I'm not sure what they hype about this album is. Stevie slowed it down way too much through the vast majority of this. Superstition is miles ahead of anything else on the album. The rest of this is completely skippable.
Really solid album from start to finish. Couple of great hits and some solid album cuts. Only 1 song that I wasnt into. Although I prefer the original a Bowie-fied Beatles song is always welcome. I think I'd be interested in basically any song getting a Bowie treatment. First album of the project. I plan to be pretty stingy with my ratings but I was impressed on the first listen. This feels more like a 3.5 but can't give partial stars.
Started strong with some engaging mode. I was confused how i had never heard of Kate Bush or this album. Why is this not known as an indie rock classic? As it went on it devolved into a mess closer to the likes of Bjork or Yoko, notorious experimental banshee rock beasts. I now understand why this is not an indie classic. A+ would experience the rise and fall again, 2 stars.
Dope. Boys being boys in the 80s. Grab a drink, shave your face and have a great time evidently. Surprised how much i liked it. Melodic and well assembled. I expect this is the album i would like the most but is entirely plausible I've been missing out on IM my whole life can't say i know a single song Bam.
A nice assembly of standard Christmas songs everyone knows. It's fine but nothing special for me when there are a million other versions of every holiday song. Darlene Love is the real star here. I guess Phil Spector gets credited for the production or putting it together?
Eminem was huge while I was in middle to high school. I'm pretty sure I've heard nearly all of the songs on this album but this is the first time I've ever listened to it in unison. I always knew he had a reputation for anger and violent references but didn't realize how extreme until listening in one sitting. Regardless the songs are catchy and entertaining. Eminem is clearly a master lyricist. His skill is on display throughout. This is a fantastic album that deserves respect even if rap isn't your genre of choice. 4.5 stars, would get my ears fucked again. P.s. never realized the direct diss/ callouts to ICP before which are fantastic.
Pretty interesting album for 1967. While I'm not sure I'll go to it for with any regularity I appreciated it on one listen. I dig the early psychedelic synth pop though by the end the songs were starting to sound very similar. I'd be interested to see if anything else from his discography is as good.
It's music from another time. There's nothing wrong with that but it's not for me. I'm pretty sure this could have been a shuffle of the same 2 songs over and over and i wouldn't have noticed. I'm sure this captured the audiences 70 years ago, but nowadays a slow set of redundant romance songs is nothing but a time capsule to the past. Meh. I'm much more a fan of his upbeat big band stuff than the sappy love songs.
I've heard of Wilco as an indie rock darling for years. This is my first exposure ever. Decent album. It's not hugely in my wheelhouse but I can see how they would generate a dedicated fanbase. Might check out more of their stuff down the line.
Talking Heads 11 year run was truly something special. Remain In Light is a great album in the middle of their discography. They had already hit their groove and proved to be one of the most unique rock bands ever. First half of the album is loaded. Second half is still strong and full of unique sounds. I personally prefer Speaking in Tongues to RIL but this was a complete joy on a re-listen. Anybody who hasn't delved into Talking Heads needs to do themselves a favor.
I definitely dig brit pop and shoegaze. As one of the flagship bands I'm a big fan off Blur. Love their overall discography but in a vacuum none of their albums blow me away. Blur self titled is a solid entry, but at 14 songs and 56 mins is a little threadbare by the end. 3 stars would gaze again
First song is an absolute classic. Unfortunately the rest of the album isn't as strong and doesn't do enough for me to give it any high praise. It's a solid entry but nothing special. 2.5 stars.
This album is very schizophrenic. Some absolute classics surrounded by tracks that hardly qualify as songs. 30 songs and 90 minutes was excessive. While it is still essential album for music history, it works have been better served had they trimmed a lot of the fat. I can only imagine how it rocked the world and influenced so much at the time. 60 years later it's still an important album but i don't expect myself to spend extended time with The White Album moving forward. 2.5 stars but gets the bump for to how iconic everything about The Beatles and this specific album are.
A Rush of Blood is a pretty solid debut album. Nothing special but a couple recognizable songs that stand up over time. Unfortunately it seems like Coldplay has been making a worse version of this album with each subsequent release. For years I called myself a Coldplay fan. After I spent some more time with their discography there was nothing to differentiate one song/album from another. It didn't help that their popular songs inevitably become overplayed. What starts as enjoyable becomes a nuisance after overexposure. 2.5 stars
Pretty solid album. I can't say there are any bad songs on it. At the same time I can't say there are any great songs on it. I appreciate the mixed vocals but Stevie Nicks vocals tend to elevate a song up a notch compared to the others. Some of the quick hit songs are fun, but I can't say I'll come back to this album with better Fleetwood options out there. 3 stars.
Easily the best Cuban mambo I've ever heard. That being said, that list is relatively short. That being said it's a pretty solid album. That being said there isn't much it does to differentiate it from any other Cuban (or similar genre) music I've heard. That being said you can tell this a group of very skilled musicians that clearly synergize and work really well together. It's definitely worth a listen. Best part was recognizing live that one of the lead players is Gorillaz collaborator Ibrahim Ferrer. 2.5 stars, gets the bump to 3 since I might throw it on in the background with the in-laws (also gorillaz collaborator) .
What a bizarre bit relatively enjoyable listen. A couple long drawn out songs of random instrumentals that kinda work for some reason? Not sure I'll ever recommend it but glad i was exposed to it. 2.5 stars, would kraut again
What a treat. I dug the punky acid rock sound. Had a sense of early shoegaze noise at certain points. I get the sense HM would be a blast to see live. Can't believe it's Shaun Ryder (Gorillaz Dare) on lead. Love it. 3.5 stars. Interested in checking out some other hits and remixes from Happy Mondays.
I'm sure it's a huge entry in rock history. Makes sense that it is on this list but after a few songs these all ran together for me. A couple good hits and then a handful of very similar filler songs. Little Richard is deservedly an icon and I'll always love how The California Raisins immortalized a couple of these songs. That being said I don't think I'll be coming back to Little Richard any time soon.
Pretty solid album. A few big hits and some really unique fun deep cuts sprinkled across all sides. There's enough here to make a Grade A album if Stevie chose to cut it down. I understand why this album is so highly regarded and it definitely belongs on the list. I definitely enjoyed the ride but the length is too much for me to want to revisit it. Stevie should realize that often less is more when it comes to a solid concept album. I can appreciate Songs in the Key of Life but I'll stick to singles play. That being said it is recommended for a single full listen and deserves its 3 stars.
Other than Fuckin' Up everything else was pretty middle of the pack. A couple decent jams I guess. Regardless Neil Young is always great. I'm a little surprised this is what is considered one of his bigger albums as I didn't find anything special in it. His discography is expansive so maybe his hits are just spread through 25+ albums and Ragged Glory is considered a cohesive and impactful project. It's worth a listen but I'll be moving on from this one pretty quickly. 2.25 stars.
Meh. Couldn't help but tune out a couple songs in. Really didn't do anything to pull me back in. I assume Dusty has enough of a legacy to show up on this list. I'm obviously completely out of the loop as I just realized Dusty Springfield wasn't a man by listening to this album.
I kinda dug the jams. Nothing spectacular but an album that can definitely provide a good background at the right time. 2.25 stars for John Barleycorn.
Pretty slick and unique. Definitely dug the trippy hip hop vibes. Some songs better than others but I enjoyed the versatility and varied styles. My first exposure to Massive Attack as far as I know. Would be interested in seeing what else they have put out. I had heard they had connections to Gorillaz though never saw them as a listed collaborator. I can definitely hear the influence. 3.25 stars
I get that Elvis is favorite for so many but he has never done it for me. I can stomach a handful of croony, gospel country songs due the immense icon that Elvis is, but after a couple songs I'm out. I get that Elvis needs to be included on this list but I'm not looking forward to further entries. I'll stick to the 5-10 hits that have remained relevant and avoid the rest of his catalogue for the most part.
Couple of decent songs in the middle but nothing special. OK background music but nothing memorable by the end of it. Never heard of Manic Street Preachers but I'm typically a fan of 90's britpop stuff. 2.5 stars
I was too young for this upon release. I'm not hugely into hip hop but expect that Missy's debut was a breath of fresh air. A couple decent beats from Timbaland, a handful of known collaborators, and I expect a couple long standing hits (not sure though). I expect this album was cemented over time as Missy emerged as a long standing hip hop icon. 3 stars
Never heard of Paul Weller prior to this. Relatively casual album between soft rock and easy listening. Surprised how much I enjoyed it. Seems like something I would been aware of previously. 2.6 stars
I'm not sure what they hype about this album is. Stevie slowed it down way too much through the vast majority of this. Superstition is miles ahead of anything else on the album. The rest of this is completely skippable.
Very solid album. This is right in the Neil Young wheelhouse that I typically associate him with. A handful of good hits and not really any low points on it. Very pleasant through and through. It's possible I've been stingy on my ratings for the past 25+ albums but nothing has really impressed me. It's so refreshing to find an album I was pretty much unfamiliar with that I enjoyed. Due to the lackluster run before this I'm giving it the bump to 4 stars. Unfortunately Neil is not on Spotify because I would plan to revisit this if so.
Some of the background tunes with strings and orchestra are nice but otherwise it is a series of similar sounding tunes arranged to a similar treatment. Maybe this was a refreshing take on some classics at the time. For me it was just a set of redundant, relatively dull love/soul songs. 1.5 stars.
Pretty emblematic of 80s arena glam rock. I'm not a huge Leppard fan but the album belongs on the list. A handful of good songs but it overstayed its welcome. Over an hour of what felt like the same songs structure again and again. This is Leppard at its best and even then it's pretty mediocre for me. 2.5 stars, probably bump it up a bit if they cut 2 songs of filler.
Not a heavy metal fan. Demon wretches surrounded by admittedly skilled musicians. I'm sure it's influential in the metal community but I'm just not into it. Incidentally the songs I liked the most were the ones that deviated from metal and included some of tribal mode. Not my bag baby. 1.5 stars.
I guess it can be nice to hear one of these songs while relaxing every now and then. But to hear multiple songs and even multiple takes is so completely redundant an unnecessary. Surprisingly, I wasn't there in 1961 but I'm not sure what the crowd sees in this. Evidently this is peak jazz? It's entirely possible I just listened to the same song 6-10 times in a row. I'm not sure I would have noticed a difference if any of these songs was put on repeat and someone told me I listened to this album. The first bass solo is somewhat refreshing and cool I guess? After that its all just the same baloney for an hour.
Meh. It's fine I guess. Stones have a handful of pretty amazing hits but otherwise they are mostly mediocre otherwise for me. In a 50 year discography I can fill a solid greatest hits and then skip the other 85%. Their deep cuts have rarely done it for me. I've never been high on Brown Sugar or Wild Horses so this album is nothing special for me.
What a unique and charming collection of songs. Some of them are little more than demos or short clips. A few of them are skippable but many of the songs are enjoyable. Overall the collection is a far too long and drags a bit by the end . As a collective project I don't expect to listen to this again but I am glad that I was exposed to this. Never heard of The Magnetic Fields before this. This lead singer has a unique voice that I suspect I will enjoy outside of this project. Interested in checking out some of their other hits. 3 stars
Very skippable. Isaac Hayes sings for about 8 minutes on a 45 minute soul album. I'm happy to stick to his brief tunes as Chef from South Park. 1.3 stars
This sounds like they told a bunch of ADHD children with no musical skill to pick up instruments and play them randomly. Car horns blaring while a set of monkeys smash drums, random elephants having their trunks stepped on, various flightless birds being picked up and punted, a litter of cats being thrown up against a wall of drums, etc. There are various ways to describe the absolute chaos over the first 20+ minutes of the album. I'm actually questioning whether myself and a group of my friends could go into a studio and spend a day to generate something more ridiculous to be passed off as music. Everything is mind boggling as to how this ended up on any sort of list by acclaimed music critics. Halfway through it all of sudden morphs into a somewhat controlled arrangement before mostly devolving again by the end of the album. All this did was confuse me whether I'm supposed to take this seriously or not. While I will never listen to this again something about it tickled me. At various intervals throughout the 40 minutes I found myself just listening and giggling like an idiot at my desk. Overall its surprising the amount of enjoyment I got out of an album that I can truly say I don't like at all. Consider me fully bamboozled. 1.1 star. Can't wait to see other reviews for this.
Really strong album from start to finish. Each band member brings their own style to the table and all 4 of them work. Relatively short and sweet with no filler in between. This album deserves a lot of respect it is given. 4 stars
Otis with very solid entry. Of the soul/R&B stuff I've encountered so far within project, Otis has been the best of the bunch for me. Good range of different sounds and a couple hits that have some lasting effect. 3.0 stars
I kinda enjoyed it. Little art rock weirdness here and there. Not really any great songs but not really any bad songs either. Relatively pleasant. 2.9 stars
It's not a bad album, but I don't think its a good album either. As soon as it ended I couldn't tell you anything about it. Nothing really stood out and it was basically just background music for more than an hour. First half of the album is marginally better than the second half though I did enjoy a few of the string arrangements near the end. Another example of an album that would have been better trimmed to a single release rather than a double album. I wouldn't have been able to tell the difference between Christina Aguilera or any of the female pop/R&B stars from the 90s and 2000s. I don't suspect I'll ever listen to anything on this again. 2 stars
I dig the synth pop 80s sound. Couple of good songs. I've been tangentially a fan of Joy Division and New Order for years. This might give me more of a reason to check out more of their work. 2.8 stars
Damn. I've always heard Adele was a tour de force in the early 2010s and that her first couple albums dominated the charts. I was exposed to the hits and always thought she was talented but am blown away by the sales numbers and the magnitude to how big 25 was. Adele is definitely a beast. This album is really strong and I can now see why it took the charts by storm. Her vocals are incredibly strong. This album deserves the praise it gets and deserves to be discussed for its impact. While it's not in my personal wheelhouse I can recognize talent and quality when it is there. As a Bond fan I'll always appreciate Adele for giving us Skyfall. I'll have to go give 19 and 21 a listen at some point. 3.9 stars
Very enjoyable solid album. Really dug Mambo Sun and Bang a Gong is a well-known classic. Some very fine deep cuts to accompany. I dug the vibe pretty much the whole way through. Never knew T Rex was such a big influence on glam-rock roots. What a great slice from a band I only was exposed to 1 song of previously. 3.4 stars
I was exposed to Love years ago due to their history with The Doors. I checked them out but never found very anything memorable. It seemed like they had potential but never got over the hump. Da Capo is an OK album. The first half has a few songs that seem like they could be filled out a bit once the group grew into itself. I probably enjoyed the Side B long jam more than most but its still nothing special. Incidentally it reminds me of what The Doors were doing at the time with The End and When the Music's Over. The problem is that Love doesn't execute as well as The Doors long ball and don't have Jim Morrison's voice and antics to keep it interesting. When it's said and done it's a relatively mediocre listen. 2.35 stars
This exceeded my expectations as I went in fully prepared to endure an hour of demon-retch death metal. What I heard was actually relatively melodic lo-fi thrash that I was actually able to somewhat enjoy. I'm not really into metal but can appreciate the musical skill and showmanship it takes. I can see why this would be an influential album as it sounds like it lays the basics for a death/black metal album. It feels like it establishes the "tropes" of over the top satanic lyrics and imagery that I find ridiculous and sometimes makes me chuckle. I don't expect I'll listen ever again but I would rather revisit this than many of the other "classic" albums so far on this list. 2.1 stars
I would consider myself a passive fan of electronic music but I've never heard of Goldie. A mix of groovy beats and sensual electronica. I was pleasantly surprised by this album as I didn't know what to expect going in. Reminded me of Aphex Twin, Oakenfold and others. It's way longer than it needs to be and starts to feel a little redundant, but I found myself enjoying the majority of it. 2.3 stars
What an awesome debut album. Van Halen brings such a great sound. Eddie's skill and style is on full display. David Lee Roth's vocals and antics elevate everything. This must have blown people's minds when it dropped. What can be said that hasn't already been said? 4.2 stars
It's not bad, but it's also not great. Just another mediocre album from the Stones for me. Sympathy for the Devil is a great opener and the rest of the album is relatively forgettable. Some OK blues rock but nothing I feel the need to go back to. 2.1 stars
Never heard of Solomon Burke. Rock N Soul is fine for a one time listen but it does little to differentiate itself from the countless 1960s soul albums on this list. I guess I appreciate that he has a little more guitar accompaniment. Otherwise its just another soul album from this time period. 1.3 stars
I was surprised how much I enjoyed this. Speakerboxx had a handful of upbeat tracks that I enjoyed. Overall I liked it more than the more experimental The Love Below. The entire package is too long as a 2+ hour listen is a tall order. However I respect the art and what they were going for on the project. Not something I'll likely go back to but I might throw an OutKast shuffle on for the right occasion which would hopefully include a few tracks from this double album. The hits from this album definitely have staying power as I still go back to them from time to time. This was my first exposure to the full project and I'm glad I listened to it. I feel like OutKast was everywhere for a couple years following Stankonia and Speakerboxx/Love Below and I now have a better sense for why. 2.2 stars
A fantastic album through and through. Loaded with hits that stick with you. Even the deep cuts are songs that I remain fond of. As I grow and listen to this album I get more and more out of it. Completely deserving of all the praise it gets. Billy's strongest work and deserving of AOTY for 1977/1978. Really surprised to see Just The Way You Are is the what got record/song of the year. 4.6 stars
Another snoozy 60s country album. It's not inherently bad, its just not something I'm interested in. It's fine as background music in the right setting I guess but overall pretty meh. This album seems to do very little to differentiate it from the myriad of other folk/country artists of the day. Simple beat, light acoustic, and a crooner with gospel vibes on vocals. I've never heard of Ray Price before this and expect that all his albums sound just like this. Not sure if there is a reason Night Life stands out or was selected to be on this list but overall this is skippable. 1.55 stars
Early garage punk rock. A dozen rapid paced, 2-3 minute songs. Despite the lack of polish its pretty to easy to digest which might be part of its allure. This sounds like something that would have been unique and refreshing at the time of release. I kinda dug it. 2.35 stars
Evidently this was our best answer to the British invasion? The guitar work is nice in parts but otherwise it's a handful of forgettable singles and couple Dylan covers. It's fine, I guess but really nothing special. 2.1 stars
This sounded like a low-rent worse version of every The Shins song I've heard. I feel like I could have heard this at a coffee house and wouldn't have noticed. It wasn't necessarily bad, but this album was completely forgettable. A few minutes after this ended I'm not sure I could name a single song or tell you anything about it. 1.6 stars
Started off groovy. Lost some of its luster by the end but overall some decent jazz fusion stuff. Definitely sounded like it was bridging genres and ahead of its time. Maybe not an everyday listen but works for background at work or while chilling. I dug the first half but was over it by the end. Been aware of Herbie Hancock for a while but don't think I've ever heard anything before. If this is what his other stuff sounds like I might check it out periodically. It sounds like he has assembled a handful of bands/projects over the years so not sure if that is the case. Either way glad I gave Head Hunters a listen. 2.4 stars
There have been a handful of foreign language albums thus far on the list. Some have been a nice treat. Clube Da Esquina did nothing to make me think this belonged on the list. I'm sure this is influential for Brazilian music but this is a skip from me. 1.2 stars
Pretty simple acoustic guitar with some nice backing tracks. The vocals are definitely the star. It's surprising how much emotion they can pull from you. There's nothing specifically great about it but I'm surprised how much I enjoyed it. I've only recently been made aware of Joni Mitchell's legacy. Prior to this I'm not sure I'd ever heard any of her work. I can see how this would have had an impact when it released. I don't think I'll be going back to Joni but I have a better understanding of why people speak so highly of her from this small slice. 2.3 stars
Another solid entry by Van Halen. 30+ mins of more of their recognizable sound. Not as good as their debut but still a worthy album entry. 3.7 stars
It's a sleepy little album. A couple of good songs but a lot of filler. Simon & Garfunkel are such a weird thing. I feel they belong in a conversation about music history because of the unique niche they carved out. Some of their songs are great but not for any of the reasons that line up with the genres or styles that I love. Bookends specifically did little to bring me back to S&G. 2.2 stars
I wouldn't call it loaded with hits but doesn't have many low points. Funky, groovy and sensual much like Prince himself. Starts to drag in the second half but overall I enjoyed the listen. It feels like Prince was carving out a new sound and it worked for the most part. Prince is certainly a unique and notable talent. Everybody knows plenty of Prince hits but his expansive discography means I haven't listened to a Prince album in unison before this. I expect he has plenty of other music I would enjoy but also plenty I would need to skip. I don't think I have it in me to delve into 20+ albums but hope he shows up on the list again. 2.8 stars
It's a fine collection of country opry music with some decent quick hitter honky-tonk jams mixed in. I didn't mind this nearly as much as I expected. The main issue I have is don't need anywhere near 2 hours of this. If you put a couple of these songs in a vacuum they would be above a lot of the earlier 50s/60s stuff from this list. I'd probably listen to some of the instrumentals again if I didn't have to comb through 40 songs to get there. Unfortunately I have to knock down the rating a touch as I would much rather listen to 30 mins of romance ballads than 2 hours of this again. 1.35 stars
Whether it's from Christopher Walken videos, FIFA soundtracks or some other organic reason I've always had a soft spot for Fatboy Slim. This is my first exposure to BLTC and I enjoyed it. Despite doing nothing I would consider groundbreaking Fatboy Slim has a uniquely identifiable sounds. Something about it works for me. I'm not sure this album belongs on the list. I would have deferred to their 2nd release which includes their larger and more identifiable hits. 2.6 stars
Solid album. Sabbath with young Ozzie has a great sound. Great hits and the deep cuts are enjoyable. Appreciated my listen from front to back. Worked great for a run. 3.7 stars
I've often heard that nearly all post-90's music stems from Pixies in some way. Not sure if it is a running joke or there is any merit to the claim. Regardless Bossanova is my first time listening to a full Pixies album in unison. While it wasn't bad I wasn't impressed with anything. Nothing notable that lead me to believe why this album was on the list. I'll have to go back to another album to see why they are supposedly one of the most influential artists in music history I guess. 2.3 stars
Meh. Better than some of the 50s stuff we've heard but nothing special. I get that it was a different time in music but everything sounds so similar. There is little to differentiate it. Would have been down to chill with the fat man though. 1.4 stars
I didn't recognize a single song. Despite this Van Morrison has a very distinct voice that makes most of his work pretty instantly attributable. There's some decent stuff in here but overall I lost track of the individual songs. I imagine if you are a Van Morrison fan this is right up your alley. I think I tend to prefer his pop radio hits over the more folk/blues deep cuts from VM. Astral Weeks wasn't something I need to hear again. I'll stick to the greatest hits rather than dive into 50 years of his prolific discography. 1.9 stars
What a unique pleasant treat. Easily the most surprising listen thus far. Didn't expect to enjoy this nearly as much as I did. Can't say I've ever been exposed to Senegalese music to my knowledge before. I wish have could have understood the lyrics. Even despite the barrier the songs are all relatively enjoyable. 2.8 stars
More early country from the 50s that I get nothing from. Simple melodies and standard empty lyrics. Music sure has come a long way since then. Completely skippable. At least it's relatively short I guess? 1.30 stars
The only prior knowledge I had of Jeff Buckley was the Hallelujah cover and that he is Tim Buckley's son. Not sure what I expected but it wasn't this. Surprised by how much I enjoyed this. Never realized this was a highly regarded album. It's got a good mix some emotional rock songs and some slower ballads. Incidentally the Hallelujah cover is the worst song on the album for me (song has always bugged me). I can see why Jeff Buckley was viewed as an up-and-comer before his tragic drowning. Not sure it's one of the greatest albums ever but I can see why someone might identify with it. 2.95 stars
Pretty good folky rock album. I liked the diverse use of keyboards and organs. Nothing really special but its a good collection of songs. The Weight is the only thing I recognized. I liked this much more than the majority of Bob Dylan I've listened to. 2.55 stars
I was worried as I initially hit play. Once this got going I was on board with the weird experimental indy stuff that Kate Bush went for. She managed to thread the needle of experimental weirdness while still keeping this engaging and effective. A fun varied listen. 2.75 stars
It's a pretty good ska/reggae album. A couple songs that stand alone on their own. A little weak to finish but overall a pretty good album that is worth a listen. I saw Fishbone many years ago with no prior knowledge whatsoever and had a blast. They were fun and engaging with a wide variety of music played. I'll always appreciate a band that can pull me in and turn me into a fan from an unknown live show. 3.05 stars
I've heard of Animal Collective before but wasn't familiar with any of their music. I'm glad I had an excuse to give this a listen. I appreciate the synthesizer heavy electronic songs but wasn't overly impressed with it overall. It's not bad but overall pretty forgettable. I'm sure there is a time and a place for this. 2.45 stars
I dug it. A little all over the place but a lot of fun. I'll always give credit to BB for doing something original and carving out a niche that worked for them. Love the various sampling sprinkled all over the place. I've been exposed to plenty of Beastie over the years through pop culture but I should definitely give the rest of their collection a good listen. This only piqued my interest in them further. 3.55 stars
It's a fine album but I'm not sure why it is held in such high regard. Nothing stood out as a hit. I'm sure there is a deeper meaning to it that I didn't pick up on. Decent background album but nothing more for me. 2.4 stars
Not what I expected in a good way. Pretty decent collection of quick 70s pop songs. Didn't mind it. Never realized Harry Nilsson was the source of Coconut or of Without You. Probably won't go back to the well on this but glad I gave the album a listen as a result of this list. 2.7 stars
Big fan of this album. A couple of huge standout hits that hold up nowadays and even the deep cuts have a great sound. I've always liked the vocal style and melding of rock and nu-metal sounds. This album has great vibes for me. In general the more I hear Incubus the more I like them. I've seen them live and they always put on a great show. I've talked for years of delving into their discography which I still plan to do. Excited to to hear the remainder of their albums. 3.75 stars
Pretty solid album. In a way it sounded like the same song repeated a couple of times. I guess I enjoyed the song though because overall I thought it was a pretty good listen. I did notice a couple of the later songs stood out a bit differently. From what I have heard of The Smiths they have a pretty distinct sound and are pretty good at staying within their comfort zone to relatively good results. Nothing blew me away but overall the album was very listenable. Morrisey (and The Smiths by proxy) is one of the iconic acts I think largely in part to his antics and extra-curriculars outside of music. I know people who love and worship him, but I personally have never understood it. He's a fine songwriter and I enjoy the handful of hits I've been exposed to but otherwise he seems like a miserable blow hard who would be a pain to be around. Whatever, to each his own. 2.75 stars
It's a fine listen coming from a non-rap fan. I'm aware of Kendrick Lamar as he is probably the most popular rapper currently. It is evident that Kendrick Lamar is skilled and why he has been creating hits over the past few years. I imagine a rap fan can tell you a lot more about the depth, style and linguistic skill on display on this album. For me it was a fun listen with a couple songs that stood out. I can respect the skill and art. 2.4 stars
Off The Wall is a disco classic that still holds up today. I love the early impact MJ had when he broke out and went solo. The main issue is that the album unfortunately has diminishing returns as you get through it. Side A is damn near flawless with a couple of timeless classics, but the back half of the album fizzles as you get through it. Regardless it is still a very strong pseudo-debut that is absolutely worth a listen. Always been a huge fan of MJ's music. While Off The Wall is a classic and belongs on this list it doesn't compete with his next 4 albums for me. 2.9 stars
It's fine freshman entry for JT as his breakout from the boy band. A couple hits but doesn't hold up over a 60+ minute listen. Its's fine but nothing special, even coming from a big Timberlake fan (both musically and from his extra-curriculars). I'm sensing a theme as a handful of 1st solo albums from former band members appear on this list. Maybe there was some importance in the fact the JT established himself as more than a N Sync boy band member but I personally think all of his other albums belong on the list far more than Justified does. Unless they show up later on the list skip Justified and listen to FutureSex or 20/20 Experience. Far more interesting albums in every facet. 2.65 stars
Weird, unique and a lot of fun. Never heard of The Divine Comedy but I'm definitely intrigued. Great pull from the 1001 list. Hope more stuff like this shows up down the line. 2.95 stars
It's a relatively pleasant reggae album. The issue is that a lot of the songs sound the same. After a couple tracks I felt like I tuned out to the relatively redundancy. It's not a bad album per se, but does little to establish itself a something I need to hear ever again. I'm not sure if the rest of UB40 discography is the same but if this is the best entry I probably don't need to delve into much more.
I've only been exposed to a minimal amount of The War on Drugs. They definitely have a sound that carries through the entire album. I like the melodic psychedelic musicality. I can see this as good background music for a variety of scenarios. Might inspire me to check out more of their stuff. Supposed to see them live next week. 2.8 stars
Such a great album. Strong from start to finish. Some all-time hits sprinkled in but the deep cuts hold their own as well. I can see why this was a breakout hit for Jethro Tull and deserves to be their best selling album. While I'm sure I've heard it in the past I didn't realize how well this album holds up. Jethro Tull has to be one of the most unique acts. I've regularly praised them for Ian Anderson's flute but I'm starting to realize how talented they are across the board. They aren't just a gimmick as a rock band to feature a flute. I've always known their radio hits but I'm going to have to dive into their albums a bit more. 3.85 stars
A very mixed collection a weird noise coupled with bizarre mostly dumb lyrics. Every now and then something comes up that might pique your interest but most of the time its just a bunch of experimental nonsense. It's not the worst thing on this list but there isn't much I want to spend any time with. 1.8 stars
Wasn't expecting anything from a band called Grant Lee Buffalo. Was pleasantly surprised at what I got. It hit a very casual 90's sound that I'm surprised I hadn't been exposed to previously. It's not my favorite but was an easy listen. I guess all I can say about it is that it's fine but nothing special. I don't really have much to say about it in the wake of the listen. 2.39 stars
When this first started I was on board. A couple of low key melodramatic songs with the distortion and reverb turned way up was at least a somewhat unique sound. Unfortunately this continued for 40 minutes straight. Ever song used the same trick and sounded the same. By the end of this album I was frustrated and wanted it to be over. Despite only being 40 minutes long I can't believe how long of a listen this felt like. Not sure if this is The Jesus and Mary Chain signature but this album is completely a one-trick pony. Listen to one song then turn it off. 1.4 stars
There's a couple of good songs mixed in but overall too long and relatively skippable. When Prince is on the music is fun and sexy, but I just don't think its sustainable for 80 minutes. It's an OK album but I feel it takes the place of something more deserving. To echo previous comments about Prince he has a ton of music and I just don't think I want to sift through 50 hours to find the 30% that are worth listening to. Some of his music is great but plenty of it is "meh". Despite being a fan I'll stick to primarily greatest hits with Prince. 2.31 stars
Enjoyed more than prior Ray Charles entry. I'm more into the big band sound than his soul/R&B hits. While it started with a bang it unfortunately slowed down a lot and was pretty mundane. Not sure I would listen to this with any regularity but it serves as a better entry to 1001 than a few of the prior 50s albums. I wasn't there in the 50s but it yet again doesn't sound like anything special. 1.31 stars
It's a fine early British punk album. Not sure what the sound was in 1979 but I can see how this might have had some influence at the time. Overall it's nothing special but there are a couple decent tracks within. As usual it gets a minor Gorillaz collaborator bump for Mark E. Smith. 2.66 stars
I've always found III to be the weakest of Zeppelin's "core" albums. This re-listen confirmed this. Outside of some of Plant's vocals it does very little to highlight any of the strengths of the band. There are hardly any riffs or solos from Page. The drumming doesn't feature much of Bonham's hard hitting style or creative fills. Not much of what JPJ does on his other instruments stands out compared to their later work. It's not that its a bad album its just a clear step below nearly everything else in their discography. For some reason they leaned a little more into a folky rockabilly style which is fine but not as good as what they moved into. It's still a good album, it's just mostly forgettable when you put it up against a handful of all-timers from the rest of their catalog. The album is limited in terms of its "hits" though I will say I've been sleeping on Since I've Been Loving You for years. 3.35 stars
What an album. Always heard how good OK Computer was but never sat down and listened in unison. I am happy to sign off that it belongs on every list. Fantastic and creative from start to finish. I've been tangentially into Radiohead for a while but haven't really spent extended time listening to them. I know the hits and have been exposed from time to time to others and have pretty much always liked what I've heard. This listen specifically will inspire me to go album by album through their discography. 4.15 stars
Never heard of Supergrass previously and enjoyed the listen. Solid brit-punk/pop album that does all the little things right. Sometimes there's no need to complicate things when you write a handful of fun upbeat songs. Solid listen all the way through the album and there's never really a low point. Great choice for 1001. 3.7 stars
Elton's finest album. Despite the length it's pretty strong from start to finish. Even the weakest songs don't need to be skipped and there are enough hits and recognizable songs to get you through the whole thing. Well deserving of all the praise. The opening side belongs in the pantheon of all time great album sides. A must-listen for so many reasons. 3.85 stars
I guess I give a guy credit for being able to go into a studio alone for a week and this comes out. I can always respect when a solo artist lays down all the tracks and puts all the pieces together. That being said there's not much here that captured me. At times it felt like a bad attempt at Bob Dylan. The second half I kinda zoned out and it was fine background music but nothing stuck with me. The background story on this album is wild. Does that contribute to the legacy and praise for this album? 1.51 stars
What more can you say about The Beatles? They are iconic for so many reasons and Sgt. Pepper might be their absolute peak. This album deserves all the praise and more. It deserves to be near the top of every list and I'm sure there's an argument that it's the best album ever written. It has everything you want with some poppy hits and some experimental tracks that go outside the box that work really well. A multitude of the songs remain all time classics. This album holds up unbelievably well nearly 60 years later. Credit to all involved and their well deserved legacy. 4.70 stars
Meh. I don't think it's bad just not my cup of tea. I'm sure there is more to it but it didn't engage me. 1.65 stars
Pretty good 60s pop album. A lot of quick catchy songs that still hold up today. Never listened to The Mamas and The Papas previously but I was glad to have a reason to sit down and listen.
It starts and finished with absolute bangers. While I positively rate every song in between the rest of the album doesn't blow me away like it once did. That isn't to say that it isn't still a great album, but at one point I may have held this in my top 10. On this most recent listen it didn't hold up as well as I had romanticized in my memory. Every song is at least good, some of which are great, and it is book ended by two stone cold classics. However, the late-middle of the album drops off a little bit. It's still a very solid album deserving of praise. It belongs near the top of every list. Throw it on pretty much whenever and it will always be an enjoyable listen. 4.2 stars
A relatively pleasant country folk album featuring some fantastic guitar work. Didn't expect anything from it but I'm surprised how much I liked it. Despite that not something I'm going to go back to but glad I was exposed. 2.49 stars
Decent album. Nothing wowed me, but there are a couple of good songs. I know Buffalo Springfield through Neil Young's involvement. I know a couple of hits but not much else. This album is an OK listen but not sure it needs to be on this list unless it had a lot of influence when it came out. 2.3 stars
It's a fine album I guess but it didn't do much for me. There's a couple of OK songs and some decent post-punk sounds worth checking out but overall pretty forgettable once it was finished. I've heard of Siouxsie influence over the years so it must have been a big deal when it released. I imagine Siouxsie is an icon for female punk rockers. I'm glad I finally gave them a listen but don't need to go back to the well on them. I've never really liked Helter Skelter as a Beatles song and the Banshee cover doesn't do anything to help that. 2.11 stars
Jack White has always been an artist where I don't know much of his discography (especially post White Stripes) but every time I hear something by him I'm interested. Blunderbuss is yet another positive example. At some point I need to do a deep dive on his career because the more I'm exposed to him the more I realize how talented he is. Blunderbuss is a great record for his solo debut post-Stripes. Solid all the way through with a couple of songs that I will come back to in the future. Jack White has to be one of the most creative artists working over the past 20 years. He's great at weaving a unique sound into non-contemporary rock. As a 2012 album is this the latest entry in the 1001? 3.84 stars
This is the Fatboy Slim album that I was familiar with. It's got most of his/their best songs many of which still hold up today. I thoroughly enjoyed the re-listen. It's got a pretty iconic late 90's techno sound. Glad to see it represented on here. 3.6 stars
Really enjoyed the listen. I thought I knew what to expect from Queen from their 20+ radio hits, but Shear Heart Attack exceeded expectations. This is a solid rock album with all the necessary Queen flair to help make it unique and stand the test of time. Mercury and company are great as usual and pretty effectively weave 40 minutes of tracks together. First side of the album is very strong. While the second half fizzles towards the end there are relatively few low points. I suspect that Queen will show up on 1001 a couple more times which will be welcomed with open ears. What can be said about Queen that hasn't already been touched on? Their legacy has been evident pretty much my whole life with constant exposure to their greatest hits, references to Live Aid, countless karaoke renditions of Bohemian Rhapsody, etc. While I would say I'm pretty attuned to Queen, they aren't a band I sat down and listened to their albums in unison. I'm glad that Sheer Heart Attack showed up on this list as it gave me a perfect excuse to listen. As much as I am a Queen fan, it unfortunately has been diluted over the past couple of years in the wake of Bohemian Rhapsody movie which was an absolute shiteburger. It's hard not to see it as an unnecessary smudge on an otherwise great legacy. Perhaps diving into their albums will help rekindle my former enjoyment. 3.65 stars
Something about it is a little hokey but for some reason I kinda liked it. There's nothing special about it at all but a few of the songs are catchy and fun enough to work. Shoutout to Doktor Avalanche, drum machine extraordinaire. 2.81 stars
Weird, funky and refreshing. Don't know Arrested Development but they seem like they would be a blast to see perform. Dug the completely unique hip hop take mixed with beats, scratches and samples. This is one of the most unique albums to show up on this list and I mean that in a good way. What a treat. 3.64 stars
As much of a Bowie fan I am there are better albums by him. I imagine the aftermath of Ziggy Stardust and Bowie's rise to stardom at the time is a huge reason this is held in high regard. It's not a bad album but there isn't anything special beyond the imagery of the Aladdin Sane album cover. A couple of songs are decent but overall the album is relatively "meh". This is probably one of the the albums that deserves to be brought up in discussion (mainly as a follow up to Ziggy) but probably doesn't belong on any must-listen lists. 2.4 stars
Very solid album that I've always dug. I remember being very into Franz when this first released. Years later this albums hold up and is still very strong. All songs good, many very good, some of them great. Franz has a ton of fun and has a great sound. The more I listen to them the more I get into them. 4.1 stars
I'm not a huge rap fan in general but this is more my speed. I appreciate the old school hip hop style over modern rap. There's something endearing about an MC scratching' and ridiculous Flava Flav overtones that I can somehow get behind. 2.79 stars
No doubt Marvin Gaye is a great vocalist. The first song is iconic for so many reasons, but I really didn't need the additional 25 minutes of this album. It's fine for a single listen but I'll never listen to this again. I'm sure it was a big deal at the time. Kinda cool that Marvin made an entire about fucking though I guess. 2.15 stars
Decent alt punk album. Never heard of The Adverts previously. Seems like they had a sound that would have worked moving forward but broke up after only 2 albums. Glad I gave it a listen but nothing special to write home about. 2.35 stars
What needs to be said? Incredible album all the way through. This belongs in the argument for best album of all time. Whether you love Zep or not so much about IV is iconic. I expect this to be at the top of many many lists. 4.9 stars
I love Talking Heads but this isn't their strongest album. I'm a little surprised to see it make the list. It's not a bad album, just not something that needs be highlighted in 1001 when the rest of their work is better in my opinion. I still a good album with more unique funky Talking Heads sounds. There's a couple good songs but not much I would consider as classics. Take Me To The River is a good song but has never been my favorite Talking Heads single. Still glad to give it a listen. 3.59 stars
I respect The National as an artist. They make some decent music and continue to remain relevant. My only issue is that you need to be in a certain mood to listen to them. Their sound is so somber and glum that often times its just not what I want to listen to. That's not to take away from High Violet which is an OK album. It just doesn't resonate with me as something I want to spend time with. For that reason I have to mark it down. 2.1 stars
I always hear about Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds as a modern rock act that is slept on. I'll admit I don't think I've ever heard a song by them before. They definitely bring a distinct sound. It's fun and raucous with some ridiculous vocals that kinda add to the whole thing. I can see why people have mentioned them to me previously. I'm curious to check out more of their work to see if I like it. As for Henry's Dream it was a solid listen and I'm glad for the exposure. 2.85
It's fine background music I guess. I'm not that into mambo and I'm never really going to take it seriously unless I'm in a foreign country looking to dance. It's fine for a single listen but nothing I'll come back to. Every song sounds pretty similar regardless of who is involved. I've heard of Tito Puente as likely the most famous mambo artist but I'm not really sure what he does to differentiate himself. 1.9 stars
I'll always respect The Cure for carving out a sound that is somehow both unique and formulaic at the same time. They are able to land pretty firmly in the emo/sadboy realm but still give their songs a rock/poppy edge. Not quite sure how they do it but it works. Not sure I've ever met someone who doesn't like The Cure even if they aren't a big fan. Between their hits they have something for everyone. Credit to them. Disintegration threads the needle much in the same way. It's got a lot of the signature dark depressing nature associated with Robert Smith and The Cure as a whole. A couple hits and some solid deep cuts that keep the album interesting. It's a little long at 70+ minutes and it drags by the end of it with a couple unnecessary long songs in the back half. It would benefit the album to cut 2 songs to tighten it up, Despite this it still held my attention much better than plenty of the long albums seen elsewhere on 1001. All in all a good listen and a worthy album from my end. 3.4 stars
The Smashing Pumpkins and Mellon Collie are kinda hard to sum up. On the one hand, some of their finest work is absolutely on display. On the other hand, do we need 2+ hours and 30+ songs? After a listen I guess I feel like we do on this one. The huge quantity and wildly varied stylings from melodic ballads, grunge, hard rock, and everything in between are all integral to why this was such a smash on release. I remember the hits from this album were all over the radio for a spell, some of which are all-timers and definitely deserve to remain in the rotation 20+ years later. This album certainly has a reputation. I'm glad I gave it a listen in unison. Despite the fact that it will be a long time before I come back to it I can completely see why an angsty teen or early 20's rocker in the 90's would have fully identified with this. It's a solid album and great project despite some question marks. I fully understand why it catapulted SP and Billy Corgan up a couple levels for a bit. Billy Corgan has become a bit of a blowhard and the other SP work I've tested over the years has done very little for me but it shouldn't detract from Mellon Collie. Not my favorite but it belongs on the 1001. 3.45 stars
James Taylor was able to build a career off of a handful of quick acoustical folk songs. He has a certain sound that obviously scratches the itch for a lot of people (pre-millenial 40 year house wives?). Sweet Baby James is firmly is his wheelhouse as his debut that quickly made him a household name. Every James Taylor song sounds the same to me and Sweet Baby James is no different. It's firmly "average" in almost every way. It's not my personal cup of tea but it's also not bad and at 30 minutes there are worse choices. I guess credit where credit is due. 2.4 stars
Who the F is Goldfrapp? This seems like an artist that should have crossed my radar and should have more attention. Some creative melodic electronic music that reminds me of a few other artists I enjoy. I can't quite put my finger on it but overall it was a pretty good.. Another good recommendation by 1001 for something I've never heard of. Might check out more of them. Seems like something my wife and a few friends might enjoy. 2.76 stars
My introduction to Muse was somehow in the front row of the main stage at Street Scene 2007 on my birthday. This was late in the Black Holes and Revelations tour. I had no prior knowledge of MUSE and had never heard a single song by them. The entered to raucous cheers proceeded to absolutely blow me away. They took the crowd on a ride with a fantastic stage show. I could instantly tell how talented they were and was amazed at the sound they could put out from a 3-piece band. Every aspect of it was a treat to take in. Black Holes and Revelations is an incredible album. It has lived in high regard in my memory for years but it was exceeded on this re-listen. They bring a very creative sound that isn't heard elsewhere in modern rock. They blend electronics with solid rock to accompany Bellamy's varied vocals. The album is solid front back to front and loaded with hits that still belong in regular rotation. MUSE had a huge run following BHAR and they vaulted to superstardom that was well deserved. Their follow up albums were solid and maintained their status as one of the best working bands through the 2000's. I've seen them a handful of times and they always deliver. That original show though is in my all time top 10 and lives on in my memory. 4.25 stars
It's a decent hip hop album. Pretty basic beats and some good flow from the team. I dug A Day At The Races and a couple others. Decent listen but not anything that's going to stick with me though I'm way more likely to throw something like this on over many other forms of rap/hip-hop I've heard. 2.82 stars
It's an iconic album for a reason. Whether you like Bruce or not this album is filled with hits and does stand the test of time. As much as I hate to admit it, Born In The USA is an iconic (though often misunderstood) song and album. It's one of the highest selling albums for a reason. It belongs on the list and should be discussed. 2 years back I went through Bruce Springsteen's entire discography. It was a horrific chore that proved the I'm not a big fan of The Boss. That being said, Born In The USA was the only full album that I actually enjoyed. This is the only Bruce album that I will ever really return to. I do not look forward to his other inevitable entries on this list. Reluctant 3.49 stars
I don't understand why this is on the list. 40 minutes of mundane congas mixed with redundant chanting. I've legitimately heard better versions of this at weddings or restaurants. Hard pass. 0.5 stars
Welp. That was certainly an explosion. It starts with a guy straight up yelling into your ear. Then it gets weird, and kinda good and kinda all over the place. A wacky listen for sure. Some OK stuff sprinkled in but not sure I'll ever listen to anything by Jon Spencer again. In terms of 1001 you can certainly do a lot worse I guess. I expect the music video for Wail might go into my rotation for the sheer weirdness and Weird Al connection. 2.35 stars
Threw this on while making dinner. Early on I was down with what I was hearing. Unfortunately by the 5th song everything started to sound the same. I felt like I was hearing a the same song over and over. By the end of the album it was hard to care about it at all. I would have taken Kelela for a couple singles but I didn't need anywhere near an hour of this. Not sure this needs to be on the list for any reason. 1.95 stars
I was surprised how little of the signature sound and attitude from The Clash is on this. I didn't realize how relatively tame the early punk scene was. I'm sure it was iconic upon release for reasons I don't know but not sure what stands out about this album. It's an OK listen to nowadays but nothing I need to revisit. Pretty forgettable for the most part. Not what I expected. Felt way longer than 35 mins for some reason. 2.05 stars
I'm always impressed when a 2-piece band can put together an album with a variety of sounds and styles. Almost everything on Elephant works and a couple of songs are still regularly in my queue. Definitely an album I'm happy to see get a nod. Jack White continues to prove to me he is one of the best working artists from the 2000s. Elephant is a great album and probably what I'm most familiar with from his discography. 3.71 stars
A couple of OK tracks. Pretty groovy at times. I tended to prefer the songs with mixed vocals as opposed to the solo Martina tracks. I enjoyed a couple songs but overall relatively "meh". 2.31 stars
Kinda cool ambient rock album with a mix of dark and light tones. Sometimes keeping it relatively simple can still be effective. Couple quick decent songs that I might come back to. Earlier it felt relatively run of the mill but by the end of it I realized how much I enjoyed the listen. Nothing special but I'll take more stuff like this whenever it comes up on the 1001. Never heard of Bauhaus before, guess I'm glad to get exposed to this. One of the few times I actually listened to the bonus/added tracks after the album finished. 3.6 stars
I've always had a soft spot for Violent Femmes for some reason. They bring the right mix of garage, folk and rock while keeping the mood light. Their debut album stays right in their wheelhouse with a handful of jaunty tunes that scratch a certain itch. Nothing is amazing but it gets the job done especially at a 35 minute listen time. While I dig VF I fully understand if it wasn't someone cup of tea. 3.1 stars
Are You Experienced was one of the first albums I ever bought. Used to get regular play many years back. It's been a while since I've spent extended time with Jimi Hendrix but I'm always pleased when I do. While Jimi is established as a star, Mitch Mitchell gets wildly overlooked as a drummer (Noel Redding as a bassist too). Their range of frantic and melodic creativity always made them stand out and push the psychedelic/blues rock genre to new heights. Always been a Jimi fan. Shame we lost him so early. Always liked side 2 better. Some of the songs on the extended CD release are worth including as well. 3.66 stars
I can talk forever about The Doors. Primarily about how overlooked and underappreciated they are as one of the best American bands ever. While I continue to enjoy them they don't get as much air play as they used to for me. My memory for Morrison Hotel is that it was one of their weaker albums. I was surprised how strong the album is on this re-listen. They fall back to more the blues roots and get away from some of the psychedelic Jim stuff. Manzarek's organ/piano paired with Kreiger's flamenco style and Jim's flair sprinkled in work really well this time around. Stronger album than I had expected though I look forward to hopefully LA Woman and The Doors. The one thing it missed is a signature long jam ballad that they are famous for. I understand that isn't everyone's cup of tea but I've always love The Soft Parade, The End, When the Music's Over, etc. I would have loved if they dropped 1 or 2 songs and had another long track to cap the album. Despite that still high marks deserved. 3.61 stars
I can't say I expected much as I got to the artists wiki and Spotify pages. I'm not familiar with tango in any way really. There's some pretty crazy arrangements that include some rapid pace xylophone? and string work. Others are a little more somber with some pretty emotive strings and piano. While an hour of it was more than I needed, there was more than enough to take in that I don't regret the listen. That being said I'll file this away forever as a "huh, kinda cool I guess". This dude's Spotify discography is ridiculous. It seems like they recorded every show he ever played and just posted it up. 2.48 stars
I can imagine seeing this live at the time would have been a hell of a ride. Pretty cool progressive rock project that I'm sure made a splash. There's some great organ and synch work all throughout the album that definitely scratches an itch. I don't know anything about the original piano suite but the ELP adaptation seems like a pretty cool project. I have to agree that this is one of 1001 albums I had to listen to before I die. Another good selection even if its something I never go out of my way for again. 2.82 stars
I wanted to like this more than I did. Didn't grab me in any way and didn't do anything nearly as well as some of the other early British punk albums we've heard so far. It felt awful long for a 35 minute run time. For me this is a miss and one I would remove from the list. 1.71 stars
These guys stormed out of the gates. Solid album all the way through with a couple of all-timers that stand the test of time. There was a time in my life where Do It Again was my favorite song of all time. It's a worthy album anyway but that reason alone is enough for me to put it on any list. Keep bringing the Steely. 3.82 stars
I've really only been exposed to Simon (and/or Garfunkel) through various hits. I've never really sat and listened to a Paul Simon album prior to this list. I respect him as an artist but for the most part I've just considered him an musical icon but not in my wheelhouse. With Graceland it's nice to hear him with a little pep in his step as opposed to the very somber and sleepy work I'm familiar with. I wasn't familiar with the backstory of this album but the African influence is pretty evident all the way through. While it's a solid album there's only a couple songs I'll come back to. I understand why it's important and it's not something I'll turn off, but like plenty of other Paul Simon just something I'll move past. 2.83
Pretty good music but overall I wasn't able to follow any of the storyline and themes. I expect this would improve upon repeated listens. As it stands it was mainly just a long progressive rock album. Not bad but didn't do that much for me. I imagine a visual version of this a la Tommy/Quadrophenia would make it more enjoyable experience. 2.21 stars
Despite this album having a huge presence in our household I don't think I've ever listened to it in unison somehow. Not sure how I missed out for so long as Moondance has some quality tunes. Side A is fantastic and while Side B is weaker it is still good. I'm not huge on VM overall but Moondance deserves any praise it gets. I have to imagine this is Van at his best as many of his other work I've heard is relatively mellow and skippable. I suspect any remaining Van Morrison on the list will pale in comparison. I would be in favor of removing Astral Weeks as a start. 3.09 stars
Upon seeing Randy Newman on the list was I was looking forward to this listen. I went in cautiously optimistic as my only previous exposure was Disney/Pixar soundtracks and pop culture jokes. After the first few songs I was on board. Unfortunately the album fizzles as you get further through it. Despite that, after the listen I think Randy validated his place on the list. There is no doubt that Randy Newman is a talented songwriter. Somehow there's something pleasant about his music despite his ridiculous vocal style. Good Old Boys is not something I will listen to with any regularity but I'm glad I gave it a listen. I'll stick to his jauntier soundtrack tunes for the most part moving forward. Even though Good Old Boys doesn't get the highest marks you can do a lot worse with many of the other albums on the list. 2.36 stars Naked Man is a just ridiculous and will make guest appearances moving forward.
3 minutes of this was about all I needed. 40 minutes just made me completely tune out. I don't feel like there was any reason I needed to hear this album before I die. Vote to remove from the list. 1.11 stars
I wanted to like this more than I did. I'm an up-and-comer in terms of a Radiohead fan. The more I am exposed to them the more I am liking them but for some reason The Bends does little for me. There's a couple good songs but overall it's got less of the creativity that I associate with Radiohead. Not sure if I'm missing something but it was a relatively mediocre album (by Radiohead standards). Still a good album but not something that stands out from the rest of their catalog so far. 3.01 stars
Pretty great sleeper album. I knew of John Mayall specifically because of Clapton's overlap. I was surprised how well this album not only held up but exceeded a lot of the early blues from the same time. I feel like this sound could have progressed and stayed relevant compared to some of the contemporaries. Definitely worth a listen. 2.83 stars
While their run was short The Police brought something unique and fun to the table. There's something about their beats coupled with Sting's vocals that has always worked for me. Reggatta De Blanc is a fun album. Not sure if it is their best work but it got more than enough going for it that it is worth a listen. 3.11 stars
This album is all over the place. At times it's a mess of noise, at times it's a somewhat creative ensemble of some weird experimental rock. While I wanted to give Butthole Surfers a shot and get behind this, I just can't do it. It seems like it made the list for the sheer diversity and weirdness of the whole thing. I guess they live up to their deservedly weird reputation which was earned as soon as they named themselves Butthole Surfers. Overall it's not my cup of tea and something I'll likely turn off after a couple of minutes moving forward. 1.41
It's been a while since I've listened to Nevermind in unison and I forgot just how strong of an album it is. Ignoring how insanely iconic it is for so many reasons, the music hold up really, really well. It is absolutely loaded with hits that are both deserving and stand the test of time. Even the 2 weakest tracks are still good songs that don't detract from the album. Nevermind is cited as one of the most important albums of the 90s and it still deserves all the praise 30+ years later. I was too young when Nevermind (and Nirvana as a whole) were contemporary but its effects are still evident. It has held a cultural presence my entire life and I don't see any reason it wouldn't continue to do so. An absolute gem of an album that deserves the recognition. In a vacuum I'd probably consider Nirvana a little overrated. The are iconic, no doubt, but outside of Nevermind their discography doesn't do much for me. Context is key here as they have been immortalized since Kurt's passing. It's hard to remove any aspect of that from the overall phenomenon that was Nirvana's rise and aftermath. I have friends who list them as their favorite band. I still see Nirvana shirts and posters everywhere. I've always liked, not loved them. That being said Nevermind is incredible. I wouldn't put anything else from their catalog on any lists though. 4.35 stars
It's really hard to sum up Tommy as an album. There is a lot of fun and creative music included but the individual pieces don't make any sense. The project really needs to be taken in as a whole. Outside of Pinball Wizard you can't really pull singles or consume any of this without a lot of context and backstory. The whole project when listened in unison is so much more than the sum of its parts. It is clearly a unique work of art that belongs on this list. There are so many layers to the onion that a deaf/dumb/blind pinball player taking LSD and starting a religious cult start to make sense once you get through it all. It's even crazier that is somehow worked and developed a cultural impact. It's hard for me to distance this from the accompanying Tommy film which features some even weirder and more ridiculous scenes and performances than I could have expected. It's a perfect of example of something I have to recommend for the shear crazy and weirdness of it. I don't plan to listen to Tommy with any regularity but it might be time for me to rewatch the movie. 2.99 stars
It's hard for me to appreciate Sex Pistols as I don't know much about them. I always hear they were hugely influential and an iconic British punk act but I can't tell you anything about their music. This album is a decent British punk rock album on the surface level. I'm sure it so much more than that but that is about the only way I can take this one in. Decent album, nothing special, hard for me to tell the difference between any of the songs. 2.37 stars
This album is ubiquitous with pop punk. 30 years later it still sounds like something that could have been written today. It threaded the needle of expressing indie teenage angst while appealing to the masses and still holds up nowadays. The hits from this album are still punk anthems decades later. Green Day was everywhere shortly after this album dropped and stayed close to the top for a long while. I saw Green Day somewhat recently and they still have it. I rarely play them in my regular rotation but whenever they come up in the wild I'm always surprised how much I know and enjoy their music. Dookie will always hold a special place. 3.72 stars
I've never given Megadeth a chance. Glad I finally sat and listened to an album in unison. There's some decent songs and some definite skill demonstrated. Overall it's a decent metal album but not really in my wheelhouse. Nothin something I would listen to on a normal day but also not something I'm going to turn off. 2.79 stars
There's something about old school hip hop that hits in a fun positive way. Raising Hell exemplifies this all the way through. While it may be considered cheesy compared with modern rap/hip hop it's hard not to have a blast with this album. My suburban white-boy ass tends to side with old school hip hop compared to modern stylings so this is much more up my alley than other rap and hip hop albums on the list. 3.56 stars
Middle of the pack rock album. Some decent songs but other than La Grange nothing really stands out for me. There some nice guitar work by Billy Gibbons. ZZ is fun for their beards and they have a handful of hits but nothing super special. 2.73 stars
I'm not sure where the praise for this is coming from. Mostly generic skippable noise rock? Some reverbed guitars with washed-out lyrics? Maybe I'm missing something here? On the surface level I feel like this should have resonated with me a tiny bit, but I don't know, this did nothing for me. By the end of it I couldn't wait for it to be over. 1.14 stars
If you are a really huge Grateful Dead and Phish fan you can find an alternate psychedelic jam band in Spiritualized. Unfortunately, if you are just a casual fan (like me) I wouldn't bother. Overall I guess it's an OK space rock album but it's far too long and filled with a lot of filler that gets forgotten as soon it finished. There are a couple extended segments that I enjoyed (I Think I'm In Love), but overall it was pretty skippable. Not something I'll ever visit again but I guess glad for the exposure. 2.32 stars
Felt like I sat in a hotel lobby lounge with mediocre background music that you don't realize is even there unless you specifically focus. After the first song it seemed like it was just a loop of the same dull jazz song. The one benefit of this album is it was very easy to tune out and ignore without feeling like you missed anything. Jazz albums continuing to get horrible reviews. Save your 30 mins and remove this from the list. .55 stars
I'll always have a soft spot for Lou Reed. I appreciate some of the very overt and direct reference to sex and hard drug use. They didn't pull any punches and managed to churn out some decent stuff among the mess. It's certainly a unique album but overall it's relatively mediocre musically. There is no doubt that the album is iconic. The banana cover and Warhol connection seem to due the brunt of the work though. An album that belongs on the list even if The Velvet Underground isn't anything I'll ever reference beyond the novelty pop aspect of it. 2.32 stars
I've never been a big GNR fan. Something about Axl's vocals doesn't land for me and the backing music always sounds "packaged" or something. At one point all the hits from this album were overplayed and overexposed so I got really tired of hearing all of them. I went into this with an open mind and ended up enjoying it more than expected. With some distance between myself and GNR over the last decade I can appreciate Appetite a little more. There is no doubt that there is some good guitar work by Slash mixed with some steady rock from the rest of the lineup. Axl's vocal still annoy but everyone has their own taste. While GNR still isn't for me I can recognize that this album is solid. I can't deny there are a couple of solid radio anthems and even the deep cuts are decent. I can recognize the impact it would have made after it launched GNR. Not something I'll go back to but I won't fault someone if they preach about hot good the album is. To each their own. 2.74 stars
I vaguely recall the news of 2Pac's murder but was too young to know anything about his work beyond the ensuring pop culture phenomenon. I've never really heard his music before and know little about him beyond ongoing legacy references and Coachella hologram appearances. After a listen there is no doubt he is a skilled lyricist but overall it does little for me. I appreciate that it wasn't just a bunch of standard bitches and hoes gangsta rap. Dear Mama was a touching tribute that stood out mainly because I wasn't expecting it. Glad I finally heard the album but it's just not in my wheelhouse. 2.13 stars
Parklife is a pretty solid trip down 90's brit-pop lane. Front half of the album is pretty solid. Back half isn't nearly as strong but still has a wide range of diverse sounds intermixed into some relatively down the middle songs. Although I do prefer what Damon Albarn eventually grew into I still enjoys some Blur from time to time. I don't expect this will move the needle much for most people but I have some nostalgia tied to it. Even with that, it's still only a moderately above average album. 3.46 stars
What an interesting project. The music certainly felt cinematic and to be honest it makes me want to se the non-existent film that it would accompany. As a concept I think it succeeds, though after a listen I feel it will be more a conversation about the idea rather than the actual music. I'm not sure I had to hear this album before I died I guess I'm glad I was exposed it. 2.38 stars
The Strokes figured something out right out of the gate with Is This It. There is a certain simplicity in their tracks that consistently works without any unnecessary flair. Something about their sound keeps it from aging as none of their hits have "aged". Is This It sounds like it could have been released in 2024 and been just as successful. This album was a regular play in my teenage years and still holds up today. Solid to great from front to back. You really can't go wrong with any tracks on this album. Julian Casablancas is one of those artists where everything he touches is worth a listen. 4.21 stars
Always liked this album as I have a lot of great college memories associated with a few of the hits. Second half of this album is a little darker and although it is weaker it isn't necessarily a bad thing. Still a solid listen all the way through. MGMT brought some needed indie pop vibes with the keyboard/synth sounds that are appreciated. I haven't kept up with MGMT but after listening to this I feel I need to check out their other albums. I'll continue to put this on in the rotation and recommend it as a great debut from that time period. 3.65 stars
New Forms is a Too Long Album hall of fame entry. Even if a few of the initial songs were somewhat cool this was completely washed out by the fact that it is 2 hours of nearly the same thing over and over and over (and over again). Most of the songs are 6+ minutes long with a redundant beat and similar structure. If you were to take any of the singles in a vacuum they aren't bad I guess. Early on I was considering throwing one of the singles into my "Like Songs" list, but by the end I don't really want anything to do with this album. I'm not sure I mind drum & bass as a genre, but I'd rather stick to electronica, trance, dubstep, or any other EDM genre. Play 2 minutes of this in a club somewhere when trying to get some energy in a room then pull the ripcord and move on to something catchier. Or better yet just skip it altogether and play a crowd pleaser. I'm sure there is an application for this but I'm scratching my head as to when anyone would need 2 hours of this (not to mention the 5 hours Deluxe edition). Unfortunately I have to give this album a bad review because by the end of it I really was suffering through it. Cut this in half and its still too long. Give me a quarter of this album and I might have left a mediocre review because the overall music didn't bother me but otherwise this was basically a 140 minute slog. .45 stars
The Fat of The Land starts off with a couple hits but otherwise didn't keep me overly hooked. The following songs are fine but nothing memorable. While it's still a album, for some reason I expected to enjoy this more than I did. I remember being into The Prodigy and thought I had deeper ties to a few of their earlier albums. 2.96 stars
Not sure why this belongs on the album as it kinda pretentious and annoying (like most things associated with Yoko). I guess it's somewhat interesting to hear what Lennon's first move would be after The Beatles and I'm pretty sure everyone on the planet would agree it was a huge step in the wrong direction. If this wasn't by John Lennon it would be overlooked as a completely "meh" album. I don't plan to ever listen to any of this again. 1.36 stars
Despite her star status and the impact of her death I somehow managed to miss all of Amy's career so this is my first exposure to Amy Winehouse beyond the single Rehab which was a huge hit upon release. Back to Black isn't what I expected for some reason. It's not a bad album by any means but it was more lounge-act than I expected it to be. It's clear she is a talented and tortured vocalist but overall it didn't do much to resonate with me. In the wake of her death she was hailed as an icon and a "wasted talent" but I didn't have any familiarity so she was just shelved as another tragic rock star story. I'm probably not the target demographic for this album so despite its reputation its not something I think I'll be listening to any time soon. Relatively straight down the middle marks from me. 2.5 stars
What's Going On is a decent album but doesn't stick with me after the listen. The few hits are solid but the rest of the album is padded with filler. I appreciate the fade between songs and some of the topics he sings about. I expect this was hugely influential on release and vaulted Marvin up yet another notch during his prime. Unfortunately I wasn't there for any of that so it just falls into the "decent old soul album that I don't need to revisit" category. Marvin Gaye produces some legendary vocals and the man epitomizes soul. I respect his career and status but I don't have any history with his discography so it falls to the way side mostly. 2.34 stars
Wasn't sure what to expect going into this. Wasn't aware of the name change so needed to confirm I had the correct album. It's a decent listen that I would say is a little more upbeat and rock version of Stevie Wonder which I appreciate. None of the individual songs standout but the overall album is a good background album that I was pleased to be introduced to. Nothing special but better than a lot of the unknowns on the list so far. 2.77 stars
As much as their other albums get deserved attention I've always loved Led Zeppelin's debut album. It's one of the strongest debut albums ever and upon a re-listen its very evident how polished they were as band right from the get go. While their production and presence grew as they got more popular it's pretty clear they were something special right out of the gates. All 4 members established themselves as masters of their craft over the band's lifetime, but the fact that those vocals came out of a 20-year old Plant is truly astounding. I love the hits, particularly opening track Good Times Bad Times, but always thought some of the deep cuts really help cement the album. Babe I'm Gonna Leave You has been climbing my personal Zep list for years and You Shook Me continues to surprise me how overlooked it is with the harmonica solo and Page/Plant guitar/vocal call-and-answer. Side A is one of my favorite album sides and while Side B isn't nearly as strong it still holds up. Zep I isn't their best album but has such a special place in my heart, and the Hindenberg album cover has been so iconic and present in my personal life for 20+ years as I'm currently staring at it on my wall as I write this. What else needs to be said? 4.22 stars
Hard to rate something like this as it's not a traditional album in any sense. If you are going into this looking for music you'll get nothing out of it. Overall, it's nothing great and not something I'll ever sit and listen to again. However, I give credit to Brian Eno for trying develop something for ambient listening. It's nothing something I explicitly enjoy, but could see it as passive background music in a lounge, waiting room, elevator, whatever. I think this album in general is more of a thought-piece than work of musical art. Incidentally, it works for background noise when sitting around with a 1-week old infant. I'll probably check out the rest of Eno's Ambient series just as background noise when I can't have sounds distracting a sleeping baby. 1.01 stars with a pretty big asterisk*
Not sure why The Kinks don't get more attention. They have a handful of recognizable hits and then a swath of fun original deeper cuts. The Village Green Preservation Society is another batch of jaunty tunes from The Kinks that deserve a listen. I'm not sure the overall album is anything great, but each of the songs is pretty quick and digestible. The Kinks should be recognized for managing to succeed at something different. There is something about their music that has an edge of humor and feels like they aren't taking anything seriously while still managing to assemble competent albums with occasional hits that stand out. I don't go out of my way to listen to The Kinks, but whenever they come up in my random shuffle I'm always pleased. They bring something else to the table and have some deep cut sleepers that need some more exposure. 2.38 stars
I've been told Natty Dread is Bob's best album a couple times in the wild. I was relatively unimpressed after a listen. It's not bad, but I found it pretty generic and did little differentiate or stand out to me. Some decent songs, but overall relatively forgettable. Not something I would turn off and works when the vibes are there, but not something I'll be putting on again. Bob Marley is deservedly the iconic representative of reggae rock. If you walk up to me and ask me if I'm a fan it would be met with a swift and emphatic "Definitely". As I've listened to more of Bob Marley's work it's looking like I'm just a huge fan of the Legend greatest hits album which is loaded with his best work. Not sure I need to delve into his albums but maybe I'm missing something here with Natty Dread. 2.48 stars
Good to see something so recent on this list even if the album didn't wow me. MK has a good voice and the album brings some interesting diverse sounds. There's a lot of emotion and soul buried in this album so perhaps that's why it got the nod. Overall a decent listen. I may check out his other albums to see what else he has. Kiwanuka seems like a pretty skilled specialized musician. I'd like to see him open it up a little more and try his hand at a harder rock album and see what he is capable of. 2.78 stars
Not sure how Nick Cave slipped by me for all these years. His discography is extensive and the unique rock sound seems right in my family's wheelhouse. NC & The Bad Seeds is one of the highlights of a new artist I'm exposed to as a result of this list. I enjoyed the previous entry and was looking forward to this one. Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus delivered again. However, I do think that both of these albums suffer a bit as a result of the 2-fer joint release. Each disc is solid in its own way and feel like individual projects with a different sound. The extended play time unfortunately drags the rating down a bit, but I found both albums enjoyable. I look forward to any other Nick Cave entries and will probably check out some of his other stuff when this list ends. 2.98 stars
Wish You Were Here is nearly flawless in its execution. The worst song on the album is Welcome to Machine which is still a solid song in its own right. While a 20+ minute jam may not be everybody's cup of tea, Shine On You Crazy Diamond might be the best example of a long jam ever. I personally love this album and while I have a lot of personal history with Dark Side or The Wall, Wish You Were Here might be the choice for best Floyd album. It is so enjoyable from start to finish and is a a perfect entry point for anyone hesitant to jump into Pink Floyd's discography. 4.5 stars
Years ago in the wake of Walk The Line I thought I might be a Cash fan. Then I listened to more than 3 songs and realized that I'm just not into it. Johnny Cash may be on the Mount Rushmore of overrated acts for me. I have coworkers and colleagues who constantly gush about how great he is yet they can never name more than 1-2 songs they like (Burning Ring of Fire is OK I guess?). I'd pass on the vast majority of his early work, and I can't stand his late covers of Hurt and Personal Jesus that people won't shut the fuck up about. While a scathing review is probably expected, At San Quentin is an OK album. You get a decent sense of his persona and performance charisma while the prison crowd is on the ride. It's a short enough example of a handful of his popular hits and some interludes that don't overstay their welcome. I imagine the prison concerts were iconic and important in their time so I give him credit for doing something different. It's not something I'll come back to and don't need to slam either. It has it's place and I wouldn't fault someone if they throw this on in the background. 1.7 stars
I've been exposed to the CCR hits for years and they always deliver. Bayou Country is a nice little 30 minute album with a couple hits and couple southern jams I'd never heard before. Easily consumable and either album side works for something quick to put on to mix it up. Nothing amazing but gets the job done. 2.72 stars
Kind of a mixed bag for me. I'm not familiar with Suede so didn't know what to expect. The first half of the album was alright and brought a little indie britpop influence that I didn't mind. The second half of the album was a little glum and didn't do much to keep me around. It's an OK album but not sure what puts it on this list. Perhaps it was more influential on release or Suede has a bigger arc that I'm not familiar with. Middle of the pack, plenty of better but plenty of worse offerings on the 1001. 2.56 stars
Very solid debut album from my favorite band ever. It was great upon an initial listening but has only grown on me over time. A couple hits are all-timers for me and all the remaining deeper cuts are solid songs. Gorillaz get nearly constant air play from me and this album has a handful of sleeper hits that make the rotation frequently beyond this big singles. Gorillaz bring a very diverse sound that is approachable from so many angles. While the debut album is understandably not as deep as some of their future work it was clear that something special was set in motion. Damon just starts to scratch the surface of all the unique sounds that come out of his immense amount of musical collaboration and I'm here for every second of it. An aspect that needs to be discussed for anything related to Gorillaz is the accompanying artwork. Hewlett created a couple perfect caricatures for the "virtual band" that were instantly part of the band's draw. The initial music videos were creative and unique at a perfect time when MTV and music videos were still a huge part of marketing and exposure. The approach to have the live performances with animated characters included and an ongoing side-story/plot was a cool aspect to the whole project. The animation and artwork is certainly a contributing aspect of why they became my favorite band. I've consumed nearly every aspect of Gorillaz possible and still the more I hear/read/see the more I love it all. Nothing but praise for the first album that got it started, but they only got better over the next few albums. 4.3 stars
I respect the hell out of Brian Eno's work as a producer as he has engineered some incredible albums by some of my favorite artists. The shallow dive into his solo work thus far has shown me that he may be at his best when he goes a little experimental but has a band/label reels him in. This is too artsy and experimental for me to care after a couple of songs. A little too much Eno, not enough Byrne. Getting a little worn out on experimental noise albums. Not sure I need to hear more of these before I die. 1.13 stars
Decent rock album. A couple songs I recognized but nothing that I listen to with any regularity. A couple of quick hits, and nothing that stands out in either bad or good ways. It's a good middle of the pack album that would work in many situations but nothing I would call overly special. I've always heard that Pixies are one of the most influential bands of all time and that so many other acts either derived or were directly touched by Pixies. I'm not sure what it is about them but maybe they have a signature sound or some tricks of the trade that I'm not aware of. Doolittle is an OK album and I won't skip Pixies songs that I run into in the future. 2.79 stars
Hard to beat the classics. The Beatles are in the pantheon of great and influential artists for so many reasons. While I've been exposed to The Beatles for 30+ years I haven't run through many of their early albums. I was familiar with about half of these songs through various radio segments and their existence in the cultural zeitgeist. The tracks I didn't know had more of the same catchy simplicity that the early Beatles mastered and managed to successfully crank out to take the world by storm. With The Beatles is expectedly bubble-gum pop but its crazy that their catalog from the early 60's still sounds so good and enjoyable. I'd probably rank With The Beatles on the lower side of their discography but that isn't to be a knock, merely to recognize how strong their albums were through their insane 10 year run. I know there is going to be more Beatles and I'm excited for the forthcoming albums. 3.04 stars
I was too young for Eminem's rise and had only heard 2 songs off of this debut album. It is clear that he is an incredible lyricist but holy shit the subject matter is way more extreme than I would have expected. Violence, misogyny, drugs etc. are all a part of MM's schtick, but there appears to be far less joy or humor in this early segment of his career. Everything seems fueled by extreme anger and resentment which no doubt helped establish and market him. Dude was clearly struggling with so many things when this was written. As a parent I would actually agree that I wouldn't want my children listening to this until they are of a mature age. There plenty more of this in his later career, but maybe there was a little more satire or a layer of polish put onto it that didn't make it stand out as much once he was mainstream. It's a pretty crazy album for a first time listen either way. I don't really want to go back to this but can recognize the skill and talent it took to produce and release this. 3.08 stars
For some reason Aerosmith is one of the classic rock bands that I've never paid attention to. I know a couple hits but otherwise I have basically slept on them. Glad I was given a chance to listen to delve into their discography. Rocks is a solid album. A tight 35 minutes with a couple songs that will remain in rotation. It doesn't pull any punches and stays true to its namesake. Pretty satisfying listen, might have to give Aerosmith another chance. 3.48 stars
I'm not the biggest Grateful Dead fan (more of a Phish phan) but recognize their place in music history. Jam bands aren't everybody's cup of tea but I've always passively enjoyed them. While I don't necessarily think that Live/Dead specifically is a strong album it's a pretty solid example of what to expect from a jam band show. Even if it isn't in your wheelhouse, I do think you need to get exposed to a jam band at some point before you die (even if it's just to confirm it's not your thing). Jam bands are a whole vibe with their own culture and identity that goes beyond the music. I can take or leave Grateful Dead but I throw on Phish more often than I think most people expect. I can't outright recommend Live / Dead but overall I'd say this album belongs on the list. There is plenty better you can do, but plenty worse you can do from this list. 1.91 stars
Not sure what I'm missing here. Kid A has always been on my radar as a critical darling. I've enjoyed the prior 2 Radiohead albums from the list (one more than the other), but Kid A fell very flat for me. Sure, it's an experimental take on electronic rock, but is it any good to listen to? I had it on both while driving and then while feeding an infant and it didn't bring me in for either. A little too obscure and pretentious for me to come back to this one. 2.27 stars
Better than the prior Elvis I guess but nothing special. I'll hear Blue Suede Shoes again but the rest just fall into skippable Elvis. 1.38 stars
I can recognize Pyromania is a decent album that has a few hits and some pretty approachable arena rock songs. I'd probably take this over Hysteria but either one is just an OK album that works in the right setting. Fine for a single listen but they don't do much to stay with me at all. I didn't realize Def Leppard sold as many records as they did. They have a handful OK songs but nothing that really lands with me. 2.72 stars
Not familiar with Sleater Kinney but I liked what I heard. A handful of quick 2-3 minute pop punk songs with female vocals. By the end of the album it devolves a little and starts to get a little one-soundish, but it is a sound that works. Either way I give them credit for bringing something mostly unique and different to the table. One of my main takeaways was that I would like to see them live. I imagine they would put on a good show in a smaller venue. Solid entry. I'll likely check out more of S-K's stuff. 3.3 stars
My only prior tangential knowledge of Elastica was their proximity with Damon Albarn. It continues to be clear he has great taste as I enjoyed this Elastica album. Another example of some quick britpop tracks that hit the spot. Nothing too flashy but it works. 2.83 stars
Despite being a huge Zeppelin fan I've never had any prior fondness for Physical Graffiti. It was always an ignored entry that I looked upon as bloated and represented the beginning of the end for LZ. When scrolling track listings, greatest hits albums, playlists etc. there was lessrepresentation from Physical Graffiti when compared with their earlier albums so it was often overlooked on my part. I am very happy to say that this album held up much better than I remembered. While it doesn't have a huge amount of hits/singles, it is loaded with great deep cuts. Zep was firmly established in the upper pantheon of great musicians after their rise and sustained success through their first 5 albums. At this point and they were highly respected musicians and their sound had been fully developed and mastered. Disc 1 is so solid as very song is good, some of which are great. Second disc doesn't have the same luster but still has a number of tracks that I am fond of. They really lean into it in some of the longer songs. While I would often skip these (any many other longer songs) when listening on an iPod in my youth, I was glad to refamiliarize myself this time around. I've always loved Zeppelin but haven't been listening to them as often the last couple years. This definitely rekindles some of the reasons why they were my favorite band growing up. This was a really fun listen. 3.95
Surprised I had never been exposed to this band. It was a decent album for a while but it overstayed its welcome a little bit. It may be fun to throw on a handful of songs at the right event, but I don't think I need to come back to it.Kind of an odd decision to include a Christmas song in the middle of the album, but it was pleasant enough of a track to work. 2.24 stars
An all-time great album. Pearl Jam came out of the gates with Ten that is absolutely loaded front-to-back. The guitar, bass and drumwork are solid and varied throughout the album. Eddie's puts on one of the best vocal performances ever. The sound is the perfect level of grunge rock that really strikes a chord and resonates for me. I know a handful of other albums typically get the nod elsewhere (Nevermind), but this is the seminal album of the 90's for me. I pretty much love it from start to finish, and it doesn't hurt that my namesake is one of the highlights of an otherwise incredible album. 4.5 stars
Soft Cell? The Tainted Love guys? Do they have another song? Man was I wrong to overlook them. Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret was a blast from start to finish. This absolutely nail the 80's synth-pop sound. I added a handful of songs to my mix and am excited to run into them in the future. Wondering if they have more in their collection that is worth listening to. This has been the biggest surprise on the list so far for me. What a treat. 3.71 stars
Beyoncé has been touted as the biggest fucking thing for the past decade or whatever. I've steered clear as I'm not the target demographic and her press is so overblown that I'd rather just tune it out than engage. Every time she drops an album it is huge news but I've never gone out of my way to listen to any of her music. I went into this expecting it to be mediocre overproduced middle of the pack diva R&B. I figured it wouldn't be anywhere near my wheelhouse but just something I could listen to and file away as "meh". Boy was I wrong. It's more than an hour of nearly insufferable pretentious bullshit. It's track after track of her gushing about how hot, amazing and perfect she is in every single way. I'm sure there is some powerful feminine messages buried beneath the countless tracks outlining how Beyoncé is an insanely erotic and sexual specimen. 10 minutes I started to understand what this album was and had to suffer through the rest of it. I'm actually impressed at how much this annoyed me. Where I previously would have responded "not a Beyoncé fan cuz I don't know the music" I will actually now update this to "I actively dislike her music". Not sure if this is part of the schtick and yet another form of engagement for her but I will be going out of my way to turn off Beyoncé moving forward. Garbage. .58 stars
This album is kinda tricky. Is Come Away With Me anything spectacular? I don't personally think so. However, I do remember this album taking the world by storm. Don't Know Why was everywhere and Norah Jones was touted as the next big thing when this album topped the charts and collected some Grammy's. It's not something I think I need to hear before I die, but I don't think it should be ignored either. I'm a little surprised it resonated with the world as much as it did. It's not a bad album, it just seems far too mellow and jazzy to have mass appeal. It was a fine listen, but didn't move the needle much for me. I haven't thought about this album in forever and don't really have any reason to come back to it now that we are past it on the list. 2.19 stars
Another example of dated jazz blues from a bygone era. I wish there was more to this but it was mostly just an old frog woman crooning over simple piano and bass lines for 40 minutes. There are some vocal sections that I couldn't put a finger on from Nina that were somewhat compelling at the start. A couple jauntier tunes show up that I enjoyed but unfortunately it quickly goes back to slow, slow, sloooow bad lounge music especially on the back half. I wanted to like this and tried to keep an open mind but after 40 minutes I was so ready to be done with it. 1.25 stars
I recognized the first few songs which were radio/MTV hits in the early 2000's. It was a fine 15 minute opening, but the remainder of the album did little to keep me hooked. Overall Survivor didn't resonate me and did little to stand out. I'm not the demographic and this isn't a genre I listen to so its overall a forgettable listen that gets filed in the "meh" department. Not sure there's anything on here that warrants this to be included on the list. 1.9 stars
Not a bad jazz fusion album. Nothing special but far been the prior jazz entries. There are a couple of decent jams (Strength of Your Nature, Mick's Blessings) included but also a horrible spoken-word rap jazz rap track that cancels out any positive favor. My takeaway I guess is that Paul Weller is a name that I should have been familiar with since he has shown up on this list previously. I'm not going to delve into his other work but I guess I can sound sophisticated by dropping his name into a music conversation moving forward. 2.01 stars
I've always enjoyed Peter Gabriel's voice and sound so I was excited to delve into this earlier album and I was not disappointed. It's got a good mix of diverse sounds that mostly work. Nothing spectacular, but a pretty good album overall. I expect PG will show up again on this list and I will be glad to give any of his other albums a listen. 3.06 stars
Birth Of The Cool is a fine look at a some classic jazz from a bygone era. I can respect Miles Davis and recognize his part in music history, so this album deserves to be on the list, it's just not something that I want to spend any extended time with. There's unquestionably some great trumpet playing on this album, but after a couple songs I don't want to hear any more. This is best served as background music at theme park or elsewhere in small doses. 1.69
This actually wasn't a bad live album. I went in with low expectations and was greeted with a couple short blues songs. Nothing special, but not something I was tired of by the end of it. Slightly better than some the other 1960s fare on the list. 1.75 stars
Pretty cool little hidden gem. Didn't know what to expect but it wasn't this coming out of 1966. Despite some very basic drum beats it's got some really unique sounds. The more I listened to it the more I got into it. Wish it was on Spotify because I may have revisited this at some point, but unfortunately it looks like its going to remain as a lost/forgotten classic. Gotta love the name The Monks 2.84 stars
I wouldn't consider myself a rap fan but I was surprised how much I enjoyed this. Ghostface is a little manic but it kinda works. I enjoyed the collaboration with the rest of the Wu Tang clan when they appeared on tracks. 2.68 stars
My lord this album was so boring. Whether artists were talented or the lyrics were interesting didn't matter as after a couple songs I was completely checked out and couldn't wait for this to be over. I'm not sure why this makes the list as it sounded like so much other mundane coffee shop soft rock I've heard elsewhere. I would use this to put my infant child to sleep but honestly I don't ever want to listen to this again. I have no reason I needed to hear this before I die. Skip. 0.4 stars
This is a difficult one. This album was huge and has always been a critical darling. It includes are a couple of huge hit songs that have remained in the zeitgeist (even more so now with the recent Oasis reunion). It is one of those albums that is bigger than itself due to all of the lore and history from the band's overall arc. I was surprised by how underwhelmed I was on this re-listen. It's got a couple hits and then is filled with a lot of good-to-OK songs. Overall it doesn't have many weak points, but the middle of the album is kinda filler. By no means is it a bad album, but I can't put it anywhere near the top of the list. It's solid for sure, but I doesn't hit that upper tier despite some of its lasting impact for me. 3.64 stars
It's hard to imagine Willie Nelson as a young man in any way. He's been an old stoner for as long as I can remember, and while he is associated with music he has been represented more as an icon of past years than a relevant musician during my life. While I'm not upset to hear an old Willie Nelson album there's really nothing here for me. It's a handful of very short, relatively slow blues country songs, none of which stay with me after a listen. I imagine I could listen any of the many albums in his collection and lump them together as skippable. I don't identify with this genre in any way so overall its just a skip from me. 1.3 stars
While I would gladly skip this entry I enjoyed it more than the prior Sepultura album. A little more grounded with seemingly less demon wretch (though still a healthy amount). I'm not really into thrash/death metal but I guess if I had to point to an album this is probably the best representation I can think of. It's got a lot of the standard earmarks I would associate with a down-the-middle death metal act as far as I can tell and was overall not the worst listen. While speed metal artists are admittedly very skilled, I find it hard to differentiate between the various songs. They all appear to follow a pretty similar structure with limited variance between the drums, riffs, and over the top lyrics. More power to you if this is what floats your boat. For me, it's fine in very small doses but I just don't feel like I'm missing anything by passing on this genre for the most part. Not sure why Sepultura gets more than 1 album on here but evidently I needed to hear them again before I die. 1.66 stars
Not sure what to make of this. At times its a fun romp with some weird alt-punk sounds. At other times it devolves into obnoxious vuvuzelas, honking and the ramblings of a seemingly drunk madman. For a 3- minute listen you can do a lot worse with some of the other garbage on the list. Not recommended but also not mad about it. 1.5 stars
This was a surprise. Brazilian electronic bossa nova? I went in with low expectations and was very pleased that I was greeted with a pretty solid album album. Not something I'll listen to regularly but there is definitely a time and place for this. Much of the sounds and vocals are quite pleasant. I actually enjoyed a couple songs enough to throw them into my random list. Great choice as I can't imagine I would ever have run into this otherwise. This could end up as one of the biggest surprise tidbits to take out of the 1001 when all is said and done. 2.71 stars
Have been looking forward to this album. Did not disappoint. Strong from front to back. It deserves all the accolades and praise it has received over the years. Deservedly should be in the conversation for one of the best albums of all time. Backstory and turmoil from the band at the time only increase its legacy. There are only a few albums in history that exceed this album so I wouldn't fault anyone giving this a 5 rating. 4.65 stars
Jagged Little Pill was deservedly a huge album as it loaded with hits, many of which I still turn to today. Alanis's best work, not sure she ever got close to this again. I have so many fond memories of this album from release through current day. I'll shamelessly belt out many of the sneaky bangers from this album any time. 3.9 stars
Pretty slick entry. Maybe not the best album but I can appreciate the long jams that bookend a pretty fun 35 minute album. Hard not to get behind a band called Funkadelic that seems to just want to get together and have fun making music. Love seeing Bernie Worrell of Talking Heads (and elsewhere) pop up as a band member. 2.89 stars
I had more fun with this than expected. I'm not really a Johnny Cash fan, but there is something endearing about a guy going on stage at a prison just to have fun and entertain some inmates. He plays a handful of the classics and does enough light crowd work to make it an entertaining listen. I won't put Johnny Cash on in my free time, but I can understand why this is on the list. It's a little unfortunate we got two Johnny Cash prison albums so close together as it would have been nice to break them up and it's possible I would have appreciated this more to hear it further down the line. 2.57 stars
This album ran the gamut for me. Parts of it were irritating and pretentious. Other songs had a cool indie sound that I vibed with. I feel like Dirty Projectors is an offbeat artist that should resonate with me and that I should have liked this more than I did. I should have liked this more than I did. Maybe I was in a bad mood or something. Might have to give these guys another shot. 2.41 stars
Unfortunately the second Willie Nelson album in two weeks. This is in line with the prior album. It's not bad by any means but doesn't move the needle for me at all. Really slow light country songs are made for someone but its not me. Nothing against Willie but two albums was all I need for the next 10 years. 1.30 stars
It's got a lot of the signature Jeff Lynne ELO sound that I enjoy but I don't need 70 mins of it. This would be better served as a tighter single album. Trim a bit of the fat and it would be a really strong entry. As it is, its still a good album, just a little bloated. Despite the complexity of album some of the songs start to sound the same after a while. As much as I'm a fan of ELO I mostly stick to the greatest hits, but this is still a solid entry deserving of the 1001. 3.02 stars
Credit to Sade on a pretty great debut album. It opens with a very strong 3-fer and while the rest of the album isn't as good it is still a solid listen. There's something very pleasant about the backing band's smooth bass and sax accompaniment. This album must have been on in our house a lot as a youth because a couple of these songs lived deep within my psyche despite not recognizing the names. 3.63 stars
This British rap is somewhat endearing for a couple of songs, but I'm not sure it holds up over an entire album. It's kinda cheesy but not too bad. Not sure about the post-song conversations/sketches needed to be left in though. This was kinda like the best version of when a random rapper on the streets of Las Vegas hands you his album. It's kinda stupid, but a little bit fun every now and then but not something I would recommend or plan to revisit. 1.98 stars
I'm sure this was a hell of a show back in 1956, but not much translates through when listening to the album version. It's 40 minutes of big band jazz that does very little to differentiate itself to the untrained ear for me. Duke is a legend from way back so I'm sure he deserves this entry on the list for historical reasons but I'm sure I could never hear any more of his work without issue. 1.39 stars
I enjoyed it more than the prior Stevie Wonder albums. I'm not sure if that is saying a lot or a little. It's a very approachable album that has the right mix of Stevie's juice for it to work. I wouldn't consider myself a big Stevie Wonder fan but after some representation on this list I can see how he is a huge cultural icon. He is a solid songwriter and does a lot of the right things to keep a solid fan base satisfied. 2.70 stars
Can't say I've ever listed to something like this before and don't imagine I will again in the future. I can't speak to anything about the skill or composition because it all starts to run together after an hour but its clear that Keith Jarrett is a skilled pianist. I guess I'm impressed that someone was able to string together 60+ minutes of unaccompanied piano and keep me (relatively) interested. There's been a lot worse on this list in a multitude of genres. At least I can understand without scratching my head as to why that this is a guy improvising on a piano for an hour whether you like it or not. If this is your thing I'm sure it's an impressive concert but it's not for me beyond a few minutes. 1.45 stars
Woof. Didn't think this would be so bad as it got started but this was a tough listen. I didn't find anything notable in this album as I wasn't impressed with the vocals nor the backing band. Felt like it was almost the same song 10 times in a row, which I didn't enjoy the first time through. This was a tough 45 minutes. .52 stars
Overall a mixed bag and pretty "meh". It wasn't actively bad but I can't say I liked it either. Pretty forgettable once it finished up. 1.59 stars
The lineup of artists involved in this is certainly intriguing, however it really failed to stick the landing. It's an eclectic mix of showtunes, art rock, experimental noise and skippable bullshit. Seems like it could/should have been something more with all the collaboration involved but instead it deservedly ended up as a forgotten project that probably shouldn't be bothered with. 1.31 stars
This was a very peculiar album but rather enjoyable. Wasn't sure what to expect from Icelandic dream pop but I was pleasantly surprised. The soft notes bring a sense of calm. While I'd like to know what the lyrics say, the fact that they are in another language makes the whole album very soothing and a little transcendental. There's something compelling about the album but I'm not sure what it is. It worked as good background while working for the time being. It's a little too long of an album but my curiosity is piqued to delve into Sigur Ros at another time. They sound almost like a foreign Radiohead pastiche. Great entry for the 1001 as I've never heard of this otherwise. 3.19 stars
Beck brings a creativity and diversity in his music that is effective and rarely emulated elsewhere. Guero is a fantastic return to his prior style and hits it out of the park. The opening 3 songs pack an incredible punch, but it remains a very solid album from front to back otherwise. Easily deserving of the list, and I expect to see other Beck entries in the future. In the wise words of Bender Bending Rodriguez, Beck is a musician-poet who transcends genres even as he re-invents them. Beck is one of the best working musicians of the past 30 years and I'll support his work as long as his career continues to evolve. 4.21 stars
I can't imagine many people expected Bowie had much left in the tank after a notorious lifetime of the rock star lifestyle and ongoing heart problems after a retreat from the public eye. I went in with admittedly low expectations and was treated to a relatively middle of the road album. It's really nothing special and doesn't do anything flashy. Bowie has clearly aged and doesn't have a lot of his Bowie flair that made him stand out and so special through his career. The best case I can argue for The Next Day is that it is consistently mediocre with little to no high or low points. I guess that is an accomplishment as this very easily could have been a huge miss after a long hiatus away from music for an aging rock star. Bowie is bigger than his music at this point and while I'll always be a fan I don't have much attachment to the end of his career. 2.14 stars
I'm a big fan of Beck but this one is a little too sappy and melodramatic for me. It lacks so much of his unique creativity that sets his music apart from any other artist. It's clear that a lot of this was written from a place of pain and despair as it doesn't sound like Beck is having fun at any point on this album. In a vacuum Sea Change is a pretty good album, its just my least preferred version of Beck. I much prefer when he is integrating strange sounds and cryptic lyrics in an alt-pop rock style. I can see how it could be a critical darling, but for me it gets shelved as there are so many other Beck albums I'll reach for before Sea Change. I can take it or leave it personally. 2.59 stars
Nas and his featured artists consistently have good flow with some decent lyrics accompanied by relatively simple production. The songs are pretty straightforward and consumable. The one knock I have is that everything started to sound the same by the end of it. The songs all have similar structure with basic beats and little variance to the hook so they start to run into each other. Illmatic is a pretty good album but I'm wondering why this is held in such high regard instead of just another run of the mill debut album from a NY rapper. Maybe it hit at the right time or represented NYC in a way that I'm not aware of. Either way, decent album just didn't stand out as a landmark album to me in any way. 2.85 stars
Abbey Road is a tough album to review. On the one hand its discussed as one of the greatest works from a band that was the biggest thing on the planet at the time. It features one of the most iconic albums covers ever and is sprinkled with a couple of all time hits that have become anthems bigger than the album itself. On the other hand I don't think it is The Beatles best work. It is a hodgepodge of a variety of styles and a handful of the songs are pretty forgettable, especially when lined up against the remainder of The Beatles catalog. Context is key here and while I still think it is a good album, it doesn't wow me the way many of their other albums do. It's still a very strong album and its hard to knock it simply because some of The Beatles other work surpasses it though. 3.62 stars
I remember the news of Blackstar's release and Bowie's subsequent death. I had low expectations that Bowie could still assemble a decent album in the last days while fighting illness. I was surprised how competent Blackstar was on this listen. Admittedly, the backing band is doing the majority of the heavy lifting as they bring in some funk that hits with more impact than Bowie's vocals. It's not an amazing album but certainly an appreciated parting gift from Mr. Bowie. Tragic loss to the music world, and even if it isn't something I'll return to often Blackstar was a great swan song on his way out. Final track I Can't Give Everything Away was a fantastic closer to a legendary career. 2.33 stars
While I'm only familiar with a handful of his hits, James Brown is an icon of stage presence and performance showmanship. Unfortunately a lot of that doesn't translate through on an album, especially this selection from his early career. Overall it wasn't 30 minutes wasted, but I'm scratching my head as to why I needed to hear this before I die. I think my time would have been better spent watching some performances of James Brown on Youtube. This albums really seems like a "you had to be there". 1.86 stars