1001 Albums Summary

Listening statistics & highlights

296
Albums Rated
2.86
Average Rating
27%
Complete
793 albums remaining

Rating Distribution

Rating Timeline

Taste Profile

1960
Favorite Decade
Rock
Favorite Genre
UK
Top Origin
Critic
Rater Style ?
46
5-Star Albums
31
1-Star Albums

Breakdown

By Genre

Top Styles

By Decade

By Origin

Albums

You Love More Than Most

AlbumYouGlobalDiff
Vauxhall And I
Morrissey
5 2.96 +2.04
Viva Hate
Morrissey
5 2.96 +2.04
Spiderland
Slint
5 2.97 +2.03
S.F. Sorrow
The Pretty Things
5 3.01 +1.99
Berlin
Lou Reed
5 3.09 +1.91
Everything Must Go
Manic Street Preachers
5 3.11 +1.89
Suede
Suede
5 3.11 +1.89
Too Rye Ay
Dexys Midnight Runners
5 3.12 +1.88
This Is Hardcore
Pulp
5 3.14 +1.86
The Holy Bible
Manic Street Preachers
5 3.15 +1.85

You Love Less Than Most

AlbumYouGlobalDiff
Metallica
Metallica
1 3.77 -2.77
To Pimp A Butterfly
Kendrick Lamar
1 3.63 -2.63
People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm
A Tribe Called Quest
1 3.62 -2.62
Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
Wu-Tang Clan
1 3.61 -2.61
Illmatic
Nas
1 3.6 -2.6
The Number Of The Beast
Iron Maiden
1 3.58 -2.58
It's Blitz!
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
1 3.49 -2.49
Rumours
Fleetwood Mac
2 4.45 -2.45
More Songs About Buildings And Food
Talking Heads
1 3.42 -2.42
It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back
Public Enemy
1 3.36 -2.36

Artists

Favorites

ArtistAlbumsAverage
Pink Floyd 3 5
Simon & Garfunkel 3 4.67
The Smiths 3 4.67
Manic Street Preachers 2 5
Queen 2 5
Elliott Smith 2 5
Belle & Sebastian 2 5
The Velvet Underground 2 5
Pulp 2 5
Morrissey 2 5
Beatles 6 4.17
The Beach Boys 3 4.33
The Kinks 3 4.33

Least Favorites

ArtistAlbumsAverage
Metallica 3 1.67
Talking Heads 3 1.67
Public Enemy 2 1.5
Eminem 2 1.5
Kendrick Lamar 2 1.5
Kanye West 2 1.5
Elvis Costello & The Attractions 3 2
Johnny Cash 3 2

Controversial

ArtistRatings
Kate Bush 5, 2, 2

5-Star Albums (46)

View Album Wall

Popular Reviews

Pulp · 10 likes
5/5
Pulp is a band that instantaneously clicked with me. I have read many people criticize "Different Class," claiming all their songs about revenge, or sex, or using sex for revenge — and that Jarvis Cocker is a pervert. I can only imagine how they’d react to "This Is Hardcore" — or even better, "His 'n' Hers" ("He doesn’t care what it looks like / Just as long as it’s pink and it’s tight, it’s what he likes.") — "This Is Hardcore" is one of the most cinematic, honest, and sick album I’ve ever heard. It deals with pornography, perversion, self-loathing, and reflection. Here, sex isn’t glamorized — it’s portrayed as something compulsive, degrading, and hollow. For example, the title track compares fame to pornography. Jarvis makes you feel violated without even being explicit. My friend calls the album a mix between a genius musical soundtrack and sharp social commentary. My favourite song on the album is "Like a Friend," which thematically explores destruction, resentment, and obsession. The track bitterly critiques the idea of being just friends. That phrasing becomes a dagger when one person wants more. However, Jarvis isn’t deluded — he knows he’s being walked all over. But knowing doesn’t stop him. There’s both resignation and lividity in his voice, which makes the song damn good. "You are that last drink I never should have drunk You are the body hidden in the trunk You are the habit I can't seem to kick You are my secrets on the front page every week You are the car I never should have bought You are the train I never should have caught You are the cut that makes me hide my face You are the party that makes me feel my age And like a car crash I can see, but I just can't avoid Like a plane I've been told I never should board Like a film that's so bad, but I gotta stay 'til the end Let me tell you now, it's lucky for you that we're friends" What a bloody brilliant ending. A close runner-up is "Sylvia" — a tender, tragic track that captures a different kind of emotional decay. It’s about a woman crushed by expectations, forgotten by the world, and left wondering when it all went wrong. Jarvis Cocker is the most perverse musician alive. No one else makes self-destruction sound this seductive. God bless his filthy heart.
The Stone Roses · 6 likes
5/5
The Stone Roses are like The Smiths if Morrissey had discovered inner peace, a reverb pedal, and the concept of not being an insufferable twat.
The Who · 6 likes
2/5
I've heard "Tommy" three times in its entirety and I'll state my case once again that it is a hot, steaming pile of crap. No matter how much Pete Townshend has denied (and denies) it, "Tommy" is a direct copy of "S.F. Sorrow" by The Pretty Things (non-believers, listen to the riff in "Old Man Going"), which is superior.
The Beach Boys · 5 likes
5/5
Recognized as among the greatest and most influential albums in music history, "Pet Sounds" is often compared with the Beatles "Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band," though I believe that no comparison can be made. Brian Wilson had made his own, extraordinary mark on musical history. The charming "Wouldn’t It Be Nice" is the album’s opener. An upbeat song with angelic vocals, complex arrangements and youthful innocence (“You know it seems the more we talk about it / It only makes it worse to live without it”), Pet Sounds starts off with a banger. Although the most obvious 'weakness' of the Beach Boys is their monotony, with most songs following the same formula, "Pet Sounds" avoids this problem. The similarity between songs only adds to the realism of the album. "You Still Believe In Me" and "That's Not Me" are achingly beautiful tracks with angelic harmonies, and "Don't Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder)" is a dreamy love ballad. The Beach Boys's cover of "Sloop John B" is fantastically trippy. Definitely my favourite cover of theirs. Additionally, "God Only Knows" is arguably the best love ballad ever written and a true testament to Brian Wilson's songwriting. The lines "I may not always love you / But long as there are stars above you / You never need to doubt it / I'll make you so sure about it" are simple but achingly tender. I'm glad Carl Wilson sang this number—his soft voice compliments the song exceptionally. "Here Today" is dichotomous to the rest of "Pet Sounds," as it offers a more cynical view on love. Not my favourite, but a good song nonetheless. "I Just Wasn't Made For These Times" and the title track are weaker but don't noticeably disrupt the listening of the album. "Caroline, No" is another focal point of "Pet Sounds" and a stark contrast to "Wouldn't It Be Nice." It is raw, albeit dramatic, and filled to the brim with heartbreak. Oh, Brian, you diva! "Could I ever find in you again / The things that made me love you so much then? / Could we ever bring 'em back once they have gone?" TL;DR, "Pet Sounds" makes me feel like I'm foolish and young and in love again. Definitely one of the GOAT.
The Pretty Things · 3 likes
5/5
Day 27 - S.F. Sorrow (1968) "S.F. Sorrow" is one of my favourite albums of all time. It is also the first rock opera, and profoundly influenced The Who's Tommy. "S.F. Sorrow" incorporates a variety of influences, including the Beatles-esque chanting in "Bracelets of Fingers," Syd Barrett's psychedelia in "Defecting Grey," proto-punk in the grisly "Old Man Going," and even a hint of R&B in heavier songs like "She Says Good Morning," which dates back to The Pretty Things' roots. The trio "I See You" → "Well Of Destiny" → "Trust" is probably my favourite three-song-run from any album. Story wise, "S.F. Sorrow" chronicles the story of a single protagonist named Sebastian F. Sorrow and his journey towards trust to ultimate delusion. The album was inspired by "Cutting Up Sergeant Time," one of Phil May's short stories based loosely around an ordinary WWI veteran. For those who have not had a chance to read the narrative, here is a "brief" explanation: Sebastian F. Sorrow was born in Number 3 of a nameless town to ordinary parents. Nobody knew what the "F" in his name stood for but nobody really cared. He spends the most of his childhood in the 'greys of his mind.' In other words — maladaptive daydreaming and masturbation. Phil May portrays him to be an alluring, though sensitive soul (much like himself.) As he grows older, Sorrow falls in love with the girl next door. The two dream of escaping the miserable town and establishing a new life elsewhere. Just then, World War I rolls in and Sorrow is drafted into the army. Once again, he tries to escape the ugliness of war via his imaginations. Unfortunately, it isn't quite as easy as it once was. When the war was finally over, Sorrow takes refuge in a new land called "Amerik" (America.) He sends a balloon ticket for his beloved wife to join him. Upon arrival, Sorrow watches as the balloon bursts into flames, which consume the love of his life. The narrator makes a brief remark, "In sadness, she was buried by the spade of his grief." Sorrow grows lonely as he wanders the streets of New York City. Once more, he allows his imaginations to take flight, trying to block out his grief. He dreams of being visited by the mysterious Baron Saturday, a tall man cloaked in black. Baron Saturday magically lifts Sorrow into the sky and heads towards what Sorrow believes to be the Moon (which is symbolized in the rock opera as beauty.) But the true destination was Sorrow's core itself. Sorrow reexaminines himself and sights his dead fiance for the last time. This experience leads him down to depression. Instead of continuing to fight against the world with his imagination, Sorrow resigns to a world where people have given up all emotional attachment to a belief that it would be better. As he grows older, bitter Sorrow descends into insanity, blocking out light until all is dark. The album ends with the melancholy "Loneliest Person." Sorrow sings: "You might be the loneliest person in the world / Your name it would have to be me." Sorrow realizes his destiny was implied by his name, and accepts his tragic fate. — The CD reissue also includes a few more tracks, most notably "Defecting Grey" and "Walking Through My Dreams." "Defecting Grey" is particularly noteworthy since it addresses the notion that S.F. Sorrow is bisexual, which would make sense given that composer Phil May was one of Kent's rock 'n' roll bicons ("bi-icon.") The idea, however, was abandoned, and the track did not appear on the original release. However, it is up to the audience to decide whether: A. "S.F. Sorrow" concludes with a disillusioned Sorrow. B. Sorrow self-actualizes and learns to love again. TL;DR, S.F. Sorrow was well ahead of its time and remains under appreciated even today. If you enjoyed the album, I recommend "Emotions" and "Parachute."

4-Star Albums (36)

1-Star Albums (31)

All Ratings

Critic

Average rating: 2.86 (0.48 below global average).