My 1001 Albums Journey

Albums Rated

3.45

Average Rating

Complete

1006 albums remaining

Rating Distribution

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Taste Profile

2010s

Favorite Decade

Jazz

Favorite Genre

other

Top Origin

Wordsmith

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5-Star Albums

1-Star Albums

Breakdown

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Albums

You Love More Than Most

Album	You	Global	Diff
Our Aim Is To Satisfy Red Snapper	5	2.74	+2.26
Vulnicura Björk	5	2.79	+2.21
Tago Mago Can	5	2.79	+2.21
New Gold Dream (81/82/83/84) Simple Minds	5	2.95	+2.05
Joan Baez Joan Baez	5	2.96	+2.04
Queen Of Denmark John Grant	5	3.13	+1.87
Sunday At The Village Vanguard Bill Evans Trio	5	3.32	+1.68
Either Or Elliott Smith	5	3.38	+1.62
Tusk Fleetwood Mac	5	3.46	+1.54
Suicide Suicide	4	2.46	+1.54

You Love Less Than Most

Album	You	Global	Diff
Beautiful Freak Eels	1	3.28	-2.28
Bluesbreakers John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers	1	3.16	-2.16
The Stranger Billy Joel	2	3.85	-1.85
Is This It The Strokes	2	3.81	-1.81
Metallica Metallica	2	3.79	-1.79
The Velvet Underground & Nico The Velvet Underground	2	3.62	-1.62
Foo Fighters Foo Fighters	2	3.5	-1.5
Disraeli Gears Cream	2	3.47	-1.47
Synchronicity The Police	2	3.42	-1.42
Music From Big Pink The Band	2	3.36	-1.36

Artists

Favorites

Artist	Albums	Average
David Bowie	3	4.67

5-Star Albums (17)

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Popular Reviews

Urban Hymns

The Verve

2/5

A guy with a shitty Gallagher haircut and skinny legs somewhere in the midlands tries to introduce me to 'good' music then slaps my ass. His repressed emotions only come out at the pub, punches flying.

6 likes

Either Or

Elliott Smith

5/5

Headbanging folk music from a whisper. Some tracks sound like acoustic versions of hardcore songs, which makes sense considering Smith used to be part of a hardcore band and produced for his girlfriend's punk band. Parallels with Cobain are obvious.

2 likes

Fever To Tell

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

2/5

I like punk. I dislike indie and sexualised riot grrl vocals.

1 likes

Disraeli Gears

Cream

2/5

Lacks groove.

1 likes

1-Star Albums (2)

All Ratings

Heroes

David Bowie

5/5

Theatrical funk with psychedelic effects. An ambient intermission leads through questioning, peaceful soundscapes, and back into dance rhythms.

Arrival

ABBA

4/5

I had to force myself not to skip the massively overplayed tracks. But I adored the ones I didn't know. ABBA deserves the hype. Very poised and warm music. I'm a sucker for the theatrical 70s.

Tusk

Fleetwood Mac

5/5

Fleetwood Mac can do little wrong. I kept wanting to -1 star just because Rumours is slightly better, but then a little melody here and there would pick me back up.

Lost In The Dream

The War On Drugs

3/5

A couple tracks threw me back to my uni days. Nostalgia done right, it lives in the vocals. But it stops there, same old harmonies. I was expecting more from the songs I didn't know. Wish they'd experiment.

Either Or

Elliott Smith

5/5

Sunday At The Village Vanguard

Bill Evans Trio

5/5

Beautifully balanced. Exquisite bass.

Queen Of Denmark

John Grant

5/5

This was recommended right after I'd gotten zooted. Ideal.

Guero

Beck

4/5

Surprised by the stylistic range! Triphop and beachy grunge?

The Seldom Seen Kid

Elbow

2/5

The dramatic orchestral blasts sound very dated. I've always found 2000s indie pretentious. Which is saying quite a lot: I'm usually a fan of unique, complex alternative music. Maybe I'm just not a fan of indie fans. And maybe this album just wasn't complex enough. Some delicate tracks were pleasant enough while I focused on work. Others sounded like an Apple ad. Rarely emotionally moving, despite the overbearing strings section. On the contrary, there is something scarily icy about these rhythms.

Colour By Numbers

Culture Club

3/5

Campy and soulful. Great backing vocals and bossa nova vibes, with urprisingly fresh RnB pop melodies that sound more recent than 1983. But then other tracks sound dated. I kept trying to imagine when I'd play this album. Maybe as a background to a pleasant dinner.

Our Aim Is To Satisfy

Red Snapper

5/5

I went into this blind, not knowing what genre to expect. I just sensed I'd enjoy it. Charged trip hop -- the moment for it may have passed, but I appreciate this surprising acoustic talent. I was tempted to remove one star for sounding like a copy of Massive Attack, but no. Red Snapper is almost better, their instruments more organic. I just wish there was more variety in the tracks, more ambient. They're capable of more. Maybe even just a different track order -- the last three are beautiful. I can see why this was released on Warped. 5 stars to boost the average rating. Y'all don't know shit about electronica.

Music From Big Pink

The Band

2/5

Cover art right up my alley! It had me dreaming of psychedelic soundscapes (isn't the kid with the pot on his head holding a sitar?).....So the sludgy masculine classic rock blues deeply disappointed me. I feel like I've heard these songs a million times before-- maybe because so much music since has been derivative. The fact that this is the favourite album of self-proclaimed rapist and racist Eric Clapton doesn't exactly make me sympathetic towards it. The quality of the recording itself is excellent, though, very clear. Cool backing vocals and organ moments, especially Chest Fever. But all I see is a greying dad in a leather vest jangling these songs at a family friendly small-town festival, convinced it's the best music ever made.

Moving Pictures

Rush

5/5

Really hits the spot for the prog geek in me: spiralling psychedelic bars, curious synths, great drumming, pushing away from tender melodies towards metal. Vocals slightly too Tenacious D, but hey, it adds to the esoteric charme. Kinda wanna buy a T-shirt.

Talking Book

Stevie Wonder

4/5

More RnB and less jazz than I expected. Tight, cool and dancy. Sounds fresher than 1972, timeless! Tension lost in some of the later tracks.

Fever To Tell

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

2/5

I like punk. I dislike indie and sexualised riot grrl vocals.

Ritual De Lo Habitual

Jane's Addiction

3/5

What I wish the old Red Hot Chili Peppers sounded like. I would have loved this album back in high school.

Beautiful Freak

Eels

1/5

I don't understand why this album is on the list. Replace it with a jazz masterpiece! What about world music? Too much angsty indie/alternative on this list. 1 star for the somewhat decent track Not Ready Yet.

Crosby, Stills & Nash

5/5

Excited for the melodies & harmonies. I know they're great songwriters, especially Crosby. Didn't disappoint!

The White Album

Beatles

3/5

The seemingly random track order (especially compared to their previous proggy albums) grew on me. Still, a lot of filler. Obla Di Obla Da makes me feel ill, but Revolution 9 is a favourite. Hot take: Yoko Ono is a better artist than John Lennon ever was.

Foo Fighters

2/5

Yet another collection of alternative male angst that could be replaced by more intricate, international music (perhaps even - gasp - by a woman?!) Coming from someone who digs grunge/hardcore.

Suicide

4/5

Minimal pulses taking rock n roll into abstraction. Primitive, but influential.

Very

Pet Shop Boys

2/5

Cool early elements of hyperpop, though I'm not sure they were conscious. The dramatic string synths sound bizarrely dated for 1993. The dance tracks don't take me there. Moby did a much better job at this. The song "Forever Young" came on right after this album and my ears pricked up excitedly, only to realise that I was no longer listening to the Pet Shop Boys.

Power In Numbers

Jurassic 5

3/5

Groovy funk from real instruments, intelligent lyrics from strong voices. What's missing is some edge.

London Calling

The Clash

4/5

One of my absolute favourite albums as a teenager. Joe Strummer's voice is iconic, Guns of Brixton a legendary tune.

Station To Station

David Bowie

5/5

Pretty flawless.

Rain Dogs

Tom Waits

4/5

Evocative soundscapes. Does he have any less vaudeville-y albums?

Can't Buy A Thrill

Steely Dan

4/5

I was expecting dad rock and was pleasantly surprised! The melodies made me want to sing along.

Urban Hymns

The Verve

2/5

Songs Of Leonard Cohen

Leonard Cohen

4/5

Poems sung in wonderful melodies.

Dookie

Green Day

3/5

Smooth pop punk. Not sure why I never go into them as a teen. Maybe they're not rough enough around the edges? Maybe they sound too much like a Disney channel movie soundtrack?

The Stranger

Billy Joel

2/5

The saxophone smooth funk sounds dated. I was going to write that the later tracks grew on me, but then "Only the Good Die Young" came on...hm. Day 31 and still no album by a solo woman.

Surf's Up

The Beach Boys

4/5

Short and psychedelic, sweet. Yes flute! Magic lost towards the end.

Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness

The Smashing Pumpkins

4/5

Tonight Tonight is one of the best songs of all time. The Pumpkins often miss the mark. But when they hit it, they really hit. Still, there's no need for the album to be this long.

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

Beatles

3/5

The intro promises an oh so proggy album. But the tracks end up sickly sweet and disjointed nevertheless...the only real gem is A Day In The Life. -1 additional star for John Lennon's explicit admission of beating his first wife.

Pink Moon

Nick Drake

5/5

Nick Drake is my imaginary husband.

Vulnicura

Björk

5/5

Gut-wrenching, took me back to my past breakup. Cool IDM elements, I wish there were more! 5 stars to boost the average rating.

The Last Broadcast

Doves

2/5

What was even the point of Britpop? It's all grey noise. The few seconds of Brazilian instrumentation between two songs was where it got interesting...until the band dove headfirst back into nondescript fuzz.

Frank

Amy Winehouse

4/5

I was expecting to give this a much lower score, because I hate 20s/50s revival with a passion. But the fresh instrumentation suits her charismatic voice perfectly.

Highway 61 Revisited

Bob Dylan

3/5

His grating voice detracts from the supposed lyrical genius. But I appreciate the sweet instrumental details.

The Infotainment Scan

The Fall

3/5

Cool dance elements. The sound grew on me towards the middle.

The Cars

3/5

Some charging passages and electric licks sound far more recent than 1978. Proto-post-punk tracks.

Rust In Peace

Megadeth

4/5

I forgot that first track existed. One of my favourite songs as a teen!

Head Hunters

Herbie Hancock

5/5

Acid synths, bass loops, funky keys, soothing strings, singing woodwinds, tricky drums taking the listener on a walk, no questions asked.

Metallica

2/5

I had to listen to six ads before I got to a single repetitive note. Metallica were sellouts from the start.

Queens of the Stone Age

3/5

Took me back to a time where this album belongs. Queens of the Stone Age is a band I always wish I was into more, only to realise that the majority of their songs are nothing special.

Murder Ballads

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

4/5

Great sound design and storytelling. The lyrics could be more poetic. Not a fan of vaudeville, but I appreciate the concept of the album as a whole.

...The Dandy Warhols Come Down

The Dandy Warhols

2/5

Yet another album in this very dated washy wavy Britpop grunge genre. I can picture the guy who made this list and I don't like him.

Neon Bible

Arcade Fire

3/5

Not as good as Suburbs. This kind of indie suffers from wooden melodies and self-important, bomastic climaxes. +1 extra star for No Cars Go.

The Doors

4/5

Setting the standard for psychedelia. How do I rate a classic? -1 star for my terrible ex who was obsessed with this.

Brown Sugar

D'Angelo

4/5

ohhh I know this! smooth jazzy rbn, great instrumentation, the vibe I need. +1 extra star to boost the average rating. people here seem to hate anything that isn't the most standard dad rock.

A Little Deeper

Ms. Dynamite

3/5

Creative production on many songs. I appreciate the messaging, but it didn't need to be the first in-your-face track. Couldn't help feeling tired at points.

California

American Music Club

3/5

Country merged with indie. Innovative sound for the time, almost prescient. The angstier, slowcore tracks are their best.

A Night At The Opera

Queen

4/5

A chameleon. Shifting through country, prog, pop and camp with ease.

In Rainbows

Radiohead

4/5

Ambient thinness. Grateful for this suggestion. I'd never listenend to a full Radiohead album before. I wish the instruments were given more room to breathe under the vocals.

The Fat Of The Land

The Prodigy

4/5

One of the comments below me states they're "not a metal fan". Perfectly captures what's so great about this album -- headbanging rave, restless breakbeats that make your heart race.

Disintegration

The Cure

4/5

Bombastically serene opening, distant melodies like a rolling storm of electric strings.

Live At The Regal

B.B. King

5/5

Wish all blues was like this. Beautiful crowd reactions.

Disraeli Gears

Cream

2/5

Lacks groove.

The Suburbs

Arcade Fire

4/5

One of the strongest indie albums. Mostly due to his vocals, ideal over riffs with that secret pursuing energy.

Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge

Mudhoney

2/5

Wouldn't mind seeing them live, but this recording doesn't do it for me. Needs either catchier melodies or more punk aggression.

Live And Dangerous

Thin Lizzy

3/5

Fun tunes for a ride. Riffs moving towards metal, then back to funk. The recording itself is patchy. I couldn't help but wish I was listening to Hendrix instead.

Synchronicity

The Police

2/5

This album doesn't flow, thanks to the embarrassing Mother track. They're trying to be the Talking Heads with all these world music influences, but simply lack the fun (and talent?). I'll stick to the Greatest Hits.

Bluesbreakers

John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers

1/5

classic case of white men turning black music to shit and abusing children

Joan Baez

5/5

I was hoping for more gripping stories, but the timeless, placeless almost medieval melodies did grow on me. The shrillness of her voice makes sense in the last song, underscoring her Mexican heritage. She makes up for it with sensitivity. Her Scottish songs (Henry Martin, Mary Hamilton) really brought this album together for me.

The Next Day

David Bowie

4/5

2013 Bowie was the first time I felt him chasing trends, not making them.

A Girl Called Dusty

Dusty Springfield

4/5

Wonderful voice for soul. I just wish these were originals.

Made In Japan

Deep Purple

4/5

Teen me getting into music by stealing my dad's CDs.

Third/Sister Lovers

Big Star

2/5

Better musicians could have made these tracks shine. The folksy songs work, the power ballads not so much.

Chicago Transit Authority

Chicago

3/5

Bombastically lame 80s soft rock....oh wait no. Pleasantly surprised, but not blown away.

Moon Safari

Air

5/5

Ambient psychedelic worlds.

She's So Unusual

Cyndi Lauper

3/5

Maybe I had to be there, in the 80s, wearing shock-patterned stockings. But I'd listen to better pop.

Rum Sodomy & The Lash

The Pogues

2/5

Smelly folk punk.

New Gold Dream (81/82/83/84)

Simple Minds

5/5

Ethereal melodies, uplifting.

In The Wee Small Hours

Frank Sinatra

3/5

Coffee & book.

The Band

2/5

The range on this list is so incredibly limited.

Is This It

The Strokes

2/5

Boring indie that sounds like every sitcom intro. Can see how it was influntial, but not necessarily in a good way.

Tago Mago

Can

5/5

The Velvet Underground & Nico

The Velvet Underground

2/5

ugh

More Songs About Buildings And Food

Talking Heads

4/5

Always these intricate coldly danceable sound loops.

Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)

The Kinks

3/5

less douchey Beatles

Fire Of Love

The Gun Club

3/5

Dancing punks moving to surf.

Medúlla

Björk

3/5

I really wanted to like this like I do her other albums, but she's stronger with instruments. The vocal intervals she keeps repeating are tough on the brain. Still, I appreciate the claustrophobic, liminal humanity she was going for. Love the artwork, too.

Figure 8

Elliott Smith

4/5

Some melodies are almost too teen, then quickly shift to dreamy riffs.