A classic from my teen years. I loved it, then I thought it sucked, then I dug it again. A few duds - Remote Control, White Riot - but mostly killer tracks. Benefits significantly from the remaster - now you can hear Mick Jones playing as if he were in The Sweet or Queen. The UK version is missing two of my favorite tracks from the US version - Complete Control and White Man in Hammersmith Palais. Would get 5 stars if they were on the album.
More lyrics about having one's balls licked than any other album (so far).
I love the spooky medieval stuff. Also gateway drug to Roy Harper if one is so inclined.
I can't listen to Sam Cooke without thinking of my mom. She would quote lines from his songs as she went about her business. "Cokes are in the icebox" comes to mind - Sam and my mom were the only people I knew who called the fridge an icebox.
Those memories alone would lead me to give the record 5 stars but man what a voice he had.
Songs are mediocre as is the playing. The Cure cover only reinforces the weakness of the band's original material.
Listen to the production. Listen to the bass parts. So much good stuff - in many instances, it formed the vocabulary for pop and rock music. Yes it isn't as good as Revolver - it's still awfully good.
The "yeah yeah"s at 2:13 of All Apologies are great. Overall album is pretty weak.
I think there's been a mistake. I believe this one is from that other list - 1,001 Albums No One Should Ever Have to Hear Again.
Good but it didn't grab me.
George Harrison plays some great slide guitar on a couple of tracks. Phil Spector's production is terrible.
I took a 5 star nap for most of the album.
They don't make 'em like this anymore.
This is a song about a superhero named Tony
Knob twiddling noodlage at its finest.
Two EPs really. The first one rocks - great band in a groove that wins the fight with over production. The second is Eno ambient-adjacent knob-twiddling. Not for everyone but I am into it.
Like I got a massage but my muscles still ache.
4 for Speakerboxxx, 2 for Love Below
Started out strong - I like the sound, especially the bass parts. Unfortunately several later tracks are unbearably drippy which caused my opinion to diminish.
But if they can't be rabbits, they'll be friends.
Pros: Not the Kings of Leon.
Is there a word for a cover band that plays originals?
Friend of the Devil is a great song. Several other good songs on the record. Overall the tempo is too languid for my taste. However studio Dead will always be far superior than the live mush in my opinion.
I listened while on a long drive which is a good way to take the album in. The density demands attention and listening without distractions lets you feel the connections across the album.
Time capsule. Well executed but so many bands did synthopop better.
the bangers are bangers. otherwise not so much
I had to deduct at least one star for The Girl is Mine. Shockingly wretched.
Great songs and performances.
Last couple of tracks had some good bits. Otherwise not my jam.
I expected to not like this for reasons I can't articulate. I really liked it - the songs rock and a bunch are surprisingly catchy.
Not the best era of the Stones. Many better blues bands in the UK during the same time.
All criticisms are valid. Nonetheless when he gets it right, examples on this album being "Someone Great" and "All My Friends", I find it hypnotic and cathartic. Full body exorcism of emotional turmoil.
Like many other 60 year old white American men, I enjoy some Def Leppard. Unfortunately this is not their best work. Pyromania is the apotheosis of the slick Mutt Lange iteration of the band while On Through the Night showcases the rough and ready version.
when I look at the world, it fills me with sorrow
I listened while scraping paint with a heat gun. I thought that this isn't too bad. Then I put on music I enjoy and realized that I like scraping paint with a heat gun more than I like this album.
cocaine is a hell of a drug
MDMA is a hell of a drug.
Wow. Not sure what I expected but this is great.
LSD is a hell of a drug.
My least favorite of the Experience albums but you can see why this blew people's minds.
I love Mitch Mitchell's drumming. I remember walking by the house of my friend Hairboy (not his real name) and listening to him practicing his drums Fire was one of his favorites and you could recognize it from the drums alone.
Hendrix's guitar playing is so pleasurable to listen to. Every note in his solos is distinctly articulated rather than speedy licks without intent. His rhythm playing draws on his roots backing soul singers and supports the song structure.
Tina is undeniably a great singer and performer. This album however is most notable for showcasing the shortcomings of 80s arrangements and production.
The covers of I Can't Stand the Rain and Let's Stay Together hurt me. The originals have that sweet sweet groove of the Hi Records band and Willie Mitchell production. The covers sound like they were recorded in a space capsule with a band made entirely of shoulder pads and triangular haircuts.
Some great lyrics about the immigrant experience. Must have been a rocking live show.
Second best band ever from Liverpool. You can hear what they will become but they are not quite there yet. 3.5
I listened to a lot of the Doors when I was teenager because I thought I was supposed to.Then I concluded they were embarrassing especially Jim Morrison's shaman poet circus performer routine.
This is a roundabout way of saying that I fully expected to hate this record and I didn't. First side of the record was not bad at all then it did descend into a fair amount of jimbabble.
Band sounded good and for at least part of the record, they were actually trying to write songs.
To give you an idea of how much of a grudge holder I am: A friend of mine got divorced thirty years or so ago after her husband cheated on her. Her ex-husband likes Nanci Griffith. I hold it against Nanci Griffith.
Also sounds like a NPR tote bag would sound if it were music.
Skip this and listen to Machine Head. The world does not need a 20 minute Space Truckin'.
some good songs and the guitar sounds great. I don't love his singing. 3.5
What would the world be like had there been no Sabbath? Supernaut is a great track.
Can't get past Bono's bombast.
I forgot how oppressive the late 80s - early 90s drum machine sound could be. In this case, it undermines what is otherwise a strong record.
The studio doesn't really capture what makes Little Richard great. Giving it 4 stars because it's Little Richard. No Little Richard, no Beatles. No Little Richard, No Prince. No Justice, No Peace.
Far better than I expected it to be.
Of course I have listened to a ton of early Beatles - my mom had all these albums - and I enjoyed them when I heard them back in the day. However, I had forgotten how incredibly tight the band was and how much energy there was in their performances. John's vocals in particular on this record are impressive.
Such a striking contrast between this record and the early Stones record we got a few weeks ago. This sounds great and that sounds like something me and my high school buddies would have recorded in Hairboy's garage. (Still not his real name.)
4/5 for the music; 1/2 for the lyrics. Strong early 70s glam-ish sound; the shock jock vibe is just stupid.
I find it interesting that both Alice Cooper and Black Sabbath state that they are influenced by horror films yet come up with such different expressions of that idea. Is the difference post-WWII US vs UK? Or just the individuals in each group?
The hits are catchy. The vibe is douche-y.
Musically Morrissey is an acquired taste. In general, not my cup of tea. For whatever reason I enjoyed him today and the music is quite good.
Toys
Toys
Toys
Other than the final song on each side (both of which are dogs), the album is filled with certified rockers.
Hypocrisy note: I must note that I am full of shit for giving Black Crowes a 1 but this album a 4. The two bands have more in common than I would like to admit.
would benefit from some song structure
probably should be a 3 because of the needless double album but I like the music. If I had listened closely to the lyrics, I probably would have taken off a star.
It sounds a lot like their older stuff. Not a bad thing.
I have never been a big fan of BB King but this was an interesting listen. It was nice to hear his younger, more supple voice. His guitar tone and phrasing is, as expected, excellent. The song themselves are solid but not spectacular. 3.5
One of my favorite albums. Pop psychedelia informed by Townsend's wit (pre-pomposity). Tattoo is a great song, many others are close.
Hippie dippie but I like it
Probably a 4 rather than a 5 but I have to give it for old time's sake.
I bought this when it came out and it was my favorite Jam album for a long time. If you asked me now, I would probably say All Mod Cons.
You can see in this album why Weller felt the need to dismantle the Jam. At this point, they had done all they could have done as the Jam. They were exhausting the possibilities of making young, angry, punchy music.
Some great songs on this album - Different Now and Scrape Away come to mind.
An individual Iron Maiden track can be wonderful. An entire album can be a bit too much.
Incredible players - Nicko and Steve may be the Sly and Robbie of 80s British metal.
Run for the Hills is a classic. First heard it when I was 40 - I couldn't believe that I had somehow missed til then.
I made it about halfway through the record. Not for me.
Kinda dug it. Tries too hard to be shocking in a way that doesn't feel very shocking any more but decent synth-pop dance music of a certain vintage.
Mick Ronson guitar crunch sounds great to this day.
Easy listening in the not pejorative sense. Great songs and a lovely voice with arrangements that let you enjoy the songs and the vocals.
not terrible but not my jam
Rocks harder than their singles. Pleasantly surprised.
Highway Star and Space Truckin' are all time greats.
Will my kids be proud or think their old man is really a square?
I gather Massive Attack were a big. deal in the UK when this book was written. The moment passed me by.
I find the record inoffensive but not particularly compelling. Might have been different if I had been a young person in the UK in the 90s. Having never been a young person, I can't know.
Starts out strong - I have always dug the solid groove of Born on the Bayou. Maintains its energy most of the way but by the end I was hoping that he would stop chooglin'.
Schlock. Laurence Welk in hippie clothes.
Jonathan Richman is sui generis and this is our introduction.
I don't like this album. The keyboard sound is annoying and the songs are drippy. One exception: the song Arc of a Diver isn't half-bad. Not enough to get this past one star.
I get it. They are taking the piss and having a laugh. Doesn't mean that it doesn't suck. Give me the Ramones or the Tubes for better versions.
I felt bludgeoned listening to this. I it 2 stars because I recognize that the group are technically proficient at bludgeoning.
Lots of good stuff on this album. Too long and not all the songs work but the top tracks sound great to me.
I fell asleep during the first song and woke up during the last song. The nap was excellent. I don't know about the record.
Leonard Cohen has grown on me over the years. I first found his bohemian ladies man persona kind of slimy and I still do but now his observations resonate more with me. Also his tempo and mine are now about the same. Several good tracks on this record and the dated syntho production ends up working for him.
I also noted a lyrical similarity between Tower of Song and Pulp's recent single Spike Island.
Tower of Song:
I was born like this, I had no choice
I was born with the gift of a golden voice
Spike Island:
I was born to perform
It's a calling
I exist to do this
Shouting and pointing
Sung somewhat tongue in cheek in both instances. Jarvis is a big fan so it is no surprise that he would invoke Leonard Cohen.
If you are interested, you can listen to Jarvis's interview with Leonard at the link below. I think I will do that now.
https://archive.org/details/jarvis-cocker-march-28-2010/Jarvis+Cocker+-+January+29+2012.mp3
The album is like a dish that's too rich to eat in one setting. Here's some palate cleansers:
The Jarvis Cocker radio show where he speaks with Leonard Cohen is quite good. Leonard has a dry sense of humor to accompany his wisdom. The highlight of the show, however, is Betty LaVette's version of Sleep to Dream. Check it out.
Leonard Cohen's paternal grandfather was born in the same town in Poland - Suwalki - as two of my great-grandfathers (one Catholic, one Jewish, both fleeing Cossacks conscripting young men into the Tsar's army.) The area is known for having the shortest distance between Belarus and Kaliningrad. This chokepoint is of great strategic importance to NATO.
My former therapist did a 10 day silent retreat where it turned out one of the other retreaters was Leonard Cohen. The experience of sharing space with one of his heroes without being able to speak to him had meaning which I have forgotten.
Back to the record itself: so many good songs, taken all together a bit overwhelming.
I remember liking them more than I did after listening to this. Johnny One Note.
Not their best but still awfully good.
Not a bad way to spend an hour.
Killing Moon is a great song. Some of the other songs are quite good. Some are not so good. The absence of a full drum set is noticable.
I listened to Cream a lot in my teens. I think for the most part, this album stands the test of time. Yes, it sounds like it was recorded using a tin can and a string with a layer of mud in between. Nonetheless, the songs and performances come through.
I can't stand anything Clapton recorded after 1970 but I enjoy his playing here. The solos are short and organized. SWLABR is probably my favorite example.
I'm a big fan of Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker. Jack's singing and bass playing come through really well but Ginger's drumming is buried in the mix. (the less said about Ginger's singing, the better.)
I think you have to be from the UK to fully get T Rex. Great sound but gets a bit repetitive after a while.
I enjoyed this. Probably my favorite of the two tone bands of this era. Unfortunate that the two tone moment in the UK spawned the US ska phenomenon whereby we were subjected to the likes of Bim Skala Bim.
They do what they do well. It was a struggle for me to make it all the way through the record.
Could have been an excellent single album. Too many undercooked songs as a double album 3.5
Probably a 4 but I am going to succumb peer pressure. The performances are strong. Songs are uneven but many are good.
Didn't grab me the first time and it doesn't now either.
At least we got punk rock in response to this.
It must have been the moment because I don't get it whatsoever.
A welcome antidote to Suede.
Started off very noisy and I was tempted to quit. I persevered and found myself liking it. Then it kept going. On and on and on. Finally I realized that no one was forcing me to listen so I stopped after about an hour. I would given it more stars if they hadn't insisted on this being 2 hours long.
Noodly and a bit adrift but not at all unpleasant.
People have been telling me for decades that this is a great record. Still not there yet.
Better than I expected but not particularly compelling in the end.
First side I enjoyed. Falls apart thereafter.
I was skeptical of this record because it was so omnipresent in my early 20s. Pleasantly surprised at how good it is. The playing - particularly the bass - is excellent and the songs are for the most part strong.
influential? yes. my cup of tea? not so much.
I added a star because the singer has the same last name as my mom.
Lively but struggles to maintain my interest over the course of the full album.
I know many are inclined to hate on Wilco because they are the soundtrack for a certain class of chino-wearing, fleece-vested white middle-aged dude. Fair enough but I'm bigger than that (in the best version of myself).
I have to give this 4 because I gave Being There 4 and this is better than Being There. That said, I would say AM and Summerteeth are both better than the two that are on this list.
Some of the songs are excellent but several others are adrift and adorned with needless knob-twiddling.
I listened to this record a ton in high school 40+ years ago. Not so much subsequently, although the hits are inescapable. Holds up pretty well.
The t-shirt that launched a thousand ships.
In the middle of the night
It feels alright, but then tomorrow morning,
then you come down, oh what if you never come down?
Benefited from its juxtaposition with the Fatboy Slim album.
I also must confess that I always confused them with Swing Out Sister despite the two having little in common. Perhaps it is the singer's hairstyle? In any event, apologies to EBTG.
I bought this the day it came out. I was initially disappointed because it didn't sound like Give 'Em Enough Rope (and because some of the songs weren't "rock").
For the first time, the production doesn't stifle the band. The band sounds alive and full of purpose.
There's a couple of dud songs but these are offset by the shout along anthems.
This record represents the band at its peak from which it came down rather quickly. Happens to the best of us.
Records from the 90s have noticeably better production than those from the 80s. This is a good example.
The songs themselves are rather monotonous and solipistic. The first and last tracks were the standouts for me.
Etched into my consciousness. So uncool that it's perfectly cool.
Thi would get 5 stars but for the number of lousy songs. the production and performances are excellent - particularly Louis Johnson on bass.
I could not bear the thought of listening to this shit so instead I took off all my clothes and spent the day with only a sock on my dick. I was cold and nobody thought it was funny.
Dated but not bad. A bit like me.
I would give this 5 stars for I Go Crazy alone.
I need to go back and revise my ratings - they're all bunched up. This is probably a 3 but I gave it a 4 because I gave Heaven 17 a 3 and I like this better.
I did like this record - not sure I would listen again and not sure that it was wildly influential outside the Commonwealth. Whatever - it's Dimery's list not mine.
It was always going to be a challenge for me to review a Van Morrison record. So much overexposure to his hits - may I never hear Brown Eyed Girl again - and then his bizarro personality. On the latter, I have been able to separate personality from music with others (eg, Michael Jackson) so I think I can do it here.
Anyhow, overall the album has a nice vibe. The band is loose and the arrangements have a Memphis-y R&B feel.
The songs have a certain sameness and his singing becomes tedious over the course of the album.
And It Stoned Me is the song I like best despite the use of the word jellyroll in the lyrics which I find jarring regardless of Van's intent.
Imagine if Kiss were even halfway decent musicians or songwriters. They would be the most fun band ever. Unfortunately they suck.
Best worst album ever. Or maybe the other way around.
One of the pleasant surprises of this list. Never listened to this before and it hit the spot.
The moment the 60s became the 70s. Self-indulgent and overlong twiddling.
this seems to be a UK thing. This album didn't do it for me but I listened to some other tracks from their later (and more popular in the UK) albums that were good.
