1001 Albums Summary

While I have definitely heard some of these songs individually, I have never sat down and listened to the full album they originated on. It gave me a bit more of an appreciation for what Elvis was able to do, and how he brought appreciation for a developing genre of music to the average American. Highlights: Blue Suede Shoes - Everyone has heard this one before, and for good reason. It's a fun jam about pretty much nothing at all. One-Sided Love Affair - I had never heard this one before, but it's one of the best examples I've found of the sound and style of early Elvis Presley. Just Because - The lyrics and vocals are light, but the guitar work is ahead of its time and a good sample of what would be to come in rock and roll. Blue Moon - Probably the best song on the album overall with a haunting melody that shows off Elvis's pipes really well. Lowlights: I'm Counting On You - The song itself is fine, but something about the mix is really weird. Sounds like it's being sung in the shower.

I had heard of Souxsie and the Banshees before, but somehow had never listened to any of their stuff. As a fan of classic rock and punk, it blows my mind that I'd slept on them for so long. "Juju" wasn't the most mindblowing album I've ever heard, but it is a solid work, with some of the most impressive guitar work I've heard (from a group that wasn't necessarily guitar focused). On first listen it didn't necessarily stand out, but under the surface was some fantastic picking. Highlights: Spellbound - The guitar on this is wild. It sounds at first like simple strumming, but the intricacy and rhythm of the pick work is astounding. I didn't want this funky joint to end. Arabian Knights - As a bassist I appreciate the bass riff here. Also Souxsie's ethereal vocals are wonderful. They take on a different mood to match each song. Halloween - Top tier guitar work. Will be listening to this one much more to unpack those riffs. Monitor - Holy Joseph, Is that grunge in 1981? This sounds like it could have been recorded in '92. This track slaps. Lowlights: Night Shift - This is a slow groove. It's fine, but it hangs around way too long IMO. Also the mic feedback(?) isn't pleasant. Head Cut - Some of the vocals are a little too screechy for my tastes. Final Thoughts: This is a great album that I will definitely be listening to more. I can see the influences both from bands in the past and on bands in the future in this pseudo-bridge between classic rock and punk.

I've listened to a few Clash songs here and there, but never really been a fan of any of them enough to seek out more of their material. This album has done little to change my opinion. I realize this is probably heretical to most music fans, especially punk fans, but it is what it is. Let's get to some details. Highlights: Jimmy Jazz - The most interesting songs to me on this album are the ones that sound the least like the Clash's signature sound. This mellow jazzy track was a fun listen. Rudie Can't Fail - This song is almost straight up reggae. Very relaxing sound and the singer's vocals fit with the reggae theme. Lost in the Supermarket - This is probably my favorite song on the album. The bass riffs are great. Somehow the vocalist learned what his range is. I'll be adding this to my playlists. Clampdown - Great punky, chunky guitar. Catchy hooks, vocals are on point here. The Guns of Brixton - More great bass work. The reggae style once again is a great match for The Clash's skills. I'm Not Down - I really enjoyed this one. Very upbeat punk sound. A trumpet solo away from early ska. Lowlights: London Calling - God these vocals are grating. Sounds like the guy has a sinus infection. Wrong 'Em Boyo - The intro to this track is brass with what sounds like a donkey braying over it. Vocals are awful. After the intro it redeems itself with a very early ska sounding jam. Four Horsemen - Awful vocals strike again. Guy sounds like Eeyore. Final Thoughts: Frankly, I did not enjoy this album. I liked a lot of the instrumental work on here, but God, the vocals are grating at worst and downplayed at best. The best tracks are consistently the ones with the most emphasis on the instrumentals themselves. Legitimately at times sounds like a donkey imitating human voice.

Wow, where to begin. This album blew my mind. I enjoyed basically every track, and the way they flowed together made it even better. I have always been aware of Parliament, but had pretty much only ever heard "Give Up The Funk." Listening to the full album gave me a huge appreciation for the skill and soul on display. Highlights: P-Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up) - There's a hilarious deejay bit going on throughout the track. The music is fantastic. Unfunky UFO - Holy Bass, Batman. I had to listen to this again immediately after finishing the first time. Give Up The Funk (Tear the Roof Off the Sucker) - Basically everyone knows this song. Excellent track that 100% deserves its notoriety. Night of the Thumpasorous Peoples - This track bops. Funky caveman stuff going on. Lowlights: Not much, tbh. There's some hilariously offensive lyrics on this album, but anyone that gets mad about that is probably a loser. Final Thoughts: This is a great album packed full of talented performers and killer funky beats. If you don't like this album I assume you hate fun. Bootsy Collins is a god of Bass and makes every track a dance party.

Paul McCartney? Isn't that the guy featured on "FourFiveSeconds" by Kanye? I kid, I kid. "Band On The Run" is a genuinely impressive album of 70's pop music goodness that shows off McCartney's ludicrous songwriting and performing talents. Highlights: Band On The Run - The title track is a fun poppy tune that starts out slow and ends up sounding like later Beatles songs minus the psychedelics. Jet - This song is a completely different tone from the rest of the album, and shows off a harder style of guitar that wouldn't be common until later in the decade. Mrs Vandebilt - God tier bass line with somewhat nihilistic lyrics that end up getting stuck in your head. Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five - Excellent keys and bass. This is definitely going on my list of songs to practice bass with. Lowlights: Mamunia - Not a bad song by any means, but definitely my least favorite on the album. A little draggy. Final Thoughts: A genuinely enjoyable album with very few flaws, if any. McCartney is one of the greatest songwriters of all time and he demonstrates that skill on this album of borderline pop perfection.

This is an album I have definitely heard before and enjoyed. Still a worthwhile effort to sit down and put into words what I like about it. Highlights: Black Dog - this is a fascinating song where the guitars and vocals seemingly trade off on the lead part, sort of like two guitars dueling solos off each other. Rock and Roll - Everyone has heard bits of this in a commercial at some point, but listening to the full song is a really enjoyable time. Guitars and drums are fantastic. The Battle of Evermore - This celtic flavored track is super tight. It flexes Led Zep's ability to stretch genres quite well, all in a war ballad about Lord of the Rings. Hell yeah. Stairway to Heaven - Every asshole guitar store owner's least favorite song. A calming ballad with fantastic pick work for 3/4's of the song, before the brakes fall off. The solo at 6 minutes in is the stuff of legends. Lowlights: Can't think of any. Final Thoughts: Genuinely one of the best rock albums of all time. Each track is great-to-fantastic, and together they make an amazing 43 minutes.

I had never heard of Hawkwind before listening to this album, so going in completely fresh was a bit of a surprise. The album is a concept album, with an overall theme of a scifi space journey in suspended animation. Overall, I had very conflicting feelings about this album. The instrumentals are top notch and quite an enjoyable listen. The vocals are mid but inoffensive. Personally, I felt the album leaned a bit too hard into the "concept"; almost every other track is a lengthy monologue about space and the future, most of which say very little of interest in a overly dramatic fashion. It comes off to me as masturbatory and pretentious. I think this album is probably best listened to while high; the too-deep-for-you bits probably sound much more intelligent while under the influence. Highlights: Born to Go - Great instrumentals. Down Through the Night - Excellent bassline, really fun listen. Orgone Accumulator - This is the best track on the album IMO. Funky rocking beat. Master of the Universe - Excellent song. Lowlights: Upside Down - Dissonant, and not in a good way. The driving power chords are good, but the whiny and aimless lead guitar is disharmonic to the rest of the song. Brainstorm - 13 minutes of good instrumentals with some of the weirdest vocal choices and monologuing over the top of it. Any one of the seven tracks that are basically solely monologues over guitar tuning - I'm not high enough for this. Final Thoughts A very interesting sounding concept album with not much at all worthwhile to say. The instrumentals are top notch, but rarely allowed to stand on their own merit in favor of injecting some shallow and frankly off putting monologues on top.

Jerry Lee Lewis is a legend at the ivories, and this album showcases exactly why. Everyone has heard a few of these songs, but the flawless performances on a live recording combined with the frenetic and bombastic songs themselves made this album a treat to listen to. Highlights: High School Confidential - Opening song of a concert and live album and this man casually blows the keys off a piano. Fantastic skill on display. Money - Damn this was a fun song to listen to. Classic oldie rock perfection. Good Golly, Miss Molly - Wow, JLL was allergic to keeping it low key. Tearing the keys up! Your Cheating Heart - The one slow song on the album, which does well to showcase the vocals a bit more. Lowlights: None. Final Thoughts: A fantastic album of piano-centric classic rock in only 22 minutes runtime. Everyone should give this a whirl at least once.

Screaming Trees is a new one for me. A big chunk of early 90's rock is outside my wheelhouse, but I enjoyed listening to this album quite a bit. The overall slow soulful brand of grunge / folk was a treat. Highlights: All I Know - This is a great song. Very catchy. The verses and chorus are slow, with a juxtaposition of quick syncopated pre chorus bridges. Look At You - I loved the melody on this track. Dying Days - Heavy instrumentals with slow vocals work great here. Dime Western - I'm a hoe for bass, and this songs bassline is top tier. Lowlights: Traveler - This track didn't appeal to me a ton. I like the sound but it gets too repetitive. Final Thoughts: Overall quite an enjoyable album. Nothing really groundbreaking or genre defining here, but nothing objectionable either. I'd definitely listen to it again.

Marvin Gaye is a legendary vocalist, and for good reason. It doesn't matter what he sang or how the song went, he was gonna sound like a smooth, soulful seraph. Highlights: What's Going On - A funky ballad with a message that makes you think. Flyin' High (In The Friendly Sky) - Now you're just showing off, man. The vocals on here are something else. Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) - The bass on here is great, along with the jazzy brass section. Fantastic song. Lowlights: I'm not a huge jazz fan, and this album leans heavily into the freeform vocal styles common in the genre. This isn't a flaw of the album, but a flaw of me, lol. Final Thoughts: This jazzy album was an enjoyable listen, even though I'm not a huge jazz fan. The skill and God-given talent on display was wonderful, and the message of the lyrics is still relevant today. The instrumental performance was fantastic as well.