1001 Albums Summary

A double album that is packed with different sounds and ideas taking the band is tons of directions. I found myself mostly ignoring (or not being able to make out) the lyrics, but that didn’t take away from the enjoyment. There are some stone cold classics on this album, but even the deeper cuts are great. Sound l-wise, it’s way poppier and New Wave-y than I expected. Overall, this album was a blast to listen to start to finish.

This live album totally changed my perspective on Nirvana and in my opinion completely captures the potential of the MTV unplugged concept. Typically I don’t listen to much grunge, but in this stripped down format, these songs sound more like sinister folk music. The melodies really shine in these acoustic performances, and Cobain’s vocals have an especially haunting quality to it. The obscure covers and deep cuts make for an interesting setlist that continues to surprise, even if some of the songs started to blend together a bit by the end.

Hard to deny the impact of this record. Listening to it all the way through, it’s one of those albums that sounds like it could be a greatest hits comp. I definitely heard a lot of the Pixies influence in it, but also detected some other less obvious influences as well.

I love when a band sounds this confident and fully-formed on a debut album. While it’s not my favorite Oasis record, it’s easy to see why it became such a bit hit and quickly rocketed them to the towering heights they reached.

I’m not a big Eminem fan to begin with, but I was surprised how corny this whole album was. I found his crudeness completely charmless, and many of the lyrics have certainly not aged well.

There’s something magical about this album. The dreamy warmth of the songs, the way tracks blend together, the impassion wisdom in Gaye’s voice- it feels otherworldly despite being of and about our wounded world. It accomplishes a lot in its brief 35 minutes.

While this is far from my favorite Smiths album, there is still a charm to it. The lyrics are unmistakably Morrissey. He toes the line between cheesy and endearing- and usually accomplishes both.

I’m not a big rap fan, but have always appreciated A Tribe Called Quest. Some of the lyrics sound a bit corny and outdated to modern ears, and I don’t see myself returning to this often. I especially like the songs that have a bit more jazzy instrumentation

This album is otherworldly. Released just before Bowie died, it sounds as if he was already on the other side reaching back into our existence. The title track is brilliant and defies genre. Lazarus is devastating. What a parting gift from one of the best.

Serious contender for greatest album of all time.

It’s impossible to rate this album objectively due to my sentimental connection to it. It was a foundational album for me, and it still holds up.

Great album but doesn’t feel as cohesive as some of their others to me.

Macca doing his thing

This album has grown on me over time. A little bloated but all the better for it