Great lyrics, sunny vibe but kinda works in winter, world music influence is pretty cool and makes it stand apart
I think i might have this album on CD but don't remember it. Listening while cleaning up/ laying down.
Production on first track is so crisp.
Not expecting trip-hop reggae on second track but I'm here for it
Like that the third track is called three. Not sure about the dude repeating "three" in the background though.
Fourth track piano is gorgeous. Love that the album keeps throwing new things out there but they don't overstay their welcome.
Fifth track goes back to reggae, not as novel or good as 2nd.
Sixth track is back to business. What a groove. Inspiration for beats.
Seventh is even better beat. Whole song is a mood. Maybe the best so far.
Ok now we're starting to sound like a Metroid Prime level. Which is a good thing. Vocals on Eight are interesting.
Nine feels like a combo of all the cool stuff (minus the reggae) they did up to this point. Piano and strings with more in your face electronic production. Breathing sound is weird in a good way.
Not sure how I feel about a live version of The Doors to close out the album but we'll see... yeah not really a fan. Doesn't sound so good compared to how clean the rest of the album sounds. Kinda an epilogue I guess but I'm not into it being part of the album. Also cracking up at the idea of a similar band covering The Doors in 2024.
Overall, an amazing experience that feels like it was pushing boundaries in almost every track, even if there were a color missteps along the way.
Revisiting Highway 61 Revisited.
Listening while driving from Rochester to Ypsilanti for the U of M National Championship game.
Don't remember it sounding so good and full and lush. I've always loved the rhyme scheme in Like A Rolling Stone and it's still so good. Excited just for the lyrics on this album.
Crunchy guitar and bass and organ are cool, but I know they were crazy when it came out. Can't imagine this song without em.
5/5 so far, but Balled of a Thin Man absolutely fucks.
Finished, clear 5/5.
Positives: oh so many
It's hard to judge how a almost 60 year old album sounded when it came out, but man this album sounds so good.
It feels like it innovated on everything that came before and influenced everything that came after.
Lyrics, sounds, style, sequencing, just so good
Rhyme scheme from Like a Rolling Stone comes back a few times and is anyways good. Lyrics and delivery are just so engaging.
Bob shreds on the harmonica
Negatives: some songs are a little long (though they never drag)
Some of the harmonica is mixed a little harsh
Don't know what to expect with this one, I know like one Moby song and then jokes on Community and HIMYM
Listening in two parts, first on the way home from the office in Novi.
Was not ready for the first song, pretty weird but not too out there.
Ok, so it's kinda bluesy? But with a beat. Songs repeat a lot, harder to engage with after Bob Dylan yesterday.
Feels very 1999 but not necessarily in a bad way.
All of these songs sound like they belong on a soundtrack and I guess they all got licensed out for shows and movies and such.
Instrumentation is very good, arrangements are very nice.
Second half doing dishes at night
Run On is one of the strangest covers I've heard in a bit. I kinda love it but my version would be so different.
Things are getting a bit less dynamic, I feel like this album isn't the strongest being played front to back.
Everloving is solid though. Came on right when I was feeling not so great about the second half.
Ok, so I'm not the best at giving low scores. I am much better at seeing good stuff and overlooking bad stuff. Against an average album this is pretty good. And I see why it's so influential.
I think the album itself is not that strong as a whole (no idea of it was meant to be) I'm gonna go 2/5 just because I'm feeling it and I don't know how many scores I'll give out below a 3.
Positives: there are a lot! Some great individual tracks, and even more interesting ideas. It sounds really good, and there's a great mix of a huge variety of sounds to enjoy. Very fun to listen to and keeps you guessing.
Negatives: I still can't shake that most songs sound like they were written for a movie or game soundtrack. A lot of meandering tracks, and not enough connective tissue between the variety of ideas. Pretty front loaded as well. May go back to a few of the tracks, but I can't see myself putting it on front to back anytime soon. Doesn't help that I just listened to Massive Attack and Bob Dylan and those left such a strong impression. I still think it deserves a place on this list, but against some of the best albums of all time it doesn't hit me the same way.
Literally know nothing about this album, artist, or any songs. No idea what is going to sound like, but I'm guessing it fits into the nebulous 'world music' genre.
Ok, guitar riff is great, very cool groove.
Lyrics are not in English, but the singing is good. I'm guessing Portuguese?
Very fun and bright. Lots of sounds I'm not familiar with. Doesn't sit in any one genre, just kinda goes where it wants to.
O Plebeau is really fun, then Taj Mahal is fun in a very different (but still upbeat and fun!) way
A lot of the sounds in the background remind me of gyroids from Animal Crossing. Which is the best example of my unfamiliarity with music in this vein.
This was definitely an "Expanding my musical horizons" album, and I kinda loved it. I don't know much about samba and should really go back and listen to some of his earlier stuff, but throwing it in with funk is very cool. I could see myself coming back to it and diving in deeper.
Excited for this one, I've been thinking I should get more familiar with Sir Paul's non-Beatles stuff.
Listening to album in two parts going to and from an appointment
Band on the Run is the only track I really know. But it's sooo good.
Love the riff on Let Me Roll It. Guitar outro on No Words needs to go on longer.
Positives: songs are constructed so well, McCartney has such a knack for surprising you with little choices he makes (not just on this album but very present here) love that many songs have such a variety of parts that work together so well. A crazy "pop" album that walls a thin line of experimentation and being fun to listen to
Negatives: feels a bit uneven at times, not all the adventurous parts hit the same way. Band on the Run is the best track, and it loses a bit of momentum after Jet. Not always a fan of how the vocals are mixed in.
Very excited, Led Zepp is the best. I've listened to this album quite a few times, but it's been a sec since it's length is a bit intimidating.
Listening while waking in a snow storm (maybe not the best vibe for the album but we'll see)
Just kidding, stopped and put on Bjork's Vespertine instead (which was a good decision)
Listened on Saturday while running around (literally) at Walmart and outside.
So much to love, but I'll keep it brief. It feels like they just let loose with ideas on this album, because they were Led Fucking Zeppelin and who was going to tell them no. 82 minutes is very long, and lots of the songs are indulgent, but that's part of the charm. Reminds me a bit of the White Album, though it's a little less varied but more focused. I don't think it's going to knock off IV or Houses of the Holy as my favorite Led Zepp albums, but a great one to go to when I just want over an hour of Top tier rock tunes. Jimmy Page is also the man. Only negatives really are that is not always focused and the songs aren't all the same quality, but when you have Kashmir and Trampled Under Foot on a 15 track record, that's not too surprising.
🤩 just giving me absolute bangers.
Definitely the album I'm most familiar with so far. But it absolutely deserves to be here. It's fun, sexy, impactful, and when you start picking it apart it holds so much depth and complexity. Prince really wrote the book on music that you could both dance and rock out to, and this is chapter 1.
I hate this album cover, and I've made fun of it before. I do like the music I've heard from The Eels (though I don't remember much) so this should be interesting.
WOW these are some 90s lyrics. Which I'm here for. This first track is pretty fun and creative.
Glad to see a Shrek song made it on the list on the off chance Smashmouth isn't on here.
This feels like such a distillation of 90s music. The sound, lyrics, themes, attitude, and of course the album cover. I'm into, but not as much as I maybe would expect to be? We'll see. Just finished Mental.
Fun album, but don't know if I'll go back to it soon. Maybe the art made a bad impression and maybe I've listened to too many 90s albums, but it seems like the most 1996 album I've ever heard and that's both a good and a bad thing.
Only heard of this album, didn't know what to expect. It's very fun, very eclectic and well crafted. Recognized more songs than I thought I would. Good time and I can imagine this hitting hard in 1971. Coconut is also just a wild and goofy track but just try to not enjoy it.
Here's where this whole thing gets interesting. I think it's very important for any list of music and albums to have variety, especially something as broad as 1001 albums to hear before you die. There's plenty of music that's not in English or from a genre that doesn't have wide commercial appeal that deserves to be heard by music lovers. But how can I compare something like this to, say, Purple Rain or Physical Graffiti? How can I rate it on the same scale?
There's a lot to like about this album from the start. I love stringed instruments, and guess what, there's lots of great stringed instrument parts here. The songs are upbeat for the most part, but also have an intentionally repetitive nature that doesn't fit with a lot of popular music. I found myself looking it less as it went on just because I have so much less experience for what I'm hearing.
I know Ry Cooder is a rock guy and it's cool that he's on here, but it seems to veer pretty far into some areas I just don't know enough about. The songs I like are really fantastic, but there's enough long pieces that don't go anywhere that really make me question whether it's my own inexperience with this kind of music, or of these songs are very all over the place.
To wrap up, I'm going to rate this album, but I'm less confident in my rating than usual. Maybe I'll come back here after I do a little bit of research, but for now this seems uneven with some very high points but also some significant lows
Was ready for some 90s rock, but this went above expectations. First two songs are in 7/4 and 5/4 which was a nice surprise. The style is interesting with the lyrics usually being more of a story told in a speaking voice underneath the music. Loud soft dynamic is cool, and I can see how this would be influential. Definitely benefits from listening with headphones.
The album doesn't overstay its welcome, but it does drag a bit at times, and it's bookended by the best tracks.
Familiar with this album and seen them live. That being said, I think I appreciate what they're doing more than I am enjoying it at times. I'll probably go back to get more of the electronic textures. Listened while driving around with Mia so I wasn't listening as close as usual. Still had a lot of tracks that just grabbed me, but also quite a few I couldn't really hone in on.
More Prince, but that's a good thing. He could honestly have like 5 albums on here and it wouldn't seem out of place.
There's some funny similarities with this and Physical Graffiti. I got both on a snowy Friday, and they don't exactly fit the weather, but are still excellent listens. Both are around 80 minutes, and probably the second or third most famous album by S tier artists. Both have a variety of songs but also just go hard the whole time.
I'll still never be into the random talking at certain points, but these songs are so upbeat, fun, and energizing rare is hard to not have a great time listening.
Never heard of this album but... the first song is sooooo cool.
Whole album is great, there should be more albums that sound like this. Has a swagger and attitude, but also shows a lot of creativity and vision. Very enjoyable and I'll probably check out more of their stuff.
Lot of fun to listen to this, should have heard it sooner. I think this is one of those albums that is pretty foundational but doesn't hot the way it did when it was released. Parts of it hold up, but I think you have to put yourself in the mindset of someone from the early 70s to really get why it's great. It's not easy to do, and as a result it doesn't hold up in the same way other classic albums from this era do.
That being said, it is a great time and has so much energy. It sounds like everyone involved was having the time of their life. The sound is a little rough at times but bursting with personality.
Not as much to say on this one. Some great jazz pieces and a good bit of blues thrown in. I don't know jazz history very well, but I would imagine this album has a place in it. Instrumentation is bright and cheery, but also laid back and playful. Doesn't seem as groundbreaking as some other jazz records to me at least, but I'm sure we'll get there.
Bonus points for having songs named Back at the Chicken Shack and Messy Bessie.
Gotta love anything that starts off with the classic Playstation opening sound.
But really, this album is just fantastic and I'm really not into R&B. It's got a strong identity, and every sound feels like it was included on purpose. It never too much, and knows when to pull back or go hard. The mood is perfectly curated, and the lyrics (though not always my style) hit when they need to. Also references to video games and anime while also being heartfelt and soulful is a combo that shouldn't work this well. Final note, the features are so good, and provide just the right splash of color. There's so much about this album that I normally wouldn't be into, but it just works for me here. I've listened before but appreciate it much more now.
At some point I gotta stop diving in so deep into these, and that might be here. I only got through it once and wasn't as focused as I want to be. That's OK.
The album itself was fun, I do love me some early punk and I'm assuming this is pretty foundational. I think the length and lack of cohesion put me off a bit. Some tracks are so strong and others are just there. Maybe another listen would give some more context, but I don't have time for that.
Elvis Costello can craft a song. These tracks all sound so great and have so much love to them. They have great hooks but aren't too hooky. The lyrics are insightful but not preachy. And he delivers everything with just enough attitude and detachment that you can't help but be caught up in the music the whole time. I think there's less standout tracks than other albums of his, but that may be because the album as a whole is that strong.
I find this album almost impossible to fairly rate. How do you put a score on the swan song of the most iconic artist of the 90s? Knowing any bit of context about this album makes it pretty impossible to listen objectively.
That being said, it does feel like this album deserves every bit of it's legendary status on the music alone, even if you try to ignore the shadow of Kurt Cobain's death. The performances are nearly perfect, walking the line between accessible and subversive (which to be fair is a line that Nirvana could walk in a way few others could). What really sticks out are the song choices. Yes, there's a lot of tracks that even a casual fan can pick out immediately, yet some of the most recognizable tracks (Teen Spirit especially) are nowhere to be seen. Also the abundance of covers probably threw off some people upon release, but really help this to feel like an essential Nirvana album instead of your favorite tracks on acoustic guitar. Lastly, there's so much personality in the arrangements and banter between songs. Kurt has to be one of the most darkly comedic artists in popular music, and this is a great example. I still don't think a straight rating is really fair, but I have talked myself into an easy 5 and we'll let it rest there.
I'm a bit behind so we'll keep this brief. Lana does so much to separate herself from her contemporaries. This album is more stripped back, but feels like she is showing why she is the best at what she does. From wispy vocals to unique lyrical phrasing and back to cultivating get specific aesthetic, she doesn't miss.
I dunno, I see why ABBA is so iconic, but even on this album it can come off a little saccharine. Everything's good here, I just doing know if I'm about a full ABBA album at this point.
Love some classic funk, although I think I prefer other Sly albums I've heard. When this album is on its really on, and Stand! It's a great way to start. It does get pretty unfocused at points and kind of meanders. Also a lot of not PC lyrics, but hey it was the 60s.
I enjoyed listening to this a lot, but kinda like MC5, I think you need to listen some context. There's not a ton of instrumentation at times, but what's there hits pretty hard. Glad I have this on vinyl though.
Aretha uses her voice in ways basically no one ends did or can currently. There's a reason she's so highly regarded, and this is a great display of her ability. Unlike some of these, this is a classic that holds up because her voice will never be anything less than incredible.
I love Steely Dan, and obviously Donald Fagan can write some incredible songs. I sometimes have trouble with solo records though, and I can miss the contributions of the other band members instead of appreciating the individual ability of the solo artist. This album has a bit of both, where I am appreciating Fagan's songs half the time and missing Walter Becker the other half. There's some incredible parts here, but I don't think it reaches the heights of Steely Dan as a whole.
A lot going on, it can feel meandering at times, but that kinda seems like the point. Some really cool sounds and ideas that I could see connecting with more when I'm in a certain mood.
Albums like this are why I wanted to to through this list in the first place. I don't think I would ever find this on my own, but I love it and can't wait to listen again.
The energy and joyous performances hit you right in the face, but the vocals and lyrics also hit you in the face for a competent different reason. I'm sold and I want to drive more into Femi's stuff now.
Well done, but not exactly my cup of tea. There's other stuff like this I've heard that works much better for me.
Love it, although I do think there's a reason these guys didn't react the same level of popularity as the big 4. But there's something very raw and uncompromising that's a positive for grunge fans that was probably a turn off for more casual 90s listeners.
Just a great album, and gets better and better the more times you listen.
Really great sound and blend of old and new aesthetic. Also her voice is obviously a huge draw. I don't think I'm about the a lot of the lyrics though, and I think I was waiting for more of something. Still a good experience to listen to it.
This bring me back to high school art class. The production is great and the song design is top notch. I'm not a into some of the extended parts and it can make it hard to focus on three music at times.
This used to be my favorite Radiohead album and I still think it's their most underrated. It's less focused than their best works, but that's kinda fun and it's almost nice to have the musical themes be somewhat looser. Hot take: Pyramid Song is a top 5 Radiohead track. I think objectively this is a weaker album than other Radiohead albums that might be on this list, but that doesn't mean it's still not one of the best albums of the 21st century.
I've only listened to Pink Moon up to this point, but I think I like this even better. It's more upbeat and bright, but still has a lot of great lines and melodies. Also, the jazz influence elevates the album and gives it so much flavor and variety. It's the folk/jazz combo I never knew I needed.
I was into this one, but not quite as much as Protection. Still had some incredible tracks though.
This is a weird one to listen to and read about. First track going into the second track is a wild time if you don't know what's coming next. As a whole though, it's a fun listen. I'm not really sure what Malcolm Maclaren's role in this whole thing is, but the end result is interesting and a cool intersection of early hip-hop and "world music".
Dinosaur Jr. Is cool. This album is cool. I like guitar rock and this album is just very very good guitar rock.
It's all here. The tone, the lyrics, the moral panic. This is arguably the first metal album, but I really was surprised by it actually sounding like a metal album. Of course metal would evolve, but the roots are here and they sound great. The harmonica was a little much though.
I don't think this album was really for me. Pop as a genre is the most vulnerable to changing trends and sounding outdated in a bad way. I was hoping to get a glimpse of the pop landscape around this album, and while that did happen, I just didn't find it very enjoyable. I still need to listen to more Madonna, but I think I'll look at some of her other stuff before I revisit this.
Lots of the Elvis Costello charm, but didn't hit me in the same way as Armed Forces.
Nice hearing some earlier ska. Some very cool parts and also some things I'm not into as much
Love the energy, attitude, instruments, and the album as a whole. A little stronger at the start, but a great time. I listened to it twice in a row.
Love the funk parts, not as into it when it shows down. So very good on those songs, but just not as strong.
Never heard Faces, not huge on Rod Stewart's solo stuff, but I like this more. Loose rock and roll, a good vibe.
Listening to Morrissey is like wanting to give someone a hug and punch then in the face at the same time.
Four Stars.
Gotta love the variety here. The songs are so different but work together pretty well. It's unavoidable that some will be much better than others, but it's an enjoyable listen. I think they balance out quality and variety a bit better on some later albums, but it's kinda crazy that the first release for this project is so good.
This album is a journey in the way few others are. They're so much emotional depth and wild ideas being thrown around. I absolutely understand people who say it's too long, can't deal with Billy's voice, etc. But for me this is peak alternative rock and maybe the magnum opus for the genre in the 90s.
