I get the attraction, and there were some decent RnB based sections, but ... nah. Just not for me.

Excellent album. There are a couple of stand-out tracks (you know which) and the others ... not exactly filler, but fairly unmemorable.

How do you grade an album where you recognise its importance, but basically didn't massively enjoy it? OK, in the Rap category, it's definitely legendary for a reason, but... doesn't do much for me.

I listened to the band way back when they were first famous and I wanted to recapture my youth as a 50 something. The album content is a spread of the styles that made them memorable in their part of the production of a social documentary of British Life. Nostalgic rather that brilliant.

These guys are very good, no doubt about it. The songs are constantly teetering on the brink of chaos, and it's stunning how well the music is controlled. The lyrics do the same, obscure to the point of inscrutability.. Unfortunately, there are times when even the formidable chops of the band can't keep it together and the whole thing takes a nosedive from genius to mediocre noodling. None of the album is genuinely bad, but some of it is less than stellar.

I've liked Van Morrison and have listened to a great deal of his music through the years. I wanted to love this recording because it's been so highly rated over the years. It's OK, but it never held my interest the way Moondance does.

Somehow, I've managed to go 30 years without actually listening to In Utero, so there was some pent-up anticipation when I started this LP. After two full listens... I have to express some disappointment, It's OK. Heart Shaped Box is fine, but the rest just lacks any real craft. It'll probably be another 30 years before I repeat.

Alas, Spotify UK only allowed me access to track #1 of the album, so...not able to fully assess the whole thing. But, I "Believe" that I'll be tracking down some other access method, it's sounds damned interesting. A twist of Quantic, a slurp of Yerba Buena and a slug of Tinariwen. An exotic mix.

Managed to avoid this for 24 years, so with some trepidation, I leapt in. They're nothing special. Most of the 10 tracks are indeed pleasant enough, often consisting of standard dad-pop fare with the occasional folksy ballad. They're innocent and inoffensive in general, but in turn, they're also exceedingly generic and immediately forgettable. Impossible to hate, but impossible to generate any emotion for. Blandness personified.

I admire Bruce Springsteen and this album, the most famous of his whole career. I'm happy that he arrived to so many people with Born In The USA, but this record it's not my favourite because of the musical simplicity. I love the guitar driven albums of the E Street Band, and this one sounds so eighties-ish. (Not surprising, but not up to Born To Run etc) So many folks misunderstand anthems like Born In The USA, but he still scores with No Surrender or My Hometown.

To be totally honest, i haven't actually heard any of this album apart from The Golden Age, as a Flaming Lips cover. The album is good, maybe Very Good, but many of the tracks are just a bit same-y, in a navel-gazing, post-break-up way. I'll listen again, but I'm just not "grabbed" by this.

As a teenager, I never really bought into the cult of The Smiths, even tho' the music press lauded them to the skies. Listening to this album, it's difficult to separate Morrisey the musician from Morrisey the annoying pretentious prat who deserves a swift punch in the face. On the plus side, it is a decent album...some tracks are very good, maybe Excellent. On the negative side, his whiny voice makes every parody of him seem accurate.

Good Lord! Fifty Four years old and It still has the barely focused anger of a n adolescent. Fun House captures the spirit of the times perfectly - not the Hippy Summer Of Love mellowness, but the anger and activism of Vietnam draft dodging - with all the menace and savagery that was going on in the background of the world brought to the front. It’s a brutal listen, but one you won’t be able to get its claws out of you for a long time after the needle has lifted. It bridges the gap between the first (garage band ahoy) and second (nihilistic no wave) punk phases.

The late eighties and early nineties say a lot of sheer wankery in Rock Music, but The Black Crowes announced their arrival with this album, an album birthed from seventies back-to-basics southern boogie. So, it's not very flashy, just good solid rockin'. Alas, it does mean it's more competent than inspired, and after a couple of listens through, nothing really had stuck in my brain. Good, but not outstanding..

Hello old friend. I remember buying this LP back in 1980, enjoying it immensely, but not ever getting a CD or listening on Spotty. So, it great to revisit and appreciate the mix of raw New Wave punch, effective slower songs, and Chrissie's lovely voice. Well worth a listen. The cover of Private Life is better than Grace Jones' IMHO.

Full of classic Stevie Wonder songs , its the final album in the run of great Stevie albums. Having said that , what struck me listening to this now is that there was an element of self indulgence here that a few fades on the long tracks would have cured .. there a few tracks that just go on too long after the song itself has long finished leaving S.W. and the band to jam on relentlessly or just repeat the same line ad-nauseam. The peril of deciding on a double album, and having to pad it out?

I bought this CD is 1997 when it was THE thing to own. It would celebrate your diverse musical tastes and rejection of modern pop culture. And I listened to to it expectantly...but Meh. Pleasant enough, and I appreciate the journey into Spanish Language folk music...but it ended up on the back of the cupboard. Listening to it in 2024.... still the same. Pleasant, but doesn't make me want to track down more. Maybe I'm the heathen.

Well, that was .... insipid. Maria does have a pretty good voice, but the never ending warbling, and so-so songs really grates after a while. Two listens are enough for my lifetime.

Good God. This is dire. Hate it. The audio version of The Emperor's New Clothes

Simply astonishing. It was so different from anything else that was around, and aided by THAT video, this was really the cult album of the time. Listening back now, not everything works, but in terms of imagination, creativity and boldness, it's just awesome.

You've gotta admire these guys. John L had been at the peak of Sex Pistol notoriety, and could just have continued as the crown prince of punk. But no. Joining up with Wobble and Levene, they struck out in an entirely new direction., creating one version of Post-Punk. OK, not everything worked. Like Capt Beefheart, there is much kudos in trying something new, and looking back and seeing how much of later music followed in their footsteps. Metal box is like that... it's now difficult to see just how jarring it was to the music establishment. Good on you guys.

This one escaped me until today, and a fine album it is too. Carefully crafted, personal songs from the tragic Mr Smith, who promised much, but flew too near to the sun. His songs have a melodic simplicity, purity and honesty that recall the folk-pop classics of the 60's and 70's

An absolute guaranteed all-time classic, worthy of a full five stars. There's a reason that this album keeps appearing in Top Ten Albums Ever lists. The eleven tracks encompass the bright, poppy, hippy vibe of West Coast America, but also hint at something darker, just beneath the surface. If I could only have one record for the rest of my life, this would probably be it. If you've never heard it before, please, go and listen now.

Live albums are usually tricky. What may sound joyous and magical on the day can sound a bit garbled when on vinyl. That's the issue here - while there are great sections, with the band in a groove and jamming away, there's also a lot of discordant fluff, where I can imagine the band members all deciding to play what they wanted, and to heck with everyone else. Listening was a bit of a chore.

As a child of the seventies, I grew up with The Jam, enjoying their energy. The Style Council was a bit of a shock to the system, and seemed rather bland. This album hasn't changed that opinion.

One of the few themed / rock opera albums that works. People forget just how good The Who were, and this is a great introduction for the newbies. Yes, Pinball Wizard gets the prior recognition plaudits,but the whole suite of songs / experiences just work.

Pretty good stuff, and a gentle introduction to african funk for seventies music enthusiasts. Ginger is good, obviously, and most of the track boogie along at a decent pace. Enjoyable.

Somehow, I missed this when it came out, and for the subsequent 25 years. So, that you 1001 Albums for bring it to my attention. It defies easy categorisation, but I can see similarities with many other bands in the alternative , drone, electronic, shoegazing communities. Dirge, for me, is the stand-out track, but I've a feeling that the whole album will be back on my normal playlist soon.

Listening to this, is like revisiting an old friend. The family resemblance to Steely Dan is unmistakable, but The Nightfly is a bit smoother, lacking in any bite. Great background music, tho' that seems to be damning it with faint praise.

It's curious. An album that I've not previously listened to...yet it sounds so familiar. Tracks that I've heard in various places, and on various movies. Others where the riffs, structure melodies all seem familiar. It's a damned fine album, and for me, Born on the Bayou is the stand-out track.

What can I say about this iconic album that hasn't been said before. It is fantastic - inventive, enjoyable, memorable and beyond criticism. However, I would urge the listener to try Dub Side Of The Moon, by the Easy Star All-Stars for a surprisingly excellent reinterpretation.

Clicked on this album link, and in 30 seconds I was thinking "this sounds like one of those Hollywood-esque big band cuban swing bands from the fifties." That seemed like a strangely retro for a Year 2000 album. But, Spotty lied. It is a competent fifties big band album, rather lacking in real African influences, but .... probably OK for your retro tiki bar.

I've admired Isaac Hayes for years, and "Joy" is in my Top Ten.,.. but this album Yeuch. The two singles...great. Five stars each. The extended version add nothing but filler or rambling rubbish. One or two stars at best One of those rare occasions where I'd advise sticking with a Greatest Hits compilation

Top Stuff, Yes, you've probably heard Sultans of Swing ten thousand times, but the whole album is well worth a listen. For a debut album, it's astonishing just how polished and finished the sound is. Even tho' it was released in the midst of the New Wave / Punk era, it was recognised as distinctive and awesome at the time. And SoS is awesomely good...no-one can seriously refute that.

Time hasn't really been kind to The Beau Brummels, and there's few reasons for them to crop in in discussions on classic pop music. Alas, this LP doesn't really much hope of a revival; it's OK, but doesn't really offer much that's unique from other mid sixties American corporate pop.

Good Lod. Forty Years. It's difficult to imagine how groundbreaking this was back in '84. Wasn't really a fan back then, but like your gran's baking, there a certain nostalgia for things. It's still impressive in '24, and certainly deserves it's place in the 1001.

Like an old sweater, this album provides a warm hug of familiarity. The songs will be recognisable to almost everyone, and Ella's voice is always wonderful. However, it's just too smooth. There's no real bite to any of it, so it just washes over you...almost like elevator muzak. It's better than that... but I'm unlikely to feel the need to relisten.

This must have seemed strange when it was released. Brian would have been known to the Glam Rock / Arthouse Rock audiences, and he'd yet to connect with Devo, Talking Heads etc....and out comes this oddly dream-like album. It's a classic now, tho' still unknown to the masses. It hints at so much that would come later. Well worth a listen.

Slickly produced jazz-funk-fusion album, with THAT track (with Randy Crawford's vocals.) All very smooth, but just has an air of being a soundtrack album for some Blaxploitation movie. Nothing special, but not at all objectionable.

hardly need to listen to this one ... but I did anyway. It's one of Nick's finest albums, and chock full of excellence. Nature Boy might be my favourite NC track ever, but both the up-beat and down-beat tracks are well worth a listen. Five Stars every day of the week.

Big Star have been referenced by many cult bands over the past few decades, and this album helps show why. Excellent songwriting and performance, with just a bit of a sharp edge to their smooth West Coast sound. In a way, an evolution from Arthur Lee / Love. Highly recommended.

Robert is a fascinating character, underappreciated by most. What we have here is an individual vision of such intelligence it's practically in a class of it's own. It's hard to pigeon hole Wyatt's music, sometimes folk, sometimes jazz, sometimes progressive rock, it is impossible to pick a genre without him exploring it, turning it inside out, and making it purely his own. OK, some of the inventions and explorations are less successful, coming over as random overdubbing (hello "The Duchess") but I'm glad that some is trying to push the boundaries.

The last studio album by The Smiths. You can hear the break down of the band in the music and lyrics. Every musician is playing at their best. Strong drums, Great Bass, Amazing Guitar and melancholic lyrics and vocals are all clearly apparent. It has amazing singles, hidden gems and a birthday song for anyone you don't like.

A success of Hype over Content. OK, it's a decent album, distilling a thousand hair-metal albums into one pastiche, with an OTT vocal performance... but I couldn't wait for the album to end. Once was enough.

Arguably Prince's best album great songs ,a variety of styles, interesting, this encapsulates what made Prince great. Lack of quality control is certainly a criticism that can be levelled at Prince, and a culling of this double album to be a single album would have been wise. If an alien landed on earth and said I want to hear some Prince I would hand him Sign of the Times!

An awesomely good album. BB King was definitely trying to edge towards James Brown style showmanship and orchestration, but there's plenty blues and blues guitar in there as well. Very enjoyable.

Slight disappointment when I put this on, and realised that it's wasn't Wilco Johnson of Dr Feelgood. Still, might as well listen. Some pleasant melodies and heartfelt lyrics make Being There an rather good 'alt-country' album. The songs here are accessible and will probably stand repeated listening. Any fans of Neil Young, Bob Dylan, The Byrds , Big Star etc will find satisfaction. The main down point being that some judicious pruning down to a single disc would have improved things. Disc two feelslike a "collector's edition Bonus Disc ".

You sort of know what to expect with Leonard Cohen. Breathy, spoke vocals, and lyrics om morality and religion. Well, this delivers...and obviously, darker. Close to death, they're sparser than usual, and nothing really suitable for that summer barbecue event you're planning. (That said, there is a Paul Kalkbrenner Remix if you fancy a dancier-Cohen !) Very good album.

Very French Canadian, singer songwriter, heartfelt lyric, tuneful background -ish. That's not meant as a criticism, but ... there is so much similar stuff on this 1001 listing. Enjoyable, but ... it sort of merges in with other singer/songwriters' output

I was going to say that this hasn't aged well, but ... It's OK. It's just that it is rather "of its time". I remember The Shamen from the 80's 90's, and the re-listening reminded me of .... good times. But, stripping away that nostalgia, how would some fresh ears react to it? Meh. some good bits, but too many sections of "We need to pad this out to over an hour....let's just leave the backing rhythm track playing for a while."

Broadly, I don't listen to Muse enough. When I randomly select this album, or when prompted by things like 1001..., I think "Yeah. I should listen to this guitar-driven nutter more often." But ... then I just forget about them. It's a good, no great album, but it's rather OTT and riff-tastic for regular consumption.

I remember the massive hype about this at the time of release, and instinctively avoided it. Listening now.... I was right. Hype over content. It's an OK album, but nothing special.

It's not you, it's me. Honest. I've just seemed to get such a stream of "acclaimed album by singer/songwriter...just him and a guitar" album. They just seems to merge into one - very similar songs, very similar instrumentation, very similar intonation. Sigh. I grow weary. This isn't a bad album, and a couple of tracks to seem to try new features, but ... nothing is memorable now.

Ah Nostalgia. Probably the first album played on millions of brand new CDs. I never owned it, but so much of it is so damned familiar. And it is a damned good album. Varied in styles, but always featuring the impeccable plank-spanking of Mark the K. Yes, I rate it.

Ladytron and Virginia Plain are classics but the rest age less well and I lose interest after a while. Clearly, this was a band finding it's feet, and in the "chuck anything in there and see what works" phase. Interesting, but not the classic album I thought I remembered I am afraid.

A bone fide five star classic album. From the most distinctive opening, to the swagger of The Passenger, it's just... Sheer Power. Do your ears a favour, and have a listen.

Umm Yeah? A bit Power Pop, a bit American Brit Pop, a bit Stoner-Lite. It passes the time in a pleasant enough way, but never really engaged my interest. I couldn't hate it, but I wasn't enthused.

I started listening with a quizzical sense on anticipation - Jane Weaver isn't a name I recognise, I was half expecting another singer/songwriter on an acoustic guitar sort of thing. Well, I was half-right. Yes on the singer/songwriter, but more downbeat Goldfrapp would be my summary. It's OK, but just didn't engage my endorphin glands at all. Once was enough.

Can I say anything about this album which hasn't been said dozens of times before? Yes, This album is infinitely more enjoyable than Donald Trump performing Nessum Dorma on his armpit.. OK. It's an awesome album. Familiarity might have dulled the enjoyment slightly, but there's a reason that this is so revered after 40+ years. The writing, playing, vocals and production are exemplary. An easy five stars.

Again, one of those bands that I remember from the nineties, but never really got into. This time round.... hmm. "Full of sound and fury.... but signifying nothing." An hour after listening to the whole album, my only recollections were "guitars, 1960's flashbacks and feedback". I'm guessing it made it onto the 1001 list as they knew the organiser.

Elsewhere, I've mentioned my disdain for singer/songwriter/guitarist/healtfelt songs.... but this is Neil Young's classic, goddammit. It' one of those albums that just stays with you for (checks year) yep, 50 years. A certified classic.

1977, and my school buddies were aligning themselves with either punk or heavy metal. Not me... I was getting into punk....and Yes. And Close To The Edge was the album that grabbed me. OK, it was everything that Punk was rebelling against, but....man... the masterly musicianship, the fourth dimensional lyrics, the sprawling expanse of music. Can't they both co-exist? Like Sweet and Sour? Listening to it again in 2024...it's still activating those thoughts...but, bygod, it's overly pretentious. Thoroughly enjoyable, but like a Sticky Toffee Pudding, there's just too much in there.

The soundtrack for numerous Quiet Nights In for couples and prospective couples, Diamond Life never really rises above its inoffensive, non-confrontation smooth-Soul-Jazz inspirations. Impossible to dislike, but never likely to inspire. Music of music haters, perhaps

I challenge anyone to name a more iconic opening to an album than "Sympathy..." The rest of the album, however, will surprise many with just how basic Rhythm n Blues it is. OK, it's white boys black black man's music.... but it's done so well. And the English accents at an interesting wrinkle. Highly recommended.

Identi-kit Pop Rock. Indistinguishable from dozens of other late 90's bands.

Excellent Psychedelic Funk from the masters. Insanely funky, to be honest.

1988, and there was so much new sorts of music - Rap, Garage, House, Nu-Metal. So, a Celtic-Rocky-Folky album wasn't really going to do much. Except it did. The Waterboys created one of the best albums of the year. Fisherman's Blues so much more that the other Irish juggernaut- U2's Rattle and Hum just seemed so phoney in comparison. In hindsight, the album (particularly the Collector's Edition) would benefit from some editing, but it's well worth a listen.

It doesn't live up to the hype. I remember the hype for early Bruce Springsteen - Born To Run, Asbury Park etc, and recall the success of Born in the USA. The Nebraska came along, and the music press went doo-lally for it. But me? It always seemed like the "I'm a serious musician, yes I am" project. Worthy, serious, but just not particularly enjoyable. If it didn't have Bruce's name attached, it would have sold 10,000 albums, max.

Very classy disco and soul. The nostalgia kicked in quickly, and I was grinning the whole way through.

Oh, the memories come flooding back. Good old Brit-Reggae, before the schmaltzy cover versions arrived. Well worth a listen.

It is usually refreshing to hear music which so strongly reflects the personality of one person - it can be so in-sync and coherent. The down side is that once that person's voice becomes tiresome, the whole output can be tainted. And that's the risk with Jethro Tull and Aqualung. It0 reminded me of Ian Anderson's genius - the intriguing lyrics, the curious orchestration and idiosyncratic instrumentation. Aqualung is like that, definitely one of the best of the seventies "Prog Rock" classics. But, I only need to hear it occasionally, or it can become infuriating.

I hardly need to listen to this. It's a particular favourite of mine, and rarely far from my playlist. Over fifty years old, and it still sounds fresh. There's a fine mix of song styles, and the music and lyrics are basically top quality. The band is awesome, wit Mick's guitar playing an obvious highlight. A very easy Five Star rating. Incidentally, the Easy Star All Stars have a reggae/dub version of this album which doesn't disgrace the original. Check it out ("Ziggy Stardub")

The Bees seem to be trying to bring back the wonderful sound of 60's Brazilian Tropicália and, really, if any style is to be revived why not start with the best of them. Being the work of a couple of producers it's also no surprise the arrangements are detailed to a fault and filled with cutting edge sound effects. Alas, the whole album just doesn't gel, in my honest opinion. Sounds like a show-off Spotify Randomised Playlist. Enjoyable, but not essential.

I don't get it. Fiona Apple seems to have a good reputation, and this album IS in the 1001 Best Album listing, but I only hear a fairly average, over-produced album of OK songs. Nothing special, really. Sorry Fiona.

A fine album. Doesn't live up to the hype, and the background ambient discussions don't really add much, but a solid good listening album.

Once again, it's one of those "classic" albums from my teens that I just never got round to trying. Yes, I'd enjoyed Harvest and After The Goldrush, but RNS passed me by. And it's flipping awesome. Obviously Hey Hey, My My (both versions) are the stand out tracks, but the whole album reeks of awesomeness. Nice to hear a man continuing to explore and experiment.

Yeah, it's a classic of noise rock. OK, it's been very influential. It's just not that enjoyable.

This is why I'm on 1001... . Albums and artists that I've not encountered before. David is a new name to me, but he has an impressive set of celebrity fans. Alas, I can't really see the attraction. American Gothic is full of very theatrical songs, and not in a Alice Cooper theatricality sense. I can imagine a Las Vegas crooner wandering around a nightclub, emoting to the max. "I'm here all season.... try the fish." Not for me.

I'm far from being in Taylor Swift's target demographic, but I'm happy to give this a listen, and it's fine. Nice production and a set of fairly intimate little songs. But, I'm not hearing anything that really makes me understand her appeal. An hour after a first listen, and I can't recall any lyrics, hooks or track titles. A safe choice for background music at a dinner party. if I ever had such a thing.

It's one of those albums where any attempt at criticism will be met by serious alt-music enthusiasts tutting like crazy. But, it shouldn't be above critical appraisal. Yes, it's a serious artistic work, but ... it needs some pruning, and some of the lyrics are a tad high-school-ish. Musically, and production-wise...no complaints, but.... not the unmitigated genius that many blindly call it.

This cannot be simply described as psychedelic rock - blues - there are too many other factors at work here. An early pre-cursor to Tom Waits, with his croaking vocals, experimental blues, witch doctor twitchy, funky slide and curious vocals, flutes, whistling, and chants this is a varied and fun album which stands the test of time. It doesn't always work, but... that's not a surprise when you stray far from the well-trod path.

I remember my first car - I was always revving it, and zooming around, showing off to friend, family and random passers-by. In hindsight, it was a clunky and noisy pile of trash. Alas, nostalgia also gets a kick in the teeth from this album. I'm sure that some folk thought it punky and edgy, despite being years after the true punk era. Listening to it today... yikes. It has not aged well. The shortness of the songs almost hides the lack of ideas, but ... not quite.

A solid album with a couple of Jack at his best not up to White Stripes standards but his solo stuff is more Bluesy and it definitely grows on you the more you listen to it. The title track and the cover of Little Willie John's Shakin are really good.

On their third album, the London trio finally sheds the excessively hushed and incredibly influential electronica of their 2009 debut. Instead, they turn to the kind of vintage samples producer Jamie xx has long used in his solo work, setting richer, more uptempo backdrops against mournful dialogues about romantic disappointment and isolation.

It's curious. Put this album on, and tidal waves of nostalgia hit me. Yeah Gods...it's 34 years old! The music does feel a little "basic hip-hippity", but that's a measure of how much music was affected by this album / era of black music. Musically, it's still a banger of an album, but it's doesn't feel as earth-shattering as it once did.

Very Good,