Journey in Progress
Discovering music one album at a time
319
Albums Rated
2.94
Avg Rating
15
5-Star Albums
29%
Complete
770 albums remaining
Rating Speed
5
Per Week
444
Days Active
Reviews
319
Written
100%
Review Rate
vs Global
-0.26
Avg Diff
2.94
Avg Rating
Rating Distribution
How you rate albums
Rating Timeline
Average rating over time
Ratings by Decade
Which era do you prefer?
Activity by Day
When do you listen?
Taste Profile
1960s
Favorite Decade
Rock-and-roll
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Balanced
Rater Style
18
1-Star Albums
Taste Analysis
Genre Preferences
Ratings by genre
Origin Preferences
Ratings by country
Rating Style
You Love More Than Most
Albums you rated higher than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Trinity Session | 5 | 3.07 | +1.93 |
| Trio | 5 | 3.13 | +1.87 |
| American Pie | 5 | 3.28 | +1.72 |
| Live At The Star Club, Hamburg | 5 | 3.28 | +1.72 |
| This Is Fats Domino | 5 | 3.38 | +1.62 |
| Nilsson Schmilsson | 5 | 3.43 | +1.57 |
| Beggars Banquet | 5 | 3.63 | +1.37 |
| Out Of The Blue | 5 | 3.64 | +1.36 |
| Moondance | 5 | 3.71 | +1.29 |
| Jack Takes the Floor | 4 | 2.71 | +1.29 |
You Love Less Than Most
Albums you rated lower than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paranoid | 2 | 4.2 | -2.2 |
| Actually | 1 | 3.18 | -2.18 |
| Swordfishtrombones | 1 | 2.95 | -1.95 |
| Fuzzy Logic | 1 | 2.94 | -1.94 |
| Bone Machine | 1 | 2.86 | -1.86 |
| Among The Living | 1 | 2.85 | -1.85 |
| Black Sabbath | 2 | 3.83 | -1.83 |
| Oedipus Schmoedipus | 1 | 2.78 | -1.78 |
| Histoire De Melody Nelson | 1 | 2.76 | -1.76 |
| Movies | 1 | 2.71 | -1.71 |
Artist Analysis
Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums and high weighted score
| Artist | Albums | Avg | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beatles | 3 | 4.67 | 3.83 |
Least Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums and low weighted score
| Artist | Albums | Avg | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Waits | 3 | 1.33 | 2.17 |
5-Star Albums (15)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Cowboy Junkies
5/5
Ok, so THIS is the reason that there is value in this list of 1001. Although I had heard of the Cowboy Junkies, I had never actually HEARD them before, and if not for this project, I would never had heard them. Needless to say, I absolutely LOVE this album! I find the music just hauntingly beautiful…I definitely need to own this one. I wish I would have been exposed to this back in 1988, but it is timeless. 5 easy stars!
2 likes
The Flaming Lips
3/5
Another band I had never heard of, but I thought they were ok. I could’ve done without the Star Wars noises in some of the songs, though. I won’t want to hear this one again, and give it a ho-hum 3 stars.
1 likes
X-Ray Spex
2/5
With just about every song on this album, I enjoyed the instrumental introductions, but then the vocalist started singing and ruined it for me. Clearly, this genre isn’t my thing. Two stars.
1 likes
The Cars
4/5
I had heard this album a few times before, and don’t know why I didn’t purchase it back in the day. I really like it, and it takes me back to my old college days. The only reason that I don’t give it 5 stars is because I seem to tire of it somewhat quickly. But all in all, it’s excellent.
1 likes
Barry Adamson
1/5
Well, once again I have to say, this just isn’t my thing. I’m not sure whose thing this would be, and I am not too sure that I would want to meet them either. I only listened to a minute or two of most of the songs, with the exception of “it’s Business As Usual”. I was intrigued by this disturbing track, and had to see how the voice message ended. For me, the best thing about this album was its title. I’ll be trying to forget about this album.
1 likes
1-Star Albums (18)
All Ratings
Screaming Trees
3/5
I’m an old guy that gravitates toward classic 70’s and late 60’s rock, so I didn’t have high hopes for this one. But for the most part I found that I enjoyed it. Not sure it belongs on a list of 1001, but liked it nonetheless. I had never listened to this band before, so I appreciate the introduction.
Anthrax
1/5
Not my cup of tea, but although I expected to hate it, I was able to listen to it. To my ears, most of these songs are really repetitive. Not sure that it’s fair for me to rate it, as the rating is a reflection of my personal taste, and I just don’t care for this genre. Although I could give it a listen once, I would never choose to listen to it again. Life is too short.
T. Rex
3/5
I thought this one was okay, but didn’t love it. I thought it was quite similar to Electric Warrior as I remember it. Liked a few of the songs, but I would have been disappointed if I had purchased it back in the day. Maybe if I listened to it more, it would grow on me, but on to the next one.
Pet Shop Boys
1/5
I didn’t like this kind of music in the 80’s, and after listening to this album, I found that I still don’t. I know that there is no accounting for taste, but I am surprised that this one’s on the list. I find a lot of these songs are really similar. Definitely not my thing.
Simple Minds
2/5
I am just not digging these 80’s synth music albums; just not my decade. Won’t be listening to this one again.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
I’m a big Stones fan and I had never listened to this album, but of course knew the singles. Paint it Black is one of my favorites, but the rest of the album was pretty “meh” for me. Although Under My Thumb is catchy, the misogynistic lyrics leave me a bit cold. I liked a couple of the more bluesy numbers, but it’s an album I probably won’t listen to again. For me, the Stones sweet spot was 1968 through 1972, starting from Beggars Banquet through Exile on Main Street. I thought that Aftermath fell well short of any of those efforts.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
I have had very little exposure to Elvis Costello. Years ago I purchased a best of CD that was released in 1994, but only listened to it a couple of times because it just didn’t grab me. Needless to say, my expectations were not very high for this album. However, for the most part I enjoyed it and may give it another listen. It isn’t anything that I would purchase, but it exceeded my expectations…not too bad.
Silver Jews
2/5
Hadn’t heard of this band before. I somewhat enjoyed the music, but a lot of the lyrics were a bit weird for me. And the singer’s voice may be an acquired taste, but wasn’t my cup of tea. Onto the next one.
The Who
4/5
I listened to the expanded version and other than the first song, “Heaven and Hell”, I really enjoyed this. I am a long time fan of this band, but had never listened to all of this album. Like many live albums, a couple of the cuts seem unnecessarily long and drawn out, but I still give it a solid 4 out of 5. If I stumble on a used copy at an antique or record store, I will probably pick it up.
Ali Farka Touré
2/5
I was hoping for the blues like Keb Mo or Taj Mahal, but this was the blues with a middle eastern accent. I need to be able to understand the lyrics as well, so this one just didn’t do it for me. Doesn’t really seem fair to rate this one, but I will give a 2 since I am really rating it for my own reference.
Barry Adamson
1/5
Well, once again I have to say, this just isn’t my thing. I’m not sure whose thing this would be, and I am not too sure that I would want to meet them either. I only listened to a minute or two of most of the songs, with the exception of “it’s Business As Usual”. I was intrigued by this disturbing track, and had to see how the voice message ended. For me, the best thing about this album was its title. I’ll be trying to forget about this album.
Super Furry Animals
1/5
Meh. No need to hear this one again.
Aimee Mann
3/5
I actually liked this one…didn’t love it, but liked it well enough to save it for another listen someday.
Neneh Cherry
2/5
Not a fan of this type of music, but some of the songs I didn’t mind too much. I would like to hear this artist in another genre, as I liked her singing voice. Not really fair to rate it, but my ratings are for my own edification only.
Elvis Costello
3/5
Didn’t mind this one at all. Would possibly give it another listen.
The Verve
3/5
Liked a few, disliked a few, was indifferent about a few. if I could, I would give it 2.5, but I will round it up to a 3.
Fiona Apple
3/5
Didn’t mind it, but found it a bit weird at times. Another one I would rate a 2.5, but I am rounding it up to a 3.
Rush
4/5
Damn! I think that I would really like this band if not for one thing….Geddy Lee’s vocals. I have never cared for his voice, and although I have heard small samplings of Rush over the years, this is the reason I have never given them a chance. I believe that he is a skilled vocalist, it’s just that I find his voice…annoying. I like it much better when he sings softly, e.g. tears. Anyway, I understand why this band has such ardent fans.
Electric Light Orchestra
5/5
I have to say, I really liked this one, and it surprised me. I had purchased two or three ELO albums back in the 70s, and by the time this one came out I was quite tired of them. Everything kind of sounded the same to me. I didn’t hear Mr. Blue Sky until much later in life, but really did like that one. But needless to say, I had low expectations for this record, but I really did like it a lot. Probably would give it nine out of 10, so I’ll round up to a five. If I see this used in a vinyl store someday, I’ll pick up a copy unless it’s too expensive.
The Pogues
2/5
For me, a little goes along way with this type of music. I would enjoy listening to a selection too in a bar restaurant setting, but this album was just way too long for me.
Blondie
3/5
Didn’t mind this one…only had heard the singles from Blondie in the past. Liked a few of the album cuts. I’ll call it a 3.
Cat Stevens
4/5
I owned Teaser and the Firecat on cassette as a kid, and liked that one. I had never heard Tea for the Tillerman, only a couple of selections. I think that overall, I like Tea a bit more. I’ll give it a 4, rounded up from 3.5.
Cyndi Lauper
3/5
This was like a trip down memory lane for me. I recall driving around with my young daughter in her toddler seat, trying to sing along to she bop. I enjoyed this, mainly because of the memories that brought back. But it’s very typical of 80s music that I’m not particularly fond of. Even so, I’ll give it a three.
Lou Reed
2/5
I previously had no exposure to Lou Reed other than Walk on the Wild Side. Thought this album might be a bit weird, and it was, but I didn’t hate it. I don’t care much for his half-singing half-talking vocal style, but I guess that’s a big part what makes him Lou Reed. I might have to give it another listening, due to the story telling. Not really my thing, though.
Don McLean
5/5
Just a disclaimer: My ratings are a reflection of my own personal taste and nothing more. I bought the singles American pie and Vincent when I was a kid in junior high, but had never listened to the album. I have to say I really enjoyed this one, and will pick up a copy if I see a decent used one in store someday. The song American pie seems to be a bit of a The song American pie seems to be a bit of an anomaly on this album, and most of the other songs are quite similar to Vincent. Definitely will listen to this one more in the future.
Black Sabbath
2/5
Just a disclaimer: My ratings are a reflection of my own personal taste and nothing more. Surprisingly, I really didn’t mind this one. Didn’t particularly care for the lead vocals, but I did enjoy parts of these tracks. Probably won’t listen to it again, but I didn’t hate it.
Shack
3/5
Just a disclaimer: My ratings are a reflection of my own personal taste and nothing more.
I didn’t mind this one, but there was really nothing special about it either. I’m not sure I understand all the vitriol in a lot of the reviews, but I do agree with the notion about its relevance and placement on this list of 1001 Albums. Probably won’t listen to it again.
Van Morrison
5/5
5 stars, a masterpiece. And Van Morrison is a treasure.
Pink Floyd
3/5
I have heard all of these songs over the years. I really like wish you were here, but the rest of the album is ok for me.
Elvis Costello
3/5
I generally enjoyed this album, but it’s the third Elvis Costello album. I’ve listened to on this list and I’ve been listening to these for less than a month now. I’m not not sure. I understand why he needs so much representation. I didn’t find this one terribly different than the other two I listened to, but I may give it another listen at some point in time.
The Everly Brothers
3/5
I really enjoy their harmonies, but only need to listen to them once in a while. I had never heard them do Love Hurts…loved it!
The Flying Burrito Brothers
3/5
I really liked this album up to a point. This would’ve been a four or five for me, but I didn’t particularly care for the vocals. Guess I’ll give it a three.
Black Sabbath
2/5
I didn’t mind this one, didn’t love it either. Feels like a 2.5 for me, but I’ll go with a 2.0 because I doubt I’d listen to it again. They play a couple of those songs enough on the radio for me to get my fill.
The Cardigans
2/5
I hadn’t heard of this band before. I had heard the song Lovefoot on the radio, but always thought that was No Doubt. And I don’t understand their cover of Ironman at all. Another record that I don’t need to hear again.
Buzzcocks
2/5
I seem to be saying this a lot, but although I didn’t hate it, I won’t be listening to it again.
Iron Maiden
2/5
Here we go again…I seem to be saying this a lot, but although I didn’t hate it, I won’t be listening to it again.
Mekons
2/5
I liked about half of these songs, and disliked the other half. I enjoyed the ones with a bit of a “country” flair more than the others. Won’t listen to it again.
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
2/5
Well, if the lyrics and subject matter were not so objectionable, I really would’ve liked this one. Too bad.
Tom Waits
1/5
Yeah… Well, there’s 41 minutes of my life I will never get back. Not sure who the audience for this guy would be. I’ve certainly heard of Tom Waits, but never actually heard him before. Not sure I need to hear him again.
Arcade Fire
3/5
Not sure I understand all of the critical acclaim or the vitriol surrounding this album. I thought it was enjoyable enough, and really liked a couple of the songs, but didn’t find it remarkable either way. Probably a three.
The Velvet Underground
3/5
I really didn’t know what to expect out of this one, but I really didn’t expect to like it. I was a bit surprised, I enjoyed the simplicity of it. Certainly have heard of the velvet underground, but actually it never heard them before. I loved the song Jesus, but hated The Murder Mystery. Overall, I would give it a 3.5, so I’m going to give it 3 stars.
Depeche Mode
2/5
I don’t like electronic synth music, and I didn’t like this album. It was exactly what I thought it was going to be. Two stars.
Goldfrapp
2/5
I liked about half of these songs, and didn’t for the others, preferring the less electronic selections. I won’t be listening to it again.
Teenage Fanclub
3/5
I enjoyed this album for the most part, and may give it another listen; hadn’t heard of the band before. 3 solid stars for me.
David Gray
2/5
Once again I must ask, why do I have to hear this album before I die? 2 stars.
Bob Dylan
3/5
I have a lot of mixed feelings about Bob Dylan. On one hand, I think he’s a national treasure, and really respect his career and work, but on the other hand, I have never been a big fan. Having said that, I enjoyed this album lot more than I thought I would. Although in my opinion, so many of these songs sounds so similar, and they often end in a fade out which sounds dissatisfying to me. Still, I enjoyed this one and might just listen to it again. And let me say that this album totally belongs on the list of 1001.
Patti Smith
3/5
This is yet another artist that I’d certainly heard of, but hadn’t actually listened to before. If nothing else, I’m thankful to this project because it exposes me to a lot of artists that I should’ve listened to, but have not yet. In any event, I did enjoy this album somewhat, But at times, I’m not crazy about Patti Smith’s vocals. Sometimes they are just a bit too out there for me. But all in all, I found this album to be an enjoyable experience. I’ll give it three stars.
Holger Czukay
1/5
What the hell was that?! At least it was mercifully short. I’m looking at all of the five star reviews on this website, and it only reinforces the notion that there truly is no accounting for taste. This is clearly not my thing, while others seem to adore it. I don’t get it.
Jane's Addiction
3/5
My music education continues, with yet another band I had heard of, but hadn’t actually listened to. After the first 4 songs, I was ready to rate it a two or even less, as those selections just weren’t my thing. But after that, I didn’t mind the rest of the album and really actually enjoyed some of those cuts. I probably won’t make an effort to listen to it again, but it comes out to be a 3.0 for me.
Bobby Womack
3/5
This was a nice pleasant album, and for the most part, I enjoyed listening to it. This is the type of thing for me that is fine to listen to if it happens to be playing at a friends house or a restaurant, but it’s nothing that I would seek out or purchase for myself. For me, this is three stars.
The Hives
2/5
After reading about this, I didn’t think I would probably like it at all. But as I started listening to it, I didn’t mind it and actually liked a couple of the songs. However, as it went on, I found it really redundant. I’m gonna settle at two stars for this one.
Nick Drake
4/5
I had never heard of Nick Drake, and I didn’t read any of the info or reviews about him, so I had no idea what I was getting into. For a while there, I thought I was listening to Jack Johnson. I really like the simplicity of this album, and think that it’s really held up well over 52 years. There are one or two selections I didn’t care for, but overall I really like this and will probably listen to it again in the future. To me this one sounds like it could’ve been recorded within the last few years.
Prince
2/5
I know this is going to sound sacrilegious to some, but after listening to this album, it seems to me to be really overrated. I never cared for the singles off of this record, but went into it with as open of mind as possible, even hoping to like it. But I found several of these songs really redundant and even more repetitive, seeming to go on forever. Most of them were just too long. I never have been a fan of 80s electronic pop, and this album just reaffirms that for me. The last song, International Lover was probably the one I liked best. But, I just don’t get the critical acclaim and love for this album. Two stars from me.
Moby Grape
3/5
I had never heard of the band Moby Grape. Of course I was young child when it came out, so that probably has something to do with it. I really, really liked the first song 8:05, but the rest of the album was just OK for me. I’m giving it three stars on the strength of the first song alone. The album was enjoyable enough, but probably won’t give it another listen.
Adam & The Ants
3/5
Another band that I had not listened to before. I kind of liked some of these, but really didn’t love or hate any of them. Probably a weak 3 for me.
Thundercat
2/5
Pleasant enough, despite some of the lyrics. Found it a bit boring for my taste though. Won’t need to hear it again.
Dolly Parton
5/5
A good old-fashioned country album with three voices that blended beautifully, I loved it.
Emmylou Harris
4/5
Really liked this one a lot. I will be saving it and listening to it again in the future.
The Boo Radleys
3/5
I didn’t mind this one, and found the music very representative of that era. But it was just too damn long, and it would benefit from the concept of addiction by subtraction. There are just too many throw-away songs on this album. Still, I will give it a 3.0. Probably won’t bother to listen to it again, however.
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
I liked this one, and liked all of the songs with the exception of Silverf*ck. I have a hunch that I would have liked this album more 20 years ago when it came out, but incredibly I had not listened to it before. I think that I must have assumed that it was too “alternative” for my taste and didn’t give it a chance. Anyway, I am giving it four stars, on the lower end.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
2/5
Not crazy about electronic music like this. It’s a 2 for me.
Beach House
2/5
As my son liked to say when he was a toddler many, many years ago…this is bow-ing! Once again I must asks, why is it important for me to hear this album before I die? I hope the next one is better. I haven’t been enjoying these selections much lately.
Suzanne Vega
3/5
I had never heard Suzanne Vega, with the exception of “Luka”. I really liked this album, but would have like it more if not for her penchant for speaking some of the lyrics instead of singing them. To me, it’s such a waste as I really do enjoy her lovely singing voice. This kept me from giving the album four stars. I will listen to it again, however.
Venom
1/5
Well, I sure thought THAT was horrible! I guess if you’re into devil worship, you might like this, but otherwise…
Anyway, is it possible to give an album zero stars? I would’ve been able to tolerate this, if not for the so-called singing and lyrics, but I suppose that’s a lot of the appeal for its audience. I did make myself listen to at least one minute or so of each of the songs. Needless to say, this is just not for me.
AC/DC
3/5
For whatever reason, I love the song “Highway to Hell”. I enjoyed the rest of the album just fine. I like to listen to a record like this once in a while, but not often. It’s a very solid three stars for me.
The Cars
4/5
I had heard this album a few times before, and don’t know why I didn’t purchase it back in the day. I really like it, and it takes me back to my old college days. The only reason that I don’t give it 5 stars is because I seem to tire of it somewhat quickly. But all in all, it’s excellent.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
This was a fun album, nothing but covers, I believe, and very raw. And since it’s the Stone first album, it definitely belongs on the list. Although I enjoyed it, I probably won’t be playing it again. I give it a three.
U2
3/5
Out of nearly 70 albums from this list that I have listened to and reviewed so far, this is remarkably the first one that I owned…and I bet that I hadn’t played it in over 25 years. Unlike most of the critics, this U2 is a band that I just never really got into. There are a few songs on this album that I really like, most notably Cruel, but the rest are pretty “meh” for me. I really dislike the open cut, Zoo Station. Anyway, I give this one a three.
Tom Waits
1/5
I think I was able to get completely through only 3 out of 16 songs on this album. Please, please, please, for the love God, no more Tom Waits albums. I just don’t get the dude or his appeal.
David Bowie
2/5
I was excited to get a David Bowie album, because my exposure to him has been minimal hearing little beyond what was played on the radio, but I have always been curious about his music. I was a bit disappointed in this album. A bit too electronic for me, and many of the cuts were instrumentals or near instrumentals. Hope they have me sample another one before too long.
Destiny's Child
3/5
Of course I was familiar with Beyoncé and this group, but I had really never listened to them before. I thought some of these songs got a bit repetitive, but there nothing I really disliked besides the last song. A few of the songs I did like, but I probably won’t find myself listening to this album again. Although I find them to be very talented singers, it’s just not my thing. It is between 2.5 and 3 stars for me…I’ll settle on 3.
Paul Weller
4/5
I had never heard or heard of Paul Weller before, so this album was really a pleasant surprise. In reading some of the other reviews, I saw that some found this boring and I guess that I understand this point of view. But for me, the tracks varied enough from each other so this wasn’t a problem for me. I will save this one and will be listening to it again…a solid four stars.
The White Stripes
4/5
The only White Stripes song I was familiar with was “the Napoleon Dynamite” song, which is on this album. For the most part, I really enjoyed this album, finding it eclectic but still listener friendly. I will save it and listen to it again. I see it as 3.5 stars, so I will round it up to a four.
The White Stripes
4/5
So, this is the second album of this band that I’ve listened to in as many days. I just have to say I REALLY like them! Yesterday I heard white blood cells, and today elephant is even better. For me, this is just good old fashioned rock ‘n’ roll! Too bad that I’m 20 years late discovering the band, but better late than never. A very solid four stars.
Roxy Music
2/5
Other than the song, Love is the Drug, I have had no real exposure to this band prior to this album, although I had certainly heard of them. After the first few songs, this sounded like 3 stars for me, but then there were a couple of long, boring stinkers that dragged it down to a two. I am also coming to realize that I am not a Brian Eno fan, as he has been the common denominator in a few offerings on this list of 1001 albums that I have not cared for. I won’t need to hear this one again.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
I thought that this was a very solid effort for a first solo album, and in spite of some of its weirdness, I generally liked it. Highlights were of course, Solsbury Hill, and I also really liked Here comes the Flood. I agree with another reviewer about Gabriel seeming to channel his inner Randy Newman on a couple of the tracks, but I also like Randy Newman. If I could, I would give this 7 out of 10 stars, but I will settle on 3. I will save it and probably will listen to it again.
KISS
2/5
I have never been a big Kiss fan…there is nothing wrong with this album, but I always thought that they sounded a bit generic, for lack of a better term. I won’t need to hear this one again.
Various Artists
3/5
This is fun, and would be great for a Holiday party…I would just try to leave Phil Spector’s name out of it, though. It’s 3 stars for me.
The Dictators
3/5
I have to say, this one surprised me, and I enjoyed it much more than I anticipated. Despite a couple of the song titles, the lyrics themselves aren’t that objectionable. I’ll give this one a three.
Muddy Waters
4/5
This is just good ol’ fashioned, old school blues…good stuff, but for me, I think it would be improved by leaving out the repeated selections. Still, 4 solid stars.
Soundgarden
3/5
Yet another band that I had heard of, but hadn’t actually heard before. I thought the album was pretty good, but a bit long for me. Although I liked it, I won’t go out of my way to listen to it again. 3 stars from me.
Ray Charles
4/5
After the movie “Ray” came out, I bought a “best of” Ray Charles CD, and have really enjoyed it over the years, although it has been quite a while since I have listened to it…well this album is better! Even though I would normally find the production, orchestration and backing vocals a bit over the top, I think it really works here. I will definitely listen to this one again. If I could, I would give it 4.5 stars.
The Kinks
3/5
I had not heard any of these songs before, but I did genuinely enjoy it. It is classic Beatlesque British sixties rock. It is probably a 3.5 for me, and I may listen to it again.
Super Furry Animals
3/5
This is a band that I was totally unfamiliar with…I liked some of the songs, and some parts of some of the songs. I still had about three more songs left to listen to when I wrote this review, but it is probably three stars for me. I may or may not give it another listen; I kind of wish that these selections came out every other day.
Eurythmics
2/5
I’ve only heard this bands’ singles over the years, and was never that wild about them. After listening to this album, my opinion hasn’t changed. This just isn’t my thing, I’ll give it two stars.
The Afghan Whigs
3/5
I somehow forgot to give this one a rating, but for me it’s a 3. Disturbing album cover, though.
John Cale
3/5
I didn’t mind this, but didn’t love it either. I think one of the reviews nailed it when it stated that Cale sounds a lot like Ringo Starr at times. Anyway, I found it somewhat enjoyable, but thought it was a three for me on the low end.
The Beach Boys
3/5
I enjoy The Beach Boys, but a dose will last me a long time. In my mind, you need a greatest hits album, Pet Sounds, and Smile by Brian Wilson, and then your bases are covered. This one is Avery solid three for me.
The Magnetic Fields
3/5
So, there are just way too many songs on here to listen to in one day, unless it was my job to do so. I listened to about a dozen and then quit because even though I am retired, I do still have a life. Anyway, for the most part I did enjoy what I heard, although Stephin Merritt’s voice wasn’t my favorite, especially when at times he seems to have a really loose relationship with the concept of pitch. I guess I will give this one a three based on my limited sampling.
Bill Callahan
2/5
It’s like this guy is trying to sing off key…too bad, because I would have really liked this album if he could sing at all.
fIREHOSE
3/5
I really don’t have much to say about this one…it was okay, but I won’t be saving it or listening to it again.
Donovan
3/5
Although I enjoyed this album for the most part, I didn’t like it as much as I had expected. I thought a lot of the songs dragged on, especially the second one, which I thought would never end. I did appreciate the use of some unconventional instruments like the sitar and harpsichord. But in the end, it gets a disappointing three stars from me.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
For the most part, I really liked this album a lot…I realize that Neil Young has an odd, whiny voice and that he may be a bit of an acquired taste, but I thought this one was quite good. I have listened to a couple of his other albums over the years, but I thought this one was superior, even though I was only familiar with the first song. I will definitely be saving this one, and will listen to it again in the future. And if I stumble across a reasonably priced vinyl version, I’ll pick it up. Four stars.
Elliott Smith
4/5
I had never heard of Elliot Smith, and after the first song on this album, I didn’t think I would care much for it. But as it went on, I found it really grew on me and I ended up liking it a lot. I will definitely will listen to this one again. Four stars.
The Police
3/5
I have always had mixed feelings about the Police, and listening to this album didn’t clear anything up for me. I liked about half of the songs (for the most part, the hits) and didn’t care much for the others. I don’t know what the song “Mother” was doing on the album. In spite of the creepy lyrics, I have always liked “Every Breath You Take” a whole lot. This album is a 3 for me, I guess.
Nico
1/5
What the hell?? She is really awful. If someone else had been singing…almost anyone else…I would have liked this album, even with the flutes. One positive thing I can take is that I was exposed to a couple of Jackson Browne songs that I was not familiar with. Unfortunately, I don’t think that I will ever to be able to unhear what she did to “These Days”. One star is being generous.
Stereolab
2/5
Well, I didn’t hate it, but didn’t really care for it either, not even considering the language barrier. Won’t be giving it another listen…just not my thing. Two stars.
Ryan Adams
4/5
I had never heard of this guy…apparently he is quite a tool. That notwithstanding, I rather enjoyed this album. It was a bit too long for me, but if I can separate the work from the personality, I give it four stars.
Fela Kuti
2/5
So, if you like concerts that have long drawn out songs that are mostly instrumental riffs, you’ll like this album. Also, I think there’s a special place in heaven for those who appreciate and even more so, like drum solos. Me, I just kept asking myself, when will this song be over? Needless to say, this one just isn’t for me. Two stars.
The Mars Volta
2/5
Maybe my old man colors are showing, but for the most part, this sounded like a bunch of noise to me. 2 stars is being generous.
FKA twigs
2/5
I’m sure that there’s an audience for this, but it definitely isn’t me!
Lou Reed
2/5
I didn’t dislike this as much as I thought I would, but I don’t get Lou Reed.
Slade
3/5
I didn’t mind this at all, basic early 70’s rock n roll. Wasn’t crazy about the vocals, though. 3 stars.
Crowded House
3/5
To me, this album was fine, and the epitome of a three star album. Pleasant enough to listen to, but nothing particularly memorable either.
Gorillaz
3/5
I didn’t expect to like this at all, mostly because, what the hell is a virtual band? But I was surprised and didn’t mind most of the songs, and even liked a few of them. It did run a bit long, though. This is another band that I had never heard of but still gets three stars from me.
Stephen Stills
4/5
I thought this was really good, and for the most part, I liked it a lot. I also enjoyed the variety, particularly the country side of one of the albums. Usually I think that a double album is too long and some songs should be cut, but not in this case. If I see a used vinyl copy for a reasonable price, I will pick it up. 4 stars.
The Rolling Stones
5/5
For me, this was when the Stones were hitting their sweet spot, and heading into their Golden Age. This era included Beggars Banquet, Let it Bleed, Sticky Fingers, and ended with Exile on Main Street. I still really love a lot of their work before and since that time, but I think these were their best albums. On Beggars Banquet, a lot the songs are bluesy rock, which I really like. I know taste is personal, but for me this album is a solid five, and I’ve listened to it dozens of times over the years. I will continue to do so.
Elton John
4/5
I have listened to this album many times over the years as I purchased it back in the seventies. I wasn’t too crazy about it back then, but it has really grown on me over the years and I genuinely enjoy all of the songs. When looking at his early efforts, I prefer Tumbleweed Connection and Honky Chateau to this one, but I still really like it and will continue to play it from time to time. My only real complaint is many of songs run a bit long. It gets 4 stars plus from me.
Christina Aguilera
3/5
The only prior exposure I had to Christina Aguilera is that I once heard the end of “Beautiful” on the radio, and liked what I heard. After listening to the album, I found that I rather enjoyed the ballads, but the other stuff, not so much. Hip-hop just isn’t my thing, so the more the songs leaned towards that the less I liked them. I also thought that overall the album was just too long, and many of the songs lingered on too long as well. Overall, I give it a three.
Dr. John
2/5
Well, at least it was mercifully short. I was going to give this a one, but there were a couple of songs in here that weren’t too bad. I thought this album was mostly garbage though. I’m giving it a generous two stars.
David Bowie
2/5
If you like weird, discordant music, this album is for you! But it isn’t for me. I’m a little confused by all of the critical acclaim, and all of the love that this album gets on this list by reviewers, but I suspect that it has something to do with paying respect to the man’s career at the time of his death. Once again, not at all my thing.
Justin Timberlake
2/5
Well, I am an old man, so it’s no surprise that I didn’t care for this album at all…and it’s so LONG! I agree with those who suggested he’s like a poor man’s Michael Jackson, or that he wanted to be Michael Jackson, but someone beat him to it. Anyway, this one was work for me to listen to. Two stars.
Primal Scream
3/5
I had never heard of nor heard this band before, so I really didn’t know what to expect. I found the album to be a mixed bag…I really liked about half of the songs, and the rest I found to be throw-always. At times I found the lead vocalist’s penchant for sliding between the notes annoying, but enjoyed the gospel-like sound of the backing singers. I enjoyed the horns as well. And as I often comment, most of these songs were just too long. It’s hard for me to land on a rating for this one, but I will give it a three. I will also save it, and will listen to some of the songs again.
Alanis Morissette
3/5
I hadn’t listened to this album before, but of course had heard a few of the songs over the years. For the most part, I liked the album but I found the way she uses her voice to often be annoying and harsh. This brought it down from a four to a three for me.
Marvin Gaye
4/5
This album really was pretty good, as the critics all seem to purport. This isn’t the type of music I normally listen to, but I can see putting it on from time to time just to mellow out a bit. I could do without the moaning sounds at the beginning of “You Sure Love to Ball” (I always hate this effect, and the title and lyrics could be a bit more subtle as well). Even though this is a blatant sex album, I quite enjoyed it and give it four stars.
ZZ Top
4/5
I thought this one was pretty good, and caters to my personal tastes. Although a lot of the songs are very similar, this is just good old rock and roll, and very enjoyable. It’s funny, but Legs, which was probably the bands most popular song, is one of my least favorites. It’s not that I dislike it, I just like other songs a lot better, particularly Gimme all your Lovin’ and Sharp Dressed Man. I give this album 4 stars.
Brian Eno
3/5
When this album popped up, I silently groaned. My limited previous exposure to Brian Eno has not been anything I have enjoyed. This album surprised me. Although I didn’t love it, I didn’t mind it either. I even genuinely liked the last song, Spider and I. Anyway, what I thought was going to be a two star rating from me will be a three star rating. It still isn’t really my thing at all, and I probably won’t listen to it again, but I was glad to be exposed to it.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
For the most part, I really liked this album and thought it was really good. I believe it would be even better with some of the weirdness removed…all of the excess noise in Save the Life of my Child, and completely removing Voices of Old People come to mind. But even so, I think this album is deserving of four stars.
Shuggie Otis
3/5
I had never heard of Shuggie Otis before, and didn’t know what to expect. All in all, I found this album easy to listen to and enjoyable; this one is a 3 for me. Glad to be exposed to it, but didn’t like it so much that I will need to hear it again.
Jane's Addiction
3/5
I liked this album better than expected, but the style of vocalization wore thin pretty quickly. This one is a low 3 for me.
Ray Price
3/5
Well, the album cover and the first song, Intro, are really wonderfully cheesy…but I found that I enjoyed this anyway. It’s the type of album that I would enjoy hearing softly in a restaurant, lounge, or someone else’s home; but I would never play it at home myself. I did think it was really cool that Willie Nelson, Johnny Paycheck and Floyd Cramer played on this record. In the end it gets 3 stars from me.
Carole King
5/5
I have listened to this album dozens of times over the years, and own an old vinyl copy as well as the CD. This is definitely a 5 star album in my book, with not a single disappointing track on the record. Beautiful and Tapestry are among my favorites. My only complaint, is that in my opinion the production has always sounded a little weak and tinny, but maybe that is more about the nature of the songs. But still, this album has aged really well, and never gets old. Also, if this was a list of 100 albums instead of 1,000 albums, this one would easily make the cut. In any case, this album gets 5 big stars!
The Divine Comedy
2/5
I didn’t hate this, but it’s kind of weird. The vocalist is a wannabe crooner, but doesn’t quite have the pipes for it. And some of the lyrics are just plain inane. It gets just two stars, and I don’t understand why it made this list.
David Bowie
3/5
I really like some of these songs, but others, not so much. Averages out to a three for me. It’s worth another listen, though.
Grant Lee Buffalo
3/5
Another band that I had never heard of. Early on in listening to this, I wasn’t too crazy about it, but found that I Iiked it more as it went along. I have a hunch that if I listen to it multiple times, it may grow on me. As it is, I will give it a three.
Lorde
2/5
Didn’t really care much for this, but I am not a fan of the electronic pop sound. Lorde also sings in kind of a “baby talk” style, which I find not terribly appealing. I did prefer the simpler ballads like Liability, but in the end, this just isn’t my thing. Two stars.
The United States Of America
2/5
Early on listening to this, I was all set to give this one star, but as I continued to listen, I didn’t mind it as much. Even so, this one gets a generous two stars. Just some real weird sh*t.
Billy Bragg
3/5
Early on listening to this, I was all set to give this one star, but as I continued to listen, I didn’t mind it as much. Even so, this one gets a generous two stars. Just some real weird sh*t.
Nirvana
4/5
I had very little exposure to this band back in the day, and just kind of assumed that they were too edgy and grungy for me…but I really liked this album. Maybe the fact that it’s “unplugged” made a difference, but I am going to have to check out their studio albums. I have always liked “All Apologies”, and liked this version of the song as well. Anyway, this one is a strong 4 stars for me.
The Doors
4/5
For the most part, I really liked this album. If not for the inclusion of L’America and The WASP, this would earn 5 stars from me. I really, really liked the three big songs on this album, as well as the bluesy tracks...Love Her Madly, LA Woman, and Riders on the Storm are my favorite Doors songs. Jim Morrison’s voice sounds kind of damaged on most of the side one tracks, particularly LA Woman, but for me that doesn’t detract at all…it just adds some character. I just love Ray Mazarek’s keyboard work on this album. The highs on this album are really high, and I hope to find a reasonably priced used vinyl copy sometime. Rating it in its entirety, I give it four stars.
Milton Nascimento
3/5
I kind of groaned when I saw this was a non-English record, but I found this mostly enjoyable and pleasant to listen to, if not a bit weird at times. I also think that it has held up pretty well, and didn’t really sound dated which surprised me. It would have been nice to have understood the lyrics, but I still enjoyed it. I was also kind of intrigued by the album cover photo, for whatever reason. Anyway, I probably won’t purposely listen to this again, but I give it 3 stars.
Aerosmith
3/5
Well, I liked this album, but didn’t love it…it just didn’t grab me. I definitely prefer Toys in the Attic to this one. Maybe over time it would grow on me, but for now it’s a three.
ABBA
3/5
I have never been particularly fond of this band. In the past I’ve only heard their singles, which I found to be catchy, but nothing that I really loved, or on the other hand hated. I had similar feelings about this album. I really disliked the opening track, but found myself liking the album better as it went on. However It’s nothing that I want to listen to again. Another three star album for me.
Marilyn Manson
1/5
Yuck…I am not a prude, and even setting all moral turpitude aside (and that is a LOT to set aside), I found this just really hard to listen to. It’s the kind of thing that is used to mentally torture prisoners of war, played at 3 AM in the morning at full volume in order to get them to break down. Giving full disclosure, I only listened to parts of the first few songs, and just couldn’t take it anymore. This was just too much work, and listening to music shouldn’t be work…life is too short to endure needless torture. This even made me yearn for yesterday’s ABBA album that was forced upon me by the authors of this list. I just don’t understand how anyone could actually like this. If I could rate it zero stars, I would.
Killing Joke
3/5
Overall, I liked this album more than I expected. I hated Wardance…it sounded like the vocalist was doing a cheesy satan impression. On the other hand, I really liked the last track Primitive, and a couple of others as well. This album is between a 2 and a 3 for me, and I guess I will land on 3. It no doubt is benefiting by the preceding Marilyn Manson album that I was subjected to yesterday. I probably won’t bother listening to it again, however.
Jimmy Smith
2/5
Not only is Jimmy back at the chicken shack, he’s also incredible! Groovy, man! Nothing really objectionable here, but you have to like and appreciate instrumental jazz, which I do not. Most of these songs sounded very similar to me, and seemed to go on forever. At least the last track, Sunny Side of the Street, had a melody that I could hear and better yet, recognize. This just isn’t my thing…would be okay as background music, but that’s about it. 2 stars.
T. Rex
3/5
I had heard this album before, but didn’t remember it very well. After listening to it again, I found that there were a few songs I really liked, but the rest were pretty meh. In the end, this album works out to be a three for me.
Tori Amos
4/5
This was really pretty good, and I had really never listened to this artist before. At times her voice is a little too “poppy” sounding for my liking, but I still think she is really talented, and I enjoyed this album. It’s probably a 3.5 for me, but I will round it up to a four, and will listen to it again. I really, really liked the song “China” except for a short annoying few seconds about 2/3 of the way through.
Neil Young
3/5
The whole recording sounded a bit amateurish to me. I really disliked the title track, but most of the rest of it was okay. I am giving it three stars, but on the low end…I won’t bother to listen to it again.
Kate Bush
2/5
I had certainly heard of Kate Bush, but in all these years I never actually heard Kate Bush. After listening to this album, I just thought the whole thing was kind of weird. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t care for it much either. At least it wasn’t boring, I‘ll give it that. But I guess I will give it 2 stars.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
I don’t get the appeal of this guy, and he can’t sing at all…at times he sounds like a further-off-key Lou Reed. I actually would have liked some of these songs if someone else had been singing them, so I will give it two stars instead of one.
Serge Gainsbourg
1/5
Well, like Huey Lewis sang back in the 80s…sometimes bad is bad. First of all, I generally don’t like records that rely on the spoken word in lieu of singing…but when this guy did sing, it was worse. I might’ve enjoyed this somewhat if it was an instrumental record. But when you add the subject matter that basically glorifies statutory rape, this album becomes a one at best, and that’s being generous. There are two good things about this record: 1.) Since it’s in French, I couldn’t understand the lyrics and 2.) At 28 minutes, it was mercifully short. If I would’ve died yesterday, I think that somehow I would not have been poorer for not having heard this album. I must ask, what’s it doing on the list?
Janet Jackson
3/5
A couple of things:
1. I had never heard any of these songs before, and
2. No, I was not in a coma from 1989 through 1990.
In reading about this album, I believe I remember seeing that 7 of the songs were top 5 hits…I can’t believe that I am not familiar with anything of them. I was very familiar with the hits from her previous album, Control, so I don’t know what happened to me here.
This album surprised me, in that I enjoyed it more than I expected to. A couple of things that I didn’t like, was the use of electronic percussion, and I thought that many of the songs sounded really similar, especially in the first half or so. Also, I think the album ran a bit long. But overall I really didn’t mind this record at all…I have to say that I really liked the song, Black Cat. This album comes in at a strong 3 stars for me.
Beatles
4/5
Full disclosure, I am a lifelong unabashed Beatles fan, and own a lot of their albums. I had heard most of, if not all of these songs before but not as an album. I liked most of the songs, even most of the covers, although I thought a couple of them were pretty weak. I have always liked their cover of Til there was You, and always really enjoy hearing it. According to the Wikipedia article, George Harrison sang a couple of the covers that I had always believed was John Lennon. If the article is correct, it is really difficult for me to tell them apart here, unlike their later albums.
I generally prefer the Beatles from Rubber Soul post, but all in all still think this is pretty good. For me, it’s 3.5 stars, rounded up to a four.
The Style Council
3/5
Once again, the Style Council is a band that I’ve never heard, or heard of. Generally, I did enjoy this album. I really didn’t know what to expect, so I liked it more than I anticipated. The only song I really did not care for was, A Gospel and that’s predictable, as I am not a hip-hop fan. Most of this album serves as pleasant background music. For me, this one comes in at three stars solidly.
Brian Eno
2/5
The little exposure that I have had to Brian Eno has led me to believe that I didn’t like his music at all. But I didn’t mind this album so much…to use some other reviewers’ words, it seems to be more accessible. My favorite track was probably On Some Faraway Beach, which is for the most part an instrumental track, and has this dream-like ethereal quality to it. I could see playing this song if I really needed to relax. But in the end, I just didn’t like this album much…I can understand, however, how this may appeal to others. But for me, it’s a two star record.
The Who
3/5
I am a fan of the Who, but generally prefer their music of the 70’s. This album seemed to be a bit of an enigma to me…I thought some of the songs sounded a bit ahead of their time, some of them sounded stuck in the early 60’s, and some of them sounded like they did belong in 1965, the year that this album was released. One particular note, I chuckled to myself at the beginning of I’m a Man, because of what Roger Daltrey was trying to do with his voice…it really sounded contrived. Which is interesting, because I have always thought that he was really underrated as a vocalist.
Generally I enjoyed this record, but didn’t love it and probably won’t listen to it again. This one comes in at three stars.
Kacey Musgraves
3/5
I have never heard Kacey Musgraves before, and after the first song I thought, wow, I really like this! But then the album took a turn and went from folky to poppy. It vacillated from there, but I heard very little that would make me think that this was a country record. Highlights: Slow Burn, Oh What a Word (in spite of its cheesy introduction), Mother, and Rainbow. The few songs that I liked, I really liked, but the rest was too poppy for me. This one averages out to a three.
Napalm Death
1/5
Good lord. More “music” to be tortured by.
Harry Nilsson
5/5
I can’t be objective on this one…I bought it in the 70’s and have listened to it countless times. It is one of my favorites. This was a good reminder of the wonderful things Harry Nilsson could do with his voice before he ruined it with self abuse. On a side note, there is a terrific documentary out there called “Who is Harry Nilsson?” that is worth watching.
Anyway, you may have guessed that l love this album. My only complaint is that Jump into the Fire is just too long, but I really like all of these songs. Even the weird and discordant I’ll Never Leave You is something that I can listen to over and over. I am sure a lot of my love for this record comes from nostalgia and my introduction to it while I was coming of age, but I still think it’s terrific, displaying Nilsson’s versatility and fearless approach to unconventionality. One other side note: Even though I own this on both vinyl and CD and as I mentioned had listened to it countless times, today I accessed it via Amazon music for convenience. I don’t know what Amazon did to this recording, but they somehow messed it up. The balance and mix on some of these songs were really off compared to the vinyl and CD versions. Any event, this is still a 5 star album for me.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
I like this album and own it on vinyl, but don’t love it. For me the highlights are Immigrant Song, Tangerine, That’s the Way, and Bron-Y-Aur Stomp. The flip side to the 45 single Immigrant Song was Hey, Hey, What Can I Do…which is one of my favorites. I wonder why it wasn’t on this album? Anyway this one is about a 3.5 for me, so I will call it a 4.0.
Sonic Youth
2/5
I liked a couple of these songs more than I expected to, but most of this album just sounds like dissonant noise to me. It’s just not my thing.
Michael Jackson
4/5
I really didn’t need to listen to this, but it’s been so many years since I heard the album in its entirety I thought it be a good idea to do so. Although I don’t love this album, it’s pretty strong…after all, it sold a gazillion copies. I even bought a copy of it on vinyl back in the day, because I thought it may be a collectible someday. I really haven’t listened to it much since it was current. Like a lot of folks, I think the girl is mine is a horrible song with some inane lyrics. I also don’t care for the sound of electronic percussion throughout the album. But, I do recognize the importance of this album and its quality, even though it doesn’t completely cater to my tastes. I can’t see giving it less than four stars.
The Last Shadow Puppets
3/5
This wasn’t bad, but it was nothing special either. Once again, I am wondering what makes an album so compelling so as to be included on this list of 1001. it’s a ho-hum three stars.
The Flaming Lips
3/5
Another band I had never heard of, but I thought they were ok. I could’ve done without the Star Wars noises in some of the songs, though. I won’t want to hear this one again, and give it a ho-hum 3 stars.
The Stranglers
2/5
Yet another band I had never heard of…didn’t care for them much, but didn’t hate them either, except for a couple of songs. Won’t listen to it again. Two stars.
Dinosaur Jr.
3/5
Surprisingly, I kind of liked this one. At least I thought it was okay until they came to the song Paledo, where they went all “revolution nine”. I think maybe if I listened to this some more, it might grow on me, but first impressions lead me to give this one 3 stars. Probably doesn’t excite me enough to listen to it again though.
Eric Clapton
3/5
I generally liked, but didn’t love this album. I wasn’t previously aware of his racist rant in 1976, but I have read about his regretting those remarks, and his actions later in life lead me to believe that his remorse was sincere. I doubt that he and BB King would have collaborated on an album if that were not so. Also, I know that I am not the same person I was 50, or even 10 years ago. Anyway, I am not going to penalize him for that rant. Having said all this, this is an okay album for me. I never liked I Shot the Sheriff, and with all apologies to Bob Marley, always thought this was a pretty stupid song…also a bad choice for Clapton to cover. I really liked Please Be with Me. In the end, this one is 3 stars for me.
Neu!
2/5
This album is a tale of two sides…the first side is for the most part, pleasant background music. I really enjoyed the second track, Seeland. The second side, to me is a bunch of noise. Most of these songs are just too long. After side one I was set to give this one 3 stars, but after side two l am settling in at 2 stars.
Motörhead
2/5
There really isn’t anything wrong with this, but it isn’t my thing and I just don’t like it very much. For me, most of the songs sound the same, and I quickly tire of the screaming vocal style. Two stars.
The Avalanches
2/5
I barely got through 8 songs…there is no way I could listen to over 2 hours worth. Mostly a bunch of noise. Two stars.
Dolly Parton
4/5
Let me start by stating the obvious…Dolly Parton is a national treasure. I remember when I was a kid catching glimpses of her on the Porter Wagoner show, and thinking she was just some dumb lady wearing a platinum blonde wig. But oh, how wrong I was! Of course, since then, I’ve learned so much about her extraordinary life, her talent as a songwriter, and what an incredible human being she is. Having said that, I’ve never been a big fan of her music, but my exposure to her has been very limited. Anyway, I didn’t expect to like this album at all, but I really was pleasantly surprised. I genuinely liked all of the songs, and was especially touched by the title track. I will say I’m not crazy about her voice on this album as it sounds really youthful to me. Overall, I give this album 3 1/2 stars, but I’m going to round it up to four out of respect for Dolly. We will miss her when she’s gone.
Christina Aguilera
3/5
I think she is talented, but I just don’t care much for this style of music. I sure can’t listen to a double album’s worth. 3 stars.
The Stooges
2/5
At first, I thought I was going to kind of like this one, but as it went on, it just deteriorated, until I could barely listen to the last two or three songs. I initially thought this is going to be at least a three for me, but it ends up being only two stars. For the most part, there’s just a lot of noise.
Merle Haggard
3/5
I had heard a little bit of Merle Haggard over the years, but this is the first time that I’ve really listened to him. This is just good old fashioned country music, and for me it was enjoyable and pleasant to listen to. But it didn’t really grab me either. Another 3 star record for me.
Syd Barrett
2/5
I have always liked me some Pink Floyd (even though there are always some songs on their albums that are just a lot of noise that you have to sift through). Still, I had never heard any of the band’s work while they were led by Syd Barrett, so I was eager to give this one a listen. Although I enjoyed the first few songs, it went on and degraded down to something sounding more like a demo tape. It ends up with 2 stars from me.
Fats Domino
5/5
Well, unfortunately, I couldn’t find a copy of this album to listen to, so I listened to the album, Golden legends: Fats Domino – live. It included 14 songs and lasted about 45 minutes, but it really didn’t sound like much of a live album to me, other than a couple of tracks that were longer with additional instrumentation. So, although I can’t rate the album in the book, this one is terrific! There’s just nothing to not like about this, and the songs have aged really well, especially for something that was recorded back in the 50s. I’m going to save this one and listen to it again from time to time. And although I’ve heard a little bit of Fats over the years, I didn’t realize that he really does have a good voice. I would’ve loved to go to one of his concerts back in the day, I bet it was a blast! Five stars.
The Only Ones
2/5
As it has happened often with albums on this list, a perfectly good record was ruined by a guy that can’t sing. Two stars.
The Lemonheads
4/5
Well, this is yet another group that I thought I had never heard before, but it turns out that I had heard the cover of Mrs. Robinson, just didn’t realize who the band was. Anyway, I really liked this album, and if I had heard it back in the day, it would’ve been something I would’ve played very regularly. I’m sorry I wasn’t exposed to it back then, but I’m saving it and will listen to it again in the future. It gets four solid stars from me.
Elvis Presley
3/5
I have just never been much of an Elvis fan. But I didn’t mind this, and certainly understand why it’s on the list. 3 stars.
Parliament
3/5
I remember hearing “Give Up the Funk” often on the radio when I was in high school, and I would sing along with the chorus, but I guess I had the lyrics wrong, as I sang, “we want the bump, give us the bump.” 🤣 Anyway, I didn’t mind listening to this album, although it really isn’t my kind of music. I also thought that some of the songs were just too long, as this is one of my frequent complaints. But overall, this album gets 3 stars from me. I won’t bother listening to it again, but I wouldn’t mind hearing Give up the Funk from time to time.
Paul McCartney
3/5
I’m an unabashed Beatles and McCartney fan, but I really prefer his work as a Beatle over his solo and Wings efforts. I purchased a used copy of this record for $7, less than ten years ago out of curiosity, and there were many copies available in the store for sale that day. When I got home and played the record, I found out why…I thought it just wasn’t very good. So when it popped up last night, I was all set to give it two stars based on my memory but after listening to it again for the first time in a long time, my judgment isn’t as harsh. Yes, there are songs here that sound like demo tape garbage, and the production is overly simple and sometimes sounds amateurish, but it is pretty remarkable that McCartney played all of the instruments, and a few of the songs are keepers. The way I feel today, it is a three star album, and I certainly understand why it is on this list.
Elvis Presley
3/5
I didn’t think this was too bad, and As I have already mentioned, I am not much of an Elvis fan. Although I found some of these arrangements a little cheesy, I generally enjoyed this album. In the Ghetto is one of his better songs. This one is 3 stars for me, but I won’t need to hear it again.
Saint Etienne
2/5
More electronic pop…meh.
Two stars.
Tim Buckley
2/5
This is like a caricature of sixties folk rock music, and I didn’t care much for this version. And I can just picture this guy skipping around in a minstrel’s costume at a Renaissance Fair somewhere. This just seemed really corny to me, and just begs to be made fun of. I preferred side two to side one, but this still feels like a two star album.
X-Ray Spex
2/5
With just about every song on this album, I enjoyed the instrumental introductions, but then the vocalist started singing and ruined it for me. Clearly, this genre isn’t my thing. Two stars.
Lenny Kravitz
3/5
I have had very limited exposure to Lenny Kravitz, so I really didn’t have any expectations. I found this album to be a mixed bag…I liked about half of the songs, and gravitated towards the ones that tended to be more Beatlesque in sound. The rest of them didn’t do much for me. So I am back in the familiar territory of three stars.
Solange
2/5
Count me among those that found this album to be musically boring. Solange is a talented vocalist with an important message, but the tempo changes very little if at all throughout the album, the songs bleed into each other for the most part, and the whole thing is just too long. I would probably feel differently if I were not an old white dude, but I just wasn’t drawn in enough by the music for me to hear most of the lyrics. The boredom factor makes this a two star album for me.
David Bowie
3/5
I never know what to think about David Bowie. I did kind of like this album and enjoyed listening to it for the most part. There are a few songs that I really liked, and of course, since it’s this IS David Bowie, there are a couple of numbers in there that are just weird junk. But overall, I thought this album was just OK, and didn’t really grab me. This is another three star review for me.
The Crusaders
3/5
There is nothing wrong with this record, but the instrumental songs for me are just like pleasant background music. The first song/title track took me back to my college disco days and I genuinely enjoyed this song due to the addition of vocals, but it ran too long at eleven plus minutes…perhaps it was meant for the discos back in the day. Anyway, this is another 3 star album for me.
Bad Brains
3/5
I didn’t expect to like this after reading the description, and early on I thought it sounded like a two star album for me. But as I continued, I found that I liked a few of the songs, so this felt more like a 2.5 star record. I will be rounding up to three stars, but I won’t be listening to it again.
David Bowie
3/5
This is my 5th David Bowie album and my favorite so far. Back in the day, Fame was the only song I was familiar with and didn’t care for it at all…but it has grown on me over the years and now I enjoy hearing it when it comes on. I enjoyed the rest of this album and found it easy to listen to, although some of the songs would have benefited from being a little shorter. I liked this arrangement of Across the Universe, but unfortunately found Bowie’s vocals to be way over the top. This album is really 3.5 stars, but I will rate it a three.
Sparks
4/5
At first, I thought I was listening to ABBA, but then I remembered that I had read that this was a dude singing. Anyway, I had no idea what to expect from this record, but I found myself really enjoying it…some of the tunes are quite catchy. This is somewhere between a 3 and a 4 for me, but I will round up to four stars.
3/5
I kind of liked this one, and for the most part enjoyed listening to it, but then again, there was nothing special about it and it just didn’t grab me. It didn’t seem unique enough to me to make this list, but what do I know?One of my frequent complaints for many of these records is that some of the songs just run too long, and the album itself is longer than it needs to be; that happens again with this one. I also found the cockney accent to be a bit annoying after awhile. This for me is a strong three star album…probably won’t bother listening to it again, but I wouldn’t mind if it were playing somewhere and I happened to be there.
Blur
3/5
I just listened to “Modern Life is Rubbish” by Blur yesterday. I didn’t notice a huge difference but thought perhaps “Parklife” was a bit more radio and listener friendly. It is also a solid three star album and I probably enjoyed it a little bit more, even with the two or three throwaway tracks.
Anita Baker
3/5
This album was perfectly fine and pleasant to listen to…nothing to love or hate about it. I wasn’t crazy about Sweet Love back in the day, but hearing it again after all these years gave me a sense of nostalgia. It is a three star album for me.
Roxy Music
3/5
I listened to this album yesterday, and as I recall, I believe I kind of liked it. I think it was about 3 1/2 stars for me. I may have to give it another listen. I will settle at three stars.
Talk Talk
3/5
80’s yacht rock…meh. I actually kind of liked a couple of the more upbeat songs, but this is a three star album at best. Don’t know why it’s on the list.
4/5
I’ve always thought that U2 was a bit overrated, and for me their ethereal sound can grow old. However, I thought overall that this album was pretty good. I was of course, familiar with the first three songs, but other than a couple of odd songs, I really quite enjoyed this album. I own Rattle and Hum and Achtung Baby on CD, and I really thought this one was better than either of those. For me, this one comes in at four stars on the low side. I think had I owned it back in the day, it would’ve grown on me some and I would like it better. I’ll probably save it and listen to it again.
Yes
3/5
I remember going to see Yes in concert at Pershing Auditorium in Lincoln, NE sometime in the mid seventies…it was one of my first concerts. What I remember most about the concert was that the band started an hour late and I was pissed off, screaming “where the hell have you been?”, while they walked out onto the stage. Today I would call it rock star entitlement. Anyway, I didn’t particularly enjoy the concert, as I was familiar with only 2 or 3 of the songs, and my attitude was a bit foul due to their tardiness…and the songs seemed to go on forever, with lots of meandering riffing. Which is not unlike this album.
Having said this, I enjoyed this album more than I expected…but still, prog rock just isn’t my thing. I liked the band’s hits well enough, but could take or leave most of the rest of their work. Another 3 star album for me.
3/5
Well, I liked this better than expected, but in the end it is still a three star album for me. It is too late and I’m too tired to say more.
Sonic Youth
2/5
After the first song, Schizophrenia, I thought, maybe I am going to like this more than I thought. But as the album played on, it became more and more like work to listen to it. By the last song, I couldn’t wait for it to be over. Two disappointing stars.
David Bowie
4/5
Wow…this is my sixth David Bowie album so far out of 192, and by far my favorite Bowie album. (I wonder how many are on this list?) Although I was previously familiar with only two of these songs, most of them are keepers, and I will be saving this one and listening to it again. This is a four star album for me…genuinely enjoyed it.
Van Morrison
4/5
I do like me some Van Morrison from time to time. I thought this live album was a really good sampling of some of his music and styles. The sound quality was excellent as well, and if not for the applause, you could hardly tell it was a live album. Just a really sweet sounding record. My only complaint, is that a couple of the songs are needlessly long, but this is true with almost any live album. But still, It’s an easy four stars for me.
LCD Soundsystem
2/5
Electronic dance music? No thanks, again. Two boring stars. And the album and songs are way too long.
The Kinks
3/5
These guys remind me a lot of the Beatles, so part way through this album I was really enjoying it…but there were some clunkers in there that dragged it down to a three.
Def Leppard
3/5
I liked this better than expected. Still, a lot of the songs were too long, the album was too long, and I won’t bother listening to it again. 3 stars.
Erykah Badu
2/5
I didn’t hate this, but really thought most of the songs were too long and that the whole album was too long…which results in boring. Badu’s voice can be a bit nasally a lot of the time as well, which I found annoying. Adds up to a two star rating.
The Beach Boys
5/5
I own this album on vinyl, and haven’t listened to it in quite awhile, but in my head I was set to give this one four stars. But I listened to it today with headphones, and it really made me appreciate how much was going on musically, more so than before. Also, I am guessing that it’s more than a coincidence that this was the album for me the day after Brian Wilson’s death. In any event, I am giving this one the elusive 5 star rating…I think it really is that good.
Paul McCartney and Wings
4/5
I own this album on vinyl, and have listened to it many times, as I bought it when it first came out in 1973. For the most part, I really like it, and think it is by far McCartney’s best post-Beatles album. I think a couple of the songs are too long and meander a bit too much (e.g., Picasso’s Last words). But overall, I think this is a four star album.
Jerry Lee Lewis
5/5
This album was a total joy for me to listen to. It is too bad that I am reading that the man was such a POS, but could he ever perform. A lot of these songs do sound very similar. But still, rating the album and ignoring the character of the performer, I give it 5 stars.
Cowboy Junkies
5/5
Ok, so THIS is the reason that there is value in this list of 1001. Although I had heard of the Cowboy Junkies, I had never actually HEARD them before, and if not for this project, I would never had heard them. Needless to say, I absolutely LOVE this album! I find the music just hauntingly beautiful…I definitely need to own this one. I wish I would have been exposed to this back in 1988, but it is timeless. 5 easy stars!
Guided By Voices
3/5
It’s kind of weird to have a 42 minute album consisting of 28 very short songs, but that’s what we have here. I for the most part enjoyed this, but there is a lot of junk in here and as is, it is a 3 star album at best. If I could magically edit it down to 10 or 12 songs, and lengthen the survivors a bit, this could be a 4 star album for me.
Hawkwind
2/5
A live 70’s rock double-album with a bunch of songs that are way too long and includes Star Wars sound effects in the background? No thanks…life is too short.
The Verve
3/5
Another band that I was completely unaware of. (I take it back; turns out the sixteenth album on this list that I reviewed was the Verve’s Urban Hymns. I guess it didn’t leave much of an impression.) A few of these songs I really liked, a few I did not, and a few were so-so. This one is 3 stars for me.
Living Colour
3/5
This wasn’t bad…but I didn’t love it either. I was completely unfamiliar with this band, and I think maybe if I had heard them back in the day, I may have liked it better then. In any event, I give it three stars.
4/5
I really liked this…kind of goofy at times and fun, and catchy tunes with some really thoughtful and at times, somber lyrics that belie the accompanying melody. Many of the songs also have a Beatlesque quality, which works with me. I am familiar with the Kinks only via their top 40 hits. But I really enjoyed this album and will listen to it some more. I give this one 4 stars.
3/5
I love the photo on the album cover! It looks like someone said, “hey, we’ve got this photo of Loretta from last year’s church directory, let’s save some money and use that.”
This is just good, old-fashioned, twangy, country at its best, or its worst, depending on where you sit. I was surprised and enjoyed this more than I expected to, because when I was a kid, I mercilessly made fun of the title track. But now even though I don’t love it and it does seem a little cheesy, I can appreciate and even enjoy it. And I do believe that Loretta Lynn is a very talented vocalist. This is the type of thing if I heard it playing in a restaurant or bar, I would enjoy it, but it would never make my regular playlist. It’s a three star album for me.
The Beau Brummels
3/5
The lead singer wanted to be Bob Dylan, but someone beat him to it. Actually, he sounds like Dylan with an overdone vibrato, and he is better about singing in tune. However, I still found the sound of the vocals annoying; otherwise, I think I would have really liked this, maybe to the tune of 4 stars. As it is, I am giving it 3 stars, but won’t bother listening to it again.
The Cure
3/5
I had heard of this band, but was really unfamiliar with them. The album surprised me, as I really kind of liked it. I just can’t see myself listening to it a lot though, because it is a bit glum. Another 3 star rating from me.
Traffic
3/5
Thought that this was ok for the most part. I had only heard Traffic’s hits in the past. I liked the album, but didn’t love it. Three stars.
The Stooges
2/5
I wasn’t familiar with this band at all. Early on in the album, I thought it was sounding like a prototypical 3 star record for me…something that was as ok and I enjoyed, but didn’t love. But then came “We Will Fall”. It was 10 plus minutes of pure drudgery. The rest of the album was up and down for me, with “No Fun” being the highlight and ironically, fun to listen to. Anyway, this ends up being a two star album for me. And Iggy Pop’s vocals do remind me of Mick Jagger at times. Having said all this, I do understand why this album is on the list of 1001; I just don’t like it very much.
The Monks
3/5
I couldn’t find this album on my streaming platform, so I listened to a compilation album that included seven of the songs, plus five others so I think I did get the general idea. A weird record, but I did find it enjoyable and most of the tunes catchy, while still offbeat. I would normally give something like this two stars, but since I enjoyed it and I wasn’t just waiting for it to end, I will give it three stars.
Gene Clark
3/5
I liked this, but didn’t love it. It’s basic 70s folk rock. Like many albums on this list of 1001, it makes me wonder if maybe the list should be 301, or even 201. It’s enjoyable and pleasant enough, but for me it’s just a solid 3 star record.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
When I was a kid, about 11 years old, or so, I wanted a cassette player/recorder for my birthday. My folks came close, and gave me a cassette player that did not record. For a portable unit, it actually had pretty decent sound. Anyway, this is one of two cassettes that they gave me along with the player. I don’t remember what the other cassette was. I think that they gave me this one based on the advice of the record store guy, and also because they could actually stomach hearing this one. Suffice to say, I’ve been very familiar with this album for over 55 years now.
I will also say that I like this album a lot better now than I did as a kid. Other than a couple of tracks, for the most part I think it’s aged pretty well; and I love their simple arrangement of silent night. Although the newscast in the background makes a powerful statement, I wish I had a version of it in its simplicity isolated from the news commentary.
Another thing I like is that both the songs and the album is short…you don’t get a chance to get bored or tired of it.
I was able to pick up a cheap vinyl copy in the last few years that is in excellent condition, as the cassette that I had is long gone, having met the fate of being “eaten” as happens to most cassettes eventually. In any event, this would be a five star album for me if not for a couple of the songs. As it is, I’ll give it a very strong four stars.
Prince
4/5
I am having a hard time rating this one. I really don’t care much for 80’s electronic synthesizer pop, but a couple of the songs, (When Doves Cry & Purple Rain) are just so damn good! And I love his guitar work on this album…there just isn’t nearly enough of it. All in all, I did for the most part enjoy this album, and really prefer it over 1999, which I didn’t like at all. This one is between 3 and 4 stars for me, and the highs are so high they push it over the line to a four.
Blur
3/5
Other than a couple of throw-away songs on this album, I thought it was fine. But this is the 3rd album by Blur that has been on this list of 1001 for me to review so far. More evidence that this list is just too long. Another ho-hum three star album.
The Soft Boys
3/5
They call this psychedelic rock, but I don’t know why. To me, psychedelic rock is the Doors, or Iron Butterfly…something in that vein. For the most part this album was ok, but nothing special. Another 3 star record for me.
Belle & Sebastian
4/5
Another enjoyable album that was fine to listen to, but t just didn’t excite me much at first. But as it went on, I really found myself enjoying it. I’m getting a lot of three star albums lately but this is somewhere between a three and a four. In a perfect world, it would be seven out of 10 but on a five star scale I’ll round up to four.
Queens of the Stone Age
4/5
All in all, I like this one a lot. There was one throw-away song, and a couple of others that droned on for too long at the end, but this was still really good. This is one more band that I had heard of, but had never actually heard before. A pleasant surprise, and I give it 4 stars.
Dion
3/5
This was fine, enjoyable to listen to…but nothing to love or hate. It is surprising though, since this is the guy that sang Wanderer. Just not sure why it’s on this list of 1001. Apparently even Dion himself wasn’t too wild about it. Once again, I give three stars.
Michael Kiwanuka
4/5
I knew nothing about this artist or the album, so I had no idea what to expect. After the first track, I was thinking that this was going to be another three star album for me…OK, but nothing to write home about. But as it went on, I liked it more and more. I really don’t know how to categorize it, seems like an eclectic mix of several different music styles. If this were a 10 point scale I’d give it seven out of 10, but as it is, I’ll round it up to four out of five stars. This was a pleasant surprise and nice find.
Eels
4/5
After about 10 seconds into the first song, I was thinking, what the hell?!! But then it took a turn, and I found that I really liked this album! I had never heard of this band, but I think if I discovered this back when it was current, I would have played the hell out of it.
I have really enjoyed most of the selections lately…totally unfamiliar with most of them, but thought they were all really good. 4 stars for this one.
Paul Simon
4/5
I had only heard the two singles on this album, and liked them alright…but I really liked the rest of the album even more. No surprises here…I will definitely be listening to this again. 4 stars!
Nanci Griffith
3/5
I really liked this album, except for one thing…I am just not very fond of Nanci Griffith’s voice. I may save this and give it another listen, but what would have been a solid 4 star rating will be a three star rating instead.
Joanna Newsom
2/5
More cowbell! I mean, more harp! Good Lord, call me a philistine, but I just don’t get this. Another reviewer saying that she sounds like Carol Kane impersonating Regina Spektor would be funnier if it weren’t true. There are some real “nails-on-the-chalkboard” moments here. And the album is nearly 56 minutes long, consisting of only five songs…you do the math! Needless to say, I couldn’t get all the way through any of these. The snobs can keep this one; I give it two generous stars.
Ryan Adams
4/5
I had never heard of this musician, but I had reviewed another one of his albums on this list a while back. I really liked that one too, but didn’t realize this artist had such questionable character. It’s really disappointing, because even though I like this album and the one before it, I won’t support this artist. Even though I’m not crazy about his voice, I really do like the songs and the style of music. Just rating the way I feel about the album and not the artist, I gave it four stars.
Black Sabbath
3/5
Ozzy just passed away yesterday, so I am sure that’s why I am reviewing this one today. I’m just not a big fan of heavy metal, but I enjoyed this one for the most part. I had previously reviewed two other Black Sabbath albums, Black Sabbath and Paranoid, and I certainly preferred this one over those two. Again, I am not a big fan of the genre, but I will give this one 3 stars plus.
Pink Floyd
5/5
One evening years ago, my wife and I were enjoying a dinner of BBQ pork chops, and my wife, not finishing her pork chop, declared that she would be instead moving on to chocolate pudding for dessert. I couldn’t resist, and reeled off in a cheesy cockney accent, “You can’t have any pudding! How can you have any pudding if you don’t eat your meat!?” She didn’t get it. In spite of this we are still married…going on 49 years!
I have listened to this album so many times that I almost skipped it. But it is one of my all-time favorites, and it had been awhile since I had played it, so I thought I would give it another listen. The funny thing is, I really didn’t hear the whole album until the early 90’s. Of course when it was released back in 1979 during the end of my college years, Another Brick in the Wall Part II got a lot of airtime, and although I liked that song, it was really all I knew about the album.
So skip forward to the early 90’s; I started listening to a classic rock station that played a lot of non-hits, in addition to certain hits. One day they played Another Brick in the Wall Part I, The Happiest Days of Our Lives, and Another Brick in the Wall Part II sequentially as intended. It blew me away, and I was hooked. I purchased a used copy of the CD, and have loved it ever since.
There is so much I love about this album; particularly the haunting melodies and the story telling that is almost like listening to a play about a seriously disturbed rock star. Comfortably Numb does such a great job of describing that feeling…the verses are in a minor key and make you feel the protagonist’s depression, and then it changes to a major key for the chorus which changes the mood to a calm euphoria. I can actually see that distant ship’s smoke on the horizon. And David Gilmour’s guitar solos in this piece are some of my favorite music of all time…they never get old.
A couple of the songs drag on a bit long for me, namely Don’t Leave me Now, and the Trial. But these low points aren’t enough for me to take it down to a four. I understand why this isn’t everyone’s cup of tea (like my wife), but I love it, and no matter how many times I listen to it, I never tire of it. I am sure that I am in the minority here, but I like this one quite a bit more than Dark Side of the Moon. I give it five stars.
Kings of Leon
3/5
Based on some of the other reviews, I didn’t expect to like this at all, but I didn’t think it was too bad. I didn’t love the vocalist’s sound, but found it tolerable, as opposed to some of the other reviewers. Milk was really the only song that I just plain disliked. Anyway , this album gets three stars.
The Louvin Brothers
3/5
I really didn’t know what to expect here…early on, I was surprised at how much I was enjoying this record. But by the time it was over, I could hardly stand it anymore. The songs all just sounded too similar. And the lyrics to some of these…geesh. Knoxville Girl immediately comes to mind. I guess I will land on three stars for this one, but it could have just as easily been a two.
I have mixed feelings about Rod Stewart; I liked his younger more rocking’ version, but he lost me when he became more of a balladeer. This album I like, particularly the songs where Stewart handles the vocals. I have always really liked Stay with Me, and even bought the 45 single when I was a kid. I think if Stewart handled the vocals on all of the songs, I would have given it four stars. As is, I will give it three.
Einstürzende Neubauten
1/5
I got through two and a half songs and had to quit…life’s too short.
Garbage
3/5
This was ok…didn’t love it, didn’t hate it. A couple of the songs were a bit annoying to listen to in the car, however. I had to turn the volume up way high to hear the first part of the song, and then I would suddenly get blasted out when it changed directions. Three boring stars.
Iggy Pop
3/5
Amazon only provided the song “Funtime” from this album, so that’s all I heard. I would’ve liked to listen to the whole album though, due to David Bowie’s involvement and influence. Based on what I heard, I will give it 3 stars.
Donald Fagen
3/5
I didn’t realize the first song wasn’t Steely Dan, even after hearing it a zillion times over the years. I like Steely Dan, and this sounds a lot like another solid Steely Dan album to me. But I don’t need a lot of Steely Dan, and a little bit once in a while lasts me a long time. Like it, but don’t love it. A very stolid three stars.
Cee Lo Green
3/5
I liked this better than I expected to, but didn’t quite get through the whole thing. I tend to gravitate more towards the ones where he sings versus raps. This is a two or three for me, but I will give it three.
Janelle Monáe
3/5
Had no idea what to expect from this one. A few of the songs I really liked, and the others were “meh” for me. She does have a lovely singing voice when she chooses to use it. Anyway, it is three stars for me.
Robert Wyatt
1/5
File this under “Life’s Too Short”. It’s weird, experimental 70’s dross. But it is aptly titled.
No thanks…one star.
Jane Weaver
3/5
After the first song, I thought this would be a two star album at best. But it improved for me from there, where I enjoyed listening to most of it. I will settle on three stars.
Ian Dury
2/5
This album sounds like they asked the guy who played Eliza Doolittle’s father in My Fair Lady to record a few tracks, added a couple of tracks from a screaming punk rocker, and finished it off by using a few Monte Python Spamalot rejects. I don’t get what is going on here, and don’t like it much either. The first song is particularly horrible; but a few of them are kind of catchy. Two stars.
Tom Waits
2/5
I have to say, I just don’t get Tom Waits. I read some other reviews praising his lyrics, but it just too much work listening to his voice and also trying to understand him, to actually get them. I really hope I don’t have to listen to him anymore, but I suppose he will turn up on this list again. I think this was my third one…ugh. I would like to hear some of these songs covered by someone that can sing, particularly “On the Nickel” and “Ruby’s Arms”…beautiful melodies here. I might really like that album of covers. But alas, it is Tom Waits’ voice we must suffer…two stars.
SAULT
3/5
I didn’t get all the way through this one, as I just ran out of time. But what I did hear, I mostly enjoyed…it kind of surprised me. I am going to settle on three stars.
White Denim
4/5
For the most part I really enjoyed this one. I thought the instrumental interludes went on a bit too long in some of these songs, making the album seem longer than it was. This one is between a 3 and a 4 for me…I will round up.
1/5
What the hell?! What a colossal waste of time; and I say that even after sampling only a minute or so of each “song”. If I could give it a zero score, I would.
Al Green
3/5
Enjoyed this one. I particularly liked and was surprised by his version of How Do You Mend a Broken Heart. Good music to chill by.
Michael Jackson
3/5
Didn’t love it…always felt that Michael Jackson calling himself “bad” was a bit ridiculous.
Oasis
4/5
This is between a 3 and a four. I’m tired and am rounding up to four.
Spacemen 3
2/5
Really liked Lord can you hear me…otherwise, I thought this was a complete dud.
3/5
Was completely unfamiliar with this band, and had no idea what to expect. Some of it sounded a bit Beatlesque, which is good for me. All in all I liked this, and will probably try it again. But I thought it did go a bit downhill as it went on…I started thinking this one was going to be a four, but it slid down to a three.
King Crimson
2/5
Thought this was a bunch of meandering nonsense for the most part. Didn’t hate it, but still…two stars.
The Doors
4/5
I previously had only heard Roadhouse Blues on this album, and have always liked that song a lot. I thought this whole album was really good, and a bit more listener-friendly than a lot of their other material. If I get a chance to pickup a second hand vinyl copy, I will. Four happy stars for this one!
The Allman Brothers Band
3/5
I really like the Allman Brothers and their style of Southern blues…but I don’t like endless jamming. Three stars.
4/5
I liked this one a lot, and had previously only heard Starman and Suffragette City. I have a hunch this is one that would grow on me. 4 stars for now.
D'Angelo
2/5
Listened to the first song, and didn’t want to waste any more time on it…I knew it wasn’t for me.
Air
3/5
This kind of electronic music isn’t really my thing, but I found myself enjoying it, for the most part. There are a couple of weirder tracks with a lot of spoken words that I didn’t care for, but overall this one rates a 3 from me.
Dennis Wilson
4/5
I have been curious about this album, so I was glad to see this one appear on this list. I had no expectations and had no idea what was coming. Well, I loved most of these songs! In reading about the album, it sounds like Dennis Wilson’s voice was pretty well trashed by this point. It’s too bad, because with decent vocals, this would have been a 5 star album for me. And as much as I like these songs and album, it’s sad to think of how much potential and talent wasn’t realized by Dennis Wilson due to self-abuse. Still, I will save and listen to this one some more, despite my issues with the vocals.
Dusty Springfield
3/5
The only Dusty Springfield song that I was familiar with was Son of a Preacher Man. After hearing this album, I agree that she is a very talented vocalist. But as others have pointed out, it’s an album of covers, and in my opinion, some of them haven’t aged very well. It gets 3 stars from me.
Santana
4/5
This album came outs in 1970, and I was 12 years old at the time. One of my cousins had a copy of this on 8 track tape, and I heard parts of it and didn’t really care for it. I don’t think that it was “radio friendly “ enough for my musical tastes back then. Over the years I have heard Black Magic Woman and Oye Como Va countless times, and have grown to become quite fond of those songs. After listening to the whole album for the first time, 55 years after its release, I am a bit blown away. I just can’t believe this was issued in 1970…to me it really sounds way ahead of its time, and the songs have held up really well. This album seemed to be about half filled with instrumental tracks, and I really prefer my music with vocals, as long as the vocals are good. Still, I think this album is awesome and I would have given it 5 stars if more of the songs featured vocal music, but it is still a really strong 4 stars album for me, I will definitely be listening to it again!
Tim Buckley
2/5
Long, meandering, boring songs.
Fred Neil
2/5
I just didn’t think this album was very good at all. Sounded amateurish to me.
Julian Cope
2/5
I didn’t hate this, but being at just over 75 minutes, it’s just too freaking long. Sometimes listening to the albums on this list feels too much like work, and this was one of those times. After getting about halfway through the album, I skipped ahead to Beautiful Love, since I noticed it was by far the song most downloaded on the album. I can see why, as it was catchy and had some commercial appeal. But again, for me this record was work…not fun.
The Who
5/5
Back in High School, my good friend Vince recommended this album to me a few years after it was released, and I am glad he did! I was familiar with Won’t Get Fooled Again, but that was it. I have since listened to this album countless times, and it remains one of my favorites. In my opinion, there isn’t a dog on the entire album…it’s a masterpiece. 5 solid stars.
Supertramp
4/5
I absolutely loved the album Breakfast in America. The only songs that I was familiar with from this album were Bloody Well Right and Dreamer. After listening to this album, I really did like it a lot, and think it could become a five star album for me after a while. Love the song, Asylum! For now, I’m going to call this four stars, and save it for future listening.
Beatles
5/5
I became introduced to this album in 1974 by an older friend. Before that, I only knew of the 3 songs that were included on the blue album. After hearing the whole album for the first time, I was basically obsessed with this record in the summer of ‘74 and have listened to it many times since then. I can’t decide if this is 4 or 5 stars…I think it would be stronger with a few numbers removed, particularly Revolution 9 and Wild Honey Pie. But overall I think this one is still a 5 for me.
Happy Mondays
3/5
This was all right…didn’t hate it, didn’t love it either. 3 stars.
Wild Beasts
2/5
I only made it through a little over half the album, but didn’t care much for it. I found the intermittent falsetto really annoying. Two stars.
Kid Rock
1/5
Kid Rock…ugh
Pink Floyd
2/5
I hadn’t heard any of the early pre-David Gilmour Pink Floyd before, so I was very curious about this. I have to say, I didn’t care much for it, and was a bit disappointed. Two stars.
Deerhunter
3/5
Never heard or heard of this band before. Can’t decide if this is a two or a three. Will land on a three, I guess.
The Mamas & The Papas
4/5
I really love some of these songs..mainly the ones that were written by Phillips and other band members. The only cover song that I cared for was “I call your name” which might be my favorite song from this band; I think the arrangement is awesome, and much prefer it to the Beatles version. I just love their harmonies, and to me they are fairly unique. If this album did not include the other cover selections, I would give it five stars, even in spite of the fact that John Phillips was such an incestuous creep. But the additional cover songs drag it down to four stars.
Soul II Soul
3/5
Enjoyed this just fine, while driving around on errands…nothing special, though. 3 stars.
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
4/5
So, I had never heard of Rambling Jack Elliot, but it looks like I should have. I couldn’t find this album on my music service, but I was able to find and listen to some of the songs. I thoroughly enjoyed them all! This is my kind of thing, and it’s four stars for me.
The Police
3/5
I liked the first side better than the second. I would give the first side four stars, and the second three. The whole thing gets three stars from me.
James Brown
3/5
I didn’t realize that James Brown was such a POS until I read some of these reviews, which caused me to do some research on my own. In any event, I don’t take that into account when reviewing an album. Having said that, I thought this was pretty good and enjoyed listening to it, and I certainly understand why it made this list. The main problem for me was that it was a live album, and I was really distracted by the intermittent loud screaming in the background…also, on one of the tracks it is hard to hear him sing. What should have been a four star album gets knocked down to a three due to these issues.
Iron Butterfly
2/5
I never understood all of the love given to the title track. To me, it’s always been long and boring; the musicianship isn’t particularly impressive, and I never cared for the lead vocals either. The voice sounds contrived and, annoying. I’ll give them credit for being innovative and having one song take up an entire side of an album…but that doesn’t make it good, or even interesting. Most of the songs on the first side of the album sounded surprisingly “poppy” to me and out of place…but again, that voice. This one gets two stars from me.
The Black Crowes
4/5
I was introduced to the album by my much younger bil, who was in high school at the time. I liked it so much, I went out and bought my own CD copy. I found it really refreshing compared to most of the other music that was popular at the time. Of course a lot of the songs reminded me of the Stones. I hadn’t listened to this in a long time, but it holds up really well. I give it four enthusiastic stars!
The Isley Brothers
3/5
I thought this was pretty good, but I was surprised there were so many covers on it. The only cover I didn’t like was Sunshine…in fact, that was the only song I didn’t care for on the whole album. I probably wouldn’t choose to put this album on at home, but I also wouldn’t mind hearing it from time to time in another setting. For me it’s a solid 3 star album.
5/5
I heard this album for the first time 9 years after it was issued. Prior to that I had only heard the songs that were featured on the “Blue” album that came out shortly after the band broke up. Anyway, the first time I listened to this album as a teenager, I was mesmerized and went out and bought a copy shortly thereafter. I have loved the album ever since and have listened to it countless times. Even the song, Within You, Without You, which I don’t particularly care for, somehow fits in to the whole listening experience…at least for me. And not to mention the historical significance and creativity. Definitely 5 stars.
The White Stripes
4/5
This is the 3rd White Stripes album from this list that I have reviewed. I really liked the first two, White Blood Cells and Elephant, and I really hadn’t listened to the band before, outside of the theme from Napoleon Dynamite. After listening to the first song on this album, Blue Orchid, I didn’t think I would like this record…but as it progressed, I found that I really enjoyed it. I will have to listen to Blue Orchid again as I appear to be in the minority. I have come to the conclusion, however, that I really do like the White Stripes. 4 solid stars.
Pentangle
2/5
Sounded like a medieval Irish folk-fest. Not horrible, but it gets old really fast.
Linkin Park
2/5
Just not my thing…hard for me to listen to. I don’t know what else to say. I’m tired.
Pixies
2/5
After the second song, Rock Music, I was going to give the album one star. But I actually liked some of it, and it ends up being between a 2 and a 3 for me. Since I doubt that I will bother to listen to it again, I’ll give a 2.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
2/5
Wasn’t crazy about this one…another 2 star album.
Isaac Hayes
4/5
I really didn’t know what to expect…only four songs on the album, and three of them were covers. The only thing that was familiar to me about Isaac Hayes was the theme from Shaft. Anyway, I liked this album. I didn’t recognize “Walk on By”, but I still liked it. I even enjoyed the long introduction to “By the Time I get to Phoenix”, which was more of a story. And, he has a really good voice. Anyway, I thought this was really good, and gave it four stars.
Suede
2/5
I just don’t know what to write about this one, except that it seemed like work to listen to it. Didn’t hate it, but it’s two stars from me.
Morrissey
3/5
I had never actually heard Morrissey before, and had no idea what to expect. To my surprise I found this to be an enjoyable experience for the most part. It’s three stars from me, and I wouldn’t mind hearing it again.
The Residents
1/5
What a load of bull.
Heaven 17
2/5
I didn’t hate this, but didn’t really like it much either. Just not my thing.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
I really thought this was pretty good…I was familiar with both of the hits, and have always really liked Superstition. I thought the second track rambled on a bit too long, but really liked the last song. At the end of the day, this one gets four stars from me. I will definitely want to listen to this one some more.
The Libertines
3/5
I didn’t think this was too bad, and actually kind of liked it. Not sure that I’ll listen to it again, but if it popped up somewhere, I wouldn’t mind it. It’s the definition of a three star album for me.
Fairport Convention
4/5
Yet another band I had never heard of, but enjoyed. I also thought that it held up pretty well, having been released in 1969. I am feeling generous and will round up to four stars.
Sonic Youth
3/5
This is the third Sonic Youth album that has been presented to me on this list. Unlike the other two, I actually kind of liked this one for the most part. Some of it is just noise, and there is a lot of musical anarchy in here, but I found this one to be more listener-friendly than the other two, which were
Sister and E.V.O.L. I will give this one three stars, but likely won’t listen to it again. There is some good stuff in here, though…if I could edit out some of the selections, I think I would give it four stars. I am an old man approaching 70, for what it’s worth.
Jeff Beck
3/5
Prior to listening to this album as part of this list, the only songs I had heard before were Beck’s Bolero, and I Ain’t Superstitious. I do remember the Yardbirds version of Shapes of Things from my childhood, but I like Jeff Beck’s version better. For the most part, I liked this album, particularly the bluesy numbers which really are most of them. Some of the songs hold up pretty well, while others sound quite dated. I am not sure why the covers of Old Man River and Greensleeves were on this album. And although I liked the Greensleves cover, just about any one could have done that. Now, since Rod Stewart’s vocals are on most of the tracks, this feels more like an early Rod Stewart album since vocals tend to dominate my listening experience generally. This one is between a 3 and a 4 for me, but it is closer to three stars.
The Doors
4/5
This is my third Doors album from this list, and I have co e to the conclusion that I really like them! Not quite a five star album, but a solid four.
Michael Jackson
4/5
I’m not a fan of the disco era, and although this record is pretty “disco-y”, all in all I think this is a pretty good album. Maybe part of it is me getting wrapped up in the nostalgia of my college days, but I have a fondness for a lot of these songs. I particularly like She’s Out of My Life; I think the weakest song is the Paul McCartney penned Girlfriend, which surprised me since I am a big McCartney and Beatles fan. Overall though, I still have to give this album four stars.
k.d. lang
4/5
Previous to listening to this album, I had only heard a sampling of a couple of KD Lang songs and I had formed the opinion that I didn’t care for her voice. I think that must have been my old, unenlightened homophobic self talking, because many years later I think this album is awesome and that KD Lang’s voice is simply wonderful! I would give this album five stars, but since it is only a collection of covers, I will give it four stars. But I will save this one, and will definitely listen to it again.
Radiohead
4/5
I had minimal exposure to Radiohead prior to this album, and from what little I had heard previously, I didn’t expect to like this record at all. Was I ever surprised! Much mellower than I had anticipated, and there are some really haunting melodies in here. The lead singer reminds me a bit of Bono. As this album went on, the more I liked it. What started out as a three star record ended up a four star effort, in my opinion. I will want to listen to this one again.
The Gun Club
3/5
Never heard of them, and had no idea what to expect, except that they were a punk band. I didn’t mind it, and thought it was ok…don’t feel the need to listen to it again, though. I will round up to three stars.
Calexico
4/5
Once again, I had never heard of them, and had no idea what to expect, except for what I read in the reviews and the Wikipedia write-up. This was different from just about anything else I had listened to before, but I really liked it…very eclectic, but enjoyable at the same time. This one is four stars for me.
John Martyn
3/5
On some of these tracks he needs to take the marbles out of his mouth…makes Dylan sound like James Earl Jones. Some of the other tracks I really liked and thought they held up pretty well after 50 plus years. The album is just a real mixed bag, and sounds like the artist didn’t really know what he was shooting for…and too many of the songs are a mumble-fest. I guess I will land on three stars for this one. Coulda been four if not for all the mumbling.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
3/5
I liked about half of these tracks, and felt “meh” about the others. Piece of My Heart is a classic. I get that Janis’ voice isn’t for everyone, but for these songs, particularly the bluesy ones, it works. On the negative side, I am not sure why they felt the need to fake a live album. In any event, the record works out to three stars for me.
Van Halen
3/5
I wasn’t much of a Van Halen fan back in the day, and some forty years later, not much has changed. I did enjoy hearing these songs again for nostalgia’s sake, and Eddie plays a mean guitar…his solo work is my favorite par t of the record. But the best I can do on this one is three stars.
The Beta Band
3/5
I’ve stopped asking the question “why is this album on the list of 1001?; because I have asked it too often. Otherwise I would be asking that question again. This album is ok, but I won’t bother listening to it again. Pretty bland…musical pablum. Three unenthusiastic stars.
Faith No More
3/5
I really didn’t know what to expect with the record since I was almost completely unfamiliar with the band. However, I enjoyed it more than I expected, particularly the instrumental music. One thing that really colors my opinion though, is whether or not I like the vocals; I probably give this factor too much weight, but that’s who I am. Needless to say, I didn’t like this vocalist at all...the sound just seems all too contrived. What might have been a four star album for me gets downgraded to three stars due to vocals.
Culture Club
3/5
Previously I had heard the singles on this album, but that was it. I always liked Karma Chameleon (it’s catchy) but never liked any of the bands other singles. After listening to the whole album, I have to say that I enjoyed it more than I anticipated, and particularly liked the ballads That’s the Way, and Victims. The other songs didn’t evoke much of a reaction one way or the other. This works out to be another three star album for me.
Blue Cheer
2/5
I can’t say that I completely dislike this…but it just isn’t very good. Sounds like a couple of high schoolers jamming in their parent’s basement. I can only give it two stars.
Björk
2/5
I just didn’t like this at all…a bunch of long, boring, and depressing songs. I had a hard time getting through it, and only listened to portions of most of the songs. It’s clearly not my thing. Two stars, and that’s being generous.
Fishbone
3/5
It’s tough to put this one in a box, as it encompasses a lot of diverse musical styles. Generally,I liked the energy of the album, but still just didn’t like it that much, with the exception of Mighty Long Way. I wouldn’t bother listening to the record again, but if I heard it played somewhere, I would be okay with it. Works out to another 3 star album for me.
Emmylou Harris
4/5
Other than a song or two, I really liked this album. I had only limited exposure to Emmylou Harris over the years, but thought this was really good, and right up my alley. Not quite 5 stars, but a solid four. I definitely will be playing this one again.
Neil Young
4/5
I couldn’t find this album on Amazon music, but I was able to listen to it on YouTube, but had to put up with the ads between songs. Anyway, I get how Neil Young’s voice might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but for me it works with these songs. I was already familiar with the songs After the Gold Rush, Only Love Can Break Your Heart, and Southern Man. This is between 3 and four stars for me. I will call it a four.
Nick Drake
3/5
I listened to and reviewed Nick Drake’s Pink Moon some 250 albums back…I liked that one quite a bit better than this one. This album was fine, and pleasant to listen to, and I even enjoyed the instrumental numbers. But it’s nothing that I need to hear again. Three stars.
Butthole Surfers
1/5
Well, this isn’t the worst record that I’ve heard on this list so far, but it definitely gets one of the top seeds in the tournament of deplorable albums. I can’t believe that anyone would waste their money on this one, but as the old used car saying goes, there’s an ass for every seat…not this ass, though. One star.
Incubus
3/5
I ran out of time and was only able to listen to about half of the album, but I liked it better than expected. Nothing that I would need to hear again, though. It’s another 3 star album for me.
Big Star
3/5
I ran out of time and was only able to listen to about half of the album, but I liked it better than expected. Nothing that I would need to hear again, though. It’s another 3 star album for me.
R.E.M.
4/5
I forgot how much I liked this band and this album! I used to listen to it all the time, but hadn’t played it in years. I will say that sometimes Michael Stipes’ voice gets a little too whiny, and some of the lyrics go a bit over my head, but I love it all the same. This one is a very strong four stars for me. Thanks for reminding me about it!
Air
3/5
Just another ho-hum 3 star album for me…but I did enjoy it more than I expected.
Yes
4/5
I liked this one much more than Fragile. Seems less meandering and more listener friendly. I will round up from 3.5 to four stars.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Although I’m not crazy about his voice, and I think the lyrics are a bit pretentious, I didn’t mind us all together. It’s a low three star rating for me.