in the backing beat is missing. Overall: 5/10

Today I learned: Herbie Hancock dabbled in funk. Up until now I identified Hancock with jazz and their standards. I like that he experimented with different sounds in Head Hunters. Fusing two or more genres can ordinarily lead to a half baked album. Not this one. It feels light and thoughtfully composed. Hancock wanted it to be ‘tethered’. In his words “… I was beginning to feel that we (the Mwandishi sextet) were playing this heavy kind of music, and I was tired of everything being heavy. I wanted to play something lighter.” Mission accomplished, Herbie. Well done. Overall: 7/10

I thought I would hate ”You’re Living All Over Me” after hearing J.Mascis live. He overused feedback and distortion. But it’s actually okay. It’s kinda, tactile? I think Dinosaur Jr’s music was created for you to feel each note. The guitars remind me of The Ramones and Motörhead. J Mascis with his droning/monotone vocals has a Neil Young touch (J cites Nick Cave as an influence, which I can hear as well). This is an eighties album that sounded way ahead of its time. Perhaps shaping what was to come with 90’s grunge. It’s not my thing, however I feel that at least one Dinosaur Jr needs to be on the list. Overall: 6/10

This album seemed to be an experiment, a departure from the main stable of Motown. I can see why people refer to it as Stevie's Classic era: the delightful backing harmonies, his layered vocals, killer guitars, use of Moog and clavinet. These instruments are not overused and they didn't bore me. Some songs (You And I, Lookin' For Another Pure Love) were too saccharine for my liking. Maybe Your Baby didn't need a 2 minute long "repeat until fade" outro. I feel that this album needed another upbeat funk song to balance the "slow dance" tunes. Overall: 6/10

Highlights: Ole Man Trouble, A Change Is Gonna Come, Down In The Valley, Shake. Ten out of eleven tracks were recorded in 24 hours. You don’t see that everyday. It is a covers album plus two originals but damn it’s good! Swagger filled, crisp backing ensemble (all-star cast, no spoilers on who). Otis belting with all his might. The cover of Satisfaction was a left field choice. I couldn’t dig it but appreciated the attempt. Overall: 7/10

In a nutshell: in the words of the man himself "plastic soul". It pains me to say this as a Bowie fan- it's not his best album on the list. Title track obviously rocks. Lots of filler. Fame sounded out of place on the album. Supremely talented musicians and vocalists on this album. Overall: 5/10

In a nutshell: excellent first single surrounded by generic indie folk. I was only familiar with the first single (Two Weeks) before listening to this album. The swirling blend of chamber pop, baroque pop and indie rock on Two Weeks was a delight. Disappointed to learn that the experimental sound didn’t carry through to the rest of the album. Instead, I heard bland songs I would expect from Fleet Foxes. Overall: 2/10

Highlights: Take A Bow, Supermassive Black Hole, Map of the Problematique, Exo-politics, Knights of Cydonia. In a nutshell: singing stadium rock style songs of dystopia and new world order. I remember playing this album on repeat for months, and in retrospect... it sounds like a mishmash of Depeche Mode, Radiohead and Queens of the Stone Age (the latter was not cited as an influence). Knights of Cydonia still kicks ass. Overall: 6/10

Sound familiar? Two of the three members of the Minutemen started a new band. It's good punk influenced indie, but it's unnecessary to have this album on the list when Double Nickels on the Dime is already on there. Overall: 4/10

So close to perfect. I can only nitpick. The outro to Hummer was too long. Sweet Sweet is nice but only a filler track. I would have placed Luna elsewhere on the album and ended the album with Silverfuck. This was a first time listen for me, and it was a joy. Overall: 9/10

Highlights: Shining Star, Happy Feelin’, Africano. Most songs are easy to bop your head too. It was jarring to hear mini jams tagged onto the end of tracks (especially the closing song!). These outros spoil the vibe for me. Good, but not great. Overall: 6/10

Highlights: Jacksonville, A Short Reprise…, Casimir Pulaski Day, To The Workers… In a nutshell: “Wes Anderson vibes” (my first note when I heard the opening track) Abstract, spiritual and surreal storytelling, with music likely inspired by Neil Young, Bright Eyes, The Shins, The Polyphonic Spree and Elliott Smith (maybe Belle and Sebastian?) It’s an acquired taste for sure. Overall: 5/10

In a nutshell: live, cosy jazz. Endearing persona, lovely voice, great backing band. I appreciate it, but it somehow feels…soulless? Perhaps a little flat compared to Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. The only other good thing going it’s one of the earliest live albums on the list. Sorry, Sarah. It’s a no from me. 4/10

Highlights: This Is Hardcore, TV Movie, A Little Soul, I'm A Man, Seductive Barry, Glory Days. It's okay: The Fear, Party Hard, Help The Aged, Sylvia, The Day After The Revolution. In a nutshell: glam era Bowie, Bryan Ferry crooning (a la Roxy Music) and Britpop "kitchen sink drama" lyrics all rolled into one. Jarvis, are you trying to seduce me? ;) Overall: 7/10

In a nutshell: bloated final album that needs to cite Talking Heads (see American Dream) as an influence on top of Berlin-era Bowie. Overall: 1/10

A disengaging and disappointing listen. Can hear the California punk influence, but that's about it. Where are the "punch in the guts" moments users are referring to? The songs are unnecessarily long too. If I wanted to listen to post-hardcore, I'd listen to Fugazi or mclusky, who did this way better. I reckon Yank Crime might win over fans of post-punk/post-hardcore, so I'll give it that. Overall: 3/10

Highlights: The Good’s Gone, My Generation, The Kids Are Alright, Please Please Please, I’m A Man, The Ox. In a nutshell: a solid debut album. And one not made entirely of covers, huzzah! Overall: 8/10

Highlights: Battery, Welcome Home (Sanatorium), Disposable Heroes, Orion In a nutshell: master of (thrash) metal Came into this familiar with Metallica’s live album S&M and of course, Enter Sandman. Metal isn’t my thing…yet this album was surprisingly good. I can see why many teens from the late eighties through to the nineties idolised early Metallica- challenging instrument work (especially the drums!), thoughtful pace with tracks, lyrics of blistering angst… I need to give the band props for their endurance and building an album with little filler. I give Metallica a reluctant pass for the song length. This Puppets was not made for radio. This needs to be heard at least once all the way through. Or just listen to Orion and see how you go. Overall: 7.5/10

Highlights: Blue Orchid, The Denial Twist. It's okay: Instinct Blues, As Ugly As I Seem. Not my fave: The Nurse, Forever For Her. It's not their best album. Thankfully it was dropped in future editions (was not in 2018 edition). The inclusion of a xylophone (The Nurse) and a toy piano (Red Rain) was jarring for me. The ukelele thrash was nice (Little Ghost). What I struggled with most is the lack of variation with guitar, piano and percussion (eg does My Doorbell and The Denial Twist sound similar? I swear I heard similar drum beat and piano chords here and throughout the album). Overall: 4.5/10

This sounds like a stripped back kind of punk rock. “Beyond and Back” tends to flirt with rockabilly as well (could this be the origins of punkabilly?). With repeat listens, I know the band will grow on me. It’s nice. Overall: 6/10

The problem with reviewing this album is that it was released in the era when the LP format was still new. It sounds like a compilation and the songs sound mostly the same. But just like The Everly Brothers and BB King, Buddy Holly and The Crickets are important to music cannon. They inspired the next generation of musicians. That in itself gives this album a passing grade from me. Overall: 5/10

'With "The Bends", Radiohead found their voice ... No other contemporary band has managed to mix such a cocktail of rage, sarcasm, self-pity, exquisite tunefulness and braininess.' Nick Hornby - Radiohead Gets Farther Out (The New Yorker, 22nd October 2000) Before you listen to this album, "Anybody Can Play Guitar" or "Stop Whispering" from the band's studio debut Pablo Honey. Finished? Now start The Bends. Can you hear the difference? I can. This is a band's charted growth in action. It's a classic for a reason. Tip: If Thom's voice annoys you, focus on the instruments and the background flourishes (grand and subtle). This is compulsory listening. Enough said. Overall: 9/10

Highlights: Chan Chan, De camino a la vereda, Pueblo Nuevo, Amor de loca juventud. In a nutshell: feel the rhythm, enjoy the ride. This is the kind of album where you play in the background while preparing dinner and you find yourself bopping along. I dig it. Overall: 7/10

Highlights: School, Bloody Well Right, Asylum, If Everyone Was Listening, Crime of the Century. In a nutshell: think Yes meets 10cc. There’s nothing sonically groundbreaking on this album (a mixed bag of prog, pop rock and art rock, proto-yacht rock?), but it’s inoffensive. Didn’t mind it. Overall: 7.5/10

In a nutshell: It’s not their best, and it’s not their worst. This was recorded when the band was fracturing so there’s a lot of material that is “let’s mess around and see what sticks”. That’s the vibe I got anyway. John goes bluesy and avant garde, Paul indulges more in self penned ragtime/vaudville-esque tunes. George truly shines with While My Guitar Gently Weeps* (which is easily one of my top ten favourite Beatles songs of all time) and Ringo does a solid job of closing the album with Good Night. Should it have been a double album? No. I think it could have been a great single LP**. Yet again, we would not have known that The Beatles could still record downright weird and batshit crazy music without LSD. Overall: 6/10 *If you haven’t seen the 2004 R&RHOF live performance of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”, find it immediately. It’s a loving tribute to George on his induction as a solo artist and you get to see Prince shred at the end. **This is my contribution to the “what if The White Album was released as a single record?” argument. With this cut, we get two George songs, Paul’s strongest tracks are there, a “John with Yoko” track is included and we finish with a Ringo song: SIDE A: Back In The USSR, Dear Prudence, Glass Onion, Mother Nature’s Son, I’m So Tired, Blackbird, Julia, I Will. (Side A length: 20:44) SIDE B: While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Happiness Is A Warm Gun, Sexy Sadie, Helter Skelter, Long Long Long, Goodnight. (Side B length: 21:39) Tracks relegated to singles and B-sides: Birthday, Cry Baby Cry, Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da, Don’t Pass Me By.

Highlights: Fuck Me Pumps, I Heard Love Is Blind, No Greater Love, Take The Box, Help Yourself, Amy Amy Amy. In a nutshell: the cis-female Millennial's companion to love, loss and desperation. Ethereal high notes (the end of Take The Box, wow!). Smart and crushing lyrics about shitty relationships ("But you made me cry, where's my kiss goodbye? I think I love you"). A vocal style that flirts with ska, soul, hip-hop and R&B. The reuse of tweeting birds got old quick, as did the split songs (Intro, Cherry). It's not perfect. It doesn't need to be. It's as rough, tough and vulnerable as Amy was. Overall: 7/10

In a nutshell: if a drunk Nick Cave smoked 4 packs a day and sang the blues. Overall: 6/10

Bland, uninspiring, same-sounding. Skip this. The Monkees are more of a singles band than an album band. I’d put “Last Train To Clarksville” on the 1001 Songs list. This album does not belong on the 1001 Albums list.

Highlights: Them Changes, Lava Lamp, Day and Night, Show You The Way, Tokyo. In a nutshell: third album by bassist and producer extraordinare that doesn't take itself seriously. Smashing electro-jazz, funk, hip-hop, soul, yacht rock and pop into bite sized songs. It's tasty. The flavour doesn't last til the very end (once I reached Drink Dat I found my low point). Definitely read the 'Songs' section of the album's Wikipedia entry as you go to get an idea of what you're in for. Overall: 6.5/10

You only need to hear their cover of Tainted Love. The rest of the album is just taking the piss. Overall: 2/10

It's difficult to score this live album fairly because this was a visual experience as it is sonic- it featured suspended animation, dancers and light shows. That doesn't always translate into listening the album at home. However, Hawkwind definitely influenced future prog rock/stoner rock/space rock artists (case in point: King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard). Overall: 5/10

Lyrics are fine, music is same-sounding. Disclaimer: Americana is not my thing, alt-country can be good if there is depth of sound and some variety with instrument use. Overall: 4/10

Highlight: The Beautiful Ones (Prince cover) The problem with Butterfly is that Mariah uses her melismatic style WAY too much. It’s predictable- go low, go high, flutter (pardon the pun) around one syllable. All the songs sound the same, which is a trap many pop and pop adjacent acts fall into. This album might be on the list largely because it’s a departure from Mariah’s usual style. It embraces hip hop and subtle samples (see Honey). The Prince cover is good, not spectacular. Sorry, honey. This album has not aged well. Overall: 1/10

Highlights: Feel It, Twistin' The Night Away, Somebody Have Mercy, We're Having A Party. RCA thought this was too raw and gritty. They were wrong. The label was gutless about releasing it, wanting to preserve Sam's on stage persona. Sure, the sound quality isn't spectacular (perhaps a single mic job?). You can barely hear the horns and guitar, which sound lush when you get to hear them clearly. Sam's voice is crisp and oh so slick. But in saying that, it's likely to be one of the best live recordings of the early 60's. It's down-to-earth compared to Cooke's tv performances. Crowd is loud, the band is playing mightily, EVERYONE is having fun. I wonder if James Brown took notes from Sam Cooke... Overall: 7.5/10

Highlights: Even Flow, Jeremy, Porch, Garden. In a nutshell: a pillar of the Seattle sound. Ten by Pearl Jam is easily one of the best debut studio albums of the 90s. Haunting and piercing are the only words I have to describe songs not overplayed on the radio. PS. if you have the original CD, you will find a secret track which starts at the end of Release (I miss the days of secret tracks on albums). Enjoy! Overall: 8/10

In a nutshell: Arctic Monkeys frontman forms a supergroup… but they don’t play indie rock. I am flummoxed by this album. The lyrics are great, there is an ambitious utilisation of a symphony orchestra (which I applaud)… it feels thoughtfully made but it’s music I’ve heard before. If you like Morricone, early Bond movie soundtracks and an orchestra presence that rivals Belle and Sebastian’s Dirty Dream Number Two you’ve got a surprise in store. Overall: 4/10

The band is slick. Pleasant listening. The Atomic Mr Basie would be a good entry point for appreciating jazz/swing. Overall: 7/10

Highlights: Into The Mystic, Moondance. In a nutshell: a step up from Astral Weeks Van adopts producer duties Moondance, giving him maximum opportunity to fine-tune his trademark sound. This time, trying a soul and R&B focused approach than folk centric. It's good, just not mind-blowing. Props to Jack Schroer on alto sax and Colin Tilton on tenor sax. Top notch work by you two kind sirs. Overall: 6/10

Highlights: Cry Baby, Half Moon, Buried Alive In The Blues, Me and Bobby McGee, Trust Me. “I have to have the ‘umph.’ I’ve got to feel it, because if it’s not getting through to me, the audience sure as hell aren’t going to feel it either.” Janis Joplin ‘Soul blues’ is the best description for Joplin’s sound on Pearl. I was impressed by this album. Knew the hits, but was not anticipating to be stunned by the whole package. You can feel the longing, the passion, the raw emotions of the band AND Janis. They all go hard. It’s a must listen. Overall: 9/10

In a nutshell: Eminem - storyteller, nightmare creator. As much as I abhor Eminem’s amateurish production and cringey lyrics, I feel that one Eminem album needs to be on the list. Eminem shook the music world in the late 90’s. Barely anyone heard music like this before 1999. Part of my rating rationale includes this clause: “any album on the list released less than 18 months apart requires further scrutiny.” The Slim Shady LP and Marshall Mathers LP were released 15 months apart. The difference between the two is a maturation of sound (an oxymoron but it’s true) on the Marshall Mathers LP compared to The Slim Shady LP. Skip this album. Listen to the follow-up instead. Overall: 1/10

Highlights: Weary, Mad, Don't Touch My Hair. In a nutshell: an album dedicated to identity, soul searching and self-empowerment. I must give Solange praise for making a deeply personal album (pardon the cliche). The self-estrangement, connection and healing process that happens to all of us is unique, sacred and intrinsic. And beautiful. Go in with an open mind. Concentrate on the lyrics. Neo-soul and modern R&B may not be everyone's taste, but stay with it. Overall: 7/10

Highlights: Jet, Let Me Roll It. Title track should have been split, sounds like a prelude then the song we know kicks in. Picasso’s Last Words was ruined by the splicing of previous elements (eg Jet reprise). This listening experience was a mixed bag for me. The hits are hits, the misses are woeful. Overall: 5/10

Highlights: The Partisan, Seems So Long Ago Nancy. In a nutshell: jaw harp enters the room... WHY the fuck was the jaw harp* used throughout the entire album? One or two songs, fine. But playing it in the background or mixed out front across both sides was distracting. Hearing a violin and banjo (and what else was it- a keys or an organ?) was a relief. The lyrics are tender and are structurally an improvement from the previous Cohen album in this list (Songs of Leonard Cohen). If it wasn't for the jaw harp, this Songs From A Room would garner a higher score. Am tempted to swap this album with Different Positions, just to spread it out. Overall: 4/10 *Jaw harp aka Jew's harp, juice harp, mouth harp, Ozark harp. It makes a twangy, cartoonish "boing" sound.

In a nutshell: the blueprint album of music’s most divisive genre. Yes, Korn, Sepultura and Slipknot laid the foundations of nu-metal. But we can blame/thank Incubus for shaping it into the messy beast we know today. Occasionally decent guitar-work. Utilises “loud-quiet-loud”. Emo-esque lyrics. It’s not for me. However, I’d rather have this album on the list than a Limp Bizkit album. Overall: 3/10

Highlight: School Spirit. Kanye knows how to create an effective backbeat. There are a handful of good rhyming couplets throughout. Props for that. But some loops were tiring (eg Spaceship) and some lyrics have aged badly (New Workout Plan, Keep Em High). Don't get me started on the skits... Can you separate the art from the artist? Yes and no. They are connected and they’re independent. For Kanye, it was difficult to pry them apart. He seems to project himself via his various endeavours (music, shoe fashion, etc), many are bold, ambitious but uncomfortably self-indulgent. This kind of hip-hop is not my thing. But I won’t write it off. It is an album that certainly shook things up. Overall: 4/10

In a nutshell: one tab of LSD was enough, not a whole sheet. An early example of psychedelic rock. The consistent use of electric jug was distracting and felt gimmicky. I guess if it wasn’t for this album, forthcoming would sound far different. Overall: 4/10

Highlights: The Working Hour, Everybody Wants To Rule The World, Head Over Heels, Listen. In a nutshell: a synth-pop new-wave staple. Lyrically and sonically mature compared to previous album The Hurting. Tacking a live track (Broken) after Head Over Heels didn't feel right. Mel Collins (the saxophonist from the Rolling Stones track Miss You) makes an appearance. Overall: 8/10

Highlights: What We Do Is Secret, Lexicon Devil. In a nutshell: *this* is hardcore. Punk is reliable. High energy. Solid rhythm. Many songs are under 3 minutes. Thrashy. Depending on the artist, these elements are overused. The music becomes predictable and boring. Germs *just* manages to avoid this. It’s good, but not perfect. Overall: 6/10

‘Our conceptual parameters are not that dissimilar. Brian would often set tasks which would define the movements of the day and then we would work according to that plan, which he would redefine in the studio. This is a great way to start because, as Brian often says, “When you ask musicians to jam, the common ground will always be the bloody blues.” So you always end up with these endless, boring bloody blues pieces. Brian’s thing is to break the structure from the beginning of the day and enter into a feeling of improvisation from new places.’ David Bowie in an interview with Paul Gormanis, 1995. Highlights: Speed of Life, Breaking Glass, Sound and Vision, Be My Wife, A New Career in an Old Town, Warszawa, Subterraneans. In a nutshell: the bleak, atmospheric first chapter of the Berlin Trilogy. The quote above is necessary context for creating the Berlin Trilogy (Low, “Heroes” and Lodger). David Bowie meeting Brian Eno and Tony Visconti was one of the best things that happened to Bowie’s career. You can hear some of the rock/funk elements that remain (Sound and Vision). I can feel the sense of displacement- émigré - off A New Career In A New Town, Warszawa and Subterraneans. Low is contemplative. It won’t be for everyone. Give it a chance because Bowie dared himself to try making different music. Overall: 8/10

Highlights: Xtal, Pulsewidth. In a nutshell: a new breed of dance music emerges. Trip-hop, acid house and downtempo were established genres in the early 90’s. There were countless dance musicians/DJ’s who experimented with fast backbeats but there were folks in the scene who asked themselves: “what if we slowed everything down? Make an ambient sound but different to Brian Eno?” Thus IDM - Intelligent Dance Music - was born. Listeners who say this album is boring are missing the point. In the artist’s words, Ambient Sounds “…were just tracks that my mates selected; ones that they like to chill out to.” Personally, this is not something I’d reach for, but I wouldn’t turn it down or leave the room if I heard a track from this album. Overall: 6/10

In a nutshell: brilliant backing, let down by predictable vocal acrobatics. The drum work is top tier, courtesy of Questlove and Gino Lock Johnson Iglehart. Erykah has swagger on the opening track. Reminiscent of Betty Davis. Then Erykah's voice becomes predictable from track 2 onwards due to limited key exploration and (previouly noted in another review) monotone delivery. This album didn't need to be 71 minutes long either. Erykah has no doubt inspired/influenced many neo-soul singers: Solange, Janelle Monae, Amy Winehouse. I feel that this isn't the best representation of her on the list. "Baduizm" (Erykah's debut) is the better entry point. Overall: 4/10

Highlights: How Could I Just Kill A Man, Tres Equis. In a nutshell: smoking weed. ACAB. Hoes and honeys. Clever rhymes, cliches to the extreme. Pardon the bad attempt at rapping. I’m getting the vibe that Cypress Hill rode the coattails of Public Enemy and N.W.A. Some witty rhymes, more self-referential bullshit (a pet peeve of mine). Liked the samples used throughout. It was difficult to connect with this album. But I don’t hate it. Overall: 4/10

Highlights: Sherane, The Art of Peer Pressure, Sing About Me I'm Dying of Thirst. In a nutshell: hip-hop just got a shake-up. I'm a sucker for world building and storytelling in music. Kendrick does that well. It was great to listen to a rap/hip hop album without skits! Whatever that brassy drum noise (high hat? Snare?) was on Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe has earned my deep hate. It gave me a headache and was annoying. But that song does have a new favourite line: "even a small lighter can burn a bridge". Not my thing, but GKMC helped me appreciate the genre more. Overall: 5/10

"...Melody is king. Songs are ruled by melody. I believe that melody, more than lyrics, is what does all the heavy lifting emotionally. When I write lyrics, or when I adapt a poem to a song, my goal is to interfere as little as possible with whatever spell is being cast by the melody. At the same time, I hope, at best, that the words enhance the song somehow, add meaning or clarify and underline what the melody is making me feel." Jeff Tweedy, 'Let's Go (So We Can Get Back)' Highlights: Kamera, Jesus etc. Heavy Metal Drummer. In a nutshell: indie-rock poetry. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was recommended to me by a close friend nearly 10 years ago. He said it was a slow burn "it took me a few listens, but it'll click in its own time." He was right. First time listeners will interpret the album as a boring slog or a triumph. The melodies won me over upon this listen. Definitely better than 'Being There'. Overall: 7.5/10

Highlights: Revolution 909, Da Funk. In a nutshell: repetitive but head-boppy. Overall: 6/10

In a nutshell: melodramatic Avant-garde albums are not my thing. I don't mind cabaret. This felt like a loose concept album, one that would have worked much better on stage, not in a studio. It wouldn't surprise me if Björk and Dresden Dolls were inspired by Krause. Overall: 2/10

Highlight: Adam Raised A Cain In a nutshell: Bruce mellows out a bit. The book described this follow up to Born To Run as “subdued”. Checks out. Bruce's lyrics are heartfelt and mumbles in most tracks. The E Street Band are as you'd expect - precise and passionate. Overall: 6/10

Highlight: Hymn 43 In a nutshell: making the flute cool again. THIS is how you use a distinctive sounding instrument (in this case, a flute) on an album: sprinkle throughout like you were garnishing a meal with salt or pepper. Take that Leonard Cohen and your juice harp! Prog rock and folk rock with electric guitar, a little blues rock thrown in. Tracks like Mother Goose has a little baroque touch (or was that just me?). Without looking at Wikipedia et al. Jethro Tull seemed to be a band who were confident in their sound. This conviction doesn’t come off as arrogant to me. Some listeners will think this is pretentious shit, which I can understand, but you gotta give the band points ingenuity. Overall: 6/10

Highlights: Taxman, She Said She Said, Tomorrow Never Knows. The band clearly didn't give a shit about making a hit album at this point. They just wanted to make an album and not tour anymore. Fair. I respect that. Taxman feels like a portal is opening (if that was the goal, nailed it). Tracks like "I'm Only Sleeping" and "And Your Bird Can Sing" sound as if they were offcuts from Help! or Rubber Soul. George pushing himself to learn the sitar (and not appropriate the sound, which is a hard thing to pull off) was a critical component here. Hats off to you, George. I prefer Rubber Soul to Revolver, but I'm not going to deny how important Revolver is in music history. Revolver is noted for studio technology innovation, inspiring dozens of musicians and spawned new sub genres. Overall: 6/10

Highlight: These Days. In a nutshell: melancholic and overrated. This would have been a different -and perhaps better- album if Nico was able to add other instruments. I would have loved to hear a “Nico’s Version” of Chelsea Girl. It could have been a completely wild avant-rock album. She stated that she wanted drums and guitars. Studio said no. She didn’t like the flute and strings. Studio wouldn’t budge. Great songwriters were on board (Jackson Browne, John Cale, etc) but I feel that recording it avant-folk was not the best fit. The flute in most songs create a harsh and cold atmosphere. Like Donald Fagen post Steely Dan in the 80s with The Nightfly, Nico's Chelsea Girl was too similar to her work with The Velvet Underground. Overall: 3/10

In a nutshell: Marvin's diary of love, loss and devastation. Yep, it's a breakup album. Marvin maintains self-exploration and vulnerability in his songwriting. I appreciate that. Backing band is great… I don't dig it unfortunately. Songs are same-sounding and unnecessarily long :( Overall: 3/10

In a nutshell: proof that one man CAN be an orchestra. Overall: 7/10

Highlights: Lithium, Stay Away, Come As You Are, Smells Like Teen Spirit, In Bloom. In a nutshell: the Pixies ran so Nirvana could fly. If you were like me and were only aware of Nevermind’s singles, find Bleach, play Love Buzz or About A Girl then jump into this album. Two years and a new producer made a big difference, didn’t it? The main criticism I have about Nevermind is that it's front loaded. Tracks 1 through to 5 obviously kick ass. Polly is okay, I guess. From Territorial Pissings onwards (bar Stay Away), the songs feel like Bleach’s rejected tracks. Nameless, Faceless took me by surprise- absolutely wild noise rock outing. This is something I’d expect from Dinosaur Jr, not Nirvana! Overall, it’s good. Nevermind has earned its spot in the list. I don’t think it’s overrated. However, I’m not convinced Nevermind is the “number one best album of 90’s”. Too much filler to receive that honour. Overall: 7/10

In a nutshell: a band who revived garage rock in the 2000’s. Highlights: Someday, Last Night, Alone Together, New York City Cops. The Strokes have an indescribable pull to them. They borrow from Iggy and the Stooges, Ramones, etc. There are some recycled riffs. I still prefer Franz Ferdinand but no love is lost for the band who crafted the sound first. Overall: 7/10

In a nutshell: there is a lot seriously lacking. Well, this was disappointing. This album makes jazz sound boring, ordinary and pedestrian. In reality, jazz is nothing of the sort. Where is the virtuosity and flair? It feels like Bill Evans and Scott LaFaro were on separate wavelengths. I’ll check out Bill Evans other work, I won’t be going back to this album. Overall: 3/10

Highlights: Super Rich Kids, Lost, Sweet Life, Monks. In a nutshell: "how's the gutter goin'?" With Tyler The Creator, Andre 3000, Pharrell Williams and more joining Frank, you're certain to have an eclectic debut album. But channelORANGE is a mixed bag. Most of the interludes were unnecessary. Pyramids didn't need to be over 9 minutes. IMHO, Super Rich Kids is one of the best songs of the 2010's. Moreso for the lyrics not necessarily the beat/melody. The electro-funk bass and percussion on Monks is sweet. This album and Kendrick Lamar's good kid, M.A.A.D City (released just months after channelorange) were trend setters. We have a plethora of artists imitating/building on this style to this day. That fact needs to be acknowledged. Even though I'm not into this genre, having Frank Ocean (be it channelORANGE or Blonde) on this list is a must. Overall:6/10

Highlight: Express Yourself In a nutshell: no fucks given. Irreverent, hell raising, polarising. This is an important album... and it has not aged well (so many misogynistic references). Side note: One of my favourite stories in music history involves this album. Google "Triple J Express Yourself" to learn more. Overall: 4/10

Highlights: Vicious, Perfect Day, Walk on the Wild Side, Make Up, Satellite of Love. In a nutshell: transformative. The singles are excellent. The rest of the album is a mixed bag. A little panto (New York Telephone Conversation), honky tonk piano forward (Hangin’ ‘Round) subtle sarcasm. Perfect Day is iconic. Makeup is an underrated ode to gender confidence and pride. A little front loaded. Still a good album. Overall: 7/10

"Of course, they want another Nevermind, but I'd rather die than do that. This is exactly the kind of record I would buy as a fan, that I would enjoy owning." Kurt Cobain Highlights: Serve The Servants, Heart Shaped Box, Rape Me, Frances Farmer Has Her Revenge On Seattle, Pennyroyal Tea, Tourette's. In a nutshell: rough and raw. Just the way the band wanted. Taking the "punk-ish" approach to recording and enlisting Steve Albini (vale you fucking legend) was the right decision. In Utero is a confronting and unintentionally personal album. I'm glad I was oblivious to grunge and Nirvana's fame as a youth (I was 10 when Kurt died) because I appreciate their music more now than I would have back then. In saying that, I prefer this album over Nevermind, as it feels more authentic. Overall: 8.5/10

In a nutshell: soulless acoustic blues-pop. Skip this album. Listen to her "Live in New Orleans" recording from 2003 instead. You'll get a better idea of what industry pros saw in her, and what *should have* been captured in the recording studio. The studio album sounds so... beige. I don't really understand how Come Away With Me was a hit, but it was. Overall: 2/10

In a nutshell: music for a chaste rom-com or a teen drama. This was an unpleasant listen. Unnecessarily long tracks. The drum beat is recycled. Predictable use of other instruments. The vocalist, Adam, is obviously channeling Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty. I can't find something I like about this album. Overall: 1/10

In a nutshell: music to zone out to. It’s soothing, droning and simple. Not a bad thing. Struggled to find information on how the album was made and an English translation of the lyrics, which is a shame. I want to understand this album more. That said, I’m basing this rating on the music composition and the vibe. Overall: 3/10

In a nutshell: and you thought The Cure was goth… Treasure is a blueprint album. I bet many artists who align with shoegaze, dream-pop and ethereal wave would draw inspiration from Cocteau Twins (artists from the 4AD label, Jesus and Mary Chain, Aldous Harding, The xx, etc). It feels like Kate Bush meets Siouxsie and The Banshees but in a medieval/baroque style. They’re songs that you’d hear in an 80’s indie movie (Allison from The Breakfast Club would play this album on repeat for sure). It’s not my thing, but I get why it’s important. Overall: 3/10

Highlights: Genius of Love, Tom Tom Theme, L’Elephant. In a nutshell: fun, boppy, quirky, wild. This side project allowed Chris and Tina to really cut loose. I’m glad they did, cos this album is a banger. Overall: 7/10

Highlights: Movin’ Out, Only The Good Die Young. In a nutshell: all aboard the yacht of rock. Some surprisingly fun jams and reflective world building songs. Many are great, an handful are cheesy. It’s strange that this is the only Billy Joel album on the list. No 80’s Billy Joel. Glass Houses or A Innocent Man should be on here too! Overall: 6/10

Highlights: I’d Have You Anytime, My Sweet Lord, Let It Down, All Things Must Pass, Isn’t It A Pity (Version 2). In a nutshell: the best post-Beatles project. Fight me. It is long but stick with it. You’ll here an early example of loud quiet loud in “Let It Down” and skilled mates helping out on backing instruments. This is a double album plus a bonus disc (which can be skipped). Can it be trimmed to a single LP? Yes, but I’m not going there. It sucked that George was undermined as a song contributor in The Beatles, especially in the later years of the band’s run. Yet it worked out in the end - we have All Things Must Pass. It should be listened to at least once. Overall: 6/10

In a nutshell: sterile soft rock/synth pop. Look, Steve. I know you were trying to do something different in the 80’s but this was a clusterfuck to listen to. I couldn’t hear anything redeeming on this album. Overall: 1/10

Highlights: Four Women, That’s All I Ask, Black Is The Colour of My True Love’s Hair. In a nutshell: thoughtfully arranged, diverse, powerful. I can understand why Warren Ellis was enchanted by Nina Simone. Brilliant pianist, warm yet gracefully commanding vocalist. Nina sounds like she’s giving it her all with each track, each take. The backing musicians (especially the horns) are excellent. There is an absence of flow to the tracking but it’s a small complaint. Regardless, it’s good. Overall: 6/10

In a nutshell: inoffensive and unremarkable debut. Donald and Walter knew from get-go what they wanted their albums to sound like. Sometimes to a fault with their overzealous perfectionism. Or maybe I'm just a Millennial who doesn't get it. Reelin' In the Years is good. The rest of the album varies from "it's fine" to forgettable soft jazz rock. So many long outros and solo jams that it enters cliched territory. Nice attempt, fellas. You got better with age. Overall: 4/10

In a nutshell: two bangers, eight whimpers. Michael is vocally talented. But the pop disco beat was overused and the funk/R&B elements were borrowed heavily from Stevie Wonder et al. Is it me or does the album feels kinda chaste? Tracks 3 to 10 didn’t do anything for me, yet I understand why the album was popular. Overall: 3/10

In a nutshell: sounds less like Christina and more like Mariah. I shouldn't compare Christina Aguilera to Mariah Carey, but it's difficult not to. When I heard Candy Man on the radio at work in the year of release, I exclaimed "did she just rip off Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy?!" TIL, no. The credited sample is (according to Wikipedia) “Tarzan & Jane Swingin' on a Vine" from Run to Cadence with U.S. Marines. Christina was VERY lucky that the estate of The Andrews Sisters didn’t sue for her for plagiarism. Nice use of a gospel choir in Makes Me Wanna Pray though. The Midas touch of Mark Ronson et al made this album a hit. In retrospect, it's a typical Christina outing- tries to be fun with pop and R&B, repetition, plain backbeats and too much vocal acrobatics (eh the Mariah flutter) Overall: 2/10

Highlights: Hate To Say I Told You So, Supply and Demand, Die All Right, Outsmarted. In a nutshell: suit up, let's rock. Note: This is one of two compilation albums in the generator and therefore ineligible for retaining its place. It will receive a review from me as the album featured in the first edition. Ahhhh. I miss the heady days of rock and indie music ruling the airwaves. The rhythm and length of most Hives songs are textbook punk rock. Short, loud, energetic, catchy. Despite the repetition, the songs are never boring. You can't help but cut loose. It packs a lot into a 28 minutes album. It's a decent compilation, but we need to swap it with a studio or live LP. Give "Veni Vidi Vicious" a burl. Overall: 8/10

Highlights: Operation, Live Fast Die Young In a nutshell: a starter guide to hardcore punk Simple. Fast. Unpretentious. If you like Pennywise, NOFX, Anti-Flag and early Amyl and the Sniffers, and you have not heard of Circle Jerks before, you’ll wonder why you haven’t heard this album earlier. As for the people not into punk, listen to the drumming and guitars. Think Sex Pistols meets Ramones. Overall: 5/10

In a nutshell: a "fuck you, watch me" album. "[Tommy Boy Records] made the decision to sign House of Pain over us. When they dropped me, I was thinking, 'Damn, they chose a bunch of whiteboy shit over me.'" RZA, The Wu-Tang Manual Not completely into it. The skits were distracting; the beats and loops were repetitive. HOWEVER, I can't be too harsh on this album. It's popular, influential and iconic. There will be a legacy with Wu-Tang Clan. C.R.E.A.M. will always be a banger. Overall: 4/10

Highlights: Sympathy For The Devil, Stray Cat Blues, Salt of the Earth. In a nutshell: The Stones find their groove- rock and country blues, but a little dirty. Beggars Banquet is in part a reflection of the music styles which influenced the band - blues rock with a bit of rock and roll flair. Also, it raises the question over appropriation - if you acknowledge your source and actively "give a leg up" for the minorities and/or underappreciated who inspired you, is it appropriation? I'm unsure. I'll have to think it over. Although the blues rock and roots rock songs crammed in the album were tedious for me, there are good songs on here. I can hear the origins of their trademark sound; the sound we identify the band with today. And the best is yet to come. Overall: 6/10

Highlights: Yours Is No Disgrace, I've Seen All Good People. In a nutshell: entry level prog. I'm not really a prog person, but it's cool. Most would be familiar with the Rick Wakeman era of Yes (Fragile, Close To The Edge and later). Tony Kaye is fine on organ/piano/Moog, no complaints. I'm actually surprised that a Yes live album isn't on this list. The band would have been amazing live. Overall: 6/10

In a nutshell: cut-copy-paste swamp rock CCR is already on the back foot because of oversaturation. They would be fantastic live in a dingy blues bar seeking respite from the humidity. That live bar band vibe carries through to the studio recording. I do not like John's voice at all. Fake accent, one trick vocals. There are occasional nice guitar solos, I can see them from a mile away though. Many songs feel similar to me too. Formulaic. It's not necessary to have one or two covers on each album either, guys (eyeroll). Sticking to their lane served them well. IMHO, the band should have merged the tracks from Green River and Bayou Country then cut the fat to make a single LP. Overall: 4/10

In a nutshell: wild noise. Cool guitars, obnoxious organ, sweet drum rhythm. Think MC5 meets Devo. It’s surreal garage rock with a avant-garde twist . A YouTube user described it as “Dadaistic rock” (accurate). Perhaps the album could be proto-Krautrock as well as proto-punk. It won’t be for everyone. I can see why it’s on the list though. Overall: 4/10

In a nutshell: a lot of style, little substance. Many of us know Karma Chameleon. Most UK listeners would recognise the singles or the whole album. It is crooning soul meets light new wave pop. Helen Terry's backing vocals were great. Music by Culture Club, Soft Cell and Frankie Goes To Hollywood represented a cultural retaliation. The UK was a mostly despondent nation under a Tory (conservative) government and emerging from a recession in 1983. It's not my thing. Overall: 3/10

In a nutshell: “fuck my life, fuck the world” grunge. Emo grunge sounds like a contradiction, but I can’t find an adequate descriptor for this album. To its credit, Dirt encapsulates depression accurately. The riffs are what you would hear on Guitar Hero. It’s one of those “albums that defined an era but doesn’t really hold up now” Overall: 3/10

Highlight: Needles In The Camel's Eye In a nutshell: an intro to avant pop It's weird, it's random and it's dizzying, but it works. Listen closely - some elements reappear in Bowie and Talking Heads albums (and not just the albums Eno co-produced with aforementioned). Overall: 5/10

Highlights: Madrugada, Justified and Ancient. In a nutshell: warehouse rave staple. The early 90s was when Eurodance, rave and acid house was ripe. Got Underworld, The Shamen, Pet Shop Boys and early Massive Attack (Blue Lines was released one month after The White Room) vibes. Any of these songs would have been shortlisted for the nightclub scene in Trainspotting, for sure. Not my thing. Can see how this would influence upcoming artists within the electronica/acid house genre. Overall: 3/10

In a nutshell: non-aggressive punk. First thought: "is this what Dexys would sound like if they made a punk album?". Nice riffs, disengaging lyrics. Compared to other punk and punk rock titles on the list, it's not really adding to the genre. In 1977 alone- pre-dating this Adverts debut- these albums were released: *The Damned's "Damned Damned Damned" in February then "Music For Pleasure" in November (label mates of The Adverts) *The Saints "(I'm) Stranded" (released in February. Australian punk rock band) *The Clash's self titled debut (April) *And the famous "hit and quit" Never Mind The Bollocks (October) Check it out if first wave UK punk rock is your thing. Otherwise, skip and try "(I'm) Stranded" or an early album by The Damned. Overall: 3/10

Highlight: Lost In The World In a nutshell: maximalist hip-hop. There is a lot of copy-paste song format here: find a sample or beat you like- even if it sounds similar to another track you've laid- and loop it. Add anything that sounds shit hot- synth horn, hand drums, vocoder, a Gospel choir, piano. Get your mates involved. Go apeshit. Make it regal, big, unapologetic. Keep shaping it til it sounds perfect. Repeat. I sense a mania in the music- in production and execution- that I didn't hear in The College Dropout. It's definitely bloated, half the songs are over 5 minutes. One has an (unfunny) skit outro featuring Chris Rock. This sounds like one of those albums an artist needed to make to redefine and refine themselves. Kanye is an expert at shaking up shit. I appreciate the ambition, it's not my thing. But it's worth a listen. It's unique and a product of its time. Overall: 4/10

In a nutshell: abstract, bizarre avant-garage Sounds like Fear of Music era Talking Heads, Public Image Limited and Captain Beefheart smooshed together. Cherry picks post-punk, krautrock, avant-garde and garage rock into a package John Peel would’ve frothed over. The surf guitar in (Pa) Ubu Dance Party was cool. I don’t think two Pere Ubu albums on the list is necessary. Overall: 3/10

In a nutshell: half baked is an understatement. Like a wide-eyed beginner given the skeleton key to a studio and granted free reign to record whatever they want, McCartney is a mess. For an accomplished musician, I'd expect more. Some nice instrumental stuff but it needed A LOT more direction instead of making it the Paul and Linda Show. Overall: 3/10

In a nutshell: somethings change, some stay the same. Compared to earlier releases in the book, Cohen’s album-making approach had a little shakeup. Cohen’s voice has deepened and he embraced synth. I’ve resigned to the fact that Cohen is simply a great poet with a predictable approach to arrangement. To me, he is the Wes Anderson of contemporary music: same approach, different colour palate, new location. The breakneck pans get boring after a while. As does Cohen’s decision to utilise backing singers and instruments with little style variation on this album. We got that element overload with the juice harp on “Song From A Room” The best way I can sum it up is to quote boygenius: “…I am not an old man having an existential crisis at a Buddhist monastery writing horny poetry…” Overall 3/10

"You know, people have said that to me down the years 'What does 'slowly walking down the hall faster than a cannonball mean?' I'm like 'take enough drugs you'll know what it means'. Sitting on a cornflake? Yeah, I've sat on many a cornflake." Noel Gallagher on Take 5 with Zan Rowe (2023) Highlights: Roll With It, Don't Look Back In Anger, Some Might Say, Morning Glory, Champagne Supernova. In a nutshell: an album that defined an era. That's the review. I don't know what more can be said. Overall: 7/10

In a nutshell: "adult contemporary art rock" I had flashbacks to Morrissey's solo albums and Berlin Trilogy era Bowie while listening to this. David's vocals on Dirty Boys had a Jim Morrison/Josh Homme flair to them; a song that could appear on a Peaky Blinders episode. The Next Day overall felt weak. Some reviews on here say he "lost his edge" for this one. Accurate. Overall 2/10

Highlights: Add It Up, Promise, Blister In The Sun, Gone Daddy Gone In a nutshell: is this cow punk? I think Confessions sounds half country, half acoustic punk. It’s not often that my attention is held with an album that recycles chords. Damn you Gordon and co (glares and waves fist in the air). Overall: 7/10

In a nutshell: easy listening boredom Adding vocals to the other tracks would have changed my mind about this album. The band is skilled, the beat is repetitive. This is music I'd hear while on hold to a utilities provider. If you like melodic jazz funk and recognise Street Life from Jackie Brown, do we have the album for you... Overall: 1/10

Highlights: This Will Be Our Year, Care of Cell 44, Time of the Season In a nutshell: the band that should've been bigger. Odyssey and Oracle is one of those great albums that was lost in the wash. 1968 was a big year in music. It's good. Divine harmonies, cool organ. Lovely balance of psychedelic, baroque, pop and rock. Overall: 7/10

Highlights: Right Here Right Now, The Rockafeller Skank, Gangster Trippin', Praise You. In a nutshell: the great 1998 copy and paste job. At time of release, You've Come A Long Way Baby was a juggernaut. Retrospectively, you can tell Norman Cook (Fatboy Slim) found a winning formula after years of DJing and applied it hard throughout. Overall: 6/10

In a nutshell: uniquely 80s Sounds like a mashup of New York Dolls, Sweet, Mötley Crüe and Poison. Could be inspiration for The Hives. Not for everyone. Overall: 2/10

Highlights: Crucify, Leather, Me and A Gun In a nutshell: strong female singer-songwriter Tori's music is in the same echelon as Kate Bush, Joni Mitchell and Tracey Chapman - unashamedly vulnerable songs with a curated sound. Have a copy of the lyrics nearby. Soak it in. Her voice and piano composition may not be for everyone, but she deserves a chance. It's a debut, and she gets better from here. That said, I'm surprised Under the Pink or Boys for Pele isn't on the list. Overall: 6/10

Highlights: ISI, Hero. In a nutshell: cosmic and ambient krautrock. Mellow and hypnotic. It could be argued that the roots of the ambient genre can be found here in NEU! 75. Mainly in "Seeland" and "Leb' wohl". Brian Eno is credited for inventing the term "ambient" but Eno didn't record his first experiment in ambient music- Another Green World- until July 1975. Neu! 75 was released in February of the same year. I like Air and early Kraftwerk, so this was a winner for me. Overall: 8/10

Highlight: A Minha Menina In a nutshell: weird- but in a good way- psych rock Overall: 5/10

Highlights: God Save The Queen, Anarchy in the U.K., EMI. In a nutshell: The shape of punk to come. This is a mixed bag. Drums and guitar are excellent. I was expecting more vitriol in Johnny’s voice compared to the lyrics (see No Feelings, Bodies). Unless time and over-saturation of Anarchy in The U.K. has dulled the impact. Didn't hate this album but not fawning over it. It's a "you need to hear it at least once" release for sure. Overall: 5/10

In a nutshell: Drag Mama Drag I agree with some reviewers on here - there's something lacklustre about this album compared to their debut, Music From Big Pink. Felt drawn out. The band members can jam. The lyrics are good. The singing, hit and miss. Overall: 4/10

Highlights: You Oughta Know, All I Really Want, Ironic. In a nutshell: retrospect can be a bitch. Tween me was unprovoked. Before 1996, I never heard a woman swear in a song or sing about an ex with vitriol. It was cool, and powerful. Looking back, You Oughta Know still retains its venom as a diss track. All I Really Want is a decent opener with great lines ("...did you long for the next distraction?"). Ironic has nice vignettes and musings. But the rest of the tracks blend into each other. I wanted to give this a higher score but won't as there is too much filler. Overall: 5/10

In a nutshell: a clumsy prog-rock symphony Emerson Lake and Palmer should have committed to the bit. You either go full on, multiple suite concept album like on Side A or “traditional format” from Side B. There are interesting sounds on Side A. Doing things by halves, so to speak, wrecked a potentially good prog rock album. Overall: 4/10

In a nutshell: a weak prelude to Pet Sounds I'm surprised an earlier Beach Boys album isn't on here instead. This has two lukewarm singles and a tonne of filler. Some hints of Pet Sounds can be heard here but it doesn't have much else going for it. Overall: 2/10

Highlights: Black Math, The Hardest Button to Button, Hypnotise, Girl You Have No Faith In Medicine In a nutshell: Jack and Meg at their peak The album where The White Stripes perfected their formula of catchy riffs and hypnotic drum beats. Not flawless, also not bad. Overall: 7/10

"(Paul and I) were just writing songs à la Everly Brothers, à la Buddy Holly, pop songs with no more thought of them than that – to create a sound. And the words were almost irrelevant." John Lennon. Interviewed by David Sheff (1981). Highlights: A Hard Day's Night, And I Love Her, Can't Buy Me Love In a nutshell: "They get better" A Hard Day's Night is an example of how popular music and contemporary music came to be. You just cherry pick what you like and tweak it from there. It's fine. Great singles, mediocre filler. I prefer Help! and their later albums. Overall: 5/10

Highlight: The Way Young Lovers Do, Astral Weeks. In a nutshell: the ramblings of a drunk. Great backing band. Good lyrics and storytelling. Ambitious fusion of jazz and folk. Curated sound that replicate a series of jam sessions. Meandering and repetitive. Madame George didn’t need to be over nine minutes. Overall: 5/10

Highlight: Springtime Promises In a nutshell: medieval sounding psychedelic folk. I could see this band opening for Donovan or The Mamas and The Papas in the 60’s. The band members are talented, no doubt about it. Too much falsetto, glockenspiel mixed too far forward, sitar was an odd inclusion. Overall: 2/10

Highlight: On The Lash In a nutshell: homogenised post-hardcore I mean, it’s fine? I like garage rock. Don't mind post-hardcore. Sounds like The Stooges meets Fugazi and The Jesus and Mary Chain. Great riffs and distortion. HOWEVER... it's not groundbreaking. The Used, Mclusky, Shellac and Refused predate The Icarus Line. None of the aforementioned are in the book and performed a hell of a lot better than these wannabes. Overall: 2/10

"This time I was like, 'fuck it, I know what I’m talking about'. You definitely get a self-belief. Whereas before you’re like, 'well, the record company must know what they’re talking about' They do know what they’re talking about from a marketing standpoint..." Amy Winehouse "Life and soul". Interviewed by Craig McLean from The List (circa 2007) Highlights: Tears Dry On Their Own, Wake Up Alone, Love Is A Losing Game, You Know That I'm No Good, Me and Mr Jones. In a nutshell: the millenial queen of blue eyed soul* Songwriting was cathartic for Amy. She wasn't afraid of being vulnerable or looking stupid, both in her career and personal life. All packaged in a crooning 60's soul/Motown sound. With Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi on producing duties, this was the makings of a Classic Album™. I can't find anything to dislike about this album. Even the looped sample of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" didn't deter me from its charm. *Dusty Springfield was publicly dubbed the "(reluctant) Queen of Blue Eyed Soul". Placing Amy in that echelon is justified. She released two albums in her short life (a third album was released posthumously) yet her impact on the music landscape was phenomenal. How can that be ignored? Overall: 8/10

In a nutshell: it's a British thing. The Charlatans are one of those bands that were big in the UK but had limited success elsewhere. Think Oasis meets Blur meets Dexy's. It's different from Britpop but for me it is inessential when we have the aforementioned, Pulp and Suede. Overall: 2/10

In a nutshell: kick out the jams I'm sceptical of live albums on this list. The sound quality is variable as years go on. And it's so hard to capture the vibe the audience felt the night the concert was recorded. Which is partly where Live/Dead is unconvincing. The guitars are sharp, sometimes the drums. The vocals, not so much. It jams longer than necessary. Deadheads and psychedelic rock affectionados should love it. For me, it loses direction quickly. It's not that I don't like meandering jams (I like Khrungabin and I don't mind jazz). Maybe it's because I'm not *with it*. Or not high. Overall: 3/10

Highlights: Kill The Poor, Forward to Death, Chemical Warfare, Holiday in Cambodia, Viva Las Vegas. In a nutshell: picking up where The Sex Pistols left off. As with Circle Jerks, Dead Kennedys are gateway punk. The punk you should introduce your neblings to. See if it gently stoke the anarchic embers inside. Fuck, this was a fun listen. Overall: 7/10

Highlight: Take On Me. In a nutshell: still looking The opening track is an eternal classic. The rest of the album was so-so. I found myself comparing the band to Simple Minds, Tears For Fears and ABC. Overall: 1/10

Highlights: This World Is Yours, Halftime. In a nutshell: the shape of hip-hop to come. There's something unique about Nas' delivery that sets him apart from his peers on both coasts. It sounds softer but still packs the punch (I don't know how else to describe it). As said previously, hip hop isn't my thing. But I can tell that Nas has influenced dozens of hip hop artists. Some of them I've encountered in this project: Kendrick Lamar, Lupe Fiasco and (possibly) Tupac. Overall: 5/10

Highlight: Me and Julio Down By The Schoolyard In a nutshell: dabbling in a bit of everything Paul puts folk rock from Simon and Garfunkel on the backburner and tries out blues, roots and light reggae. It doesn't sound like he's appropriating the genres either. It's good, just not his best. Overall: 5/10

Highlights: A Message to You Rudy, Concrete Jungle. In a nutshell: head bopping protest songs. Some good songs, some absolutely jarring songs. Stupid Marriage and Too Much Too Young were uncomfortable to hear with 2024 ears. Message to You always nice to hear. Always appreciate hand claps in songs. Overall: 5/10

I don't need to wax lyrical about this album. Instead, I'll share David Gilmour's POV on the Wizard of Oz rumour: “We listened to it… Polly [Samson, Gilmour’s wife] and I, years ago. Somebody said you put the needle on at the third roar of the MGM lion. And there are these strange synchronicities that happen ...There are these strange coincidences" Source: The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, November 7th 2024. Make of that what you will. Overall: 9/10

In a nutshell: justice for Emmylou Harris. Great lyrics. Gram sounds vulnerable and sincere, albeit twangy. Quite impressed by Emmylou’s contribution to the album. It’s a shame that she didn’t receive the proper credit at time of release because of Gram’s jealous widow. I don’t like country in general, but based on the backstory I can see how it’s important to the development of the genre. Overall: 3/10

"Rage Against the Machine is like the ring in Lord of the Rings. It drives men mad. It drives journalists mad. It drives record-industry people mad. They want the thing, and they’re driven mad.” Tom Morello via Rolling Stone Magazine (2023) Highlights: Killing In The Name, Bullet In Your Head. In a nutshell: furious minds We need more left leaning anarchists like RATM in the world. Play Know Your Enemy to the spawn in your life. Teach them media bias, to question everything and call out bullshit when they see it. Once that's done, stand back and hope they will grow up to think for themselves. Korn, Pantera and Slipknot are known pioneers of nu metal, but it could be argued that Rage Against The Machine unintentionally contributed to what would eventually be the nu metal sound. Overall: 7/10

Highlights: Krautrock, Läuft... In a nutshell: surreal psych prog. I dunno about this album. The track order didn't have a natural flow to it, like when you play a CD from an artist you don't know well and forget to deselect shuffle mode. Not as hypnotic as Kraftwerk's Autobahn, which was released the following year. I suspect Devo (maybe Talking Heads) and Stereolab listened to Faust. It's considered a krautrock classic, which I don't get as it sounds more psych prog, experimental and avant garde. And this is an album from the band who adopted the term krautrock with pride. Overall: 4/10

Highlights: Plastico, Buscando Guayaba, Ojos, Siembra. In a nutshell: I dare you to keep still. This album was fun! Willie and Rubén trick you with a disco/funk intro on track one then they change gear and launch into funk salsa. If I wasn't dancing in my kitchen, my booty was wriggling in time with the beat while seated (my friend calls this "chair dancing"). This is why I'm doing the project - to discover new-to-me music. I can't wait to learn more about this genre now. Overall: 8/10

In a nutshell: fuck this band. This album is a mashup of rap cliches, abhorrent record scratching and 'fuck you, fuck the world' lyrics. For better or worse, Limp Bizkit is part of the zeitgeist. Nu metal assisted millennial teens in finding their rage when Tool, Rage Against The Machine, Placebo and Korn didn't click with them. It was unpleasant listening for me then, and it remains unpleasant to hear today. Overall: 1/10

In a nutshell: is this supposed to be make out music? If I was of dating age in the 90s and the gentleman taking me back to his place put on D'Angelo, I'd make a polite exit. This is would be an album a fuckboy would have stashed in his collection in case he wanted to seduce someone. D'Angelo tries to vocally flutter like Mariah and croon like Prince. With minimal success. It sounds bland and try hard rather than sexy. When We Get By had a Steely Dan flavour to it. This album hasn't aged well in my opinion. Overall: 2/10

In a nutshell: must be a British thing. I grumbled at Kevin and co several times for taking so long to get to the point. The ship had already sailed with this kind of blue eyed soul/new wave style. I was offended at the band ripping off the Werewolves of London riff (it took until 1997 to give co-writing credits). The band should be represented in the list, but this ain't the album to represent them. Overall: 1/10

In a nutshell: industrial performance art. This was a hard listen. D.o.A. is niche, avant garde noise. If you thought the Velvet Underground and Nico album was repulsive, whooooaaa Nelly you're gonna be in for a shock here. Will give a point for ingenuity. Overall: 1/10

Highlights: Stop Dem, Wildfires. In a nutshell: it's lacking something It's supposed to be an album about self empowerment, experiences of racial oppression and being proud to be black. I quickly picked that up with Solange's "A Seat At The Table" and "Things Fall Apart" by The Roots (why is that Roots album not on the list?). The aforementioned albums "hit me in the feels". I didn't get that with Untitled (Black Is). The loops bored me. The spoken word tracks interrupted rather than bolstered the tracklist. Excellent lead and backing vocals though. Overall: 3/10