1001 Albums Summary

Solid, if minor album. More like a sketchbook, with a couple of standout McCartney tunes, especially "Maybe I'm Amazed," which has stood the test of time. Paul might have been at an emotional low at the time because of the breakup of the Beatles, but his excellent musicianship is evident, as he plays every instrument very well and is in good voice. It was nice to revisit this album.

hot rats

Say what you want about dad rock and the fact that many of these songs have been played to death by FM radio, but this is almost perfection. The son writing, guitar playing and vocals are top level for rock music. Top. Level.

This is rock music at its finest. I remember my roommate blasting it out of our off campus housing windows, speakers in the windows facing the street, at maximum volume. Take that, fuckers!

IMHO, one of the 2 most important albums of the rock era. A masterpiece of baroque rock, the tippity top of songwriting, orchestration/production, and vocal performance sprung from the godhead of Brian Wilson. "God Only Knows" and "Caroline, No" are sublime confections and I could listen to them non-stop for the rest of my days without remorse. A shame I can only give it 5 stars. If I could, I give it 99.

I'm old. So I remember this album from when it first came out. And Elvis is one of my all-time faves. I understand you younguns might not appreciate how truly influential this album is, but his songwriting married punk, new wave and power pop. And he still got better! 5 Stars.

I really like Karen's voice, but overall the album is just too blah. The 2 hits are classics, but there's a lot of filler in here. I liked their version of "Reason to Believe" but it's not close to essential.

Just a tick off the best Beach Boys, but still worthy of a listen or two. Carl is legit, the other guys not so much.

A step and a half down from Ziggy Stardust, both in song writing and performance, but still...I gotta give it 4 stars, which may tell you more about how highly I rate ZS. I think we have to admit that at this point of his life and his fame, David was pretty fucked up. Don't do drugs, kids. The album is a portrait of a disordered mind, but his musicianship drags some of the material to a higher plane. My favorites are Jean Genie and Panic in Detroit. Drive-In Saturday is good too. The cover art is iconic and worth half a star alone. So, 3.5 stars for the content, .5 stars for the album art? Yeah, whatever.

A step and a half down from Ziggy Stardust, both in song writing and performance, but still...I gotta give it 4 stars, which may tell you more about how highly I rate ZS. I think we have to admit that at this point of his life and his fame, David was pretty fucked up. Don't do drugs, kids. The album is a portrait of a disordered mind, but his musicianship drags some of the material to a higher plane. My favorites are Jean Genie and Panic in Detroit. Drive-In Saturday is good too. The cover art is iconic and worth half a star alone. So, 3.5 stars for the content, .5 stars for the album art? Yeah, whatever.

This stuff is right up my alley. Beatlesque with a hint of old time rock n' roll.

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy. What an album. Chock full of great songs and performances. Probably none better than "Changes," which is probably the most popular track here, for good reason. This is Bowie at his most intelligent, open, and insightful...maybe ever. And the arrangement is just to die for; that sax at the end just gets me every time. Oh, You Pretty Things is the precursor to Ziggy. "And it looks as if they're here to stay." I guess so, Dave, I guess so. There's really not a less than 4 track here. Bewley Brothers is a tough nut to crack, for sure. But worth the repeated listenings required. David's voice will never sound this full again. But that that's not faint praise. He was an excellent vocalist almost his entire career. The epitome of knowing how to sing vs. having a great voice. Here, he has both. Just an essential, great album.

The 3 hit songs are great. I loved them for 45 years. The rest is just OK. I screeching vocals can only be taken in small doses. Solid 2.5. Round up to 3.

Blessed with one of the most angelic voices in all of "rock", Harry Nilsson is somewhat of a "what if" story. This album is clearly the high point of his commercial success, but he has other worthy albums that never broke through. The 3 hits are the obvious highlights here, with a noticeable drop off for the other songs. There's a movie out there somewhere that tells his story - it's more than a little bittersweet. I can't give this more than 3 stars. "Without You" written by fellow sad sacks Ham/Evans of Badfinger is the highlight. That song alone is worth 3 stars.

ah geeez. I liked Ozzy. He was a decent chap, it seemed. He’s recently passed, sadly. Not to speak ill of the dead, but…this is ghastly. I understand why this may be appealing to a younger segment of the listening public. The image and vibe is everything. The music is not, how do we say…good. Yes, I’m old. But I was young once, and this did nothing for me then, either. Good on you if you like it. Not for me.

Listening again after a number of years, I have to say this is quite enjoyable. Certainly a much different direction than the rocknrolla Ziggy years and the TWD, a signpost for the new and improved David. Side One is a sorta peppy pop album; Side Two will make you question what planet you're on. 3 stars? 4? Probably in between, but I'll go 4. I'm feeling good today.

I should like these guys. I bought several of their albums: this one and the Original Soundtrack back in the day. They are clearly talented, but strangely off-putting. It's clear they WANT to be this way, it's not a bad producer, or bad luck. A couple of good songs, but largely forgettable. 2 stars.

As good as any album ever recorded. It sounds SO much better than the White Album, and side 2 (not just the medley) is, without question, the best single side of rock music ever. full stop. Why can't we give it 10 stars? It's the only album to ever deserve it.