1001 Albums Summary

Chock-full of anthems I already knew, and they're titans, but I never actually sat down and listened to the album until now. While "the hits" are the meat, the other songs aren't bad and the album flows well. That said, I still don't quite find the other songs compelling enough that I'd listen to the whole album often. Still, the guitars sound spectacular throughout, and that's what really makes the album for me. Lyrics don't seem to be Oasis's strong point, but when you sound this good, it doesn't matter. That said, I'm not sure if I'd play

Preface: I'm a big Beatles fan. I swear. That said, I've never really liked much of John's solo work, save a few tracks. And of those tracks, "Imagine" is not one of them. There's nothing musically compelling about the track for me, and lyrically, it's just a void. My issue isn't even about the hypocrisy of a rich man imploring the listener to imagine no possessions. It's that it postures as being profound, as revolutionary, when it's neither. It's just a bunch of vague gesturing. "Bad things bad, good things good." Thanks, John. I'm actually kind of glad that that stupid video during the pandemic shone a light on how empty the song is. (Jeez, it's like I'm hating the song more as I write about it!) Anyway, the title track aside, I hadn't heard anything from the album. I didn't have high expectations, but I came with an open mind. Somehow, it was even worse than I thought. This was a slog, pure and simple. Of course I have my biases. Blues rock isn't really my thing, but I think I can still appreciate it when it's done well. But "I Don't Wanna Be a Soldier" was SUFFERING. Ironically, by around the 4-minute mark, I think I wanted to fly, cry AND die. Jealous Guy is... something. It's like when you rightly criticize someone for something and they get on their knees and say "Oh, yes, I'm SUCH a terrible person, I don't deserve love, I should just go crawl in a hole and DIE." Jesus Christ. Gimme Some Truth. Did you know that... politicians lie? John knows, and he's tired of it! Look out! I will admit, "How Do You Sleep?" is a novelty. Paul not like us. A couple of good zingers. But here's the thing. It's on Imagine. IMAGINE. The fact that he included such an over-the-top mean-spirited song on IMAGINE is hilarious. It provides the perfect contrast and exposes the hippy-dippy, wishy-washy, well-wishing nonsense exactly for what it is. I was fully prepared to give this a 3, maybe a 2, until I realized over the course of writing this how much I actually hate this album. I'm actually shocked. It's terrible. Fav track: Oh My Love

Surprisingly solid. Don't get me wrong, the album's a bit too long, there are some cringe lyrics here and there. But it's an interesting time capsule. It really feels like a transition between 80s rap (see "Eat 'Em Up L Chill" or "Murdergram") and 90s rap (the more RnB and jazz-influenced tracks). Some of the samples on the latter are almost ethereal, definitely the highlights. The title track stands out as well, not really fitting into either of the two categories. It's aggressive and playful in a strangely compelling way. Fav tracks: Around the Way Girl, Mama Said Knock You Out, Jingling Baby (Remixed but Still Jingling), 6 Minutes of Pleasure

I was worried that an entire album of salsa would bore me, but this was actually great. Funnily enough, it begins a disco inferno before the salsa simmers down. It may well be satirical, adding to the songs commentary of the shallow, materialistic, soulless upper class. My Spanish isn't the best, but I made effort to read the lyrics, partially in translation. Make no mistake, this is a very political album. It's about the emptiness of consumerism and the injustices of the world order as it stands. It's an ode to Latino beauty, the struggles Latinos face in both Latin America and the US, a call for unity among Latinos to preserve culture, and indeed, to preserve more than culture. When they're talking about throwing away the plastic, they're not just talking about the plastic of the soul. Look at the cover. This album's got energy, and it doesn't dwell on musical passages for too long. The horns sound great, and I love the vocal harmonies, too. Overall, I think this was a great introduction to a genre I'm not particularly familiar with. Fav tracks: Plastico, Pedro Navaja, Maria Lionza