1001 Albums Summary

1001 Albums Day 1. Bit of an interesting inclusion in the list, seeing as it only has one CCR classic on it and a couple of deep cuts. That being said it is a fun time, with good vibes, bleeding americana, if you're into that. Bad Moon Rising is a classic and for good reason, it's brilliant, Wrote A Song For Everyone really drags, Sinister Purpose, Lodi and The Night Time Is The Right Time are really good deep cuts. All together, not exactly chock-full of music I'm likely to return to, moreso a nice vibe-setter for a dive bar or the like. The vibes are good, but the music (save for a couple) is rather unexceptional. Favourites: Bad Moon Rising, Lodi, Sinister Purpose Least Favourite: Wrote A Song For Everyone, Cross-Tie Walking

1001 Albums Day 2 I have heard Neil Young being called Canada's Bob Dylan, and I see why, he has the same touch, same magic, same style. There's something ancient about these road songs, like they've always existed. The album is deep, intriguing, personal, beautiful, jangly, raw, imperfect. And then, out of the blue comes Welfare Mothers, like a cross between 70s Bowie and Meddle/Obscured-era Pink Floyd, speaking truth and rocking out. In fact the entire ending stretch sounds like Bowie songs, played by Pink Floyd with help from The Velvet Underground. Every song on the album is well thought out, inspiring, inspired and has something to say about life. Initially, I love this, but I feel like this is music you need to return to over and over, and good thing is; every song is worth returning to. This is that good shit. 92/100

1001 Albums Day 3 I do find the genre intriguing, it's country/blues rock with quite a few electronic elements, and at the same time similar to the guitar-forward pop at the time like Peter Gabriel, a little bit all over the place, but I am a fan of that approach, I can't lie. That being said, I do find the music itself a bit boring, simple and repetitive. While it's clearly well crafted, high-fidelity, especially for the time, and full of little details, the core itself, I find uninteresting. The country elements are all incredibly hokey, which I know is of the time, doesn't mean I have to like it though. This is likely due to my own biases, late-70s to early-80s is one of my least favourite eras of rock, and quite frankly I do see the era's criticisms of being vapid in this album. It has very little to say, it's all good time, no message, all flash, no substance. Not to say that that is meritless, it certainly has its place, and I do mean the genuinely, but that place is not in my ears. But if you're the type of listener that is looking for a good time, more caring about the guitarwork than the lyrical universe, then this is for you. Though speaking of guitarwork, it doesn't exactly have the most impressive or interesting of the era, it is still fine, but as with a lot of the record, a bit simple. And AGAIN I am neither judging nor talking that down, the beautiful thing about music is that it is EVERYTHING. Favs: Bye Bye Love Least favs: Moving in Stereo, I'm In Touch With Your World, Don't Cha Stop 57/100

1001 Albums Day 4 The first album in this challenge that's in a genre I don't really listen to, being soul and R&B with slight elements of Conscious Rap, now that latter I can take, but the former two have never really appealed. I tend to find songs a bit slow, and mature in all the ways that makes me disengage from the art, feeling like artificially extended, idle musings on life with the gravitas of having something grander to say that it actually does. Maybe one day I'll get it, but that day is not today. Even on her first release Lauryn's songs are quite long-winded, which is a personal pet peeve of mine. I feel that all songs have a length that they deserve to be, and for most songs that is shorter than they are, and that is definitely true on this album, with most songs being around the 6-minute mark, while having enough material for about 4:30, being extended with beautiful - but in my opinion unnecessary - repetition. A song that really suffers from this is Final Hour, with the final 1:30-2:00 being the chorus repeated ad nauseum and then just the instrumental just playing over and over, doing nothing. BREAKING NEWS: The skit virus has infected The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. You can have skits that's fine, but I am a serial playlister, so having them at the ends of songs instead of as separate tracks basically guarantees that I won't return to these songs. Now, positives, Doo Wop (That Thing) is where things really click for me, the soul and R&B makes the song smooth and pleasant, while the rap elements lend a kinetic energy, that I feel is somewhat missing from other tracks, and maybe a bit too present on Lost Ones, to the point of being almost aggressive. Forgive Them Father is another highlight for me, with a good hook and and interesting harmony that sort of "rubs" against the main vocal, it's not quite dissonance but functions in a similar way, and sonically it introduces more Reggae elements giving the song its own distinct flavour. However, as I was listening to the song I kept thinking, "Please don't have a skit, I really wanna save this" it ended, and I had already added it to my good music playlist before I noticed that there was still 45 seconds left, DAMN YOU SKIIIIIIIIIIITS!!! Now, I am aware that this is a sacred cow, and that I am likely to be raked over the coals if anyone notices this review, so I just want to state that my dislike is purely down to not getting the genre, I am genuinely sure that if this genre hits for you, few things are as good as this album, and I fully respect that, I simply ask that you extend the same favour to me. I believe that no amazing album can be for everyone, and that if you like all music, even all music that is generally considered masterworks, you aren't engaging deeply enough with the medium or the music itself, it takes all kinds and all that. Beyond that, I don't know what to say, this is not my genre and listening to what many consider to be the prime example of the genre in more modern times has not convinced me otherwise, so I don't think I'm gonna convert any time soon. I honestly feel like a poser even just listening to this album. Though if I ever do get the album, I'll be sure to re-do this review. Favs: Doo Wop (That Thing), Forgive Them Father Least Favs: Final Hour, When It Hurts So Bad 45/100

1001 Albums Day 5 The first entry that I've listened to before. As with many of us on here, Pink Floyd was the band that got me into critical listening in my teens, so it's safe to say I've listened this album to death. A thing I find with music you love and have listened to too much is that you stop being able to be objective and find it difficult to quantify. It has hardened in your mind into an entity, instead of a collection of sounds done well, or less so, but I'll still try to come up with some observations about the album. It's been a little while since I gave this album a proper listen and a thing that struck me is that this is almost an electronic rock record, with heavy usage of synths, arpeggios, electronic drums and sampling. Now, Pink Floyd have never been that far from electronic music. I find that their sound was created by the three pillars of Waters's lyrics, Gilmour's guitarwork and Wright's electronic soundscapes, which is why Pink Floyd was so much lesser when one of those went away. Nowadays, me pointing out the usage of electronics on a rock record may seem a bit weird, but I can imagine, at the time that hearing a song like On the Run on a rock record might have been a bit of a shock. I have always loved the midnight sound of this record, feeling black and blue like a moody jazz club painting, spiraling somewhere between rock and funk and 70s pop. Though it seems an ocean away, in terms of development and maturity, it is quite obvious that Meddle was only 2 years old at the time. Currently, the thing you might know Dark Side for is people saying it's nowhere near Pink Floyd's best despite being their most popular album. And while I do get that sentiment, and actually agree with it - I've always been a The Wall and Wish You Were Here kinda gal - I still think the reaction is overblown. Listen, people, we're comparing 9's to 10's, let's not pretend that anything from Meddle to The Wall is anything less that great. Or that anything from Dark Side to The Wall is anything less than one of the best albums ever made. We're literally comparing apples to slightly different apples here. All in all, The Dark Side of The Moon is a perfectly amazing Progressive Piano Rock album with electronic experimentations and one of the greatest and most high-fidelity mixes ever produced at the time. It isn't the deepest, most complex or most difficult Floyd album, and whereas future releases would focus their efforts on exploring a central idea, this album is more sort of idle musings on life, and in that respect, it is perhaps closer to Saucerful of Secrets than The Wall. However, all of that being said it is still one of the best listening experiences in rock history, and when people's biggest criticism of an album is that you did better later on, you know you've done pretty well for yourself. 9/10

1001 Albums day 7 Taylor Swift at home. Favs: Liability, Perfect Places Least favs: ngl idc 47/100

1001 Albums Day 9 A fun little 70s country album, a couple of the songs try to move with the times with some experimental tape effects, but the rest of the album fails to live up to their promise. Despite this, I still had fun with it, there's not really anything to write home about lyrically, but the lyrics serve their purpose just fine, and I think that actually describes the album perfectly, 'just fine'. Favs: Cornbread Moon, Boxcars 70/100

1001 Albums Day 10 The summer of '89 boiled and distilled and thus is best enjoyed with a glass of Hi-C and a copy of Golden Axe. While the style of Hip hop on this release is certainly dated by modern standarts, it's earnest execution and commitment makes it still very enjoyable and just great fun. Neneh has an interesting twist on the classic 80s Rap formula, by being both a great rapper by the standarts of the time and great R&B singer by the standarts of the time, and throughout the album the combinations possible by mixing those two are explored satisfyingly and thoroughly. My biggest complaint is that, very much in line with Hip Hop of the era, several of the songs are 1-2 minutes too long, extended unnecessarily by running the chorus back, followed by the instrumental, followed by the chorus and so on. But at the end of the day, the beats are swanky, the emotion is for real and the 'tude is wicka-wicka-wicked. Favs: Kisses on the Wind, Buffalo Stance, The Next Generation 82/100

1001 Albums Day 6 Another one I find it a bit difficult being objective about, since it's a part of my childhood. Trying to be objective, this album certain has a couple of iconic Led Zep songs, starting off with probably their best opener; Immigrant Song, and further along there's Since I've Been Loving You and Tangerine. The rest of the album are decent, hazy, psych rock deep cuts, decent, but not necessarily some I'll return to all that often. Gallows Pole is a fun reinterpretation of a folk song. That's The Way is a beautiful song about something queer, can't really tell if it's about a gay man or a trans woman, or not queer at all, and just about conservative's fear of the feminization of the hippie movement. And I think that's sort of the point of it, it's a classic, "whatever it means to you" song. But all that being said, there is something about this album that doesn't really excite me. Don't get me wrong it's good, really good, but that's about it, it isn't really exceptional. And a part of me wonders if that is because I have grown accustomed to all Prog albums being concept albums, especially albums of this ilk, era and genre. Though, one of my favourite albums of all time Blackwater Park, is a Prog Metal record that's not a concept album, so I don't know if that holds water. Though, a part of me really is saddened that this is just a collection of songs, no more. In my opinion, probably the second best Led Zeppelin album, (tied with Led Zeppelin II and just behind Led Zeppelin I) but I guess we'll see as this album challenge goes along. Favs: Immigrant Song, Celebration Day, Since I've Been Loving You, Tangerine, That's The Way Least favs: Hats Off To (Roy) Harper 80/100

1001 Albums Day 11 Sonically consistently great throughout, shows the mark of a student of the greats. Sadly the lyrics are consistently lacking, being either mind-numbingly basic or a bit bad, often falling prey to the amateur trap that just because something rhymes and sounds good doesn't make it a great line, it has to mean something as well. Sadly unlike the music it borrows from it doesn't make up for it with complexity of structure or playing, leaving the entire record as being fine if a bit basic. In fact, the only song I feel any compulsion to listen to again is Sixteen Saltines. 60/100

1001 Albums Day 12 A beautifully written, performed and recorded album of heartfelt acoustic piano ballads. Though a lot of the songs are short, they feel complete, as supposed to, say Dorian Electra's Edgelord. I fun it kind of funny and very impressive that Anohni managed to stay in the closet when she refers to herself as a woman in some way on For Today I Am A Boy, What Can I Do? and Bird Gerhl. Though I find the album beautiful, it is a bit too simple for me, so it'll never be an album that I love, simply one I quite like. Favs: Hope There's Someone, My Lady Story, For Today I Am A Boy, You Are My Sister, What Can I Do?, Birdd Gerhl Least Favs: Fistful Of Love, Free At Last 77/100