1001 Albums Summary

Let's start with the good - This album opens so perfectly. You have an absolutely amazing set of four songs that highlight John's songwriting capabilities, musicianship, and charisma as an artist. Side B continues strongly with "This Song Has No Title" and "Grey Seal" both of which are fun and bright and keep the energy going. Other standout songs to me were "I've Seen That Movie Too," "Sweet Painted Lady", "All The Girls Love Alice", and "Harmony" What I don't like - Let's start with Jamaica Jerk-Off - which I have very mixed feelings about. At times, I loved it, at most times, I hated it. I like the diversity it brings to the sound of the album, but at first listen thought it seemed out of place. I also am not a big fan of "Saturday Night" - partly just find it obnoxious. I think overall the album is strong and fun, but can be shortened a tiny bit for perfection.

I really hate this album - it very much is outside the scope of music that I listen to, and I do acknowledge how that creates bias when listening to this. The opener, "Smack My Bitch Up," was pure trash. I think I stopped listening halfway through. The band's message around the song, "doing anything intensely" also just seems like a BS response towards the controversy it created. This said, I did actually like Breathe. It some weird backwards world, I can see it being a Tori Amos song on the album, "To Venus and Back." It reminded me of "Blue Skies" and "Datura." I am really interested in her doing a cover of it with Datura. I stopped all together listening to the album during the song "Mindfields." I just couldn't take it anymore. There is something to appreciate about this album however. And maybe I will find it one day, but not today.

This album was incredible. I can get why they call it one of the best jazz records of made. Mingus killed it with this one.

I don't think I really ever heard Arcade Fire before this, but listened to many other bands similar to their sound. I will say, I definitely really enjoyed this album. "Keep The Car Running" was probably my favorite song off of this album, and definitely hit a nostalgia bone in body that brought me back to high-school - driving around at night with my friends, trying to not get in trouble somewhere but embracing what we though was "freedom" at the time. There were a few songs that kind of blended together for me or that didn't hit as hard as that one, which is why I am hesitant to give it a perfect 5 star rating. But I will say, this is an album I will happily return to! Maybe in time, it will grow into a 5. Favorite songs and top mentions: Keep The Car Running, Windowsill, Antichrist Television Blues, and No Cars Go.

I am not the biggest Madonna fan, but I really enjoyed this album. Ray of Light is definitely my favorite album of hers, and I like that Music sonically carries over part of that aesthetic. It does sound a bit dated here and there, but I didn't really mind that. For me, the highlights on this album are the "ballads" - such as What It Is Like For A Girl, Paradise (Not for Me), and Gone.