Still sounds progressive today. Political, funky, and innovative.
Somehow, I had never given this album a full listen until yesterday. It’s already taken my top spot in the hair metal genre - they execute all the tropes well, and it’s a fun listen front to back. I’ll never understand why they didn’t use the title track as the opener… spoken word intro, quiet to loud, two guitar solos… what more do you need?!
I don’t get the hubbub. Orange Crush is great, and there’s a few good album cuts, but this is a far cry from their peak (Life’s Rich Pageant). The use of mandolin is a nice touch, and foreshadows greater commercial success to come
I don’t get the hype. Likeable tunes with a bit of ambient noise here and there, but gosh is this thing easy to ignore. I Am Trying to Break Your Heart will forever be excellent, though.
I’ve never paid much mind to Amnesiac. I’ve always brushed it off as Kid A 2.0, but in listening, it has a clear identity and warrants its own attention. It’s glitchy, rock-y, and piano-y, serving as a worthwhile bridge between Kid A and Hail to the Thief.
Not my thing. For the right person, I’m sure this would be cool.
If I time travel back to 1994, I can see why this appealed to the masses. Nowadays… my goodness, is it too much to ask you change the tempo once or twice?!
The backbeat could use a few more change ups every now and again, but Angus rips and Bon was giving it his all.
Maybe if I’d never heard the title track before (I’ll be damned, karaoke, moms, grade school, and tv!) this would have made more of an impact. I feel the narrative around this album’s inclusion on the list is something like “it’s more than a one-hit wonder!”. But when the other singles and album cuts are very… ok… what’s the point?
There’s some great songs here - how Nilsson isn’t at minimum on classic rock radio is a mystery to me. Jump Into the Fire would get the dads going!
Coconut sounds weird as ever - it’s like Kokomo from a more obscure artist.
Yeahhhh very much not my thing. They feel like a cheap parody of a rock band.
Delightful tunes throughout. Victoria, followed by Yes Sir No Sir is a great start to the album. It is a bit loooong for the lack of significant change-ups, though.
Noisey, spooky, and cool. Lots of neat soundscapes and guitar work. Initial thought is it could use a bit more pop structure, especially on side B - of course, this would come as they progressed in their career.
Unpretentious, unpredictable, and full of heart. “Our band could be your life”.
Impassioned musicianship. Somehow I found the drumming most engaging?
Much respect to one of the true badasses of music history, but… if I listened to this not knowing who Johnny Cash was, I’d give it 1*.
A collection of approachable, listenable down-home country tunes. I didn’t know the Byrds went in this direction later in their career. Nothing especially pulled me in, but it’d be a good record for a spring evening.
(Mutters to self, within a record store) “Hmm need something new…” BAM! A know-it-all curmudgeon appears and gives unsolicited advice: “Have you heard of The Beau Brummels? They’re in-creeeeedible”. (Me, being nice) “Ah, I see they’re in the clearence section. I’ll give it a go!”
*Flash-forward to one day later. I’m in heaven, in a water aerobics class with Elvis, the entire 27 Club, and OJ Simpson’s wife (turns out, he DID do it?!)*
Elvis: “Hey bu-bu-bu-baby, what are you in for? (Strikes pose).
Me: “Uhh Elvis, that’s not the move we’re supposed to be doing. I was killed because I listened to the most generic 60s music imaginable. It was like forcing Bob Dylan to run up a mountain, then immediately jamming a pencil in his hand and screaming ‘WRITE DOWN SOME WORDS AND SING IT WITH MY COUSINS, BOBBY.’ Kinda like what that would sound like.”
Elvis: “Oh mu-mu-mu-man, that sounds like a real drag, man. What band was it?”
Me: “This band I’d never heard of that made it on the 1001 Albums list. You’d think with so many great bands left off the list that when a critic goes out of their way to include something fresh, it’d be interesting and unique at the very least. Nope - it was some band called The Beau Bummels?”
Elvis: “DAMN man, when I died on the can that’s what was playin’!”
Entire water aerobics class: “SAME!”
Entirety of heaven: “SAME!”
Uhh yeah, all to say: 1*
The heist… Is… On.
Funky, political, and with a voice so distinct and groooovy. My not-so-hot take is I prefer this to What’s Going On.
A live album where you can feel the intensity of the performer, and the love from the audience. It is clear Mr. Brel could do no wrong on this night.
Grand and danceable from start to finish.
Full of personality, undeniably fun. The album still feels cohesive and thematic despite all sorts of full-out genre changes throughout.
The only album I know that’s so vivid it’s like watching a movie. The greatest rap album ever made.
My only nitpick: it should have ended on track 10 (keep the skits from 11 and 12, though).
Unless you want generations of people checking their headphones, don’t start your album with 10s of silence!
A good album - bleak yet heartfelt.
Uhhhh yeah, not my thing for a whole album. Grime is cool, though.
Interesting to hear metal arrangements with some suuuper minimal distortion or “heaviness” from the guitars. Two years later they’d peak, with a bit more distortion, a bit more production, and a few more classic metal tropes. It’s a delicate balance, though - toooo much of that (I.e. the late 80s) and metal gets out of hand.
Industrial music isn’t really my thing, but this is at least a bit interesting and varied throughout.
Blegh. In researching this album, I’ve dug up some archival transcripts from a real conversation between Allen Collins and Al Kooper:
AK: You know what’d be great? A guitar solo to end the album
AC: Oh hell yeah, sounds cool, man! People love solos! What are you thinking?
AK: Make it…. Long
AC: Ahhh great, brother! Like a minute-long closer?!
AK: No. Longer.
AC: …2 minutes?
AK: Try 4.
AC: Uhhh but I only know like five licks
AK: Bah, so much to learn, Leh-nerd. You just gotta repeat them a bunch! Like, I’m talking multiple bars of the same thing. And when your five riffs run dry, just bend the strings! Trust me, the audience won’t know the difference.
AC: Hmm what about my artistic integrity?
AK: BROTHER JUST REPEAT IT. WE’LL FADE IT OUT AT THE END.
(Free Bird would go on to inspire millions)
Official count of unique riffs in Free Bird: 7
Interesting heavy take within the grunge genre. The vocals wear on me, though. As a band, you never want “is this pre-Nickelback?” to pop into a listener’s head. It did for me.
An essential “moms who grew up in the 70s” album. Something that got a lot of plays on the family stereo, I reckon.
Really neat. It’s diverse, and heck, just downright cool throughout. I didn’t realize the Beachies had this in their bag!
Moz doing his best tough guy impersonation?
This thing is just. So. British. Consider me charmed, Mr. Cocker. The album cuts are solid, but two very strong singles do most of the heavy lifting, I think.
I’m sure this album is more to some, but to me, other than something to put on at a dinner party, it’s not giving me much.
I dunno - 10 years late on Sonic Youth? Vocals attempt at edgy and miss horribly.
What can I say that hasn’t already been said. The Strokes defined a generation. If someone tells you they don’t like the Strokes, you can’t trust them.
Meh, I dunno. If it doesn’t have a Beatle’s name on the cover, does it get any attention?
A cool listen. Can be listened to attentively or unattentively, and it still gives a sense of driving progress.
Words cannot describe how agonizing it was to listen to this. Truly, this is capitalism’s impact on music personified - a fake conversation between the music industry and Metallica to convey my thoughts:
MI: “Holy crap, boys, you sell a lot of records!!”
M: “(Spits into spittune) Hell yeah.”
MI: “Like, even the albums your fans hate, they still buy because you’re you!”
M: “(Throws rocks at schoolbus) Hell yeah”
MI: “How about this - we put out a triple live album, but unimaginatively change it up by getting an orchestra to play along with you! Don’t change your live show at all - pretend they’re not there, and we’ll get those Berkeley nerds to throw in a little this, a little that. Sound good?”
M: “(Overcharging an old lady for a laundry machine repair) Hell yeah.”
(5 years goes by, money is made)
MI: “Dang boys, I can’t believe that worked! Tons more money, critics haaaaated it, and now it’s on the 1001 albums list. This is awesome! Everything always works out for Metallica, doesn’t it?!?”
M: (Killing ants with EPA unapproved chemicals) Hell yeah.”
Argh, fine, it’s pretty cool.
A cool piece from a less “top of mind” post-punk band. 1980 was a big year, holy.
Considering innovation, the album stands alone. Jamming 3,000+ samples into an album when sampling technology was still in its infancy is incredible. To take it further, the album is essentially unreplicable because of ever-tightening copyright laws that prevent the free use of intellectual property. Oh, and also, it sounds cool.
Sampling and beat-making mastery. The album is packed with Easter eggs if you pay attention. Only thing is, the Beasties’ rapping gets a bit annoying after a while… The hits are hits, though. Shake Your Rump is all-time.
Elvis gave up his cool guy roots to become a bit of a normie on this one, I think
Gosh, it’s fine. I can’t shake a feeling of arrogance coming out of Moz in his solo stuff.
How can you feel bad listening to this?
Some of the greatest album art of all time. Musically, I think it’s cool, but it’s never drawn me in. Technical mastery has never impressed me much, historically. The opener will forever be great.
Oof. To maintain integrity with my 15 year old self (this album, and Aha Shake Heartbreak were the first non-60s/70s CDs I bought, as I crawled out of classic rock exclusivity), I cannot in good conscience give this 1*. Gotta go 2*, but oof, in relistening this… isn’t great. I see a conversation with a major label’s upper brass going something like this:
“Man, those Radiohead nerds sell a lot of records.” “I bet we could sell even more if we polished up the spacey weirdness and made the band more handsome!”
Holy, does Muse ever sound like a Radiohead cover band on this one.
A closing fun fact: I saw Muse live at a major music festival. Throughout the show, they use little timed cameras on their mic stands to project their faces onto a big screen. About midway through, the bassist’s camera shifted, and whenever the camera went to him we saw up his nose.
Nah you know what, screw it. 1* it is.
Good vibes. Would put on at a party.
The moms were right - ABBA is cool after all. A fine example of a weird band that for whatever reason, the people adore.
A great (bordering on psychedelic) British folk album. Genesis Hall is excellent, and the final Dylan cover of Million Dollar Bash more than rivals the original.
Lofi hip-hop radio beats to chill / study to. I dunno, I’ve got nothing against it, but I’ll never listen again.
Synthy and grand. Solid piece of indie electronic - if this came out 10 years earlier they’d surely be more solidified in the indie rock conversation.
Some great songwriting throughout. Feels a bit overproduced - I think the album would have benefitted from a bit less sheen. Green Light is a weak opener/lead single, but album cuts like Writer in the Dark are where Melodrama really shines.
Undeniably fun. The two hits from this album continue to hold up.
Very creative use of synths and vocals. Gosh, someone give Tunde a hug - this is about as bleak a record the 2000s had to offer.
Queen is underrated in how weird their catalogue is. Dig past the hits, and you’ll find some whacky innovation, full of riffs and pizzazz.
Good vibes. Do do do d-do, dit do do-do do do.
Noooo!!!!! A real text conversation between Reggie and I to explain my feelings:
AC: Afternoon MLB is such a vibe. Wednesday is the frickin day, man
RM: Hell yeah. 12:35 start for STL v PIT, then baseball for the rest of the day. What a time to be alive
AC: Love it. I’d much rather ball in the background than Hotel California. That’s my 1001 today… blegh
RM: I mean it's not the *worst* eagles album lol
AC: The amount of cocaine/mimosa-fuelled sex that’s happened to the tune of this album…
RM: And that's a bad thing?!?!
AC: Great point
RM: We’ve all been there *mimosa emoji*
AC: Well, this conversation just wrote tomorrow’s 1* review hahah
RM: Hahaha glad I could help *laughing emoji*
Cooler than I expected. So mooooody, with minimalistic but engaging beat making.
Moody and cool, but it didn’t pull me in. I think the Cure has better stuff - A Forest is great, though.
Terrible, unimaginative slop. Pharrell had to start somewhere…
Booooooriiiiinggggggg. More lofi beats to chill/study to.
Great harmonies, great songs. People who know music more than me have shown there’s more than meets the eye with these “simple” pop songs, too. But what can I say, despite all that it’s never reeled me in.
Stevie is always great, but this has to be the worst of his “golden era”.
A piece of music history. The Nirvana songs on the album are more pedestrian, but what stands out to me, and what makes this a classic is the interesting choice of covers - Bowie, the Vaselines, Meat Puppets (x2!!), and Lead Belly.
One listen, and it’s difficult to restrain from humming “all and all is all we are” the rest of the day.
Steve Winwood is cool. Album is ite.
Gosh, I dunno. A valiant vocal effort, but compared to other soul singers of the time, does Dusty make the cut?
A post-Sign O’ the Times rip-off, with surface-level social justice commentary. Feels like a publicity stunt (“Oooo Janet’s edgy now”). Summing my point, real, actual lyrics from The Knowledge:
Prejudice (no)
Ignorance (no)
Bigotry (no)
Illiteracy (no)
Lyrics aside (but singing included), Led Zeppelin is great. Technically masterful without overplaying, and head bangy as anything.
Cutscene to 1976 - upon a first listen, nerds of the world immediately suggest the 2112 Overture as their DnD campaign theme song. Another funny example of suuuch a weird band somehow getting popular.
I think it’s a solid album, but I don’t think I’ll ever revisit.
It’s fine. Put it on when you host your blandest friends for NoName burgers and chips.
The 1001 albums list needs to learn that post-This Year’s Model Elvis ain’t worth yer time! Also… what in the hell, was that the N-word in 20% Amnesia? It’s not, but… who in the hell thought that was ok
Incredibly fun. Crude, but fun. A showcase of comradery and innovation.
Every 80s trope you could imagine is featured in this album. But, hell, it’s tough to say it isn’t fun.
If this was teenage me, it would have been an insta-5. High and Dry, Fake Plastic Trees, and Just remain all-timers, but the album cuts and other singles are a bit… “Britpop boring” for me these days.
*Making my mom proud*
Honestly, pretty good. More varied, and a bit weirder than I expected. There’s a bit too much Sting “weird reggae” cringe, but hey, at least he’s using his handsomeness for the betterment of humankind.
Now I can see what all the hubbub was about when this dude went electric. The album is a delight, and young Bob is charming as anyone.
The hits were a nostalgic and enjoyable listen, and the rest of the album held up? Not too shabby, Supertramp!
Dusty sounds more in her element on this one. Soulful, bluesy - put it on at your murder/mystery party or something.
Some of the finest garage rock revival you’ll get. Head banging rockery with tender moments, all to the beat of the unreservedly maligned Meg White.
The singles still hold up, and there’s no shortage of great album cuts. A bit bloated at 16 songs, but I won’t complain.
One of the peak mom-core records of our time. Again, I ask - why this above all the other great music that’s been left off this list?
Damn - I’m pleasantly surprised. Great songwriting throughout, and dang, at 20 songs there aren’t many misses. Sisters of the Moon, I Know I’m Not Wrong, The Ledge, Think About Me, Tusk… the list goes on. Here, I’ll say it - better than Rumors.
Just… horrible. Truly, I’m unsure if there’s an album in existance that represents more of what I hate in music. I thought about making a list of everything I hate, but it’s more effective to express one sentiment - when I listened to this, my mind wandered to those in my life I hate most loving this shit.
Super fun, super smooth. Q-Tip clearly still had it post-Quest.
Maybe the most consistent album from an awful band. These vocals alone… dear goodness…
Throughout the completion of this 1001 album project, my 1* reviews can be summed into two themes: especially awful music, and “why this?”, with the latter warranting a more cutting review about why the album was ever chosen to be featured.
My 5* reviews, on the other hand, have exclusively been within the theme of especially excellent music - until now. Blackstar is a “why this?”, because the “why” is beyond something any nice sounding record can do. Blackstar fills me with gentle assurance.
The artistry, to be handed a terminal diagnosis and respond with a grin.
“Watch this”, I imagine him thinking.
Even in death, another artistic reinvention - his final form - enshrouded and buried, and showing that art can be found in all things.
Feel-good and prime Kanye-collaborated. I feel Shad owes Common a beer for the inspiration.
An 80s ska revival with more substance than the average energy+upstroke ska of a similar era. There’s definitive mood and theme (nostalgia, childhood) that runs through the record
Spooky and passionate. A really cool post-punk record that doesn’t get nearly enough attention. Monitor is AMAZING - sometimes the simplest lines (this case, the bass) can be most impactful, and gosh is the guitar great.
I think it’s interesting and progressive, but the vocal style is far too theatrical for me to enjoy for more than a few minutes.
I think about 3 Feet High and Rising as the most kind, and Enter the Wu-Tang as the most evil on the spectrum of influential group-style rap albums. Both great in their own way, only one you’d play with your parents in the room.
Endearing, but never pulled me in. Tough to believe the opener, slur infused as it is, was written by the same person who wrote You’ve Got a Friend in Me.
Marvin’s soulful plea of “why can’t we just get along?” Political, funky, and oh so smooth.
If someone ever asks “define teen angst” this is the first example that comes to mind. Underrated in its riffiness, and unique in its rhythm section, it’s a stone cold classic through and through.
“I hope you know, that this will go down on your permanent record.” “Oh yeah?”
A “blueprint” record for American punk. Not sure if I’ll revisit, but it does what it’s supposed to better than most.
There are very few double albums that turn out well. GYBR is no exception - this thing is bloated. Nonetheless, there are still some great album cuts (Grey Seal comes to mind). The three major singles to come from the album are not favorites either - I’d be fine never hearing Benny and the Jets ever again.
Next to the Charlie Brown Christmas, this was the first jazz album I ever liked. With every listen, it continues to amaze and excite.
I know some cool people, people of taste, who unironically love Korn. When this album came up, I was excited to check them out for the first time.
Terrible.
Noisey, solo-ey, but as with almost everything Dino Jr., I can’t get into them.
Solid, glossy rap, but goddamn is this thing long.
Pre-thereal, if I can say that. I think Mary Margaret O’Hara owes a beer here. Great rootsy, funksy songwriting.
I can see how this could be inspiring to some, and worth including on the list, but sonically I don’t think it’s great. There’s better stuff from the era.
Spazzy post-punk that I think improves on their debut. The opener is an all-timer, but I think the tracks are a bit mixed and the Take Me to the River cover is just ok. Better things to come, for them!
Gosh, I’m not sure about this one. I like later era Bjork, but this dance-forward effort isn’t her best representation.
Just, amazing. Better than I remember. Incredible drum and guitar work, and Plant’s vocals were never more powerful.
Solid, upbeat rock and roll. KoL get brushed off now, but I will stand by their early stuff being worth a listen.
A distant memory of the indie electronic takeover of the late 2000s. It aged… ok.
A few recognizable hits, but that’s about all that’s good about these early Beatles releases.
Kinda vibey, but so easy to ignore. Throw it on for your 90s-themed cocktail party.
Old psych that the old heads are surely swooning over. Nothing too exciting here, I think.
Some iconic and fun singles (who doesn’t like Praise You?), but it’s not something that draws me in.
A good vibe, and a nice change-up from “the usual” in this 1001 albums list. I probably won’t be revisiting, though, unless I really want to impress a friend.
In my mind, this is the quintessential fem-slacker album. At first listen, 20 stripped down mid-tempo tracks could come off as boring, but over time the subtleties of each track (and, especially the lyrics) grow on you.
There may be some underlying technical brilliance here that’s going over my head, but to me, it’s a pedestrian pop record I won’t be listening to again.
Shout is… amazing. It’s a shame Rule the World is so awful they end up balancing each other out. Rest of the tracks are ok.
I dunno, put it on at your next fancy party.
Smooth ethereal jams. Tracey Thorn has such a distinct voice. I just… probably won’t listen to this one again.
The vibe king returns. Impossible to go below 3* with Bob.
Classic rock revival is truly, one of our greatest societal ills.
Buzzcocks are one of my favorite punk/new wave acts. A very solid first offering, but Singles Going Steady will forever be untouchable.
Incredible that this came out in 1973, as their… third album. Way ahead of any other punk, considering the famous “year zero” in the UK is 1977. Search and Destroy has some all-time guitar work, but Iggy’s attitude is surely the driving force of the album.
A classic of classic rock revival. Hasn’t aged super well as my taste has broadened, but some of the tracks are undeniable.
Don’t want to admit it, but this thing rocks. Worth taking a bit more seriously than the Spinal Tap parody I was expecting.
“Oh wow! It has X person from X band, anddddd X person from X band, anddddd, etc., etc.”
(Proceeds to sell a stupid amount of records, riding on prior efforts’ reputation and completionists alone)
Never listening again.
The stand-out tracks to me are the album cuts. California, Evermore, and Levee are all amazing. I’ve never thought the singles were that strong, despite the “greatest of all time” status this album has always held. That said, I’ve heard these songs a billion times - with fresh ears, maybe I’m rating this higher.
Earnest, quirky, and rooted in traditional feel.
A very cool, impassioned and jazzy effort. Pre-thereal, at some points.
Nice vibe, but this won’t be more than a one-timer for me.
A classic of Canadiana. Five big singles, and an all-timer (You Oughta Know). The vocal stylings would become a standard of the 90s.
Put it on and have a lil weird time. A nice listen.
Maybe this is good, maybe this is bad, either way, it’s definitely easy to ignore.
It really is the blueprint. Dream pop, garage rock, psychedelic rock… It’s all there.
Good, but she a-little-too-obviously owes her career to Lauryn Hill.
Some down home, genuine songsmanship.
Sitar aside, this is incredibly weird. And, on this 1001 albums list, weird is oft-unrecognized. 3*, Ananda, 3*!!
Do it Again continues to serve as a vibey tune for anyone firmly in their 30s and beyond. The rest makes me think about people with old money who have no taste putting this on at dinner parties a bit too much to give a better review.
Full of charm, and “international flare” (especially relevant, considering this came out in the 80s). Paul never sounded more sincere.
Pop structures with some avant garde weirdness mixed in. I can’t shake the “indie sleaze”-ness of the record, though. So so so many people forced themselves to listen to this record because it got buzz from Pitchfork
Funky, poppy, and most importantly, fun. Sly brought the people together!
Music that feels like it’s made by people who *know* they’re cool. But, there’s nothing more uncool than trying to act cool.
Wonderful songwriting, but gosh does Green Eyes ever kill the vibe - who mixed that thing?!
Can’t deny Zack’s impassioned lyrics, but the queasy rap-rocky-ness is too much to ignore. Killing in the Name remains cool, and one of the most covered songs in crappy high school band history.
Gosh, I dunno. Fourth best Smiths album *shrugs shoulders*
What can I say, it’s great. Elvis’ energy and attitude still hits as hard as it ever did.
Sparce, yet deliberate and engaging. It feels every sound was intentionally put in place.
Tremendous influence aside, it’s glitchy and cool, but doesn’t feel like much more than background music.
Would have been a hell of a show to see. The album gets a bit redundant, but I’m giving benefit of the doubt because the audience surely left gobsmacked.
It’s magic. Rare that a single voice and guitar can be so captivating.
Cool early post-punk. 1978 is eaaaaarly for something that sounds so sparse and angular (gang of four, wire-esque).
If this wasn’t by a Beatle, it’d be a one-hit wonder no one paid any mind to.
Some of my music friends clown this record, but I think it’s pretty cool. It’s almost like a more accessible shoegaze. Corgan can sing, Chamberlain can play, too. After this record, SP starts to go off the rails, but this will remain as the document of their peak.
Wow - this is incredibly endearing. Any listener has surely walked away feeling charmed.
Better than I thought it would be - very good, riffy, early example of garage/psych rock. First four tracks are great, but it fades a bit in the back half.
Interesting experimentation in the final third, and Heros of course is a classic, but it doesn’t hit like some of Bowie’s other work.
There’s a real sense of driving urgency in this record. It feels like it should soundtrack a dystopian racing film. SY still hold onto their weirdo sonic experimentation, but (very) importantly, they leave space to rock. This is peak Sonic Youth.
Haunting and beautiful. An example of really, really great production.
Absolute peak electro vibe.
My instincts didn’t fail me, when I saw the album art and decided to put this one off. It’s very ok, and I won’t be revisiting.
Great neo soul. Lots of subtle hooks that keeps the listener engaged after multiple listens. Pyramid is a perfect mid-album peak.
Weird psych. Outside of the solid singles, nothing blew me away. It’s cool to see Jimi go way out there for album #3
Homesick Blues, It’s Alright, are absolute classics. As a former farmer, Maggie’s Farm always resonated - “pray for rain” feels less about needing rain for crops, and more about hoping to not have to work on a rain day.
“Why?” Is a question I’ve asked myself a few times, in listening to this album. Weird abrasive soundscapes, obnoxious vocals, the use of the word pleasuredome, a 13-minute opener with tribal chanting, a Born to Run cover… the list goes on. The only answer to this cosmic question, after great pondering is… Cocaine. One of the only 1* records on this list I’d happily buy.
Sonically, it’s vast, creative, and interesting. Gearheads are surely getting lost in this one. From the perspective of listenability, I’m not sure how many times I’m coming back - certainly not earwormy.
Not Smith’s peak, but a great listen nonetheless. Son of Sam, Somebody I…, Lost and Found, LA, and Happiness are some notable highs, although there is some fluff here and there. Trim to a shorter track listing like the prior albums, and I think it’s another classic.
Bit of a bloated mess (2 hours?!). Signifies the beginning of the end for the Pumpkins, as Billy’s creative endeavours only miss the mark further from here. A few highs starkly outshone by absolute mediocrity.
Not my thing, but I can respect a blues legend.
Underrated album overshadowed by a massive (and great) single. Dig a bit deeper, and there’s some really good 90s psych revival here.
Now, that there’s a lot of hits! RHCP are a confounding group to me - sometimes, they put me in my place. But, right when I’m about to give them some credit, the song takes a turn to some unlistenable scat-rap debacle. Listen to some of these album cuts. Listen to them! Bad bad bad.
It’s a nice record, but it didn’t pull me in.
Gosh, it’s just amazing. So creepy, so musical, and sung with such intensity. Nick Cave is a one of one.
This is near-peak white dude soul. Unmemorable, and eye-roll worthy.
It’s smooth, it’s kinda fun. It’s also something I’ll never listen to again.
Amazing production, and some cool tracks here and there (especially the opener - critical to have a good pop opener). Amazing that the Thriller single became such a hit, with its odd horror-pop theme.
I don’t want to come off as mean, but damn why does Janis sound so much like Marge Simpson? Piece of My Heart is of course all-time, but the rest is ok-level psych playing and Janis going in all sorts of mostly unappealing vocal directions.
It’s just… amazing. The theatricality and energy is unmatched. No misses - and a more complete effort than Queen ever put together.
Gosh, I dunno. Writer’s block, but this is 2*.
A grizzled country man pouring his heart out.
Underratedly quirky, but keeps its pop rock sensibilities. Just What I Needed is an all-time 10/10 radio single. If it comes on the radio and you don’t turn up the volume, that is a complete musical atrocity.
Funky, experimental, well paced, and most importantly, super fun. This has got to be one of the earliest instances of sample-based electronic music.
Take it Easy - good song! The rest is solid country rock. The Eagles will only get more “yacht rock cocaine” from here, so I guess that means this is my favourite Eagles album.
Damn. For (insert obvious reasons), I want to clown this album. I want to say it’s not the best Smiths record. I want to say it isn’t a consistent effort. I want to say it’s overrated in the “greatest albums of all time” zeitgeist.
I can’t.
It’s so charming. Every song is so memorable and unique. And, damn it, Morrissey is the reason.
Nice to see some Canadian content on the list. Solid classic rock/glam sound, with great enthusiasm from Alice. A good listen.
Could never get into biggie. Not my thing. Hilarious BJ cutscene, though.
I mean, it’s actually pretty solid. But, I’m a person of taste. 2*
Like a worse Public Enemy. Socially conscious music hits soooo much worse when it’s not done effectively
Has Tom Waits tricked every critic? Am I the only one that hears this with clear ears?! I need answers, people!
Maximum smoothness and vibe. Tough not to feel cool while listening.
Oh, what a marvelous miss. Horrible synth pop with shredder solos? Hard pass. However, if aliens came to earth and asked “what is rock music?”, Van Halen might make the list.
Great record. Finest Worksong is a powerful opener, album cuts (esp. King of Birds) satisfy, and it had the hits it needed. End of the World is… ok, then annoying, but The One I Love is REM at their best. FIIIIIRRRRREEEEEEEEE!!!!
Feels like they’d be a great bar/live band. Album is a bit all over the place, though. Modern ska never sits well with me, either.
I can’t help but be funked. Consider me funk-ified. It almost borders on parody, but there could be nothing more serious under the surface.
It’s a weird artifact of a band on the brink of collapse. It’s really… all over the place - Velvets and Kinks covers, and uhhh, drug-fueled musicianship? Reminds me of Skip Spence’s Oar.
Another solid effort from the Police. Good grooves, and Sting has great energy throughout. Walking on the Moon is a bit… weird 80s cringe, but I’m willing to look past it on the merits of the rest of the record.
80s yachty, smooth dad music *shoulders shrug*
I always thought Everlasting Light was a great song. Those two singles, though… oof the amount of radio and ad fatigue from those two. Solid album cuts, too.
Basically the psych keyboard version of Leh-'nerd 'Skin-'nerd. Forgettable tracks, followed by a long closing solo. That keyboard solo is just sooo increeeeeedddddibbbbllleeeee, though.
A bit of pre-thereal strikes the list again. Varied and fun here and there, but nothing caught my attention too severely.
Massive record, massive singles, and a comeback story for the ages.
Guhhhhhhhhhhhhh whyyyyyyy?! Kinda cool, but not 1001 albums worthy.
Ah, the most ok 90s indie rock.
A scene: It’s 1:35am on a Wednesday night. You walk by a window and peer in - it’s Leonard Cohen. He’s standing in a mostly empty karaoke bar singing over cheap backing tracks.
It’s a fun listen. I’m not throwing this on anytime with any sense of conviction, but this record has its place in getting kids to pick up guitar for the first time.
Amazing record - Stevie at his peak. Smooth, funky, and political. All sorts of highlights throughout, but a favorite of mine is the harmonies in Misstra Know-it-all.
Super, super fun. This is the music you dance to in your underwear on a Sunday morning while you make pancakes for your wife, who’s sleeping in.
Look beyond the novelty and what do you got? Someone (me) with uneclectic taste, that’s what
A little edgier than his prior work, but nonetheless maintains the pop/funk he’s known for. Despite Liberian Girl being a TOUGH listen, I’d put it this record above Thriller.
Surprised how much I like this, after finally giving it a good chance. Great hooks! The Foos would become more and more formulaic and “chromed out” from here, but the debut rocks with the best of them. Great drumming, too.
After a shaky honky tonk beginning, we’re back with Bob, endearing as ever. Johanna, Sooner or Later, Memphis Blues… what’s not to like?
An epic exploration into love, drugs, and space. At times, it can feel a bit bloated, but it’s so gaudy and adventurous, how can you knock them
Really all over the place, but in a good way. Is a metal/punk hybrid a safe description? Maybe a 70/30 punk to metal. Either way, it’s unique.
It’s undeniably British, it’s undeniably fun.
Ok-level synth pop. Unique in that they’re ahead of their time - 1980.
It’s just, amazing. PJ’s vocals are the star of the show, but it can’t be understated that this album rocks from front to back. The only “flaw” in this record is I think they should have ended the album on Fountain. The harmony in the coda would have been an incredible way to go out.
Varied and weird, but a bit bloated (18 songs?!). Feels like it was made with “throw this together as a fun project” energy, rather than a serious album type of energy.
It’s so great. The crowd is noisey and engaged, the band is scorching, what more do you want? An excellent example of a young, soon-to-be-larger-than-life group proving why they deserved to be famous in the first place.
Trash. The funk/rock hybrid is kind of fun, but Kiedis’ vocals are so incredibly irritating, any semblance of enjoyment is quickly lost. I swear this band has the most fan tattoos of any I know. Why? How? How is this, of all things to give a sign of public and permanent allegiance to, the thing someone chooses? Bad bad bad. Bad.
This is… So bad. The singles are terrible, the album cuts are worse. Thug is an awful song, holy. But they have matching beards!
Peak high school nostalgia. The record I probably came closest to knowing how to play front-to-back on the guitar. Admittedly, now that I’m more music literate, it issssss a bit “watered down punk”. But, to a teenager who didn’t know better, this was as rebellious and snarky as music got.
A druggy, loud exploration into psych and funk. Eddie Hazel steals the show.
It’s not a “bad” record. I think for a casual listener, this scratches the itch of being unique enough to feel “indie” or “alternative” about your music taste. But, it’s… really an ok record. It’s got a few glossy production tricks, and a some interesting highs here and there (Crawl is SO close to being cool), but really, am I going to put this on again? Maybe if I need “something I can ignore”, as Rob Gordon once put it
Not a bad record - maybe Coldplay’s best? Don’t Panic and Shiver are two great openers, but they lose me after that. Coldplay would go on to become… much, much worse from here.
Kudos for including a bit of post-punk on the list. Unfortunately, it’s nothing to shake much of a stick at.
Early Kinks, like early Beatles, can only take you so far.
You can’t deny the charisma. For many, this is where it all began.
Very ok hip-hop from a very ok rapper. There’s better stuff from this era.
Super weird, super varied. Love it, but I’m not certain how much play this would get beyond this one time.
This coming out a few years after the Silver Jews’ American Water says it all. We’ve already got a monotone poet in the late 90s indie rock scene!
The rapping is good, but I don’t find any of the song concepts overly interesting. Fame, girls, violence, pranks… I dunno, with such gifted lyrical skill, couldn’t the output have been less juvenile?
Unapologetically British. S&D&R&R is an all-timer.
Not a bad record, but it feels a bit disjointed and inconsistent with the “Bookends” front half, then a smattering of singles from the Graduate afterward.
An album you could dance with a friend to. Good fun, and great playing.
Nothing drawing me in too significantly. More pedestrian side of the new wave boom.
Oh god sooooooo borrrrrringgggggggg
A good pop-prog hybrid. It isn’t too nauseatingly technical, and has enough pop sensibility to be engaging throughout. Dare I say… girls may even like this album, which is a rare feat in prog.
Good blues-fueled psych. I don’t feel like Cream have a “definitive” album, though. Some great individual tracks in their catalogue, but they never pulled it together for a whole album.
It’s one of those records when you listen, you see the next forty years of music right before your eyes. Spazzy guitars for Sonic Youth, “toy piano” tone for 2000s indie rock, and sing-talking for post-punk, to name a few.
Boring and over-produced.
Good record, but nothing that drew me in too much. Breakdown is great.
A hilarious, early attempt at mashup. It screams “eccentric gives music a try”, but hey, it’s not that bad, and in general it’s well-received to be included on the 1001 albums list, which could use much more weirdness.
Incredibly weird. How on God’s green earth did this record get put out? “…And the opener will be a bunged up cover of Sweet Leaf, but call it Sweet Loaf”. Hahahah what in the heck?!
Despite its astounding weirdness and general existence, it’s definitely memorable. Quick aside - what an awful album title. And still, would I rather listen to this than anything I gave a 2*? Kinda… yeah. At least they tried something. Kudos to weird art.
Accomplishes progginess without being too technical or thematically nauseating. Great instrumentation throughout, of course. Red Barchetta outshines the rest - that song feeeeels like you’re driving a red convertible on the open road.
The record that took the Arcade Fire to the stratosphere. A solid effort front-to-back, but like a lot of double albums, it does suffer from some bloat. Other than the title track and Sprawl II, there aren’t many tracks that leave me thinking I need to revisit them.
Similar to the Chilis, they successfully changed their sound from rap-rock-turntable-whatever to palatable “alternative radio”. Some of the songs are solid, but gosh, did I just listen to the same song 12 times over?
A fuzzy grunge-adjacent record. I don’t have much to say about this one.
Some good early rock and roll, but the Who would get to far greater things later on. Oh yeah, the title track changed music, etc., etc., etc.
It somehow pulls off an intersection of funk, prog, pop, and rock. An great record from front to back.
Look - am I putting this on when my in-laws come to visit? No. Am I putting this on when I work out? No. Am I putting this on when I’m driving to the airport? No. Does this belong on the 1001 albums list? Absolutely - if nothing more than to cut through the longer-than-it-should-be list of boring new wave and rock revival bands I’ve had to slog through for this project. At points, the record is rather lovely, and not nearly as unlistenable as other reviews make it seem - intimate field recordings, weird sounds, and some cool textures - this is extremely Kraftwerk adjacent, and they get far more praise on this platform.
Screw you, justice for Gristle.
A record I could never get that into. It has such a “90s indie” sound, and coming out in 1991, I’m sure part of this record’s notoriety is they were among the first to sound like this. But did they perfect the sound? I’m not sure. But is it a good record in general? Yep.
Very Lou Reed-y, very Velvet Underground adjacent, but a bit more New York-y, somehow.
The kings of jangle - it’s hard not to feel optimistic listening to this era of the Byrds. The fact this is half covers knocks my review, but the excellence of I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better balances it out.
Aaarrrggggghhhhhhh. It’s kinda cool, but it’s also what gets played when you’re at a party and someone finds out you like music, so they show you this *super obscure* something that makes them seem eclectic, when in actuality they never really listen to this crap and what they’re really trying to do is show off.
Emotion has never been communicated with such grandiose. Bono’s charisma is held up by incredible soundscapes - the band, Eno, and Lanoise deserve high praise. Name a more powerful set of three tracks to start an album, I’ll wait.
The Beatles in their pivotal pre-psychedelic era. Drugs and sitar have entered the chat! There’s some classics here, but the effort feels a bit disjointed thematically - Taxman into Eleanor Rigby, soon to be followed by some sitar? All three have a completely different feel, making the record feel more like a collection of ideas than any coherent work.
A record that reeks of personality and attitude. The Dolls put together a more complete proto-punk work than The Stooges, in my opinion. People like to associate them with glam because of the outfits, but this is punk through and through.
A bonafide Canadian classic. A record that radiates a feeling of collaboration and friendship amongst its creators throughout. Surely, any self-respecting musician wishes they wrote The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down.
Not a bad listen, but I won’t be revisiting.
Wait a second, Alice Cooper is good? Not “good” like the olde doods who think everything from the 70s was good… Like, legitimately good?!
A bit of southern (but, not actually southern) ramble tamble. Lots of radio singles coming from this effort, although, interestingly, none are in CCR’s top five most popular. That sums up how I ultimately feel about the record - it’s a steady listen the whole way, but it lacks the “peaks” a classic favourite needs. I don’t find myself waiting for “the best part” on this record. Oddly, two of the covers are what I found most engaging - Accuse Me, and Grapevine.
Mr. Brightside is about as big a single as you can get. It accomplished the rare feat of being wildly popular and profitable, while never getting too stale. Safe to say that for the millennial cohort, there may not be a song more universally enjoyed.
As for the rest of the album, there’s some good tracks here. Side two is pretty pedestrian, but Jenny is a great opener, and All These Things serves as a great emotional peak.
