1001 Albums Summary

Don’t think this is quite in the same league as Nevermind. All Apologies, Pennyroyal Tea, Milk It and Heart Shaped Box were my favourites but the other tracks left me a bit cold.

Great album but perhaps a bit thin for a triple album. I felt there was one legendary album or a great double in there but triple seemed to stretch things.

Sounds as raw and energetic as on release. The seeds of London’s Calling and Sandinista are all in here. The cover of Police and Thieves is still probably my favourite track with Londons Burning and Garageland following behind.

Not really a fan of Muse so not a band I’ve listened to much. This album only reinforced that for me. Not bad-bad but for me seemed an unconvincing mash up of early Queen heaviness (but with synths) and Radiohead wannabe quirkiness with a bit of Keane (‘Starlight’ I’m pointing at you) thrown in.

The album and band that didn’t ever sell well originally but allegedly everyone who bought them back then went and off and formed a band. The music is a strange mix of gauche, almost whimsical, psychedelic pop (Sunday Morning, Femme Fatale, I’ll Be Your Mirror) and rough rock and roll (I’m Waiting For The Man, Run, Run, Run) and dark claustrophobic experimental (All Tomorrows Parties, Heroin, Venus In Furs, Black Angel’s Death Song, European Son). Where it works it works really well - on some of the darker songs; but some of it hasn’t aged well like Run, Run, Run. Favourite songs Venus In Furs, All Tomorrows Parties, Waiting For The Man, Sunday Morning.

In my view Who’s Next is the most consistently strong track wise of The Who’s albums. Tommy is still my overall favourite album of theirs with this following close. Behind Blue Eyes is my favourite track.

I’m not really a fan of rap or hip hop. Some of it works for me but most either (a) just leaves me cold; or (b) turns me off completely due to its lyrical content. The beats and music are often fine. Ice-T’s Original Gangster sadly fell into both my dislike categories. I could barely get through any track without hitting skip apart from The Tower which seemed ok mainly because of its interpolation of the theme from Halloween. This is going to be a 1 star.

Slightly bombastic prog rock. Almost good until Geddy Lee starts hitting the falsetto notes and then it all falls apart for me. The 2112 suite is lyrically dull if not dubious with its heavy Ayn Rand references. The second side shorter tracks are much better. My favourite track is Tears as Geddy tames the high shriekiness and the melody is great.

Bland pop really. Leavened by Karen Carpenter’s pure vocals. The hit singles were overplayed throughout the seventies

Epic, emotive, vocals coupled with great arrangements. Puzzling that it undersold and was poorly reviewed on release. Glad that it achieved its place on many ‘best of’ lists.

Never resonated with me on its original release and still doesn’t.

Undoubtedly Kraftwerk didn’t deliberately set out to be the blueprint of all electronic pop to come when they made this album but blueprint and influence it became. Kometenmelodie 2 has clear echoes forwards into much of UK synth pop of the late seventies/ early eighties, while I can envision Bowie and Eno absorbing Mitternacht and coming up with sides 2 of Low and Heroes. And that’s without citing the 22 minutes of glorious Autobahn itself. What’s incredible is that on this re-listen it all still sounds fresh and modern. It has a deserved place on this 1001 list as it does on many others.

Bland, samey all the way through, sterile production. Not sure what qualities merited this album’s inclusion on this list.

The best Wings album at least in terms of studio albums.

I prefer the Chairs Missing and Map Reference albums but this pointed the way to those combining high energy punk thrash with proto post punk touches (like on Pink Flag track). Not sure why this album qualifies for the list compared to what they did following on IMO.

To my ears this is sophisticated yacht-rock with jazz tinges. Nothing outstanding but neither nothing terrible; just smooth. I think they do better later with Aja, Pretzel Logic etc.

I pretty much love all of REM’s albums since first hearing their Document album (and then working back) but Automatic For The People is the pinnacle of their output in my opinion. Drive, Man on the Moon and Nightswimmimg are particular favourites, but Ignoreland is up there too.

American Beauty with Workingman’s Dead marked the move of the band from psychedelic roots rock to a more folk/country approach. I find they almost have to be listened to together and both are as strong as each other. American Beauty has great pedal steel and vocal harmonies.

This album continued the maturing of Depeche Mode’s writing toward darker themes and a maturing of their synth driven sounds compared to Speak and Spell. Good record.

Jagger/Richards maturing as songwriters continued with Aftermath and I think this album is the first with all their own songs and no covers. Highlights are Lady Jane, Under My Thumb.

Atmospheric, noir-ish soundscapes and tortured vocals accompanied by what became characterised as trip-hop beats. For me who loves music and sound design as textures this was a great album.

A keystone album during the first punk period but not really a punk album in my opinion. Has great moments on it.

I like lots of this but then I tire a bit of Kate’s vocals. Instrument and arrangements though are excellent.

First album for these guys as Doves although they’d released some earlier stuff under a different name. Soaring arrangements and soulful vocals. Excellent as is the second album.

This is delightfully quiet yet dancy jazz. Easy on the ear but swings.

Never liked this. Over produced, overwrought, just too … Another one which I feel shouldn’t be on lists like this.

Great debut album from a band who seemed to appear from nowhere fully formed sonically. Sultans is obviously the most well known but other tracks on the album are equally as good.

Ok but felt a bit derivative of all he’d ever done with the Beach Boys.

Peak Prince. Mostly awesome.

Nope. Industrial wannabe stuff which Reznor’s Nine Inch Nails does so much better.

Ok. Great title track single, rest of it I can take or leave as I can with most of their output.

Nope.

Nope.

Another album that is perhaps not really great across its whole double album length but it’s high moments are very good.

Good post punk.

First rate soul and disco.

Gabriel embraces his commercial side (which was always lurking) but still enough of his trademark sonic sensibilities to keep things interesting. Consistently good with some outstanding tracks and ace vocal collaborations with Kate Bush and Laurie Anderson. Is the production too Eighties? Can agree a bit in hindsight but would argue that So in part defined the sound of mid- to late Eighties records which makes it hard to criticise in that way. BTW it’s only 4 stars for me since it’s not as good as Peter Gabriel 3.

OK in places but really miserablist lyrics and pseudo-folk-americana-country soundscapes.

A bit too chaotic for me. I like a lot of jazz but tend more towards the melodic.

Sort of a sub-par copy of ‘Here Come The Warm Jets’ era Brian Eno. Interesting on occasion but mostly not (unlike Eno).

IMO. Not as great as some people make out.

Sounds a bit dated nowadays, very 70s production which does feel old (unlike, strangely, Rumours which came out in the same year). There are classic songs to be sure: title track and Last Resort being my favourites.

It’s good but being possibly sacrilegious I actually like the first album better - just.

I think this struggled in the shadow of being the follow up to Heaven Up Here. And it’s true being good not great.

Ok but mines the same sound as Bon Iver and Volcano Choir etc.. Although if I’d heard The National first I’d have probably said same about Bon Iver etc on hearing. LOL

This is a 5 just for a definitive, IMO, reading of Man Who Sold The World. The rest is just excellent icing on the cake. Great album all round.