1001 Albums Summary

Great genre hopping debut from Gorillaz.

Not sure why this one passed me by at the time. Interesting change in direction. Knew the hits off this album already (are all Blur hits the ones where they are sarcastic or a comedy take on another genre of song) but the rest is a good mix of Pavement inspired sound mixed with Albarn’s interesting music craft. Would go back to and listen again.

Really hard to objectively review this due to its massive status of the title track of the same name. Enjoyed but a bit middle of the road for me….. think I’d enjoy more if I was in the middle of the road, driving down a large American highway with this blasting out of the radio. A true slice of Americana.

Beautifully soulful album with hard hitting messages within. If you liked this be sure to check out Curtis/LIVE! album as well.

This is an great debut album. A testament to write about what you know. Why is Sheffield such a fertile ground for so much good music? Is Mardy Bum a worthy successor to Chas and Dave’s Ain’t No Pleasing You?

I’m sure I’ve tried to listen to this in the past and sadly did not like as much as I wanted to. Groove Is in the Heart is an absolutely incredible track, and for that alone this album deserves to be on the list. It’s so good in fact that the rest of the album can never live up to expectations. You feel thought that this album was very influential on subsequent acts that maybe were not as pure as this but managed to get a commercial hit off the back of imitating their style. As a kid I always imagined that the bloke on the cover with long hair was Neil from the Young Ones.

Incredible!

Alanis seems to like analogies and juxtapositions. Heard this a lot when it was first released almost to a point of overplay, but with distance it’s still a good album. Never knew till now that Flea played on one of the tracks.

Such beautiful voices. Fantastic album.

That was a slog (though reading about its recording not as much of a slog as it was for the musicians involved!). Hard to take in the variety of styles in one listen but can sense the musicianship underneath this all and that repeated listens would reveal the various layers at work here - but not sure personally I’ll revisit.

Incredible. Always loved this album, love the way they are never afraid to experiment on their albums.

Interesting album, would revisit again.

Great album

Enjoyed.

I was really into electronic music at the time this came out so was pleased that Radiohead had gone all ‘Aphex Twin’ on us. Really interesting album, don’t understand why my brain likes his whiney moaning voice, it’s variety of styles, but even after all these years it still does. Are Radiohead essentially Wakeman without the cape and better synths - if so please let’s hope their next tour is a faithful recreation of King Arthur on Ice!

Still feels really visceral.

Very much enjoyed

Saw Lemmy live late in his life at Hyde Park gig and he did not disappoint - seeing them in their heyday on this tour though would have been epic. May sure you turn it up to 11!

Like a hairy chested man giving you a loving embrace.

Merry Christmas!

Incredible set of songs from an incredible artist. Too much to take in properly in one sitting so will be returning to this over time to experience more.

Big slice of Americana, sure I loved this more at the time but with distance it feels more like Alan Partridge driving his Rover down the A11 than Hunter S. Thompson driving Route 66.

Not sure how I really feel about this one, interesting history lesson in parts, some nice tunes but not sure it will stick with me long term….

I really tried with this one but not for me….

Not for me.

I was aware of this band back in the day but never really explored properly. Quite enjoyed.

Funky/Disco classic start…. then sort of tails off to cocktail party background music. Nice enough but nothing exciting.

It’s ok. Some good signature tunes.

Cracking album!

Beautiful.

Modern classic.

Turn it up to 11 and enjoy!

Not Insane in the Brain…. but getting close.

It’s definitely worth being introduced to the devil and the fire continues to burn through the rest of the album!

Enjoyed. Would revisit.

Reminds me very much of Uni days, great album though not the cheeriest of subjects.

1970’s Britain perfectly incapsulated in sound.

I’m jumping!

This is excellent album. It shouldn’t work but it does. Never feel like I know The Fall due to varying styles and breadth of career but would say this is a great place for anyone to start.

Interesting. Recognised more than thought I would. Would revisit.

How to make a good situation out of Frank Zappa burning down a studio. Amazing live album.

Carry on Punk starring Sid James!

Nice album, blended into background at points, not sure I’d revisit.

Wishy washy….but ok.

Oxfordshire indie band get annoyed by LA heat and knock an album out in two weeks. Good work but prefer other of their albums better.

Lovely album. Timeless classic.

Great fun album that still sounds pretty fresh.

The album title says it all. Ahead of its time.

Love it!

Right back at sixth form college….

Some of the classic hits on this one, some of the other tracks though seem a bit ‘trying to fit in with the times’ vibe about them.

Really interesting album.

Worrying.

Was surprised that beyond the different singing how much the riffs reminded me of classic Metallica. Had a massive migraine earlier in the week though so could not get past first couple of songs. Will try and revisit.

Think this is the album just before they got really big with Out of Time…. Enjoyed.

Great to hear this debut which I’d not heard before.

A great history lesson from the grandmaster.

My gateway into U2 as a kid was Rattle & Hum which has live versions of some of these same songs, good to revisit and enjoyed the album.

A lot to digest and take in on a first listen. Couple of times around really enjoying. Would revisit.

Lovely stuff.

Praise where it’s due…

Visceral

New one for me. Quite enjoyed but did not really stick in my head…

Excellent stuff….

Great mid golden period Wonder.

Absolute classic!

Muddy goes hard….

This was great

Nice to revisit this….

Lovely stuff.

Classic, everyone should definitely hear this album.

What Paul said….

Production on this is exquisite. Really interesting album.

Struggled to engage with this beyond the hits, did have a different sound to what I was expected, more varied.

It’s alright….

Love this album!

Some classics on this, as an album just falls short of some of his other masterpieces in my humble not very well informed opinion….

Mellow, 90’s stoner classic….

Enjoyed this….

Very enjoyable and not what you’d expect from the disco kings….

Cracking album….

Appreciate this even more now than back in the day….

Forever in my heart as a classic from that generation growing up!

Sorry, just don’t get it…

Not a fan though appreciate the artistry….

It’s ok….

Nice work!

Did not realise this one was without Peter Tosh…. A great album!

Never heard of and quite enjoyed….

Didn’t really stand out for me….

Really did not like.

Some great singles and would revisit..

Nice work!

Really interesting….

Haunting and dreamy. Love the vocals.

Good stuff!

A classic from my formative years….

The original Nevermind!

Really enjoyed this. Will definitely revisit.

Don’t understand the fuss. Steady, plodding at best with a few small highlights.

Really enjoyed this, another band that I think was just before my time and an influence on so many of the bands I got into at college etc…. Would revisit.

Cracking!

Great - would revisit.

I’ll admit, back in the day it took me a while to get into this. After repeated listens it really grew on me and is now one of my favourite albums by them…

Liked more than I thought I would….

Plenty of others I’m sure have reviewed this more eloquently. Just to say… it’s a corker!

Loved this!

Really enjoyed this…

Pop is definitely still alive and vibrant.

Solid but not their best stuff from the original quiet/loud masters…

More mellow than I remembered it… personal preference is the more abrasive artists in the genre but there is no denying the impact this album had at the time…

Rough and ready which I think was absolutely their intention….

One of my dads favourites, a solid 3.

A classic!

Some great reworking of classic tracks, Hurt alone is worth the entry fee….

A great start to a life post Nirvana that has proved very fruitful in the long term…. Nice diy feel, though find by the end of the album being a bit bored…

Now I understand why people were so happy when punk came along! Only joking - I love this knob twiddling, cape wearing nonsense! King Arthur on Ice anyone - Yes Please!

Angels is like a memory from a distant land like Narnia or Wizard of Oz…

A complex work in so many ways…

Hmmm…. Really not sure what to say about this one….

Always had a soft spot for this album…

Really enjoyed but feel I need to listen to further to really appreciate. Will revisit for sure.

Pretty solid but not sure I’d revisit.

Classic Rod!

Classic Queen

Enjoyed but beyond the classics a lot of it does not stick in your brain even after repeated listens.

Need to revisit to really appreciate I think, liked what I heard….

Didn’t engage me that much but feel with repeated listens I’d come to enjoy more…. Might revisit…

Think there is some mileage with repeated listens…

With distance and listening to again it’s really not that great… quite MOR, though who am I to know as judging by the Glastonbury crowds this weekend I’m in the minority with this view….

Another album by these guys… didn’t we just have one…. Enjoyable but doubt I’ll revisit…

Saw these guys at the Royal Albert Hall last year as a neighbour is a massive fan, enjoyed this… not only for what it is itself but the amount of other bands/sounds were inspired/evolved from this… NIN etc….

Enjoyed this. Would revisit.

Some of these songs are so ingrained in my brain I’m not sure can ever judge impartially…

It’s quite good, though confused how it’s one of the best 1001 albums when so many others to choose from….

Enjoyable… reminds me of the old TV drama Lipstick on your Collar which featured this….

The title is not lying… it is incredible….to start with…. then it’s starts to tail off to a sort of muzak vibe by the end of the album… however the first part of the album is so incredible I still give it 4 stars!

Exceptional album.

What can said that’s not already been said… a game changer at the time and remains an interesting enough musical oddity to retain its charm….

The Zep flying high on this one….

Fantastic album….

Was really enjoying this… till the song that Ronan Keating covered from this album (Baby Can I Hold You) pops up and now I can’t get his version out of my head…. that’s not the original albums fault though…..

A nice surprise this one…. Will definitely revisit….

Sounds in places like Dark Side of the Moon I think…. I think Eno’s internal monologue was…. the Floyd are coining it in with the success of that album, I’d like a bit of the action…. then it took him writing a 100 songs, culling those down and 5 years later in 1977 his version appears…. And it’s good!

Takes me straight back to this era…

Always be sincere…..

Always thought I didn’t like Roxy Music….. something about its artsy pretentiousness that put me off (and that’s me speaking being from a pretentious art graduate background myself :-) )…. However really enjoyed this so I’m either really pretentious as well or just taking the music at face value now and just enjoying the tunes!

The 70’s were definitely different times…. I really don’t know how I feel about this one so am going to sit on the fence with a 2.5 if it was possible…

Top quality MOR…

Fantastic…. and a strange link to the man being involved with The Dolphin Project in his later life is a strange link to what my son is interested in…

Not for me though it’s so linked with that time period you can instantly see in your head the people dancing in the club to it as you listen… or Le Bon getting drowned on a boat in the Rio video….

Came to this late in life but how incredible!

Always liked this one, completely biased 4 stars…

Well, that was a surprise….

Did not give the attention it needed…. Need to go back and listen to properly

Always loved this….

Interesting experiments which when they hit the mark are pretty good and provides Eno with bank of ideas to take forward and reuse and adapt in subsequent production work….

Loved this!

It’s ok….

Lovely analogue retro sound…

I remember this vaguely from the time due to being released on Mo Wax in UK, had a nice old school feeling to It…

Feel this one needs repeated listens to truly appreciate…. Liked the concept and will revisit….

A nice change…. Will revisit

Incredibly powerful… to also then read that these are leftovers from other sessions is astonishing. A essential listen.

Really confused me this one!

Kid Aphex….

Really enjoyed this….

Incredible biased review on this one. Love it!

Really enjoyed this British psych….

This early outing feels a lot closer to its post punk peers than their later outings…. but their sheer work ethic and output means that I’ve only just scratched the surface of this….

Raw, heartfelt….

Electro Beatles….

Ten out of Ten…

Need to revisit…. Unsure of….

Not familiar with this one by Joni before today but enjoyed….

Early 21st century dinner party music (I was there) but what a beautiful voice and arrangements.

Nice - not their greatest but good…

And they thought this in the 90’s…..

Didn’t grab me to be honest….

Interesting….

A classic, takes me right back to 1994, the heartbreak of early love, of hearing new sounds that sound revolutionary to young ears, and that voice…

Liked the velvet cover and the rest was pleasant enough….

Loved this, will revisit….

Not listened to this for years and enjoyed revisiting. The covers are probably the strongest but the rest still holds up as well….

Clever but I’ve never really connected with TH’s….

Feel ambivalent towards this….

Classic…

I’d take this to the desert island it’s so good…. Completely biased 5 stars for this gem….. my generations Tubular Bells, though unfortunately I doubt it sold as many…

Enjoyed this….

Gravel voiced king does it again…

Nice…..

Flute madness….

Classic….

Really enjoyed this… will revisit.

A couple of the tracks are really good, as a whole album though I feel it does not really gel, feel this album is included for its historical importance, they help invent the genre but the tools to deliver what they envisaged were not quite there yet…. or was it all just a happy accident due to lack of tools that invented the genre….

So linked to the 90’s and my time being a student I sometimes confuse myself with Jarvis Cocker….

Where they are fully embracing ‘your mother wouldn’t approve, but the kids love it’ phase….

I remember this feeling a really ‘abrasive’ album at the time, the band deliberately going against their previous two efforts and their softer sound. It’s interesting to listen to again after all these years, still abrasive but also an excellent album… a 3.5 almost 4 for me….

Always like The Fall when I listen to them, not sure I like as much as some of the others I’ve heard…. Though you are never sure what you are going to get…. Solid 3 for this!

Found this hard going, nice to get a bit more exposure to earlier Genesis though….

Fantastic!

Lovely stuff. Solid 5.

I still remember the first time I heard this aged 13, a classic!

A lovely triple album of psychedelic, jamming loveliness….

Really did not give this the focus it needed…. Need to revisit…

Nice to get around to listening to this album, and it did not disappoint.

Takes you straight back to the 1980’s more than time travel ever could…. Few more slow ballads than I remember but with hits you can’t argue with…

Such a great album!

Not sure what I feel about this one…

Veer between loving this album, and then absolutely disliking her voice, then back again…. like Gleason and Farrell disagreeing about Bruge I can’t decide…

5 stars without a doubt!

Just incredible….

Very much enjoyed….

Classic!

Space and timing used to maximum effect….

I know a lot about Questlove the drummer but not much about The Roots, so an enjoyable listen….

Only knew Hong Long Garden before listening to this and enjoyed the rest…

Very enjoyable…

Amazing that they were blinded by that much snow and their songwriting is still that good, must have had winter tires on….

So many Neil Young albums…. It’s ok….

Interested to read that bloke from The Doors produced them, didn’t grab me greatly but might revisit….

Ant music at its finest!

Emperors new clothes or an excellent third album, never quite sure and not as good as Funeral, but enjoy revisiting it…

Don’t feel this was his best…

Really not sure about this one. Not psychedelic enough…

Eclectic noodling from the 4 lads which is rather Fab…..

Struggled to get through this one..not because bad. Just not in mood.

Moon etal in their prime….

Daisy age at it’s best…. Love this!

Absolutely overplayed classic…

Good songwriting but not really for me….

A powerful evocative album…

Great album….

Powerful legacy…..

Enjoyed this more than I thought I would….

Loved this….

Powerful….

A classic but of it’s time in so many ways….

Frankie in his prime….

A classic…. Loved this…

Really enjoyed this…

Really interesting album, and what a back story in terms of cost and approach….

Bearded wonders….

Absolute classic….

Struggled through this one….

The man in black at his finest….

The last good U2 album? Loved this growing up, for nostalgic reasons going to give a 5 rather than 4.

Enjoyed but not sure I’d revisit.

I’ve listened to this album multiple times, I even own it on vinyl, but every listen still confuses me - and as a result leaves me not knowing what to think of it!? I’m unsure if a mid rating is suitable.

Cracking stuff, 4 stars alone for sampling an elephant noise on Work it!

Slayed it. Premium quality pub rock.

Absolute trash metal perfection!

Gunslinging perfection…

Not a sell out and actually pretty good!

Interesting and will revisit.

Unsure what I feel about this….. unlikely to revisit.

Really enjoyed this. Catchy tunes without being twee….

Groovy!

I try but apart from very early Roxy I just don’t like, not sure why I don’t!

Beautiful album, amazing band. 5 stars!

Simply amazing. A work of art of the highest form.

Interesting. Might revisit.

Curious mix, would like to revisit to explore further, had good promise on early listen…

Enjoyed this, but not really sure the amount of praise it gets is truly justified….

Absolutely love this - one of Dylan’s finest.

I want to like but…..

Lovely stuff, really unusual, a depth which I’d like to revisit…

Smooth…. So smooth you take it for granted but I’m sure there is a lot of musicianship going on….

So smooth….

Overplayed this back in the day… was great to revisit with distance, a few fillers but that is neutralised by the absolute 100% classics… I would give 4.5 if I could!

Maggot Brain track alone makes this an instant classic…. and the rest is good as well.

Not what I expected. Enjoyed!

It’s alright.

Ah it’s that band that sing ‘Blister in the Sun’….. heard it loads times and did not know the band…. Now I know. Enjoyed the rest of album as well! Will revisit.

Powerful….

Brilliant - loved this and will revisit, how did I miss it back in the day!

Forgot how many hits on this…. Classic.

Hmmmm. Really unsure if I love this or not.

Lovely stuff….

Perfection.

Classic from its time…

Really don’t know what to make of this… tied up with being a cheesy band from my childhood…

Washed over me, found bland but not unpleasant, kind of background music…. Sorry Taylor I know I’m the minority view on this….

Couple of classics on this, the rest is solid….

No wonder our parents were worried about us listening to this…

Solid Queen, Metallica, Rage against the Machine, Radiohead mash up covers band…. What’s not to like…. I love it!

Mellow hipster new folky type thing which is very pleasant…

Need to revisit further…. did you know that in his later life band member Mark Mothersbaugh has written lots of soundtracks, including the recent ‘Cocaine Bea film…..

Peak Bruce, though I prefer Darkness at the Edge of Town!

Perfection!

Really enjoyed this!

Those Roots go deep….

Not for me….

Beautiful from start to finish. An incredible album! 10 stars if I could!

Incredible!

A joyful, energising album. Will revisit!

Hmmm. Not for me.

An absolute classic!

A classic, is it really punk though… it’s good old fashioned rock and roll? Same happened with Pearl Jam in the 90’s… are they grunge… no, good old fashioned rock and roll. Anyway…. What ever it is London Calling is a classic!

Exquisite album!

It’s Elvis…. Not sure what else to say…

How many drugs were taken when writing this…. I think they might still be high….

What a band, what an album….

Still an incredibly strange album, even after hearing it for years…. Enjoy the majority of it though…

Definitely darker!

Enjoyed this, felt full of musicianship underneath the sneering punk exterior.

Nice to hear some mellow drum and bass again.

Loved this. Will revisit.

Need to spend more time with…

A 70’s classic…. Did not enjoy much as previous listens to though….

Some funny lyrics…

Fantastic!

Fantastic joyous dancing music!

Splanky!

Brutal, honest, fantastic album

I’m still completely undecided about Rush - technically amazing, does it translate to me enjoying, I’m not sure…

This did not engage me too much…

Excellent album.

It’s S&G innit, like Derek and Clive without the smutty humour and more lyrical. What’s not to like.

I like the idea of Talking Heads more than the execution….

Not what I expected, in a good way…

Beautiful…. Will revisit.

More guitar mastery from the Canadian prog gods… is it his voice, something is slightly off but you can’t doubt it’s technical proficiency!

Folky, pastoral loveliness.

Pop perfection (completely biased kid in me talking but I still think it holds up)

Eccentric Icelandic power pop indie… a glimpse into the future world of Bjork..

Knew the hits from before but the rest was enjoyable as well. Very stylised. Enjoyed.

Really enjoyed this…. And never made a connection in style between TFF and Arcade Fire till today… but there it is AF took wholesale inspiration from these guys.

Enjoyed but a whole album gets repetitive. Works better as singles band.

Enjoyed… feel like it’s on the list for how it pushed the needle at the time in evolving that genre, good tunes but hard to relate not being there at the time of its initial impact. Potentially revisit.

Voodoo magic…

Electro mastery personified. And that voice that we all know and love….

Disco electro revivalist at their best….

Smooth….

Enjoyed this, you can see a clear line from this to later grunge like Smashing Pumpkins…..

Interesting revisit of an abandoned album…. with good results!

Passed me by and did not engage me

Not what I expected in a good way….

A slightly nostalgic bias in this rating, however still think it’s a solid album…

Psychedelic nonsense of the best kind…

Absolute classic of its era and still visceral today!

Yea, all fine….

Enjoyed this… you can hear where NIN got a lot of their early influences from this….

I can’t imagine what this must have sounded like at the time, really experimental and still sounds fresh and interesting today…

Really enjoyed this, will revisit.

Such a rich interesting album that reveals more each time you play it….

Some nice psyche tinged 60’s pop

It’s got the soundly Coconut on it - which is insane, so on that alone this gets a high score - rest is good as well!

Love TV on the Radio, their eclectic mix of sounds which I’m sure borrow from others on the 1001 list in terms of influences, but they then manage to make something very much their own out of it…

Quite enjoyed this….

Lovely album

The music or the man…. Let’s just go purely on the music….

Really liked this…

Very 90’s sounding in a good way and not surprising as released in 1998 - pleasant.

Interesting.

Need to revisit to gove another try…

Really enjoyed this!

Interesting….

More Morrissey…

That voice that defined a generation of teenage heartbreak…

It’s got Hey Ya! On it and that part of the album is great. Never did make it through the other album back in the day…. And even now found a struggle.

Another Morrissey album on the list… this is starting to feel like 1001 Morrissey albums you just hear before you die challenge… it’s good but surely there are 1001 different artists with great albums that could make up this total list…

R.I.P Ozzy.

Classic Rod.

Pop!

Interesting….

Aphex Twins musical dad did good!

Interesting low fi sound.

Decent alt art rock from that period….

Fantastic.

It’s a compilation. A good one but it’s not an album!

Interesting stuff…

Struggled to get through this all - not that it wasn’t good….

Beam me up to the Mothership!

Great grunge that I’d never heard of before….

Powerful!

Angry!

George at the top of his game, had to check it was not a compilation with that many bangers on it.

Nice….

Enjoyed this!

Interesting. Would revisit.

A classic. Nice.

How I thought it would sound.

Enjoyed this

Knew this already partially but great to give it more focus. Great album.

Mellow, reminds me of the 90’s (even though this just creeped into the 2000’s…. That signature tune was in every coffee shop and bar back in the day…

Great stuff!

Classic from its time, really enjoyed.

Loved this!

As expected.

Need to give this more attention. Noisy but in a good way.

More Mozza etal. How many more albums!

A lot to unpack in this one, very enjoyable though.

Meaty, visceral, but most of all Metal! Turn up to 11!

Fantastic

Fairly forgettable.