Discovering albums like this are what this project is all about. Somehow never heard any of these songs but liked it. Definitely a more classic hard rock sound than some of their later more famous stuff. You can still see the theatricality, particularly in the march of the black queen.
A fun listen, only song I knew was smoke in the water but I actually liked the other songs more, as well as the extended jamming. A good example of how rating these albums can kind of be apples and oranges, and you would rate a live album in a different criteria than you’d rate a studio album you’ve heard many times.
what in the fuck did i just listen to. absolute trash. Avant-garde art experiment masquerading as "music"
I'm not an active jazz fan as much as I like using it as background music for a vibe. However, with two recognizable songs "Blue Rondo a la Turk" and "Take Five", interesting time signatures, and an accessible cool jazz sound, this album stands out among the nameless shuffled playlists. I was shocked to see it was from the 50s, I guess jazz doesn't show its age as much as pop/rock. Also enjoyed the fun fact of the melody of "Kathy's Waltz" inspiring the Beatles' "All My Loving"
Atmospheric, eerie, cinematic, almost lo-fi production. His flow is nice. I like it as background music, but that's a backhanded compliment in this context. Despite everyone gushing about his lyrics, I can't help but find them boring and repetitive. Similar feeling to what I had for Illmatic. I just can't possibly relate to anything he is rapping about. This sounds naive, but plenty of other more pop-savvy rappers can make similar topics more catchy or fun enough for me to enjoy. I've never really gravitated to these East Coast technical "street cred" rappers like the Wu-tang Clan or Nas, but rather ones that make hip-hop accessible, like Jay-Z or Biggie. I wish I did, and maybe this project will eventually lead me to a greater appreciation, but sadly not as of now. Also, rap skits always suck.
first one?
Like the prog rock
Background music. Interesting story (cautionary tales podcast)
Simple rock done well. Lots of recognizable hits. I probably would have rated it 3 or 4 stars when I was 18-20 but today I can’t actually picture myself putting this on when so much more interesting music exists. I guess a good album to have to put on when entertaining a bland boomer/ conservative crowd.
I appreciate it more than I like listening to it. The genre pivot / reinvention. Definite vibes of the late 90s/ matrix era. Sounds/ songs that have been buried deep within my brain that I recognize but would never pick out.
I had missed this one originally and finally got around to listening to it. I wish I hadn’t.
I like chuck d’s flow & delivery. While I respect the groundbreaking status of the album and what the political lyrics might mean to some, I can’t say I actually enjoyed listening to it. Probably would be a 2 ⭐️ if it weren’t for that talentless hack flava flav interjecting his annoying “yeah boiii”s enough that it made me want to turn it off.
proto - daft punk-y
More of a novelty / snapshot in time / historical piece than something I'd want to actively re-listen to (besides Folsom Prison Blues). Might be OK to put on for old-timey, western, "Better Call Saul" vibes.
a boring version of oasis. too long. Like caleb said, a sound of the late 90s that stayed there for a reason. at least it has "bittersweet symphony"? "come on" actually had some energy, they should have brought that to the rest of the album
I guess there’s little I “hate” bc I didn’t mind listening to the experimental sound but I’d be kidding myself if I would actually ever put this on in any scenario. Part ambient elevator music and part experimental rock
Never heard of it before (Steve Winwood's band) and not sure if I'll remember it but i liked the prog-rock/ jazz/ blues sound
recently rediscovered the album on a reddit post of albums with no skips and i agree with the assessment. Catchy hooks and guitar riffs combined with new wave synths.
Has that classic metal sound. Good instrumentals. I like songs from other metal bands better (Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath) but I can respek
Fine but not essential. Probably didn’t need to be on this list.
Sounded good, don’t know if I’d seek it out?
good "poet", cool voice, nice listen. Not a lot of focus on hooks or melodies. voice can get annoying after awhile. "raised on robbery" is fun
Never heard of this guy before but I liked it. As some said, vaguely OC / death cab sounding. The wiki said he was in inspo for boygenius members and I hear that
we don't need no thought control
old lady music (carly probably loves it)
Grungey, boring, kind of dissonant. guy's delivery sounded a bit like nine inch nails?
Going in, one of my favorites. Love the beats and the energy and ridiculousness of his lyrics, Although the main ding on this album is it’s probably a tough listen around non-Eminem fans so you can’t just throw it on in any situation. I Should also probably leave room to grow for MMLP
Top tier hip hop boosted by recognizable singles. Love the cool sound and the blend of styles. Everyone vibed in the car on the way to ski at palisades. Shae wanted me to put in the record that he would also rate this highly although he will not be filling out a ballot. I wonder if I wouldn’t rate this a 5 if I had grown up listening to the whole album more.
Good hip hop vibin music
Perfect for carly's birthday. Thank god this is the last dusty trombone album we will have to listen to. At least this one had "son of a preacher man". i think i don't really like this older blue-eyed soul bc it comes off as corny when white people do it. I do kind of see the influence of this kind of stuff on someone like Adele or Amy Winehouse (per the wikipedia page)
Boring uninspired generic hair metal/ glam rock: a genre I realized I hated by always being repulsed by the Sirius xm channel.
Immediate take is that it sounded like the Rolling Stones. Was validated when I read the Wikipedia summary. Mick Jagger said it's a better version of Sticky fingers and I hear it. For a band and songs I've never heard of I really liked it. The album-based recommended radio that came on after was also a good listen; I like whatever this genre is.
I respect prince's talent and output more than actually enjoy the songs themselves. Maybe would change with some more familiarity though.
cool foreign sounds to mix things up from western music, but probably mostly a novelty for me
Liked it but wouldn’t be able to differentiate it from any other decent reggae album. Probably would change if i was more familiar with reggae than just putting it on for vibes.
Good jammy music, a bit weird. i like the bluesy "willie the pimp"
Beatles-y
Not a great singer but great songwriter
Good production. higher ground is a great song.
Discordant noise
Not bad, a bit Whiny Radiohead -esque. Interesting to hear the rest of a style of “hallelujah”
Prototypical classic / dad rock. Def didn’t hate it but wouldn’t seek it out.
Nostalgically quaint
I like the chill trip hop beats and sounds especially for background music. cool to see the lineage to the Madonna album we listened to (ray of light), the matrix, gorillas, and Born to Die by Lana del Rey, etc.
The sound of the late 90s, and quintessential Max Martin. While the hits still get played (overplayed by the nostalgia junkies IMO) the middle and back songs aren’t very good at all. To have not heard the album for 20+ years but still recognizing these trash songs shows how much we must have listened to this CD in formative years . Provides good album ratings debate on how to factor in: -familiarity/fondness/cultural impact -album consistency (highs vs lows) -music quality in a vacuum
While I find Coldplay pretty “meh” I don’t see how they can invoke such strong feelings either positive or negative. After listening to this album i couldn’t help but wonder if this music was some unknown artist (like Elliot smith) if we wouldn’t be more generous to our takes and say something like “oh that was pleasant”. However, the album radio afterwords put on similar songs that were actually enjoyable which kind of proves the “Coldplay is boring” take. I am now curious what specifically it is sonically about their music that makes it so mid at best
Long but pleasant? Probably need to listen to it again since I wasn’t paying that much attention
You don’t know me. You’re too old. Let go, It’s over. Nobody listens to techno. But actually pretty good tbh
Pleasant listen. His instrumentals are more country sounding than I realized even though his voice is distinctly Neil young and not country
Chill. I recognized the one song, probably from the kraftwerk album radio, considering they came up a lot after this album was over. Hard to rate bc I doubt I’d seek it out specifically as “background music” but it did sound good for what it was.
I enjoyed it, but like many of these older albums it’s more of appreciating a historical piece than something I would actually regularly play. However, I like the funk/ blues/ soul sound of the music as evidence by the other songs that came on the album radio
Exposing a blind spot of pre-00s Alt/indie/punk rock that didn't break through to the pop charts. I have never heard of this guy before until looking into him. Made me realize how little i know of the Pixies and similar bands. While i don't know the specific songs, the actual music didn't sound all that foreign or off-putting as it's adjacent to other music that I enjoy (e.g. Nirvana). So with a little more familiarity i bet I'd appreciate it more, but as is it didn't move the needle much.
Really liked this. Chill, Dark, moody, cinematic, downtempo with cool hip hop beats. Singer has a unique voice. Some of the songs almost had a feel of a "less-soul, more-electronic Fugees". I had previously saved Sour Times and recognized Glory Box and now saved that too.
Didn’t grow up listening to Bruce so I don’t have the nostalgia connection others have to give it auto 5 ⭐️, so here is a sober take: Dad rock (whether or not you use that term as a pejorative, it fits the bill). Def hear the Phil Spector "Wall of Sound" inspiration. the instrumentation is fantastic, vocals not so great but that’s part of the charm. One of the reviews said he sounds like Meatloaf and i can't unhear it. The worst part for me is the mumbling, histrionic lyrics (although I can see how they would be fun if you grew up with them and know them all). I really want to like it more but it’s hard to sing along when you can’t make out the lyrics.
It was fine 90s alternative music but not sure how this could be considered one of 1001 albums to hear before you die. Especially jarring a day after having Born to Run to have analbum that seemingly has little impact on general culture, rather a niche has-been band. Pretty forgettable and the album was long.
3/3 of the trip hop artists named in the Wikipedia summary for the genre is too many over the course of two to three weeks
American girl and Breakdown are classics but a lot of the rest is forgettable
Chooglin Blues / country/ folk rock. Not actually born on the bayou. Part of an insane 3 albums in a year run of great music
not garbage. we have been getting a lot of 90s alternative lately but this one sounded more listenable and distinct than some of the others. Also I went the whole day thinking the lead singer was Courtney Love
Fun Big beat / electronica to have on while doing stuff. Reminded me of fatboy slim, I could see a connection to homework by daft punk as well.
Fun British honky Tonky bluesey country rock bookended by two great songs (gimme shelter and you can’t always get what you want)
Initial reaction of frustration for yet another Krautrock band we would have never heard of and will never hear again made me want to give 1 ⭐️. However, I decided to give it a fair shake and must admit that some of the instrumentals are good. I guess chalk it up to ignorant American lenses, but I don’t think this qualifies as one of 1001 albums to hear before you die, at least in a list targeted at Americans.
Unfortunately I think reggae has a low ceiling for me as I can’t really tell the difference between great reggae and mid reggae as it’s more just for the vibes, mon.
Paul Simony
what in the fuck did i just listen to. absolute trash. Avant-garde art experiment masquerading as "music"
Enjoyable blues rock with a hint of psychedelia and other eclectic sounds, particularly Jeff Beck's guitar work. Interesting to learn more about an influential band that spawned Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton (even if they aren't on this album). Spotted the Pussycat Dolls sample on "He's Always There". Probably didn't need the demos and B sides at the end.
Somehow never heard of this, but it was good. Smooth beats and delivery.
Discovering albums like this are what this project is all about. Somehow never heard any of these songs but liked it. Definitely a more classic hard rock sound than some of their later more famous stuff. You can still see the theatricality, particularly in the march of the black queen.
Like the last Marley album, I don’t feel qualified to tell if this is good reggae or not which limits its ceiling. That being said I enjoyed the music and knew the one song so that’s something
Felt like the music you would hear in Animal Kingdom. Interesting and decent, but like most world music I’m not going to actually listen to this outside of the novelty. Recognized the precursors to “the lion sleeps tonight” in Mbube
Unremarkable and forgettable
Superbad soundtrack if they just smoked weed and sat on the couch.
Sounded interesting, but fairly disappointing and boring. I wanted to like it more.
I’m finding Bowie is an artist I like more in theory than in practice. Might just need more reps. Also, Jean Genie was ripped off for Gold on the Ceiling by the Black Keys.
Noise/ Garage rock is not a genre I enjoy, especially when done as boring and forgettable as this.
Loved the indie western mariachi etc blend. A unique find that I'll be listening to again.
Sounded vaguely Irish folky? Fine but not super memorable.
a 2 for enjoyment and a 3 for appreciation
Mellow and vibey
Upon first listen (in a semi-distracted, background music state), I found it boring and couldn't even make it through the double album. But reading the Wikipedia page and reviews and listening a second time, i enjoyed it a lot more. A good case for knowing the background behind an artist or album improving one's enjoyment of it.
Good candidate for a 3.5 since i don't quite "love" it but feels like it should stand a bit above the glut of 3s. Enjoyable easy-listening country-rock blend that is recognizable, but I understand the critique that it can be a bit boring. Ironic timing to get a descendant of the "California sound" originated by the Beach Boys the day after a Dennis Wilson album
pretty unremarkable, can't see why it's on this list. third california-centric rock album we have gotten in a row. this isn't even factoring in the pain it was to find these songs using youtube since it wasn't on spotify.
Rage Against the Nigerian Machine's version of "fuck you I won't do what you tell me". Great listen, very funky blend of jazzy afrobeat sounds that I never would have been exposed to without this generator. on top of that, background story to this on the wikipedia page is a trip (Being attacked by soldiers in retribution, them murdering his mother by throwing her out a window , him taking 27 wives and rotating them, etc)
It’s tempting to be contrarian with the highest-selling album of all time, but there’s a reason 34 million people bought it. Despite years of overplay, Thriller is just plain fun to listen to, with diverse sounds ranging from pop, R&B, funk, rock, and disco. Quincy Jones brought the heat on the production to accompany Michael at the height of his powers. It has the most top 10s from an album of all time (I don’t care about the Mickey Mouse Spotify-era records of Taylor Swift, Drake, and 21 Savage). I debated dropping it to a 4 due to some down-ballot clunkers (“The Girl is Mine” = cringe). However, an album this catchy, with this much cultural impact, and this many hits has gotta qualify as a 5, or else I’m setting myself an unreasonable standard.
Similar to my Coldplay take: I can't see why people hate the Smiths so much. Definitely an enjoyable enough listen but i don't think i fully appreciate their music the way some of their avid fans do. I could see a world where I am exposed to them more and/or do a deep dive and get a feel for why people are drawn to them, but i don't have the time or interest. Jangle Pop / new wave, proto- indie/britpop
As the book so eloquently described: "a truly challenging listening experience." If this is considered their most accessible album, i don't want to hear the rest of their shit
Mopey, boring, post-punk / gothic rock is not my genre, but I am grateful to this 1001 albums project for making me actually listen to this "less mainstream, but still culturally referenced" musical lineage. Rather than just zoning out, I got some insights about what the fans are hearing by CTRL+F 'ing the song name and reading through those excerpts from the reviews for each particular song
I'm not an active jazz fan as much as I like using it as background music for a vibe. However, with two recognizable songs "Blue Rondo a la Turk" and "Take Five", interesting time signatures, and an accessible cool jazz sound, this album stands out among the nameless shuffled playlists. I was shocked to see it was from the 50s, I guess jazz doesn't show its age as much as pop/rock. Also enjoyed the fun fact of the melody of "Kathy's Waltz" inspiring the Beatles' "All My Loving"
Atmospheric, eerie, cinematic, almost lo-fi production. His flow is nice. I like it as background music, but that's a backhanded compliment in this context. Despite everyone gushing about his lyrics, I can't help but find them boring and repetitive. Similar feeling to what I had for Illmatic. I just can't possibly relate to anything he is rapping about. This sounds naive, but plenty of other more pop-savvy rappers can make similar topics more catchy or fun enough for me to enjoy. I've never really gravitated to these East Coast technical "street cred" rappers like the Wu-tang Clan or Nas, but rather ones that make hip-hop accessible, like Jay-Z or Biggie. I wish I did, and maybe this project will eventually lead me to a greater appreciation, but sadly not as of now. Also, rap skits always suck.
I’m between a 3 and 4: there’s one all-time song but the rest is still Elton John even if it isn’t all a sing a long. Also hilarious how bad the Indian song has aged
Didn’t need to hear that
2.5ish but I’ll round up. Can hear the Bowie fingerprints
Never actually listened to this album outside the singles and it’s great. I love the blues rock and the way she sings it.
Solid all the way through, a couple classics including Cecilia which had been a party sing-a-long staple for us
Maybe it's the glam rock or the punk-ish sound, maybe it's his voice or nonsensical "eccentric" lyrics, but I'm beginning to think that Bowie just isn't for me. I realize many people speak highly of him and this album in particular, but i just don't get the reverence. Album is still good (especially the music and arrangements), particularly Starman.
A fun listen, only song I knew was smoke in the water but I actually liked the other songs more, as well as the extended jamming. A good example of how rating these albums can kind of be apples and oranges, and you would rate a live album in a different criteria than you’d rate a studio album you’ve heard many times.
Really liked it. Folk, blues, psychedelic rock, jazz combined in a really appealing way.
Willie's Outlaw country style and Booker T's folksy arrangements are probably the only way I could enjoy listening to an album of pop standards
Knowing it's high regard, I have listened to this album various times even prior to this 1001 albums prompting, trying to "get it". I read the entire Wikipedia article. I re-listened multiple times and even had the Genius lyrics up to explain. While I appreciate his lyricism, articulate delivery, "90s NY Hip Hop" vibes of the production, it would be disingenuous to act like I relate to any of his topics. If not for the accolades, feels indistinguishable from plenty of other stories in rap. The obvious one that comes to mind is Kendrick's Good Kid, M.A.A.D City. However, I find the latter to be easier to bop along to, wheras Illmatic feels more like cerebral slam poetry to me. I enjoyed it enough, but there isn't anything memorable to bring me back for the fun of it. As a fan of hip hop, I'm disappointed that I can't bring myself to love the album, even though I can respect it and understand why it is so highly regarded. But what it probably just means is that I prefer rap that is more catchy to rap that is more poetic.
A Scot impersonating a Jamaican accent to do reggae is the equivalent of a trust fund Pennsylvanian putting on a southern drawl to do country.
sounded listenable enough but i don't think i get the smiths
Never actually listened to Ice T before. Interesting to hear this west coast style after recent archetypal examples of east coast rap (GZA, Nas, Public Enemy). My gut reaction is that I think I enjoy West Coast hip hop more than east, as it has more of a catchy fun vibe. the lyrics are simpler and more repeatable which makes them easier to participate in. That being said this album didn't do much for me and I doubt I'll seek it out to play again. It was certainly fine (he had some funny lines and moments) but nothing stood out as needing to hold onto and revere. Def liked the sound and vibe and his delivery. Also: Cube > T >>>>>>>>Vanilla
Metal for rap lovers. High energy, fun to listen to, gets you pumped. You don't even need to listen to the lyrics to feel the message. Zack raps kind of like Chuck-D. Also, the album art is metal AF.
The pop hooks and melodies made this new wave /punk adjacent sound much more palatable to me. I enjoyed. Only knew brass in pocket from Rock Band
Interesting to hear their pre disco sound. Almost sounded like the Beatles and The Band on some songs. That being said it was pretty boring beyond the novelty of getting to hear another side of the famous band.
new to me. Almost baroque or symphonic? I Didn't love it at first but wasn't paying attention. It grew on me after listening like 3 times.
hotel lobby jazzy bluesy lounge country. Really good voice. Not sure how country fans were surprised she was gay when that's the first thing I thought of when I saw the album cover. feels like the first country/western album we are getting
Don’t usually like metal but this one is decently mainstream and accessible. Helps that it has a couple recognizable hits.
I would benefit from a deeper dive or song explainer documentary to better appreciate the lyrics and meaning. As it was, I passively listened to the album (both in real-time in Norway and a month later playing catchup) and came away thinking it was a decent enough baroque pop Beatles knockoff. I can't help but feel I'm missing something that fans are seeing, so I'll be generous and give it a 3.
I always wondered how an artist so popular in her time and with so much cultural influence doesn’t seem to have any staying power today in 2024. After listening, it’s immediately obvious it’s the new jack swing that poisons this to be “of a time”. That said the songs are decent, particularly the rock oriented ones. I can see me liking this album a lot more if I was 20-40 when it came out
Enjoyed it, especially on a car ride through the Norwegian alpine countryside.
Fun pop punk to enjoy while traversing the Norwegian Fjords
Very boring and monotonous. Not a great soundtrack for driving through the mess of Catania streets
Not bad 90s britpop, knew one song. Listened to on way to mt. Etna.
Was surprised at how listenable this was and not just “old- time classic” you have to take like medicine. Good for the ride from Taormina to Palermo.
unmemorable. can't even remember where in sicily we listened to it
Recognized from girl talk. Sounds like Lenny kravitz in little trigger. Didn’t love it at first probably bc I never have listened to Elvis Costello (that punk rock blind spot). But some of it grew on me. Likes the accordio-ish sound, which seems unique. Listened to on drive from Trapani to Agrigento in Sicily
A long album, but cohesive and good for a road trip. We listened while driving from Agrigento to Syracuse in Sicily. I've never actually listened to the album outside of Pinball Wizard, so this is why I appreciate the 1001 challenge. I don't have the memberberries associated with this like Carly does and don't see myself craving to put it on in the future, but I enjoyed it and would listen again. Would need to be in a situation with a lot of time. I could see this rating growing to a 4 with more familiarity, as it is a true album with a distinct sound and story.
I enjoy blues rock whenever it comes up, and I don't think I ever gave the Stones enough listen outside of the hits. I like their loose-sounding playing while in reality having impeccable instrumentation and arrangement. Great opener in "Sympathy for the Devil". The lyrics to Stray Cat Blues certainly don't age well
As active listening: nothing really stood out and it was way too long. As background / multi-tasking music: I liked the psychedelic space live jam sound. The length doesn't hurt it as much when you aren't paying close attention and are just looking for some decent vibes to throw on the Sonos.
I’m probably being inconsistent in my ratings but I don’t know how to handle these albums that I enjoy for background listening but would not seek out to actively listen.
I remember when Missy played the Super Bowl and all the white suburban online millennials pretended to be longtime huge fans. When in reality they were just nostalgic for her hits like "Work It" which reminded them of middle school dances. I doubt many regularly (if ever) put on "Under Construction" as an album. The album definitely feels of its early 00's time, not the least because of the distinctly Timbaland production. Her flow is good and understandable why she is held in such high regard for her rapping. It was a fun and interesting listen for the time-capsule element, but I don't think it has the timeless sound that keeps me coming back regularly in 2024. My gripe is mostly with people who pretend otherwise for the clout.
Yes, Chef. Great grooves, psychedelic guitar, and a soulful voice that sounds more modern than 1969. Also, recognized "Walk on By" as sampled in Ludacris's "Southern Fried Intro"
Despite never listening, I have heard good things about De La Soul. They were only recently put on Spotify due to sample-clearing issues, which may explain the blind spot for me and modern listeners. I like alternative hip hop and this album could be considered the genesis of that subgenre. It's a fun listen, and they were clearly having fun messing around making this. You can hear its influence on many modern projects. I really dug the "sampledelia" instrumentals, extra impressive since this was before easy sampling tech. I found some of the dialogue and in-jokes kind of corny and annoying, and this album holds the dubious distinction for inventing the dreaded "rap skit." The lyrics sometimes almost gave me the juvenile vibe of a "t3h PeNgU1N oF d00m" (soooo randommm). I'll blame my lack of lyrical connection on unfamiliarity, which will improve on subsequent listens now that it's on Spotify. The music is just too good and the album too influential on a genre I like to rate it a 3. *Saw a couple reviews that said this was "hip hop's Sgt. Pepper" and the timing is ironic because we got Sgt. Pepper the following day.*
Hated it on first listen but forgot to log. Upon re-listen, yup I still hate it. Not going to subject myself to listening to this entire album again
Never listened before, I like the funk-infused acid jazz sound. I like the use of bass (especially in Whatever it Is) and didgeridoo. It dawned on me part of the appeal was that this sounded like a white Stevie Wonder knockoff. The lyrics can be a bit overly earnest.
I've procrastinated reviewing this classic album for two months, trying to find a reason not to give it a 5. I failed to do so. It's interesting how much I enjoy Led Zeppelin when I tend to dislike the metal and glam rock they spawned. I'll attribute that to their phenomenally catchy blues-rock riffs. Whole Lotta Love is one of the best songs of all time.
I don’t like metal but this wasn’t too bad. I’d be kidding myself if I were to ever want to put it on to enjoy.
Sounded Beatles-y
Nothing stood out in particular, but smoove soul vibing music.
Paper Planes, XR2, Boyz, and some of her older songs off Arular give the je ne sais quoi of late 2000s high school (Dansex) & early college (pimp plaza). However, I imagine if I weren't in this prime demographic when it was released, I'd find this album very abrasive.
The hits from this album have been in the ether to such an extent that it's easy to take for granted its place in the elder-mid millennial pop culture canon. Front-loaded with big hits, it drags in the second half. For better or worse, RHCP certainly have a distinct sound and vibe.
For most artists, the album project has allowed me a deeper appreciation that I might have missed before. Unfortunately for Coldplay and their legion of fans that exist for some reason, I am becoming radicalized in the "Coldplay sucks" camp whereas I was indifferent before. Like the diehard fans, their music also brings me back to my childhood. However, it evokes memories of hearing this bland adult contemporary shit on the radio. I thought listening with fresh ears and an open perspective would allow me to understand what so many others love about them. I guess it's just a "you had to be in the fan club" kind of appeal, because in the words of Siobhan from Banshees, "You're all feckin' boring!"
After 20 years of giving Metal a shot, I think it's just not gonna click for me. Sorry, Ethan. I like the vibes, but hate the sounds. Metallica abandoned their thrash metal sound for a more commercially accessible one their self-titled album in 1991, one that I enjoy as far as hard rock goes. Pantera viewed this as a disappointment and an opportunity to fill a gap and produce this record. I understand that there is a distinct subculture to which this is a good thing, but not to my ears.
Good music to vibe to. Filled the same use case as fela kuti for me. Nothing specific stood out but I listened in the background multiple times.
Didn’t realize they did relax. Had some other covers. Very 80s sounding with the new wave and all that.
Very approachable and crowd-pleasing with catchy riffs and southern boogie rock sound. I will say that there isn't much depth or complication after awhile but they are a fun listen and what every bar band thinks they sound like
Daft Punk Slaps. I've been looking forward to the day we got Homework. I have no idea how Discovery, Random Access Memories, or Alive 2007 (one of my favorite albums of all time) didn't make the cut. It's interesting to see them as the progenitor to the nu-disco trend of the 2010s & 20s. Funny timing to receive this album, as I was searching the internet for any chatter on why they didn't perform at the Paris 2024 Olympic closing ceremonies last night.
A musical blind spot for me, but enjoyable. I imagine if I were more familiar I would like it even more. It. sounded more like 80s new wave (e.g. the Cure) vs. the 90s Britpop it was described as (e.g. Oasis)
Sounds like Pepé Le Pew
I'm wondering why the authors would include this and the live album "Made in Japan" when 3 out of 7 songs overlap. I suppose the latter is more included as a display of one of the highest-regarded live albums of all time, but it still feels weird to listen to such redundancy when so many other albums are omitted. That aside, Deep purple is about as "down the middle" as "classic rock" gets.
props to this project for showing me how good Queen's non-Greatest Hits catalog is.
You can't beat the 1-2 punch of Sir Duke and I Wish. Great album, though its length caused it to get diluted from pure bangers to good music to vibe to. If it were a bit tighter in the tracklist it would be a 5.
decent but boilerplate soul/ Motown songs, but I particularly enjoyed the psychedelic / funky songs like "Runaway Child, Running Wild". You can hear the influence of Sly and the Family Stone on these songs.
I was surprised to see how highly regarded this album is because I found it fairly dull. Even the songs I recognized from Guitar Hero weren't doing it for me. A great example of grunge, but an indication that I don't like the genre so much as I like Nirvana. Makes sense since at its core, grunge is a fusion of punk rock and heavy metal, both genres I don't particularly enjoy as much. EDIT: shamefully missed “Cherub Rock” in the music trivia “songs from rock band” category the day I listened to this song twice. Kind of proves my disinterest.
The guy’s voice and lyrics reminded me of a wannabe David Byrne. Music was fine enough although it was nothing I would seek out
I liked it a lot more on a subsequent closer listen. Like in the "Village Green", I'm getting a lot of Beatles, but with a tinge of Rolling Stones with the guitar work. The rock opera storytelling of the album reminded me a bit of Tommy by the Who. Really liked Victoria. Makes me wonder about an alternate universe in which I am just as familiar with the Kinks songs as the Beatles, would I feel differently? I'll give it a 4 because I was pleasantly surprised and want to compensate for my lack of exposure to some bands.
I have always found the Beach Boys campy and corny. Maybe it's their high-pitched vocals that sound and feel their age, but they never seem to stand up to modern music, unlike some of their peers such as the Beatles. I appreciate them rather as a time capsule of influential history that has been passed by. Brian Wilson described this album as "Commercialized choir music," which explains why I have never really vibed with the songs as much. The Wall of Sound is almost too much sound and the lyrics are very childlike and innocent for 20-somethings. That said, I've spent the past two weeks procrastinating this review so I can read the entire Wikipedia page, watch "Love and Mercy", and both the BBC and Disney + documentaries. I have a newfound appreciation for the Beach Boys, particularly Brian and Pet Sounds. I now understand its complexity, uniqueness, and influence on future music (such as Sgt Pepper). 3/5 for actual enjoyment and 5/5 for appreciation
Listenable enough production, but pretty unremarkable and unmemorable songs. I thought I’d like this more but it came off as artsy rather than catchy.
Only knew Lovefool going in, but was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked this. Really interesting use of minor chords and interesting arrangements
I liked it more than I expected at first as an ambient electronica trip hop listen. Started to get a bit boring by the end though. Reminded me a little of the music in Madonna's Ray of Light / the Matrix / video games where you are hacking the mainframe.
We started our Labor Day Friday with “immigrant song” , which we recently learned was written about the band’s trip to Iceland. It proved a cruel irony though, as we had made the difficult decision to forego our flights that evening to Reykjavik due to logistical issues. So it was either a sign that we should send it, or the 1001 album gods taunting us. As for the rest of the album, I can’t help but think it doesn’t bring the heat like some of the other Led Zepplin offerings outside of immigrant song. Regardless it’s still a great listen.
I like jazz as passive listening, so this historical album was cool to hear and learn about. The emcee talking and applause give the feel of what it would be like to be there, but does take away from the background listing qualities. By far the oldest album we've gotten so far (5th oldest of the whole list. Good timing to hear what inspired Stevie Wonder to write "Sir Duke" as we just had that album two weeks ago. Also funny to put an actual voice to Jordan Peele's "Ghost of Duke Ellington" character in Big Mouth.
I gotta be honest, I found this kind of grating. I know it gets glazed by people who wanna show off their musical street cred to teenagers who just heard of her from Stranger Things. Despite how experimental and interesting some of her sounds were, I can't say I found them all that appealing to listen to.
Thought it was church music at first. Later on felt like they were just button mashing the keyboard. Interesting collection of sounds that I can't say I'd seek out again. It is a good example, however, of my struggle to rate some of these albums. I am pretty tolerant of a "jammy" album even if I don't love the actual music because it provides good background music.
To me, Sheryl Crow evokes bland, adult-contemporary radio and grocery store music. Upon listening, I found her voice to be borderline unpleasant at times, her delivery Dylan-esque. That said, the instrumentals and songwriting were good and gave a laid-back 90s folk-pop summer vibe. I imagine if another artist (such as the Dixie Chicks) were given these songs they would be more effective.
Marvin just couldn't stop getting it on. Very cohesive, probably the first album that comes to mind when one thinks of "mood-making music." Kanye West samples; here's one for example: "Distant Lover" → "Spaceship"
I would be more interested in delving into what I'm missing about Arcade Fire if I hadn't already done that in 2011 when The Suburbs won the Grammy for Album of the Year. I couldn't figure out what the appeal was then and I can't now. I found them bland, similar to listening to Coldplay. It's wild to see how widely regarded their albums are among critics. I guess that's the stereotype of indie rock snobs being pretentious. I'll give Funeral credit for the indie rock sounds and tropes they spawned that have become ubiquitous in the decades since.
An interesting listen, cool to see the influence in nu-metal bands like korn, limp bizkit, papa roach. Guys voice was annoying. I liked epic and war pigs (credit mostly to Ozzie). Wouldn’t actively seek this out but glad we got it.
Like a cross between rage against the machine and a tribe called quest and the Styleboyz from Popstar
Great voice. Hello was so over played it’s nice to listen to it fresh and remember what a good song it is. I thought it was going to be a 4 until I listened through it and found some of it formulaic compared to 21 or 19
nothing too memorable (Besides song 2) but nothing too off-putting. Getting a 3 due to the rating needle's inertia rather than any deep thought about this album.
was fine, but nothing stood out as worth going back to. Contrary to most people's reviews, I think Bowie's touch is a negative
Didn't enjoy it. I'll chalk it up partly to lack of exposure and partly to lack of preference to this genre
Catchy combo of genres. Clint Eastwood is a great song. Funny timing since we got Blur three albums ago.
Nope. Couldn't finish it.
NGL, kind of a vibe. Old-school gangster, "shoot someone who's talkin' to your girl at the saloon" shit. Years of accumulated useless knowledge from Wikipedia rabbit holes also yield the following easter eggs/ fun facts. Big Iron: famous as a meme from the radio on Fallout: New Vegas The Strawberry Roan: Namesake for Chappell Roan (her grandfather, Chappell's favorite song) El Paso: Featured in Breaking Bad finale "Felina," as the story echoes Walter's arc in the final season.
Never heard of this but given its critical reviews and genre description I was hoping to be pleasantly surprised. I can't say I enjoyed it; I found it boring. 70 minutes and none of the songs caught my ear. To me, Janelle Monae's cultural recognition far outweighs her mainstream output, as evidenced by my not recognizing or vibing with any of the songs. One explanation would be an "alternative R&B" blind spot to experimental, non-mainstream acts such as this. Another interpretation would be that I gravitate toward catchier songs vs artsier songs, and she is firmly in the latter group. She takes herself very seriously: like Prince but with less of a talent for producing earworms.
cacophony
brought an upbeat energy, would probably be good to run to. Started to feel a little redundant by the end but I enjoyed it for a change of pace
90s chill electronica to be played at the mall. I liked the beats and music especially at first but I found her vocals off-putting and boring. Close to a 3 but I found my mind wandering by the end which probably slides it down to a 2. When Carly pointed out that this band did the song "Missing" (recognizable 90s song of this vibe that we keep missing in music trivia), it all made sense.
Very pleasant and musically well done, just not something I actively seek out. Rather a good background/ sleep vibe
Pleasant enough, but the only song I actually knew and enjoy is Mrs. Robinson.
Gravelly spoken word poetry of a dying man. Interesting but not musically enjoyable. Sabrina Carpenter hates the lyrics.
A genre I’m not going to actively listen to but great to put on for a vibe
Nice historical listen, but not something I'd flock back to
Cowboy Charles
Most reggae is high floor low ceiling for me, but the hits on this one push it to a 4
Didn't enjoy it, and the album radio confirmed similar songs from albums I didn't like before.
music the bad kids in elementary school would listen to.
it's fine i suppose. could probably use a re-listen
Fun listen for drive in CA. does sound a bit dated which hurts its replay-ability, but a good example of nu-wave and has the hits to back it up.
fine, but boring
nice enough outlaw country listen.
never heard of it but it was decent 70s LA country-rock
high school quarterback rock. earns points for it's hugely influential hits, loses points for their oversaturation and the types of people who get hype for them. Also loses points for "hair metal" not holding up as a genre in 2024 https://slate.com/culture/2018/04/how-bon-jovi-influenced-pop-music-despite-its-critics.html
It was certainly fine, but nothing grabbed my attention.
Liked it well enough, but beginning to realize that Bruce Springsteen’s reputation precedes him. His appeal relies heavily on in-group lore and shared fandom
Torn between: -Appreciation of his lo-fi underproduced sound oozing with great melodies, hooks, and ideas -Disappointment that he couldn't have taken his time and/or worked with other talented musicians (such as John, George, and Ringo...) to fully fledge out these songs because they had the potential to be so much more.
Was considering a 3 since I found it pleasant and technically good. However, I would never actually seen this out to listen to again, so that makes it a 2.
The author really likes his 90s British electronica. Sounded like an even more downtempo Portishead. Very James Bond-y. Boring at first but grew on me a bit. I could see putting this on around the house. I am duty-bound to acknowledge Kanye West's sampling of "Human" on "Freestyle 4" (The Life of Pablo)
wasn't bad but there was nothing drawing me to listen again.
r/popheads would be happy to finally see some representation. I slept on it a bit in real time but looking back it's a great modern pop album, showcasing Jack Antonoff's production at it's finest.
I am frustrated by the curve on which we as a society grade an aging artist's late-career projects that have no actual cultural or chart impact. It's like the bullshit "lifetime achievement award" to pay your respeks. "Oh wow, so brave, good for you still out there making music." Who honestly wants to this self-indulgent shit instead of a contemporary artists at the top of their game. Listen to his back catalog and then this and tell me they are being judged the same way. I DGAF if he died, this still sounds like shit. I'm sick of everyone pretending this kind of stuff is good just because of the artist's "legendary" status.
Didn’t make an impression
When I discovered the 1001 Albums Generator, this was the first album to come to mind. I've been on the record, having nominated (declared) The Chain (later modified to all of "Rumours") for the GOAT List in 2017.
https://www.reddit.com/r/videos/comments/1bz7v49/billy_corgan_rides_a_rollercoaster/
Enjoyable enough since he has a lot of good songs. The live album was an interesting one time listen. But the combo of the two makes me skeptical that I would ever seek it out again.
millions of college kids with this poster can't be wrong
Sounded fine but elvis Costello doesn’t really move the needle for me
If it weren’t for timberland’s production this would be a 2. No songs really stood out and caught my ear but it sounded like good, turn of the millennium hip hop. We might take this for granted given how the sub genre went on to dominate, but cool to hear who did it first before that sound was ubiquitous.
Quintessential psychadelic rock
Best flow in rap. Could use fewer skits and Diddy. Disappointed to not receive this as my final album of 1001 so that I would be "Ready to Die"
Quintessential college music of the late '00s. The three singles were mainstays at parties and on playlists. I probably downloaded them either from LimeWire, fratmusic.com, or from my roommate's iTunes library "family sharing" we had set up in the pre-streaming age. The rest of the album keeps up the electronic psychedelia vibe but doesn't maintain the high points. Some songs sound like David Bowie or Tame Impala. Synths are great, vocals not so much.
Cool to hear the famous "Dylan Goes Electric" show. Can't say I loved his singing or rambling poetic lyrics. The Electric Half massively improved for me over the folk half. Could attribute a lot of that to the instrumentals of The Band.
Nothing stood out but sounded fun. Reminded me of the Ramones
This was great and led to enjoyable album radio on the Spotify
Dramatic but listenable. Singer reminded me of Rush or the lady from Jefferson Airplane
Boring, depressing indie rock sung with almost indifference. I thought it was satirical at first given the singer's bored inflection and sarcastic lyrics. Music wasn't bad i suppose, just nothing catchy enough to bring me back.
Dylan's music tends to emphasize the poetic lyrics over catchiness, so I'm usually lower on him than the general consensus. It's just harder to just throw on and go off of vibes. So with that baseline, and putting extra effort to actively pay attention, this was pretty good. This era of Dylan is fresh on the mind, having received "Live 1966 (The Royal Albert Hall Concert)" a week prior. Makes me want to watch the upcoming biopic "A Complete Unknown" to fill in the gaps in Dylan appreciation that I'm not picking up on currently.
Never heard of this before, reminded me of Massive Attack. I liked the beats, good for vibing around the house on the Sonos. Realistically not relevant enough to be on the list but I enjoyed it.
80s dad rock that doesn't suffer from overplay like some of its contemporaries. A little boring but not bad.
really boring. i enjoyed the electronic songs (backdrifts) more than the rock ones.
Chill
Nick would love this.
Mostly electronic ambient noise. I was in the most receptive state possible at the beach and i could find some relaxation in the album, almost like a not-as-good Challengers soundtrack.
I like Prince more in theory than in practice. His more pop-accessible songs are fantastic and this album leans that way.
their songs are pretty basic and uninspired to begin with, and the live instrumentation doesn't add anything.
a collection sounds for contrarians.
Morrissey delivers train-of-thought lyrics like he’s a Greek Orthodox priest sing-reading a passage from the Bible.
No nostalgic connection for me, CSN(Y) occupies a sort of background folk rock that comes on adjacent album radios but I would never specifically identify nor seek out. That made it a perfect candidate for a deeper dive and Wikipedia research to understand what I might not be appreciating. It good.
Visited the LA hot dog shop bathroom this was recorded in two months ago. The “Jim Morrison Memorial Shitter”
Elevator/ hold music. Decent for background
Listening to this lying on a shakti mat watching the aurora projector lights feeling like I’m George Harrison
The dudes? Instrumentals sounded like E street band. Vocals of Dylan meets Bowie
beginning to think that this elton john guy is gay
Sounds like a boring version of Bob Dylan: a poetry audiobook with background guitar.
Really interesting to hear lot of 90s alt rock sounds from a band you've never heard of before (good name, though). The wiki confirms that they were an influence on more popular acts.
This project is teaching me that I like indie rock significantly less than I previously thought.
Always interesting to get an album that you have never heard of, especially one that apparently is so highly regarded. Despite my cultural blindspot to this album, our dear friend Alex Wise was salivating over this selection and pleads for listeners to listen to the original or 1st remaster, as the "20th anniversary turned the bass up to a trillion and it drowns everything out." These are always tough to rate as it seems it warrants a deeper dive than i'm currently willing to give it. I liked the sound enough though (kind of a bridge between jangly 80s new wave and 90s britpop) so i'll hedge and give it a 3