My 1001 Albums Journey

146

Albums Rated

3.41

Average Rating

13%

Complete

943 albums remaining

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2010s

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5-Star Albums

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Albums

You Love More Than Most

Album	You	Global	Diff
A Wizard, A True Star Todd Rundgren	5	2.83	+2.17
Halcyon Digest Deerhunter	5	3.05	+1.95
...The Dandy Warhols Come Down The Dandy Warhols	5	3.13	+1.87
Dear Science TV On The Radio	5	3.16	+1.84
Loveless My Bloody Valentine	5	3.17	+1.83
The Visitors ABBA	5	3.2	+1.8
Horses Patti Smith	5	3.31	+1.69
Live And Dangerous Thin Lizzy	5	3.32	+1.68
The Downward Spiral Nine Inch Nails	5	3.35	+1.65
xx The xx	5	3.37	+1.63

You Love Less Than Most

Album	You	Global	Diff
The Wall Pink Floyd	2	4.14	-2.14
Woodface Crowded House	1	3.1	-2.1
Back In Black AC/DC	2	3.86	-1.86
Hot Fuss The Killers	2	3.74	-1.74
Talking Book Stevie Wonder	2	3.72	-1.72
Highway to Hell AC/DC	2	3.66	-1.66
With The Beatles Beatles	2	3.66	-1.66
The Madcap Laughs Syd Barrett	1	2.62	-1.62
The United States Of America The United States Of America	1	2.61	-1.61
Don't Stand Me Down Dexys Midnight Runners	1	2.61	-1.61

5-Star Albums (27)

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Popular Reviews

A Wizard, A True Star

Todd Rundgren

5/5

A shockingly interesting album, advancing the psychedelic sound to a proto-punk, proto-news-wave place. You Need Your Head and Rock & Roll Pussy are face melters! I love the tracks blending together.

1 likes

1-Star Albums (5)

All Ratings

Tea for the Tillerman

Cat Stevens

4/5

A pleasant album (and my first on this journey) whose earnestness is refreshing given the changes to adult contemporary music in the past 50-odd years. Very much rooted in its time and scene, which isn't a bad thing. Definitely in that 3-3.5 star range for the first half but Miles from Nowhere, On The Road To Find Out elevated it beyond that for me. Longer Boats is a standout, with fun instrumentation.

The xx

5/5

Pared-back instrumentation but super-duper effective. Shows how far a thoughtful mix of electronic and an live instruments can go, particularly the bass. Surprisingly jazzy; helped by the great vocal harmonisation Islands, Shelter and Basic Space are perfect examples of the latter.

Eliminator

ZZ Top

3/5

Straightforward, four-to-the-floor, groove rock. A Cadillac going 90. Sharp Dressed Man

Urban Hymns

The Verve

3/5

This album is held up by its singles. Bitter Sweet Symphony is a fantastic single and a staple of Britpop. The Drugs Don't Work is also a masterpiece in its sadness. Lucky Man's tune and lyrics make it stand out among the rest of the psychadelic-leaning songs. Speaking of which, the psychedelic remainders are not bad, with more dynamic production than Oasis. However, it gets repetitive, with the rock-y bombast for most tracks letting them down after 3-4 minutes. The exception is Space And Time, which earns the noodling at the end. This is a lesson in why \"Oasis' \"BE Here Now\" was doomed to failure - psychadelic-inspired hard rock songs should be way shorter to start with, let alone wall-of-sound for 7 minutes. Overall, great sound and vibes overall but the lack of re-listenability means it loses stars.

At San Quentin

Johnny Cash

4/5

The generator gave me this and the Folsom album to listen to back-to-back. What a coincidence :P This is an interesting contrast to the Folsom album, a little less jubilant in some way? The title song is at the core, a much sadder affair than Folsom Prison Blues but A Boy Named Sue is its heart. Classic Johnny. Part of the magic here is those backing singers. That unmistakable voice contrasting with the higher voices is marvellous! And his duet with June in Walk the Line is fantastic as always.

At Folsom Prison

Johnny Cash

5/5

Part two of a back-to-back: Now this is more raucous! Carl Perkins is the king of Rockabilly. No spirituals like Peace in the Valley that made At San Quentin a sadder affair. The chuckles during "Dark as a Dungeon" sum that up perfectly.

Dust

Screaming Trees

4/5

I loved Mark Lanegan (RIP) already for his contributions in Queens of the Stone Age, so I was excited to start this. His vocals soar more than I expected and are a high point in this record. And my, do these songs _soar_. "Sworn and Broken" was my favourite

Blur

3/5

The Number Of The Beast

Iron Maiden

2/5

I do _love_ metal and try to give Iron Maiden a fair shake. I can see why this is a popular metal album with crossover appeal - Bruce Dickinson' lung-busting vocals are an endurance feat. The bass pops more than modern metal and the instrumentation is tight. Worth a listen but not something I would go back to personally.

Live And Dangerous

Thin Lizzy

5/5

I was surprised to see Thin Lizzy on this list - and what a joy to get a slice of their live set! There are songs, and there is Emerald. A swashbuckling ride from start-to-finish. Southbound has great vocal harmonies Contrasting some other live albums on this list, I like the song-to-song nature, with only a smattering of mic talk. The seamless movements from song to song is brilliant.

The Boatman's Call

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

3/5

The Madcap Laughs

Syd Barrett

1/5

In general, I am open experimental and outsider music - Daniel Johnston has some magnificent work, for example. I can’t get into this at all. Barrett has a fascinating life story and this album does have its in the rock pantheon but it’s not my vibe.

Talking Book

Stevie Wonder

2/5

Either Or

Elliott Smith

3/5

Ready To Die

The Notorious B.I.G.

3/5

Hot Fuss

The Killers

2/5

_sigh_ The big hits from this assaulted my teenage years, so I need to work hard to overcome my preconceived opinions "All These Things That I've Done" is the one hit I really like. I couldn't get into the latter half of this.

The Visitors

ABBA

5/5

Well, this starts off unexpectedly. Space pop-rock in my ABBA?! Somehow my disco boots still suit the vibe of the opening track. Great start! I was genuinely expecting a lot of slop intertwined with the classics but this is a delight! _looks at release year...._ 1981, that explains it! As I progress through this generator journey, I am surprised at how much tight vocals and harmonisation matter to me in a pop context (the stabs of "For the Price of One" is a hook). This is a group who know who they are and who find wonder in intermingling. Reminds me of Fleetwood Mac around that era but with better self-editing. "I Let The Music Speak" is definitely a precursor to Benny and Björn's musicals. "Two For The Price Of Video Killed the Radio Star" I'm surprised how many influences they wear on their sleeves. 5 stars!

Groovin'

The Young Rascals

3/5

This is so very very 60s with a lovely orchestral punch! The guitar work is intricate and the whole vibe is airy. I like it but don't love it

Tommy

The Who

4/5

For such a "Classic" album, the Spotify listens are surprisingly low. As I listen, I can kinda see why - this is a rock opera, and a good one at that. It's not _really_ full of single-like material. Makes for a good single-run-through listen. In fact, this seems to be the album that popularised the term. There are definitely better examples (Ziggy Stardust) but I am giving it a bump for the sheer audacity only the Who could pull off.

Dirt

Alice In Chains

3/5

_Flashback to teenage years_ I was a 90s grunge fan stuck in the early/late 2000s as a teenager. Alice scratched to young + angry itch. That aspect has aged poorly. But the desperation and inner fear from a struggling addict leaves this a more haunted experience.

Vivid

Living Colour

2/5

Atomizer

Big Black

4/5

Very interesting. Full punk energy with cool sounds. Wait a minute, I recognise those drums at the start of Stinking Drunk...

A Wizard, A True Star

Todd Rundgren

5/5

A shockingly interesting album, advancing the psychedelic sound to a proto-punk, proto-news-wave place. You Need Your Head and Rock & Roll Pussy are face melters! I love the tracks blending together.

The Wall

Pink Floyd

2/5

Like a lot of albums I've reviewed, I _get it_ but it's just not for me. Meddle and DSOTM are still Floyd at their peak

Chirping Crickets

Buddy Holly & The Crickets

4/5

Rock Me My Baby is my favourite from this. The drums are very floor and tom heavy, giving an interesting tension in places And again, the vocal harmonisations are locked-in. Something that is really missing from modern pop and rock genres

The Queen Is Dead

The Smiths

4/5

Dear Science

TV On The Radio

5/5

Ooh, this reminds me of the Republic of Loose! Family Tree is such a beautiful teardrop of a song

Horses

Patti Smith

5/5

Poetry.

Made In Japan

Deep Purple

3/5

The Joshua Tree

5/5

Bono is a prick. Larry Mullen is sound. I'm Irish; I'm allowed to make those claims. This album is great precisely because the more of a self-indulgent prick Bono is, the better the music is. Why does "Where The Streets Have No Name" make me cry? Why am I transported from Dublin's Docklands to the middle of the Mojave? This album definitely _has_ filler. I am normally harsh on filler but the whole being-a-prick epicness thing overcomes this. This is a victory over any haters Bono had at the time, or any haters he could have in the future. Fucking prick. Larry is still sound.

Bookends

Simon & Garfunkel

5/5

So folky and a lot more whimsical and fun than what I expected! I hear Beatles all over this record I definitely go easier on more mellow material but this is a head above the likes of Cat Stephens

Blue Lines

Massive Attack

4/5

The laid-back funk of Be Thankful For What You've Got is the absolute highlight of this for me!

The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter

The Incredible String Band

1/5

Dancing around the Maypole to piccolos is not my thing.

Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite

Maxwell

4/5

This album took me to a fancy seafood dinner, then never called me again.

Hypnotised

The Undertones

3/5

An interesting and fun mix of pop and punk. Don't we all have a perfect cousin?

Let's Stay Together

Al Green

3/5

The Suburbs

Arcade Fire

5/5

Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)

Wu-Tang Clan

5/5

Brilliant Corners

Thelonious Monk

4/5

Oxygène

Jean-Michel Jarre

2/5

Was probably revolutionary for the time but it's dull to me. Reminds me of The Wall in a weird way.

Ten

Pearl Jam

3/5

Tracy Chapman

4/5

Woodface

Crowded House

1/5

Bone Machine

Tom Waits

3/5

The Gershwin Songbook

Ella Fitzgerald

5/5

If You Can Believe Your Eyes & Ears

The Mamas & The Papas

3/5

Monday, Monday

I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You

Aretha Franklin

4/5

Pink Flag

Wire

3/5

Life Thru A Lens

Robbie Williams

2/5

Myths Of The Near Future

Klaxons

4/5

A fantastic 3-song-run to start with but just loses momentum toward the end. A rounded-up 4

Fear Of Music

Talking Heads

4/5

Imagine

John Lennon

5/5

Music From Big Pink

The Band

3/5

Kollaps

Einstürzende Neubauten

3/5

Highway to Hell

AC/DC

2/5

Superunknown

Soundgarden

3/5

White Blood Cells

The White Stripes

4/5

Remain In Light

Talking Heads

5/5

Nixon

Lambchop

2/5

Definitely Maybe

Oasis

3/5

The Fat Of The Land

The Prodigy

4/5

The United States Of America

1/5

Joanna Newsom

3/5

Led Zeppelin III

Led Zeppelin

4/5

Machine Head

Deep Purple

2/5

Halcyon Digest

Deerhunter

5/5

This might be quintessential Pitchforkbait and Fantanobait But damn, it's great bait

Pretenders

4/5

Interesting early new-wave and punky fun

The Low End Theory

A Tribe Called Quest

5/5

Crosby, Stills & Nash

4/5

Debut

Björk

4/5

Arc Of A Diver

Steve Winwood

2/5

I do like Yacht Rock and this kind of soul but not my cup of tea

Sign 'O' The Times

Prince

4/5

Maggot Brain

Funkadelic

5/5

Tectonic. Nobody hits shuffles this _hard_

Rio

Duran Duran

3/5

Lost Souls

Doves

3/5

Don't Stand Me Down

Dexys Midnight Runners

1/5

Porcupine

Echo And The Bunnymen

3/5

A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector

Various Artists

2/5

Kid A

Radiohead

5/5

A Night At The Opera

Queen

3/5

Getz/Gilberto

Stan Getz

4/5

Strangeways, Here We Come

The Smiths

3/5

Suzanne Vega

4/5

A little dated but still wonderfully calm and beautiful and stripped-back

To Pimp A Butterfly

Kendrick Lamar

5/5

Sex Packets

Digital Underground

2/5

The Next Day

David Bowie

4/5

good kid, m.A.A.d city

Kendrick Lamar

4/5

MTV Unplugged In New York

Nirvana

4/5

Lost In The Dream

The War On Drugs

5/5

Music in Exile

Songhoy Blues

4/5

The Downward Spiral

Nine Inch Nails

5/5

Never has such a horrific album been so delightful

Unknown Pleasures

Joy Division

3/5

Transformer

Lou Reed

4/5

The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady

Charles Mingus

3/5

Fifth Dimension

The Byrds

2/5

Cross

Justice

3/5

Arrival

ABBA

2/5

Elvis Presley

3/5

Here's Little Richard

Little Richard

3/5

Guero

Beck

5/5

The Dark Side Of The Moon

Pink Floyd

5/5

Superfly

Curtis Mayfield

4/5

Aladdin Sane

David Bowie

4/5

With The Beatles

Beatles

2/5

Abraxas

Santana

4/5

This Is Hardcore

Pulp

4/5

Damaged

Black Flag

3/5

Elastica

4/5

Like A Prayer

Madonna

2/5

John Barleycorn Must Die

Traffic

2/5

All Directions

The Temptations

3/5

Rust Never Sleeps

Neil Young & Crazy Horse

2/5

Peter Gabriel

2/5

Reign In Blood

Slayer

3/5

A little too repetitive for my liking but it achieves what it sets out to do

...The Dandy Warhols Come Down

The Dandy Warhols

5/5

Way baggier and way, way better than I expected. Every Day Should Be a Holiday is supreme pop. I'm sure Tony Wilson was proud

Crocodiles

Echo And The Bunnymen

2/5

Green River

Creedence Clearwater Revival

4/5

Innervisions

Stevie Wonder

4/5

Back In Black

AC/DC

2/5

L'Eau Rouge

The Young Gods

2/5

The White Album

Beatles

5/5

Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs

Derek & The Dominos

3/5

Planet Rock: The Album

Afrika Bambaataa

3/5

Deja Vu

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

3/5

The Contino Sessions

Death In Vegas

4/5

Head Hunters

Herbie Hancock

4/5

Loveless

My Bloody Valentine

5/5

_review rendered inaudible by wall of guitars_

Sea Change

Beck

4/5

This Is Fats Domino

Fats Domino

2/5

Bert Jansch

2/5

The Infotainment Scan

The Fall

2/5

That's The Way Of The World

Earth, Wind & Fire

4/5

This music puts a smile on my face :)

Ill Communication

Beastie Boys

4/5

Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music

Ray Charles

3/5

Pornography

The Cure

3/5

If I Should Fall From Grace With God

The Pogues

3/5

Aftermath

The Rolling Stones

2/5

Done By The Forces Of Nature

Jungle Brothers

4/5

Wild Is The Wind

Nina Simone

3/5

The Stone Roses

5/5

What an incredible three-song start!

Fragile

Yes

3/5

Coles Corner

Richard Hawley

4/5

A Girl Called Dusty

Dusty Springfield

3/5

Darkness on the Edge of Town

Bruce Springsteen

2/5

A Love Supreme

John Coltrane

4/5

Back At The Chicken Shack

Jimmy Smith

4/5