Composed jazz with third stream elements, at its best among the best of 50’s jazz all time. Propelled by its two centrepieces - Blue Rondo and Take Five - and otherwise filled with attractive piano-trio structured songs, elevated by the extrarodinary talent of Paul Desmond on alto sax in mellifluous and tone-perfect (though often-brief) solos.

The best album by the best band in the 90’s alt rock movement

Essential seventies classic that has lived on for almost fifty years due to its sparkling production, technical innovation, and a few brilliant songs.

The song writing is very high quality at times, but the album is ultimately by the mundanity of 1/2 or more of the songs. Absent any noticeable passion, the well-constructed nature of the music is such that it begs you to listen carefully, which for me at least lacks the payoff in the songs themselves.

The gold standard for anthemic full-throated guitar rock. Extraordinary song writing and performance.

A remarkable partnership that cemented a genre in North America and featured 2 or 3 of the greatest songs injure modern pop oeuvre.

A remarkable leap forward from ‘77, groove filled with crisp and trend setting production from Brian Eno, and three or four utterly remarkable songs. Extraordinary record

Overlong but with some extraordinary songs and sounds. My one complaint is the metallic and flangey guitar sound throughout much of the album

Although it was an album recorded together and mostly live, it’s not an in the evolved state that the form took later in the sixties and beyond. For the quality of the songs and moreso the energy of the performances, a clear 4

Among the best debuts in rock history, played in a day and featuring a fully mature voice, rich in subtle harmonics and laced with biting and hilarious lyrics.

Probably the single most important jazz piano recording from the pre-eminent creator of modern jazz piano. Incalculably vital.

Among the very best rock records of all time.

Third stream classic nonet recording, immensely important in its day, somewhat of a timepiece, as Jazz moved in different directions afterwards, largely due to the influence of a number of these participants

Surprisingly strong record written and recorded largely by the band. Mickey Dolenz learned the drums, and Pete and Michael played a lot of the guitars. Chip Douglas was the George Martin for the record, a key collaborator and played the bass guitar. Nesmith’s steel guitar and stork’s keyboards are standouts in an otherwise appealingly garage-sounding band. Most importantly the songs are of a high standard and contain some of their very best : You Just May be the One, For Pete’s Sake, Sunny Girlfriend, You Told Me, and the truly remarkable Randy Scouse Git were never bested by the band. Very much worth a listen for those who think of them only as “the Pre Fab Four”.

This record defined the rock scene in the early 00’s.

Interesting but not essential