Between this being my first rating and a genre I’m not familiar with it’s hard to rate. I’m going to give this 3 stars to start. It feels accessible despite me not being a jazz listener. It’s very smooth, it feels like I should be at an important dinner while listening to it.
This album doesn't do much for me, and I don't really connect with many songs. I realize that I am not the target audience, so I don't begrudge it for that. Even on the level of just appreciating pop music for what it is, there aren't a ton of songs that I would personally add to my playlists. It feels like music generated by an AI for a Netflix rom-com about a girl moving to the big city.
Song going on my "1001 Songs" Playlist: Shake It Off.
There are a couple of the hits that I don't mind, and I may regard them more highly if it weren't for overexposure to them. Shake It Off is the one that most makes me want to sing along, and it's a fun song.
Of the 3 albums I've received so far, this is the one that I enjoyed the most sonically, with beats that get you bobbing your head. The driving rhythm throughout and it not being in English makes it all feel like one long song to me. I don't see this being an album that I revist much, but it was an interesting listening experience.
Song going on my "1001 Songs" Playlist: Ponta de Lança Africano (Umbabarauma)
The first song is what caught my ear the most, the bluesy guitar riff to open is something that I wish appeared throughout the album, but it takes a back seat to the rhythmic dominance.
I've fallen a few days behind because I feel like I haven't been able to give this the attention it deserves. I've never really "gotten" Radiohead when I tried before, but this album at this time in my life has resonated with me. My music tastes have evolved since I last tried and I enjoyed this album a lot. A lot of what I enjoy about jam bands is that their songs are as much soundscapes as they are songs. I also enjoy that the nebulous lyrics evoke feelings more than they tell you how to feel, which is a trait I enjoy about Bon Iver, and some jam bands' songs.
Song going on my "1001 Songs" Playlist: How to Disappear Completely
Other Songs Going On My "1001 Albums Savelist" Playlist: Everything in Its Right Place, The National Anthem, Optimistic, Idioteque
A pretty fun listen. I'd say it was a 5 star experience, but I will give it 4 stars because I'm not sure how much replay value it has for me. I'm not much of a punk rocker so I don't think I will find myself wanting to go back to it. Maybe one day if I'm playing a Tony Hawk game and the soundtrack isn't cutting it for me I will throw it on mute and play this album.
Song going on my "1001 Songs" Playlist: Blister in the Sun
Other Songs Going On My "1001 Albums Savelist" Playlist: Add it Up, To the Kill, Gone Daddy Gone
The first album that I was familiar with prior to starting this. Definitely one of the most impactful early hip-hop albums and overall it holds up pretty well. I find Flavor Flav to be mostly annoying which holds Public Enemy back in my opinion.
Song going on my "1001 Songs" Playlist: Don't Believe the Hype
Other Songs Going On My "1001 Albums Savelist" Playlist: Bring the Noise, Night of the Living Baseheads, Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos
It's inoffensive enough that I will give it two stars. Maybe someday I will listen to it as ambient music when working. Otherwise I don't see much replay value in this album. As an untrained ear it all sounds the same to me which isn't something I love in a 2 hour+ album
Song going on my "1001 Songs" Playlist: Demon's Theme. I think once you've heard the first song you've heard it all on this album.
Other Songs Going On My "1001 Albums Savelist" Playlist: None
I wanted to enjoy this more than I did. Parts are interesting soundscapes, and others are shit thrown at the wall that didn't stick. I will probably listen to this again at some point down the road and maybe it will make more sense then but for now it feels like a lot of aimless meander.
Song going on my "1001 Songs" Playlist: Tubular Bells (Pt. I). There were two choices and Pt. II had a weird wolf growling section?
Other Songs Going On My "1001 Albums Savelist" Playlist: None
I find the genre intriguing and the album does a good job of sticking to a singular sonic theme. That said I don't know if I envision myself replaying many of these tunes as I don't often listen to "darker" music. I keep getting the feeling that this could be the soundtrack to a James Bond movie which I don't think has a lot of overlap with my daily life.
Song going on my "1001 Songs" Playlist: Personal Jesus
Other Songs Going On My "1001 Albums Savelist" Playlist: World In My Eyes, Sweetest Perfection, Halo, Enjoy the Silence
There are moments on this album, good songs and fun guitar riffs. Then the next song is a heavily distorted screamo tune. It's fine but it gave me whiplash.
Song going on my "1001 Songs" Playlist: Sacred Attention
Other Songs Going On My "1001 Albums Savelist" Playlist: Homemade, Soul and Fire
Interesting would be how I described this experience. After the first couple songs I thought this album would be a slog but I ended up mostly enjoying it. There was something whimsical about sitting at my desk on a workday feeling like I should be performing a jig. While this album earns 3 stars from me, I have a harder time picking a favorite song than albums I rated lower. It feels very same-y throughout, which speaks probably to my lack of familiarity with the genre, the thematic consistency and maybe just a lack of inspiration?
Song going on my "1001 Songs" Playlist: A Pair of Brown Eyes
Songs Going On My "1001 Albums Savelist" Playlist: A Pair of Brown Eyes
"I owe you an apology. I wasn't really familiar with your game."
Wonderwall is the only Oasis tune I could name coming into this album but I enjoyed this cover to cover. Perhaps the first album so far that didn't have any songs that I wanted to skip. I'm not sure if there are any true "bangers" for me on this one which will keep this out of 5 star territory for me, but perhaps that changes for me on subsequent relistens.
Song going on my "1001 Songs" Playlist: Married with Children
Songs Going On My "1001 Albums Savelist" Playlist: Rock 'n' Roll Star, Shakermaker, Live Forever, Cigarettes & Alcohol, Slide Away, Married with Children
A lot of my feelings about Logical Progression by LTJ Bukem are echoed here. I think drums and bass is just not my style of music. Every song feels like it could be 1/3 of the length that it is and people who want to could repeat it three times. 2 stars for me as it is sonically inoffensive but a slog to get through.
Song going on my "1001 Songs" Playlist: Heroes
Songs Going On My "1001 Albums Savelist" Playlist: None
This is one sad guy. I can hear the beauty in this album but god damn is it a bummer to listen to. Maybe (hopefully not) someday I'll be more depressed and this will resonate with me better.
Song going on my "1001 Songs" Playlist: Waiting for You
Songs Going On My "1001 Albums Savelist" Playlist: None
This is the kind of album that I have been saving the 1 star rating for. This is an assault on the ears. It is so tough that I stopped midway through this album and didn't resume for several weeks.
I have read that it is influential to a lot of popular artists yada yada. People not bound to the 1001 albums journey can safely skip this and listen to the artists it influenced. Perhaps it is an acquired taste, but there is enough music to fill a lifetime without having to labor through this again. It should come with a t-shirt that says "I survived Trout Mask Replica" so listeners get the recognition they deserve.
Song going on my "1001 Songs" Playlist: Veteran's Day Poppy
Songs Going On My "1001 Albums Savelist" Playlist: None
Maybe it is because anything is a welcome relief following Trout Mask Replica, but this album is a joy. Thoroughly listenable throughout, feeling like a lost Beatles album. "Time of the Season" is a well known classic, but there are several other great songs on here, and even the less memorable songs are still pleasant.
Song going on my "1001 Songs" Playlist: Time of the Season
Songs Going On My "1001 Albums Savelist" Playlist: Care of Cell 44, A Rose for Emily, Changes, This Will Be Our Year, Time of the Season
Not being into the heavier, grungier rock albums has been a recurring theme for me so far and it continues here. The female vocals on top of the heavier rock is refreshing and she has a great voice. Overall the album feels very meh to me.
The quieter finale "I'm Not Afraid" is the standout for me, it's a nice ending, and I'd like to hear more of it from them. It gives the vocals room to breathe and features a cool guitar solo.
Song going on my "1001 Songs" Playlist: I'm Not Afraid
Songs Going On My "1001 Albums Savelist" Playlist: I'm Not Afraid
This was a solid, fun album. I'm not sure what I was expecting but it opens with the bouncy "The Headmaster Ritual" and the energy carries throughout the album. The vocals on this album are not particularly exciting but there is some fun guitar/instrumental work throughout.
Song going on my "1001 Songs" Playlist: I'm Not Afraid
Songs Going On My "1001 Albums Savelist" Playlist: The Headmaster Ritual, That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore, Nowhere Fast, Barbarism Begins at Home
MJ is probably the artist that I was most familiar with going into the album (so far) and there are of course some bangers on this album. I enjoyed this album a lot and it would be interesting to have heard it in 1979, a lot of it doesn't feel like it'd be too out of place on modern pop radio.
My biggest quibble would be that it feels like the energy tapers off as the album wears on. I'm sure that was an intentional decision but I don't know if I love it. It feels like you could put this album on at the end of a party that you're hosting and you want people to leave.
Song going on my "1001 Songs" Playlist: Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough
Songs Going On My "1001 Albums Savelist" Playlist: Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough, Rock With You, Workin' Day and Night, Off the Wall
A recurring theme of the albums for me so far is that they mostly don't sound like they are X years old. That is not the case for this album. It sounds very dated just from a recording perspective. I don't have a lot of analysis for this album as Afro-Cuban Jazz isn't a genre I'm terribly familiar with but this feels like it should be the soundtrack to a black and white movie.
I am going to give it 2 stars because unlike Trout Mask Replica it is listenable although not particularly enjoyable. Wild Jungle is going on the 1001 Songs playlist. No real rhyme or reason but I felt like I'd heard it all after the first track.
Song going on my "1001 Songs" Playlist: Wild Jungle
Songs Going On My "1001 Albums Savelist" Playlist: None
I actually first listened to this album for this quite a while ago and I liked it a lot but didn't feel like I had time to digest it/write a proper review. So now here I am months later to try to do that.
Truly a beautiful album that has aged well 26 years later, which I find to not always be the case with this era of R&B. Penitentiary Philosophy is a banger to start of the album and originally I didn't like how the energy tapers off throughout the album. I listened to the album last evening and I found myself appreciating the way it flows. Orange Moon is a highlight on the back portion of the album.
Song going on my "1001 Songs" Playlist: Penitentiary Philosophy
Songs Going On My "1001 Albums Savelist" Playlist: Penitentiary Philosophy, Didn't Cha Know, My Life, ... & On, Orange Moon
Don't have a ton to say about this one which is perhaps damning on its own. It was fine, but I struggle to even pick out a standout song. A lot of albums on this list seem ahead of their time in production value and this is not one of them. I was surprised to read this is from 1984 rather than the 60s. Sonically inoffensive but meh earns it a 2.
Song going on my "1001 Songs" Playlist: The Killing Moon
Songs Going On My "1001 Albums Savelist" Playlist: None
First time listening to a Ray Charles album cover to cover and it was a great experience. A truly classic voice, I think I could listen to him sing anything for any amount of time. Layered on top of swinging arrangements makes for a fun listen.
Song going on my "1001 Songs" Playlist: You Are My Sunshine
Songs Going On My "1001 Albums Savelist" Playlist: Bye Bye Love, You Don't Know Me, You Are My Sunshine, Here We Go Again
