1001 Albums Summary

I enjoyed this, in spite of myself (particularly Night Prowler). I'm not sure I'd make an effort to listen to their other albums, esp post Bon Scott and some of the lyrics were almost repulsively horny. But! I liked seeing where other acts like Amyl and the Sniffers and the guys on tikok who did the 'I'm on smoko, so leave me alone!' video had been influenced by their pub rock forefathers

I was shocked to find out this went 6x platinum as I'd never heard anything from it (except snippets of JWIN). They kind of remind me of The 1975, fairly inoffensive radio synth pop that's actually better than a lot of people give it credit for but is nothing truly mindblowing. I was going to give this a 3/5, but based on the fact that Just What I Needed WHIPS it's getting a 4/5. I'd definitely listen again, an over all enjoyable experience that's probably closer to a 3 than a 5. Call it a 3.75. Favourite Tracks: Just What I Needed, All Mixed Up Least Fav Track: My Best Friend's Girl

Somewhat shamefully this is the first Bob Dylan album I’ve ever listened to the whole way through. I’ve been doing a lot of Jewish anti war / anti occupation organising for the last while and it can be particularly isolating. I’m (only a little) older than Dylan was when this was recorded but the mix of social and interpersonal strife is absolutely familiar. There’s a lot of older activists who’ve been around since the Vietnam protests and, like this album, they’re a good reminder of perspective. Social movements take time, things seem hopeless, we’re constantly taking two steps back for every one forward but ultimately, I think, good people win out in the end. (Also it helps having recently been done dirty by a huge Dylan fan) An easy 5/5 Favourite tracks: all of them!

Cannot fault the musicianship on this one and when it’s good it’s really good but… it just didn’t click for me! Favourite Tracks: Waitin’ for the Bus, La Grange Least Fav Track: Move Me on Down the Line

I really wanted to enjoy this more than I did. Favourite Tracks: Sympathy for the Devil, Jigsaw Puzzle Least Favourite Tracks: Stray Cat Blues (fucking ew)

The most quintessentially 80s album to ever do it. Some really beautiful moments on this but my god it can drag at times. Favourite Track: The Working Hour Least Fav Track: I Believe

Credit where credit is due, EvH is one of the most talented guitarists of all time. Favourite Tracks: You Really Got Me Least Fav Track: Feel Your Love Tonight

!!!This must have RIPPED in 1965!!! Favourite Track: The Witch, Strychnine Least Fav Track: Boss Hoss

Hell fucking yeah brother!!! Favourite tracks: In the Cold, Cold Night; Ball and Biscuit; The Hardest Button to Button Least fav track: I Want to be the Boy to Warm Your Mother’s Heart

This is great over all and there’s some really fab use of samples but it did NOT need to be that long my god. Favourite Tracks: Bring the Noise, Show ‘Em Whatcha Got Least Fav Track: Cold Lampin’ With Flavor

Started this like “it’s good but I don’t really know if it’s good enough for a five” and by the time I finished ‘If You See Her, Say Hello’ I was emotionally devastated enough to consider giving it a six. Favourite Tracks: 3, 5, 8, 9, 10 Least Fav Track: Tangled Up In Blue

shoutout to hobbits gotta be one of my favourite genders fr Favourite Tracks: Thank You Least Fav Tracks: Living Loving Maid

My dad and I have a bit where we’ve been calling a Channel 4 weatherman Badly Drawn Boy (for a reason totally lost to either of us) for the last 15 years. So naturally I’m already fond of this. Favourite Track: Another Pearl, Once Around the Block Least Fav Track: This Song

Lacks the excitement of other lofi projects in the 60s and the ambition of later sludge metal LPs Favourite Track: Out of Focus Least Fav Track: Rock Me Baby

Can’t believe I listened to a four minute song about being noshed off. Favourite Track: Back in Black Least Fav Track: Givin the Dog a Bone

Listened to this on the train (Bob Dylan approved) on my way to a job interview (Bob Dylan unapproved) and idk if it affected the outcome but I sure enjoyed myself. Favourite tracks: Bob Dylan’s 115th Dream Least fav track: Outlaw Blues

Saw someone describe this as being as if the Beastie Boys made Revolver and I have to agree Favourite Track: Hotwax Least Fav Track: High 5 (Rock the Catskills)

Please, please watch this video of Kermit singing the final track https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MSXv_YXLmI&t=0s (I love this album so much) Favourite Tracks: Someone Great, All My Friends, New York I Love You but You're Bringing Me Down Least Fav Track: North American Scum

Have loved this album ever since I first listened to it as a moody 15 year old looking to branch out from the emo / screamo / hardcore bands I was listening to. Favourite Tracks: My Iron Lung, Fake Plastic Trees, (Nice Dream) Least Fav Track: ?? unsure I have one

Pretty average but also I'm docking a star for the whole racism thing Fav Track: Free Bird Least Fav Track: no standouts here

I own this on vinyl and have listened to it about 1000 times through, so safe to say I love it. Giving it a 4 because there’s a little something that’s holding me back on a 5. Favourite track: Midnight in a Perfect World Least Fav Track: Transmission 1

I wasn’t expecting to enjoy it as much as I did, probably because I’d only heard Red Red Wine and Rat in Mi Kitchen. I grew up in England and the influence of Carribean culture is everywhere. I even commute on a train line named after the Windrush generation!! Reggae and Dub have influenced so much popular music here that there was no reason to shy away from it. Anyway highly enjoyable. Fuck the Tories and fuck British imperialism. Favourite Tracks: Burden of Shame Least Fav Track: I Think It’s Going To Rain Today

Really delightful. Look at those bass lines go!! Favourite Track: Please Do Not Go Least Fav Track: Add It Up

Quick confession: my parents are both certified Beatles haters. I’ve listened to approximately… two? songs by The Beatles in my entire life (Blackbird and Hey Jude) and have never had any desire to go any further. Credit absolutely where it’s due, the range of instrumentation is crazy and absolutely groundbreaking. It’s like a beautiful, complex dish which I can appreciate for having used inventive and complex cooking techniques and then ends up being something that’s just… fine! Favourite Tracks: She’s Leaving Home, Within You Without You Least Fav Track: For the Benefit of Mr Kite

I don’t think I can rate it any higher by virtue of being alive in the UK in the 2010s and hearing it everywhere. BUT the fact that she’s only 21 here and had already put herself up there with the greatest vocalists of all time is crazy. Big up my West Norwood kween, much imitated and never surpassed. Favourite Tracks: Someone Like You, He Won’t Leave Least Fav Track: Set Fire to the Rain

Everyone was right, this really is delightful Favourite track Eye Know Least fav track: Tread Water

Drunk in Love is a comedy masterpiece: surfboart? Breastesses! An incredibly 2014 album, I get why it’s on the list - totally changed the game with the surprise drop, made feminism cool, and had a gargantuan cultural impact. If I had my way I’d probably take this off the list and replace it with either Lemonade or Renaissance which knocked it out the park. Anyway, WE TEACH GIRLS TO SHRINK THEMSELVES, TO MAKE THEMSELVES SMALLER 🗣️🗣️🗣️ Favourite Track: ***Flawless Least Fav Track: Blow

Someone has played an elaborate 43 minute joke on me Favourite Song: American Gothic Least Fav Song: Family Band

Imagine listening to Born Under Punches or Once in a Lifetime for the first time Favourite Track: Once in a Lifetime Least Fav Track: honestly? There isn’t one

This was perfectly nice, but the fact that I genuinely can’t think of any of the songs except Moondance says something

I honestly wanted to like this a lot more than I did but there were so many times I felt like I was really struggling to get to the end

Entirely fine, which really is the most I can say for it.

I think there’s some kind of spiritual blockage in my brain that makes me incapable of truly enjoying prog

Idc if he’s from New York the yodelling and singing about bugs make his country boy LARP so charming

Lots of hay’s been made over whether or not The Pogues are Irish or English or Anglo-Hibernian or what have you. Fundamentally, they’re the sound of the London Irish: of sticky carpeted boozers with céad míle faílte signs, of being the English cousin, of having at least one relative your whole family doesn’t talk about, of having more than a passing knowledge of the London GAA scene, of thinking you’re a prick if you can’t pronounce Áine

Wait, his surname actually IS Domino???

Reminded me of how, when I’m on a run, I’ll check the time every 20 seconds because I just want it to be over

This is what I thought the Beatles sounded like before I listened to them

I am once again docking a star because the Rolling Stones are fucking weird and gross about women.

Ok I see why people say this is theo4 best album

There’s a type of 60s music that’s like *harpsichord plays* “butterscotch pumps and tangerine eyes, twirling about in summertime skies” (the other four band members start going AAAAAAAAH OOOOOH) I don’t like it

Not as bad as I feared but not as good as I’d have liked

The little skits were actually quite fun

A delightful 28 minutes of my morning, they really are nice Jewish boys

was not expecting the orc-rock breakdown or the captain pugwash coda.

Basically what ChatGPT would produce if you asked it to make a pop rock album from the 60s

Suspicious Minds obviously bangs, but the rest is just okay

Sabotage is as integral to Jewish musical culture as Hava Nagila

The highs are high, the lows are catastrophic

Regrettably, I fucking love The Smiths - this album particularly.

I don’t hate it but it would have been 4 stars had they gone with the name Nazipenis

Big fan of the musical stylings of Mr. Ignatius Pop

the permanent soundtrack to my degree, many moons ago

I think my grandma was a fan of Louis Prima (she'd have been 24? when this came out) so I guess she would have been extremely cool in 1956

However horny you think Jarvis Cocker is, I promise he’s hornier than that

I met Cat Stevens backstage at one of the enormous London pro-Palestine rallies in 2024 and he was incredibly kind, despite me losing my shit over sharing a stage with him.

Honestly shocked at how good this is, though I’ll admit that Janis Joplin sounds like Marge Simpson 2/3 of the time

Happy St Patrick’s Day to the most surprisingly Irish artist in the book!!

Something undeniably cringe about this one, I’m sorry

I understand how important this is to the development of post punk but my god it was a slog

I didn't hate it, but definitely a little too thrash metal for my tastes. Excited to get Roots though!

Perfectly enjoyable

I have a running bit where I grab a mic and rave about Liquid Swords so honestly my rating is no surprise

Regrettably I am that very specific age where every marimba just sounds like the Rugrats theme

Graceland for dickheads

Kind of sounds like a 1960s Geordie Greep album (this is a good thing)

I didn’t like it as much as Tres Hombres, just repulsively horny at points

To paraphrase an excellent tweet: I will NOT enjoy this Thin Lizzy album. (expression of stony resolve softening, warm smile spreading across face) Ah what the hell. Pass me Live and Dangerous, brother

Such an easy 5 for me

Wished I liked this more as I loved their other albums

I’m sorry, you’ll never make me like Bon Jovi

What an absolute delight for my 102nd album

Love his politics, not too hot on his music

This fucks (pun intended)

Dogshit Britslop. I’m allowed to say this, I’m English

echo and the boringmen :(

Would have been four stars if it was half the length

The production on Cure for the Itch is the only thing saving this from a 1

Karen has a beautiful voice but I can't say this is something I'd come back to

I like this more than I let on, it feels a little Strokes-y

I hated this less than I thought I would!

This is so over-hated (maybe I’m sensitive because India and Pakistan recently spent 4 days at war with one another)

I feel about this the way boomers feel about Led Zeppelin

Garbage, man

Can’t believe I’m giving an album titled Locust Abortion Technician this score

I love Radiohead, and this is one of my favourite albums ever. It’s a shame that Thom Yorke and Johnny Greenwood continue to destroy their own legacies.

Should have won the Pulitzer for this one

Lukewarm take - I think Joan sounds better when she sings in Spanish

Charming

I think a 70 minute album is absolutely fucking egregious

Docked a star for all the left

I’m in the ex Yugoslavia RIGHT NOW and I feel I should dislike this more as my grandparents were partisans but I can’t quite

I don’t hate it, but I also don’t think it should be on this list.

Comes out the gate so strong but nothing quite matches More Than A Feeling

Some absolute BANGERS but gosh this is long

Docking a star for the whole pedo thing

painful

Surely deserves its place alongside Loveless and Souvlaki in the triple crown of shoegaze

full of bangers but I genuinely forgot how good gold dust woman is

He’s… HWHITE?

Found the fawning philosemitism quite distasteful, honestly

Title track is 15,000/10

Much weirder than I thought it would be!

Great, but did this really need to be on the list?

It charmed me

As a Brit, it’s very strange to hear You Can Leave Your Hat On when it isn’t in the context of male strippers

As a Bosnian I kind of see Bono the same way that Palestinians view Macklemore. Anyway, I think U2’s cringe reputation precedes them and I’d probably like this way more if I didn’t know at least one Bosnian in his 30s called Bono

Bumping it up a star for Cash's monumental cover of Hurt, but the rest of this is just... fine?

It’s good, but it’s not *that* good

I really think if your album is over 45 minutes you need to earn every single minute of that extra time and sadly, this did not

I sincerely believe that beneath the Fred Durst of it all there could be a halfway decent album somewhere in here

Regrettably, a full throated 5/5. Probably a 6 if we’re honest.

Went deaf for four days so this was a treat to come back to

Great for pulling lines from to use to wind up your Californian boyfriend but much too long

Best part of this album is the review on here where the guy mishears Zimmerman and yoga as cinnamon and yoghurt

The kid in “You Didn’t Have To Be So Nice” sounds like Orville the Duck

Not as good as Loveless (what is?) but still very good

Kings of American Mediocrity

I simply do not understand how she packs that many melismas in one song

I’d love to rate this higher but it’s really unnecessarily long

A whole song about killing colonisers? My dark woke kings

Mony albumes ik hath listenethed ouer this project but this has speken to the deepest partye of mynne 3ouythe in the yeare 1250

At moments this almost sounds like a Bloc Party album

mercifully short

On the phone to Edward Saïd after hearing New Dehli

My neighbours’ kids were screaming and I really thought it was part of the track for a good 30 seconds

Luigi’s Mansion sounding ass album