Sep 05 2024
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Hunky Dory
David Bowie
I own the CD of this album, and I've listened to it before. Even before I got the CD.
One thing I really like about this album is its ability to fuse the (at the time) new sound of glam rock with the well-established sixties sounds of baroque pop and more traditional pop rock, while also bringing some new (once again, at the time) sounds to the table. A majority of the album is piano driven, similar to what Elton John was doing at the time, and what Billy Joel would do soon after.
The lyrics are especially good, with recurring philosophical aspects. They were relevant when the album was released, and much of them can still be applied to today's world.
4
Sep 06 2024
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Purple Rain
Prince
I have the CD for this one too, considering this is only the second album I've been given for this project, I have to wonder how many of the 1001 are actually CDs I own.
As someone from the Twin Cities area of Minnesota, I've known about Prince for basically my whole life. He died when I was I was in my early teens, but I knew about him even before that.
This album, a soundtrack to the film of the same name (which I have yet to see, but it's waiting on my hard drive), is absolutely wonderful from start to finish. It's mostly pop-ish rock but with a lot of the traits of the signature funk-oriented 'Minneapolis sound' sprinkled in. Just iconic, with lots of variety to boot. Something for nearly everyone here.
5
Sep 07 2024
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I Should Coco
Supergrass
It only took 3 albums (this is the third) for this site to give me an album I didn't own on CD.
This album is definitely one of the quintessential 'Britpop' listens, and I like how it blends contemporary (for the time) sounds with older ones, such as the 'mod' and 'garage rock' scenes of the 60s. This album definitely seems like it's reminiscing about the 60s.
3
Sep 08 2024
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All Directions
The Temptations
I've probably heard more soul albums than most people, but among all of the things I've listened to, it's definitely one of my less listened-to genres.
The inclusion of 'Papa Was A Rollin' Stone' alone makes this album a classic. A touchstone of psychedelic soul, with a considerable amount of funk. The other psych/funk infused songs on this album are great, and I especially liked the softer, more smooth soul-ish tracks.
3
Sep 09 2024
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The Downward Spiral
Nine Inch Nails
I have known this album well for 5 or 6 years, and though I haven't listened to it for a long time, I can say that it still holds up to my memories of it.
The album title is fitting because it captures a man's spiraling mental state quite well. I prefer the earlier NIN material to this, but I get why this is the most famous material.
4
Sep 10 2024
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Hard Again
Muddy Waters
Regular blues music (not to be confused with blues rock a-la Zep or early Fleetwood Mac) is something I don't have much experience with. But I'm aware of Muddy Waters' strong legacy in the genre, and I have heard his classic from the early 60s 'Folk Singer'.
This album is not only a great showcase of electric blues, but an insanely good comeback album. Even as an elder (approaching 65), Muddy seemingly reaches new heights with this one. Excellent stuff.
4
Sep 11 2024
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Opus Dei
Laibach
Laibach is definitely one of the most interesting bands of the 80s. There were plenty of other industrial groups around the same time, but very few with a history akin to theirs.
I interpret their covering of anthemic songs in German such as Opus' 'Live Is Life' and Queen's 'One Vision' is to make a humorous satire of the messages presented in those songs as if they were Nazi-era chants. It strikes me as a way to get a reaction out of those who think Laibach are Nazis, while they themselves laugh, along with anyone who gets the joke.
This album seems to be a touchstone within the 'marital industrial' genre, albeit it is a bit less heavy than I would have expected when I saw that genre's name.
3
Sep 12 2024
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A Nod Is As Good As A Wink To A Blind Horse
Faces
Most of my experience with Rod Stewart comes from my CD of his album 'Every Picture Tells A Story', and this stuff is pretty similar to that, but less folk-y.
British people playing in a style reminiscent of the American (usually black) South is not anything novel, but these guys did it quite well. The softer songs such as 'Love Lives Here' and 'Debris' are very wonderful, and I love the prog rock-esque organ, steel drum (?) and cool song structure on 'That's All You Need'.
4
Sep 13 2024
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Calenture
The Triffids
I had heard of this group before but hadn't heard their stuff before, I really ought to check out more. It reminds me of both The Waterboys and Leonard Cohen.
It sounds awful, but whenever I find out a musician has died young, it sort of makes me look at the music a different way, and that definitely happened with this. RIP David McComb.
4
Sep 14 2024
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Tea for the Tillerman
Cat Stevens
Arguably the quintessential 'folk-pop' album, personally I prefer this album's predecessor 'Mona Bone Jakon', but I will admit this one has more classic/culturally significant songs.
Cat Stevens' lyrics and demeanour on this album inspired hope at the time of its release, and it continues to do so, regardless of how much of a "downward slope" everything in the world seems to be on.
5
Sep 15 2024
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Freak Out!
The Mothers Of Invention
This album is an all time classic, and quite important, due mostly to the time it was released. It wasn't until 1967 that psychedelic rock was firmly cemented in the public consciousness, by way of records like Hendrix's 'Are You Experienced' and Jefferson Airplane's 'Surrealistic Pillow'.
Well really, this album is more of a mix between total experimentation with the rock genre, psychedelic rock (which would become more popular soon after its release), and parody/satire based on the pop music of the 50s and early 60s. None of which really fall flat.
4
Sep 16 2024
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The World is a Ghetto
War
Everyone knows War for 'Low Rider' or 'Why Can't We Be Friends?', but this predates that. Great early 70s funk with songs such as 'The Cisco Kid', and slower, more soul oriented tracks like 'Four Cornered Room' and 'The World Is A Ghetto', and the jazzy 'City, Country, City' and 'Beetles In The Bog'. Great showing from War.
4
Sep 17 2024
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3 Feet High and Rising
De La Soul
This album is kind of a landmark in the history of hip-hop due to its very novel use of sampling, and the skit format. Overall just a few very young adult guys having a super fun time, and an important hip-hop listen.
4
Sep 18 2024
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In The Wee Small Hours
Frank Sinatra
Absolutely beautiful album, and if I recall correctly one of (if not the first) "concept albums" of all time. Sinatra does many traditional pop/jazz standards in his signature vocal-jazz style. This album seems to have fallen out of favour with a lot of people as time marches on, but I genuinely love it. I love other albums of his more than this one, but it's definitely classic.
5
Sep 19 2024
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The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Absolute classic, from so long ago. Although a lot of people may not care for his singing voice, or the sometimes suddenly loud harmonica. It's both amazing and disheartening that a lot of the political issues brought up in this 61 year old album are still a problem to this day. Dylan shows some major silliness at times on the album, which I feel is another compelling factor. This album has been so influential, it makes sense why people generally skip his first album and go to this one.
5
Sep 20 2024
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Rising Above Bedlam
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
Musically, this album is kind of hard to classify, this site chose "world" as the genre, which seems like kind of a copout. I know of Jah Wobble from Public Image LTD and his collaboration with Brian Eno. I had no idea what to expect from this album. Its variety is quite nice, and I enjoyed the lovely Sinead O'Connor feature in the first song.
3