The production actually amazes me. Was not aware of the natural open sound of the rehearsal studio. If you compare the raw edge of this with today's massively overproduced records, i really enjoy this much more than I did in my youth. No overwrought production, instead very solid songwriting with lots of dynamic space.

When it arrived on scene I was in a musically different universe and could not care less about this weird acoustic punk stuff. Now, more than 40 years later I am soo sorry not having listened to this in my younger days. Great songwriting, raw energy and enthusiasm and an artistic decision on sound that cannot be called but brave, I cannot but admire what the then 18! years old Gano has pinned down. Absolutely enjoyable from start to finish.

Nah, I still feel undercomplex when listening to this country-pop-fun-punk-rock blend of musical nothingness. Yes, it is energetic, direct, well played and produced, and the lyrics actually mean something. But they never made it for me, I go for Ramones, Bad Religion, Clash, or Violent Femmes if I want such kind of music. Although, in their times they served a purpose, and that was to reintroduce lighthearted fun into Rock Music Making.

OK, this is the brainchild of a producer and studio wizard - namely Tom Scholz - and it is AOR and it is 1976. Doomed to failure, full of clichés. Rarely has an AOR record to this day had such polished and meticulous songwriting, rarely have the lyrics been less clichéd than here, rarely have such consistent instrumental mastery and flawless execution met less pretentiousness in the individual instruments. Even today, this still sounds fresh, coherent and more like a band than what most of their successors and today's contemporary bands were/are capable of delivering. This is a great record, no matter what style you prefer. You can argue about taste and preference, but not about technical and musical quality. It's not my taste. But I love it.

This remains a great listen. Period. So much intensity in the performance. When Nothing Compares 2 You drives you to tears, don't expect the rest to not affect you. This whole record is about affectation and sadness, sometimes anger. It is versatile in styles, a showcase of O'Connors musical capacities and deeply reflecting on turmoil and trouble. All the introspective - mostly female - singers to come after surely found some of their courage in her(e). Confession of troubled soul and mind. While some artists challenge you with their musical avantgarde and complexity, Sinéad does so with her open wounds. If said song does not affect you - stay away, you might not find anything made for you.

Well, I kind of like this style of music. And some of the songs here are really beautiful. But there are quite some artists / records from the genre that I hold in higher esteem. This one for me is somewhat too much on the mellow and conventional side. Still a good record, but it is missing some edge and some of the guitar playing would have been better off played with the Kora, as it feels too close to that instrument as one could call it inspired by. Concerning message or meaning, I cannot judge, but from what it is said, there is no hidden evil lurking. On a secondary note: don't go for the deluxe edition. The three additional covers don't go well with the album.

No music can be everyone's cup of tea. This kind of music is not mine. Nonetheless, this record should be a milestone in female R&B self-empowerment. That alone would make it valuable as a historical document. But for me, even though I rarely listen to this kind of music, this is also a great performance. The sheer energy that Aretha Franklin brings to the table, her power and presence make it a really, really enjoyable listen. She may not have been the best voice of all the "divas" (and I've always wondered why she was given such a derogatory label), but she was certainly the powerhouse.

I can understand some of the negative emotions. There are those that look for flawless execution, those will be disappointed. There are those that look for polished to the edge songwriting, those will be disappointed. Many reasons to dislike the whole thing. It is a mess of self-indulgent and pompous waste of time. But hey, that is exactly what makes this a fun listening, because they are shredding away with passion. Out of tune and out of synch, noodling and drawling away. I take this for amusement, not for its importance. Surely it does not belong on any albums-you-should-have-heard list, but being that serious sometimes is just not appropriate.

Arguably I am culturally very remote from anything Rap, HipHop etc. So I cannot really judge the woth of this effort in its context. But from out of context, it flows nicely with me. I like the atmosphere, I like the rhythms, the production - and like the flow of the individual performances. I could not listen to this kind of music the whole time, but this one resonates with me, and from what I can make up off the lyrics by just listening, it is def. no brutish Gangsta stuff or such kind. It will not end up on any of my lists, but in the context of what has been presented here so far, it is def above average...

This is a cornerstone, one of the most impactful Jazz albums ever. Of course, much is about the playing, the display of artistry and the fun of interaction. But it is beyond that, it is mainly Monk's approach on time and rhythm, the way he is capable of of free-floating, that set him apart. At his time this was extraordinary, and only few could follow him. This tension is not resolved here, which makes it difficult to really appreciate.

I cannot understand the wave of disgust this record causes. It simply is somewhat meeh. Not hard to listen to at all. What is all the fuzz about the noise? There is not too much of it, instead rather traditional songwriting with a tendency to overextend the content, both lyrically and musically. There are moments to be cherished, moments better discarded, and a lot of overblown nothingness inbetween. It feels dated, most of all. I did not know it before and will surely quickly forget. Nothing to have listened to before dying. 2.5, but down rating due to its insignificance.

Quintessential.The very record to show an artist channelling momentous inspiration. A sole person and his instrument in parley. Listened to it potentially a hundred times and will do again and again. Not an easy listening, despite some moments of beauty and bliss. How exhausted he must have been after these concerts.

While I have never been a huge fan of Dylan - musically speaking - there are some notable exceptions to it. Time Out Of Mind is such. A very warm record, attributed to Daniel Lanois' production. Frankly, this is a producer's record, and I would even say that stripped from the production the musical content would be mediocre at best. Unremarkable bluesy Americana. If it weren't for the lyrics. These are what sets Dylan apart most of the time. A nice record to listen to once in a while, but nothing to justify it being on a 1000 albums list.

One of a kind genre defining Album. It is rare that a band creates something genuinely new but still is rooted deeply in what was before. This is one such record. Always gets me and keeps me listening attentively. I understand people who do not like it, it is for sure not meant for easy entertainment and it really depends on what you look for in music. That is why I will not give it 5 stars as it is a little bit too deliberate in some passages. 4.5 down to four for some imbalance. Still a great record and for sure belongs to this list.

Actually, this could be the time to start whining about what has become of U2. But that would take away from their early recordings, even their Zooropa phase. So much brilliant idiosyncratic music to hail from them, every one of those records so peculiar U2, each of them delivered with passion, vision, aspiration. War is nothing but that, a passionate statement, political to the point of bland, but all forgiven by attitude and delivery. No full five, that is left to another one of theirs...

Fun, pure fun.

I somehow understand the reason for that kind of music, it just does not resonate with me. Good production, all played on spot, I guess the singing and all are what it should be. It is all musical and does not sound generic shit. For what it is worth...

This one came to my like as for many others here: a surprise. Later days Pretenders were what I knew so far and I never felt inclined to listen to their back catalogue. What a miss . Great energy, cool playing, no fillers, nice raw punky edge to the pop/rock lingo. And Chrissy Hynde should deserve much credit for the singing here. This will not be heard for the last time.

This has fallen from future into its time. A short and condensed glimpse of what was to come years later. There is so much the listener from the 90ies and zeroes would have immediately grasped that did not resonate with the contemporaries . Above all, fun despite being meant serious, concise production, only a few flaws but no fillers. A nice series of mind twisting contrasts. I love it and listen to it since I discovered it 15 years after its release. If you like it or not, it should be part of any serious collection. 4.5

An album to have listened to before you die? Nah, that's in-ear out-ear Jazz despite the political statement that I am told it was. Nothing bad to it, but nothing musically overly interesting either.

As was to be expected most of the critique, dislike and obvious hate that forms the reviews for the album does not dive into its musical aspects but purely evolves around the lyrics. While there is much to discuss about the quality of those, responding to anger with overweening arrogance or the same level of venom does not serve the cause and leads to the same superficiality used as a reproach against Lydon. Conceptually, this album is an anti-establishment statement - both lyrically and musically. The establishment clearly includes punk, now having grown into another money making machine. Unfortunately, as is with most such statements, it is not a pleasurable listen. Repetitive, deliberately lacking any positivity, refrain from concepts that are deemed to involve the audience. While being an essential recording and the start of Post-Punk, and even while rightfully on the list, it has not aged well and given the missing relatability, I cannot give it more than...

I keep it short: overly self-indulgent pompous overproduced bore. Two points for daring. I hate it. Sorry.

Reading some of the reviews here, I can only say: embarassing. This is a great record by a great and serious artist. Some here obviously do not understand that this record is SURELY not about female sexual phantasies, but about how easily males consume females and attribute how the execution of power - be it socially, culturally, economically established - pertains to their self-perceived grandiosity and establishes an interpretation of male/female relation that could not be more biased. This is a record about being outside and the longing to belong without having to submit. Apart from that, this is a bold statement musically, and one that deserves a place in this list.

The more traditional Tom Waits. Not a bad record at all, but it is missing some of the theatrical quirkiness that I love so much with Big Time or other such records. Some filler instrumental organ blues as well imho. A convenient listen.

Simply a classic. Precision cold songwriting, but nonetheless thrillingly emphatic. Rarely has a record about alienation and relationship troubles provided so much joy for the listener. Unfortunately sometimed of its brilliance gets washed away by 80ies production cheesiness.

Rating this album seems to be a hit or miss, either 5 or 1. While I sympathize with the 5, I cannot understand the 1. Sure, it is a bold step away from anything expected and made for traditionalists. But even if one doesn't like it, or outright hate it because it for sure is deliberately not matching expectations: this is composed music of depth and grandeur, not only incidental noise or horrid production. The execution is flawless, the music is complex and demanding. If you appreciate this kind of boldness, it is one for five stars, if you grudgingly hate Radiohead for what they did with you here, give it a three for its importance. Everyone who claims: anyhow did never like them should not be taken serious, as this is completely different and incomparable to the Radiohead from before...

This is the complete opposite to the one I had to listen to before, Radiohead's Kid A. But this is the timeless essence of Rock, broad legged machismo, fun, pretentiousness, to be despised if you do not take it as a show. But if you take it as such, it becomes quintessential showtime, and if you don't take it for serious but from an artsy perspective, it even becomes perfect irony. Apart from that: great songwriting and arrangements stripped to the essentials. I love it (obviously)

I never really understood what the fuzz was all about. There were some nice songs by The Cure, but overall at the time I found their approach to "melancholy" and "depression" a rather mediocre teenage phantasy of the real pain. These days I simply find them outdated and aged poorly and it definitely has not grown on me and it remains as it was: boring instead of melancholic.

I am definitely not the biggest fan of his music, but I admit that he was visionary at times. I hardly understand any of his lyrics by listening, but reading them makes me even hold out his singing. And he wrote some great iconic songs Unfortunately, this record ist overshadowed byba mistuned acoustic guitar and a brain melt inducing terrible harmonica. The second disc does not provide enough relief from the first one then. But that is just taste, and therefore as a document of boldness I give it a two and will never again listen to it.

I decided to refrain from commenting on 5 stars, I decided I only give 5 or 1 to those I am missing words for.

1or 5 stars would be the artists' intended effect, but that was at its time. Did not age too well and today leaves me rather lukewarm. Three stars nonetheless for it being genre defining...

A real beauty, focused and to the bare essential. Naked soul displaying itself. It is simply sad to think which pain must be behind this. This could not be longer. Listen loud!

I try to love it, I try to love it, but I can't, but I can't. It is too long, it lasts forever, forever is a concept I can not sustain. But it is cool somehow, and if I cut it into chunks, I love the chunks. I dearly do.

While I admire the technical prowess, this record never has made it to me. It feels an exercise in musical theory.

And another sacrifing their soul to commercial success. Luckily a one timer more or less in his catalogue.

Definitely some staples here, not too slick and some really nice quirkiness. If it comes to 90ies Brit Pop, this is a go-to. Surely not a fiver, but entertaining nonetheless. Overall a consistent outing.

Although I'm not too interested in this genre - simply because it's culturally very distant from a person who lives where I do and from its context - I can smell greatness where it is. It's great musically, emotionally, technologically and message-wise. I remember when the album came out, I was in awe of the flow of it, the sheer power of the performance, the technical sophistication and excellence of the resampling and re-contextualization of so many musical elements already familiar from other contexts. The aggression and urgency of the message without it ever becoming a mere exercise in production technique. It's a great production, but it's also warm in a human sense. It's emotional without being clichéd, it discusses conflict without being exclusively confrontational. It's musical discourse at its best, profound, inclusive and considerate, and at the same time consistent and positioned. I would wish for so much of it in these turbulent times full of ignorance, malice and hate.

Back in the 80ies I hated them. Now I loved them. Why? Don't know, but it just clicks with me. Nonetheless, this one is not their best and nothing really super impressive.

I am so glad so many people don't like it - it just confirms everything I ever thought about why people might listen to music. It mine, my precccciousssss. You will not get it.

A timeless beauty and one of the most important and most influential records ever. There is nothing I do not like about this. Gorgeous. And frankly, any Mingus household should love this too, unless they never understood Mingus. Calling this elevator music simply discredits the listener as a bore, because they are not about music. They potentially drive a Benz that eats up half their income and think that an expensive car sound system is what music is about.

Like the laid back delivery of some great songs. There are some hits and some misses, and if the songs would all live up to their delivery and the production, more would have been possible. 2.5 rounded up to 3.

Intentional crap or whatever. There are bands that do this kind of stuff way better and much more subtle. Just because someone detuned a guitar and sang out of tune does not make them rebellious or anti. It is consistent, but consistency is not what creates good music, it is what would propel a good record to be a better. In this case it makes a crappy record a bad one.

What can I say. As some Jazz records and some Blues records before this is not only a Genre defining exercise. More than much of what came after, this is a fundamental part of a shift in culture. Not much to say about the music itself these days. I am not particular into it, but recognise it as the essential recording it is. There are many things on the list I do prefer musically but would nonetheless never rate as high.

Is this essential? No. Is it my style of music? No. Did it entertain? Oh yes. Is it concise, skillful, expertedly done? No question. Is it a thing on its own? Def. Can I rate 5? No, but it is great for what it wants to be, if I am not mistaken.

Too much of a sixties movie about things I never felt intrigued into. I mean, I understand the musical prowess, but once the big band horns kick in, it has lost me. Nonetheless.

Simply like it, and I can listen to this album without thinking of Chris Martin. I mean, come on, he is not MJ or some other criminal. He is just not every bushwacker's or woodchopper's definition of male. Do I care?

This is a tapestry. A huge concise map of memories, a little faded sometimes, in other places colourful, overall a certain shade of things gone and woven together in an imaginary past. I am sol familiar with this one, there is no real rating. It is like that large heirloom hanging on the wall and never removed because it's simply indispensable. It's value is defined by the viewer and not by itself. Love it.

Well, some killers, some fillers. A promise of what's to come, but not more. Like it, but certainly not something needed to hear before death.

Like it. Enough said.

I have a guilty pleasure with this record. I love it, although it is utter pretentious pop gone metal. It is bad though, and I had to suffer Lars Ulrich two times in a festival setting. That was a revelation. I do not think any drum track on this record was close to being played in one take. And the drums just sound shit. Two for the guilty pleasure

Iconic.

I rarely fall asleep to musical boredom.

This is too remote for me. I assume it is great storytelling and all that, but musically I find this of no particular interest to me. Ultimately I cannot really judge this.

Simple as that, 5 stars. Perfect. Night swimming would need six stars.

The only Metallica to get more than 3 from me. If it weren't for the drumming, drumsound and drummer, I'd consider an even four, so it is a 3.5 upgraded.

The issue with some of the mainstream US music is, that it tends to play too safe and to value production effect over musical depth and actually diminish the value of the songwriting and artistical performance. This record feels like many US movies that don't dare an open end, or a sad ending. Like how the Blade Runner director's cut is way darker than the cinematic edition. So sad, there could be more to this, given lyrics, songs and voice.

I have missed it in its days, regrettably so. A blissful collection of energy, emotion, and most of all rawish punky well crafted songs. Really love it. Thanks!

I like it, typically political statements with sparse music make me cringe, but this one somewhat feels right. And all the fuzz about his singing, hey, did you ever listen to Mr. Dylan?

Overall, a very pleasant and eccentric listen. Strong songs all over, well executed. Pure fun and entertaining, without being overly slick or mainstream. Highly recommend find from this list!

While I really love CAN, this one sounds and feels like a Krautrock pre-study or demo to something. Apart from the terrible singing, there is also too much aimless noodling involved. For me this is a little too much of nothingness. Some nice moments, though.

Goes without words, 2nd great artistic statement this week.

This is simply a statement of artistic grandeur. It is decidedly Pop, but idiosyncratic as it can be. Great songs, great performances, meticulously executed to the smallest detail without any sterile perfectionism. For me, one of the greatest main stream statements ever. Running up that hill never ages for me and I never ever got fed up with it. Thank you, Kate Bush, for this gift.

Perfect, futuristic and visionary at its time, still valid and VERY enjoyable today. Apart from that, the effort that must have gone into more or less mechanically and manually creating these layers of synchronized electronic waves is simply mesmerizing. Listen in German, language is an additional layer of the mechanic, which is revealed by their mother tongue. (Comparing them to Daft Punk is so beyond reason that it hurts, the idiosyncrasy of Kraftwerk's oeuvre is simply amazing and so much ahead of what was to follow)

Sorry, I never got the Bee Gees but for some of their hits. This is just another Meeh record on this list, untinteresting to sleepiness. Some nice lyrical content and production though. But 1001 best albums? Maybe number 5341.

A fun listen most of it, liked the production, some of the lyrics. Def. preferable over most of the Gangsta stuff of the era, but rather lengthy at times. There is not much though that is really impressive or would stick with me.

Yes, this is a soundtrack for the time after party. It is moody and mellow, the lyrics are somewhat brooding. It is coherent and the songwriting ist aspirational and in parts dense. I like the atoquite a lot, the production is satisfyingly warm and lush. It can get stretched in some songs, and if they had restrained from harmonica and a too hard hitting snare, I would feel even better with it

Another one from the meant for entertainment self- indulgent machismo rock list. Nonetheless, the musical content is surprisingly cool, performance and execution are convincing. The rating is more about it's cultural context and "meaning.

I am a split personality when it comes to Cat Stevens. I love his song writing, I like how most of the songs are performed - but I hate listening to his records. All the same, becomes boring after the second song. This one is no exception. Great individual songs, but I cannot stand listening to more than two in row

Somehow like the feverish hysteria displayed. That makes the partly dull lyrics and average songwriting bearable. It is more about display but craft, but it is a fun listen half time. Not a record to die for, but at least fun - which cannot be said of many of the weaker albums on the list.

Meh, just because a person is consequential with their identity an contributes to the overall socio-culturel debate that rightfully so discusses freedom, participation, power and bias and is demanding, music does not become intrinsically better or worse by that. So this is it: a bold person but a boring work of music, despite the partially personal and beyond average lyrics. Average pop, average production, average delivery. Nothing bad per se, but surely nothing for the list.

Well, yeah. The guy can sing. The band and the arrangements are overblown and pathetic jazzy-poppy stylish artsie people who destroy whatever dark intimacy was intended. Just adding smeary strings to everything doesn't add depth, necessarily. And some songs need that colouring to make them feel bigger than they actually are. Not something I will return to. Too forced for my taste. 2.5 upped to 3 for intention and voice.

I am in a dilemma again. Another of those super important albums of a super important artist - but I cannot get my ears to listen to it. 5 stars for the album due to its relevance, or two for it's musical content? I don't know, but I tend for two this time, as this is a list for music and hot about history. As it is not genre defining or particularly interesting musically, two stars. Nevertheless, I acknowledge the album's social and political significance.

While there are some musically outstanding tracks on here, I give it it's well deserved one to ZERO stars for all the hate, homophobia and misogyny it introduced to the world, without even listening to it again.

This is indeed a fun listen, and a nice occasion to figure out samples and their origin, for the one and other occasional track. I personally find the production to massively lack on bass, which diminishes it's value for the dancefloor. That is the main reason to only give it three stars - it is missing on its intended purpose and I wouldn't want sit for a full listen.

If it were for pure nostalgia, I'd give this a five. But apart from the two standouts and the singers' performance this is an overall average album, with some covers that are close to terrible. Unfortunately, this kind of music soon became carrier for all kinds of memorable advertisements, which makes it hard to listen to without spontaneous imagining of toothbrushes. Has ages pretty badly.

Musically this is simply a stunning record, and it definitely is more than one song repeating 10 times. If you don't believe, take you AI and let it do some analysis. And don't fall for the controversy around "Smack my bitch up", it is a slang reference to drug abuse and the video perfectly illustrates this, and in addition this is nothing about male sexual violence, but about drug abuse leading to violence in consequence (the main character in the video is female btw ..) Nothing to show kids on TV for sure and not a choice of expression that one must like.

I never made it through, bleeding boredom. Technically it is well executed, but nothing that catches me, neither anything that provokes. It is just there, and it does not do anything beyond.

Why this?

What shall I say about music that is absolutely not my style but has meticulous production, execution, well above average songwriting and an outstanding singer? Well, exactly that. Unfortunately, Soul rarely reaches mine, specifically this kind of Pop-Soul. So I give this one a technical judgement and will happily forget about it after half-way through

A monument. So ahead of time. For sure not the most accomplished piece, but what a debut...

Hmm, totally average bluesy air. Don't understand why it's on the list.

I really wonder how this crap made it to the list. This is self- indulgent miss of any talent.

There is a lot to like on this record, as with many of Bowie's. It's got all those stylish idiosyncrasies that make his records unmistakable. Singing style, musical drama, quality of songs, production (including the slightly emphasized mids that sometimes make it challenging to sit through a full record). The issue with this one simply is that it feels like an imitation of a style. Bowie and Soul are not a natural fit, rather it is soul looked through the Bowie lens. Despite all its good songs and the great musicianship, it tends to be a bit of a unsatisfying listen. Do I want more Bowie, do I want more Soul? No idea, but potentially more Bowie.

I will make this short: one of the very few records of the genre I actually like and love and repeatedly listen to. It still is from a place culturally very remote, but it gives me the idea of hat I actually might have a chance to understand. Musically, this is anyhow top notch.

Just for another record I stated that Soul is not my cup of tea. Well, there are exemptions. This one landmark record for example. Less so the singing and vocal phrasing which still do rarely resonate with me, but the sheer intensity of the music making, the arrangements and the sonics are outstanding. There is enough drama and passion in the music that the singing becomes part of it, as opposed to so many other Soul records where the musical blandness just serves as a canvas to the singing.

This is a consistent masterpiece from the beginning. If you hate it because you feel like your angry teenage screaming at you, well it did a perfect job playing with your bias. There is enough adult message and musical ingenuity on this to fill out twenty contemporary indie records. This was a beginning, but unfortunately hardly ever anyone really followed the options presented. (I admit listening to them live at the times they toured with Pearl Jam was a challenge, to say the least)