Club Classics Vol. One
Soul II SoulThis album certainly brought me back to life!
This album certainly brought me back to life!
If I wanted to hear good sad songs I would listen to Leonard Cohen. This was just depressing. I know it was his PJ Harvey breakup album, but Jesus, I can see why she left him. Green eyes was just the terrible icing on the horrible rotten cake.
I'm a gangsta, kill, kill, kill. Murder, murder, murder. Dead.
Classic album bringing back memories of the 80's!
Stereotypical sounds of the late sixties. Mostly forgettable except for the last song. Sounds like a budget Beatles
Even though this is Mitchell's best selling album, I found myself wishing this was Blue. A lot of the songs sounded similar to the songs from Blue, but not quite as good. The turn that she takes in a Jazz direction didn't do it for me. Give me folk.
Wow! All the bangers are here. A wonderful album showcasing Stevie at his best!
Absolutely amazing. So many classics and what a great voice. Even the gospel song had me singing along
There's a certain nostalgia about The Smiths, which may have afforded this album one star more than otherwise warranted, but boy, what was I thinking back in the 80s at the school disco with dead flowers in my back pocket, lolling along to The Smiths? Forty years later I cringe at the lyrics and the dourness of the songs. The original shoegazer, Morrissey really was miserable back then, probably still is now. A few catchy memories, but let's not talk about that stage in my life again.
I don't mind Neil Young's gravelly voice. This is a close your eyes album and relax.
I’m proud of myself for finishing it.
You can definitely hear the Bowie influence in this album, and thank god for that, because without it, this album would have been dire. Two songs (Lust for Life, The Passenger) have become hits, not because of the artist, rather thanks to some very favourable movie producers who have put them in their films. Who doesn't listen to Lust for Life and immediaterly think of Ewan McGregor running through the streets of Edinburgh?
Late 80's synthy-dance music. Not memorable, not terrible. One hit.
I'll preface this by saying I'm a 54-year old English white man. In the two weeks I've been on here this was the first artist that I actually never heard of. I almost didn't listen to this album because EVERY song was greyed out on Spotify because of explicit lyrics, and I didn't feel like turning off my kid-filter for someone I'd never heard of. But I did. And I'm glad that I did. Melodies were nice, great backing musicians. Music reminded me of Mos Def or A Tribe Called Quest. Explicit lyrics weren't extreme, mostly the occasional N-word. I doubt I would listen to this again, but I'm glad I did once.
I'll be honest that during the Britpop wars of the mid 90's I was cheering for the other team. But if there was a prize for who's music stood the test of time, it's definitely Oasis. Never was much of an Oasis fan, but separate the music of Oasis from the drama of Oasis and this makes this album a good listen. They are not The Beatles, but each song is a banger, and easily their best album.
If I wanted to hear good sad songs I would listen to Leonard Cohen. This was just depressing. I know it was his PJ Harvey breakup album, but Jesus, I can see why she left him. Green eyes was just the terrible icing on the horrible rotten cake.
It's French, it's poppy, it's not bad.
If Bruce Springsteen teamed up with Big Country, it would sound something like this. I say that in a nice way, because it works. They sound like a band that would be good to watch live.
I'm glad this album came on the weekend as it gave me the opportunity to listen to it a couple more times. Not exactly my cup of tea, but enjoyable, none-the-less..
Oh god, not more Smiths.
If I wanted to listen to a woman screaming at me for 40 minutes, I'd stay home. Pass.
What a masterpiece. Classics aside (All Along the Watchtower, Voodoo Child, etc), there are some great songs on this album. What a unique performaer, with an instantly recognisable style and sound.
There's no doubt which decade this is from.
An album of absolute hits but wtf was the title track? Some people may call it genius, but it sounded like my 6-year old got on the piano after eating too much sugar.
I’m not normally a big fan of jazz. Which is odd because I live in New Orleans and spend a lot of my time (through work) in a Jazz Club. But this album wasn’t bad. Only 5 tracks, which could honestly have been one big track. Easy listening.
It's kinda punk, but about five years too late. A bit shouty for my taste, but not terrible.
A classic. I'm obviously biased because this is the music I grew up with and nostalgia is always worth an extra star or two, but this album has stayed the test of time
A few years before the battle of Britpop in the UK, there was the Battle of Grunge in Seattle. Nirvana and Pearl Jam neck and neck until Kurt Cobain played the ultimate Uno reverso card that shot Nirvana into infamy. However, I firmly believe that if it wasn't for Cobain's self-sacrifice, then history would be talking about Pearl Jam much more than that other band. This album is great and so genuine to the time. It's raw, it's real, it's amazing.
If you had asked me a couple of days ago to sit through over two hours of jazz, I would have replied, "What did I ever do to you?" But in the spirit of this project I did. And I enjoyed it. I'll likely not be listening to jazz 24/7 now, but I'll refrain from turning the volume down if it comes ont he radio, which is what I'd have done before. The chatty segments of this album could have been removed, but at the time it was probaly important to the (likely all dead now) musicians.
I think '80s rap is the best rap. It's tuneful with an edge. Angry, but not hateful. While there are a few F-Bombs here and there, it isn't the profanity-laden tripe that we see these days. Thank god.
Wasn't really metal. I expected worse.
Made it to track 3
Quite surprised that Al’s voice wasn’t the strongest. But this album was solid and a great listen.
Great voice, but I’d rather hear him singing than talking. Sorry Chef.
How is it possible this album is almost 30 years old? Seems like yesterday that Blur topped the charts with this. Although their third album, Parklife was the first of 7 number one albums. The beginning of Britpop. Surprisingly, with many great songs on this album, none of the singles made it to the top of the charts. Blur fans would have to wait for the next album for that. Lots of hits, some misses. 4/5
For years I thought they were saying, "I want to be a dog" Five woofs
LC has the most unique and recognizable voice. He’s not really singing, but more than talking. Maybe poetry? Just a chat? Not really my bag, man.
Billy deviates from his tried and tested shouty/left-leaning/3-chord guitar riffs here. Mixing in some bluegrass, country and gospel shows that while he still very much sounds like Billy Bragg, it does expand his repertoire.
It's something when EVERY song has the explicit filter. Guess the kids aren't listening to this then. Fun party game. Switch on the lyrics on your music app of choice and try to read the lyrics faster than she sings/raps them. You'll look like you've got Tourettes. Make it a drinking game, you'll be sozzled before the third song.
There is a wholesomeness to the poppy sound of the Go-Go's in 1981. This is of a time before the copious amounts of cocaine, infighting and plastic surgery overtook their lives. Great songs, good music.
It's funky!
B&S are one of those bands that I presumed were one-and-done. I loved them in the 90's, although this wasn't my favourite of their albums. A quick wikipedia search shows they are still together, still performing and still producing. Who knew?
Nostalgia overload! But what's surprising is how similar, in parts, this is to Rush! I never noticed that when I first listened to this album way back when.
I heard this was the first ever heavy metal album? Not really my bag, man, but I can respect the music and the musicians' skill. N.I.B. was good. What does N.I.B. mean anyway? New In Box?
Quite liked that
Not full of bangers compared to other releases, but solid none-the-less. Unmistakeable sounds of Talking Heads.
5 stars for the harmonies alone!
This album certainly brought me back to life!
A couple of stand outs here. A wizard with the guitar.
Quite possibly MJ's best album.
Why is this an EP and not an LP? There were 14 tracks! That's an LP sized EP if ever there was.
Nice harmonies, but nothing amazing here
It's evident that George had something to prove with this album. It must have been hard to always have been in the shadow of John and Paul, but it could be worse, he could be Ringo! There are some great songs on this album, but there is also a lot of filler. No album needs to be over two hours long. I'm sure some poor record producer tried to tell George it was too long and would benefit from a good chop here and there, but I imagine George puffed out his chest, shook his head and said, "This is my time to shine".
Easy to see the direction they were headed that would make them immense. Not quite there yet, but very good none-the-less
Phil Spector was undoubtedly a great music producer, but also seems to have been a crappy human being. Long before he killed Lana Clarkson, he imprisoned his wife for two years and sexually assaulted at least one of his children, allegedly. Still, the music on this album is very good and we shouldn't hold the producer's indiscretions against the musician's performance.
No
There's something comforting about listening to Van Morrison. Yes, most of his songs sound the same, but there is at least it is reliable.
This album is all over the place. Shouty punk 10 years too late.
I know this is Bowie's 26th album, and his last, but it is nowhere near his best. But even Bowie at his worst is better than 95% of artists at their best. There is no mistaking his voice and his trademark musical style. Wasn't expecting the swearing, but I haven't listened to the other 25 albums, so I'm not sure if this was normal, although that seems unlikely.
An iconic debut (and only) album for the Sex Pistols. They managed to combine the aggressiveness of punk with the singalongability of pop. Were they the original manufactured boy band? Who knows. Three or four hits here, plenty of filler.
One of the few British bands that fared better in the U.S. than the UK, at least in their formative years. I wasn’t a big fan of DL until Hysteria, but this album isn’t as terrible as some of the reviews make out.
Every song sounds the same. In da club sounds slightly better than the rest. No thanks.
The White Stripes is one band that seems to have completely passed me by. I've heard Seven Nation Army, of course, but nothing else, and I was suprisingly impressed by this album. I then made the mistake of going down the rabbit hole of Wikipedia and found out that they weren't brother and sister as I had presumed, they were husband and wife and that White wasn't his surname, it was hers, but he took it when they got married. How progressive, just like this album.
All sounds the same. I was a fan of Blur, but this arty-fatsy shit isn't doing it for me. Clint Eastwood is the only redeeming feature, just like a lot of Clint's films.
I'm a gangsta, kill, kill, kill. Murder, murder, murder. Dead.
Life changing.
"Geno" was a classic anthem when I was young. Dexy's before the dungarees. An incredibly talented band, despite Kevin's voice.
Could there possibly have been sentimental reasons why this album was universally adored when it was released months after Cobain's death? No doubt. It's not the best in the Unplugged series, that title undoubtedly goes to Eric Clapton. However, it is moving and deservedly on this list
No hits on here, but every song is solid.
It's a classic
Before he got weird, fell out with the record company and changed his name to a symbol, there was this album. Not his first album, but without doubt his best. A ton of hits on here and I challenge anyone not to know the words to the majority of the songs. Nostalgia overload.
not my cup of tea
Slow and steady wins the race. Not his best, no lives were changed, but it's solid and it's Bowie.
Classic Stevie W. with a couple of megahits. Syrupy at times.
There were certainly a lot of bongos
I went into this album blind. I hadn't really heard of Harry Nilsson, but of course I knew "Without You" and "Coconut" because of Reservoir Dogs. If I didn't know any better I would assume Harry was English, because his sound is like a cross between John Lennon and Paul McCartney and his music has a very Beatles/Wings sound to it. He’s got a fantastic voice. Going down the rabbit hole I found out I was partially right. He was American, not English, but was friends with (and admired by) The Beatles. Deeper down the hole you'll find out that a flat he once owned in London was the site of not one, but two celebrity deaths. In the same room, in the same bed, four years apart. Both Mama Cass and Keith Moon were 32 when they died.
Odd mix of genres on this album, from a band searching for an identity. Goes everywhere from ballady to rap to full-on Slayer. I enjoyed "From Out of Nowhere" and "Epic", but hated "Surprise! You're Dead!" "War Pigs" was as good as the original.
It's a bit dreary
The music reflects the album cover. Plain.
Had my first car accident listening to Slippery When Wet. 5/5
If there ever was a band that epitomises 60's London, it's The Kinks. So upbeat and still cool.
Just a sweary Rebecca Black
Spotify says that 2.2 billion people have listened to Bohemian Rhapsody. Thats about a quarter of the world's population. The rest must have listened to it on Apple Music. This album is the best.
Quite nice that.
She’s not everyone’s cup of tea. Including mine
This is beautiful music
I'd never heard of this band before, and I'm generally not a fan of hip hop, but I liked this album. I've heard "You're Golden" somewhere before, but no idea where. 3.5/5 rounding up
This album gave me the blues.
Bit of a mixed bag this one. It often sounds very 80's synth-poppy. It's like they were trying to emulate Soft Cell or Human League, but 20 years too late. And they do sound very English, which no doubt prompted "North American Scum", which I quite enjoyed.
It was very nice, but completely forgettable. Like elevator music
Old school hip-hop. Rhyming is life!
I imagine if there was music in a Finnish sauna, this would be it. Background and quite forgettable
Second Muddy Water album in a week and I much preferred this to the other live album that was full of filler and repeats. None of that here, just solid magic.
Disclaimer: I’m not a big fan of country and Dolly’s helium-infused vocals wouldn’t be my first choice of what to listen to, but I really enjoyed this. Boy, was it sad at times. I felt a little tear trying to break through. Poor little girl with the dodgy coat. Sniff, sniff. Girl whose fella is leaving her for someone else. Sniff, sniff. Extra star for the dodgiest rhyming and made-up-wordery and grammar. “I sure wouldn’t telling” “I didn’t told her” “I reckon I ought’n’t” “Don’t think I ever knowed you either” She gets away with it because of her cute Southern accent 😃
I'm not a fan of rap, but I am a fan of trying everything on this project with an open mind, so looking at the track listing I was excited to see a rap album where every song didn't have the explicit filter next to it. Boy, how did all these songs dodge the NSFW filter? The first "song" is a porn scene with someone that sounds remarkably like Arnie. There's another porn scene in the middle of the album and the rest of it is full of doctor-themed inuendo and weak rhymes. No idea how this made it to the top 1001 albums.
Even though many might consider The Ramones a pioneer of (American) punk, this brand of punk isn't as angry as that of The Sex Pistols or The Dead Kennedys. Not sure I would really label it punk at all. The tunes are catchy, but the opening anthem aside, all the other songs sound the same. Same rhythm. same beat, similar lyrics. Good album, worthly of this list, but not amazing.
What a voice! What a voice full of sorrow and pain.
Never heard of this artist. Hoped it had stayed that way.
Have you ever taken a test or completed a survey, where in amongst the questions there is a control question? Something along the lines of "Select 5 as the answer for this question". It's to make sure you are paying attention and has nothing whatsoever to do with the test itself. This album is the equivalent of that. It has absolutely no business being here. It's just a test to see if we are awake. We are, this "music" sucks.
This was worse than that German band hitting pipes with a hammer
Adding samba to jazz is the equivalent of adding pineapple to a pizza. Some people will absolutely hate it, others will think it's the best thing ever. Bon appetit!
If you hadn't told me, I wouldn't have known this was Taylor Swift's fifth studio album. The album where she sheds her country skin and reinvents herself as a pop icon. This album came out in 2013, before my daughter, who knows the words to every Taylor Swift song, was born. This may not be my cup of tea, but credit has to be given where credit is due, and I did find myself singing along to a song here and there. My six year-old knows her stuff.
I’ve never dropped acid, but if I ever do I imagine this is how every album will sound. Both going up and then coming down.
One hour of auto tone
Yes? That’s a no from me dawg.
Love the funky 70’s!
Love me some Beastie Boys. Such a unique sound. One of the few bands who are immediately recognized.
I remember this album! I’m surprised it’s on this list. They did have a few more songs, but will always be remembered for Take on Me and “that video”
Three bangers on here, but the rest was a bit of filler.
Excellent!
Whenever I hear any CCR song my thoughts immediately go to a helicopter full of soldiers with the door wide open flying over the paddy fields of 'Nam. I've watched too many war movies I suppose. Anyway, another instantly recognizable band with a unique sounds. Lots of the songs are quite similar, but there was a time and place for that. Deserves to be on this list.
I'm surprised an album full of covers made it to this list. The songs aren't half bad, but I kept thinking it doesn't sound a lot different that what I would expect from a lounge singer.
Someone once told me that Portuguese is just drunken Spanish. I have no idea what they are singing on this album, but they sure seem to be enjoying themselves. Saúde!
It took me just over 100 albums to get my first Beatles album. Great early showing by the greatest of all bands still finding their way. A good mix of originals and covers was a smart production move to firmly establish them in the hearts of new fans. Not my favourite Beatles album, but still better than more than half of this list. 5 stars
Storytelling - 5 Poetry - 4 Music - 5 Voice - 3
I couldn't, then I didn't.
Not as strong an album as I remembered from the eighties. Has its hits, but also some misses. Mother was just awful.
At first listen, when I wasn’t really paying attention, I really didn’t like this album. Thought it was a bit screechy. But later in the day, when I was able to give it my full attention I thought it wasn’t as terrible as previously thought.
What a beautiful album. Impossible to listen to without a big smile on my face.
Not half bad
He’s a superstar.
Please stop
Not my bag
Even though this is before they were "famous", it's a fantastic album
I was about 4 or 5 songs in, thinking this is one really long profanity-laden track. All sounds the same. Not for me
Five stars for even thinking of playing a concert (actually a series of concerts) in a prison and then playing songs written about how bad the prison is in said prison. Music was good too
Sounds like Elvis, but better
When I first started to listen to this I thought it was a mess. Poorly recorded and mixed. Too much crowd noise. But then I started to think, this is real. This is raw. Close your eyes and you could be in The Harlem Square Club, singing along with Sam. All the classics. Great music
I’m biased because I love T Rex. All of the songs on this album are classics in their own right. Instantly recognisable from either a movie or covered by another band
Not my favourite Cure album, but still decent
I met BB King once and he wasn’t very nice. Fortunately his music is ok
I was shocked to see how divisive Coldplay were/are to some. Some people seem to vehemently hate the band (or at least Chris Martin). I enjoy Coldplay. I like the music and what a debut this was.
That's proper
I’m not a huge Beck fan, but went into this album with an open mind. Wasn’t a fan of the megaphone vocals, but overall was not as terrible as I thought it would be.
But if everything in here. Sounds at times like The Beatles, The Who, Pink Floyd, even Black Sabbath in one track. A decent rock opera.
It’s a classic
This is why I love this project. Finding new artists that had passed me by first time around. A mix of Dusty Springfield and Joni Mitchell with a sprinkle of Karen Carpenter, Laura Nyro has it all.
This put a spring in my step during my 6am dog walk.
A voice only a mother could live