1001 Albums Summary

The only song I know by Sam Cooke is What a Wonderful World, currently liked on Spotify even. So what a wonderful listen! Really enjoyed driving around doordashing on a windy, cool and slightly wet night listening to some old music from quite a different genre to what I usually do. So quite the change all around, including the weather! A bit hard listening to the heavy love themes, but I’ll cope. Haven’t added any to likes but probably will, but saved the release. This is exactly the sort of thing I need on vinyl for easy listening.

Love the cover, but just didn’t connect with this sonically or lyrically. Perhaps with more listens, but when does that become beating a dead horse in hope of a glimpse of life? I appreciated some lyrics, but I didn’t find myself wanting to hear anything again. Gave it a few listens, wouldn’t skip it if it came up again, but unlikely to ever go back to it. I found it a bit dreary and monotonous, dragging my mood down. It didn’t feel enjoyable or a pleasure to listen to, but more like a burden or even, dear I say, a punishment. I didn’t hate it, but I wouldn’t ask for it again.

The extent of my LS knowledge is that they exist, in fact I couldn’t have told you they’re behind Free Bird or even Sweet Home Alabama. So this was very new to me, and I am thankful for it. This was a really enjoyable experience and I let it repeat a few times across the day. The vocals aren’t quite what I’m used to as a pop girlie fan, but I felt every note on the guitars in my bones. I would gladly listen to this again, however I can’t say it converted me beyond “yeah, I like a few of their songs” and I won’t be seeking out rock music on my own as yet, but I enjoyed the listen and filling yet another in my musical travels.

I found the experience rather unpleasant, and it’s poetic that there’s a song titled Rape Me as that’s exactly what I felt this album did to my ears, at times. It’s really hard to take an album with such a song seriously, and I found very little in any other component of the music that could redeem that, nor could I discern any deeper meaning. Perhaps if I spent time reading the lyrics and background, sure, but that’s not exactly how music is supposed to be communicated and experienced, is it? I wouldn’t say it was bad, or completely unenjoyable, just very close. I wanted to enjoy it, truly, I went in very keen and even optimistic, but it was beaten out of me one track at a time. A few lyrics were good, like “I tried hard to have a father but instead I got a dad” in the opening track, but those few moments were lost in the sea of largely nonsensical screaming. I just plainly couldn’t understand what I was being subjected to and I fear its magic may have been a “you had to be there” moment, lost to time.

My first 5 stars for an album I’d never heard before! Listened on a road trip and loved it from start to finish. Recognised the second track immediately, must’ve heard it around in years past. I knew it was a 5 star album from halfway through the opening track, something in there about how humans make snap judgements and stick them, perhaps. I loved the high energy and very electronic sound, almost reminiscent of hyperpop. Big fan, will be buying physically. Favourite track: Smack My Bitch Up - gives me Horizon vibes (the game).

I didn’t really want to like The Cure, it feels like the sort of music middle-aged English mums like, which may be completely off-base but that just reflects my “I’ve heard of them enough to know their status, but not enough to know their music” position before coming into this. I followed The Prodigy’s The Fat Of The Land with this on a long road trip through rural country roads to my mother’s house. Quite the change in tone, but I liked it. Chucked a few songs in my likes, enjoyed the vibes despite my desire not to. Good basslines, decent lyrics, each song felt unique enough to differentiate the album rather than it being a blur of sound.

A truly enjoyable listen. Most of the album ended up in my likes. It is definitely not quite the music I reagularly listen to, but very adjacent. The opening track definitely entered with a bit of a slap, and I was quite sure I was in for another unenjoyable listen. The vocals were, for the lack of a better word, weird, and almost comical, and when paired with the droning electronic noise throughout I was a bit pained. I thought "oh boy, this is gonna be a long one", but by the end of that song it was in my likes and I was a fan, and the rest of the album flowed on with great pleasure. I listened to it a few times through in total and even dipped my toes in some of their other music, from Loveless, and i'm excited to hear more. I really enjoyed the moody, spooky and ethereal sounds of this album and the strong guitar presence. I had heard of MBV before this, but I would've guessed they were a punk or rock group from the 90s/00s, so it's nice to fill yet another hole in my musical knowledge.

I was not particularly looking forward to this, something about the name of the band, and them including their name in the album title (it irks me, like a fourth wall break that I don't like or something) really put me off. I was expecting something... very different. I thought to myself "it'd be funny if it was actually not what i'm expecting and I also really enjoyed it" - nailed it on both! It was so good, I followed M.I.A's Arular with this for the second half of my trip home and it was spectacular vibes for driving into golden hour then the sunset as I crossed barren plains, the hills, and saw the city sparkling in the distance. Incredible guitar presence, vocals are quiet and mostly hard to catch what's being sung at all, but that didn't detract. I really enjoyed this album.

I can't tell you the thrill when I saw this album cover pop up. I LOVE Björk, she is my top artist of all time and I had a poster with this exact image on my wall for a long time. I was quite late to the party with her music, as she is a bit before my time. I started listening to her in 2014 with Biophilia, just in time for Vulnicura, and immediately worked my way back through her discography. I was captivated, and this album is one my favourites - of course it is, how could it not be!? The whole thing is just such a pleasant and enjoyable journey, it may be the one album I could show people to communicate my music taste. Sonically, it's just perfect. Groovy, creative, loud and a bit bold. Amazing instrrumentals and her voice really is so unique and satisfying to listen to. Best enjoyed with headphones, as Björk herself would want.

Gave it a few listens, nothing really sunk in immediately but I didn’t hate it and it was a decent listen. Didn’t hate, didn’t love it. Listening to this much rock in this project compared to usual (which is none) has definitely strengthened my prior opinion of it - I don’t really *hate* it, I enjoy and appreciate the strong guitar and drum presence, but I don’t find myself seeking it out.

Took a few listens to grow on me, notably because I was listening in my car the first few, and only passively. Really going to try focusing on listening on at least my speaker, but preferably headphones, from here (I have done so for nearly all so far, but first listen should be ideally - perhaps i'll revisit In Utero for this reason, give it another chance to not be terrible). On my first listen on the speaker I actually liked most of it, and added some to my likes too. So i'm unsure if it was just time or a better listening experience, but it grew on me. At first, I was finding this album quite... annoying. The lead male vocals, specifically, just... annoyed me. This was the same with My Bloody Valentine's Isn't Anything, too, but worse. I think it may just be me - I've always had a strong preference for female vocals. I also didn't like the quiet parts, the (painfully extended) dialogue and opening to the second track This Is What She's Like, specifically. Couldn't hear anything, is that intentional? I also found it hard to understand the lyrics, took me forever to realise it's "in time, in time" in that same song (at least I hope it is!), but I think that was exacerbated by car listening but was present in nearly every song. Not ideal. Really didn't think i'd give this more than a 2 at first, saved only by the very active and alive instrumentals, but i've changed my mind. I actually quite like it! I'd give it 3.5 if I could, can't quite justify a 4 at this point, but it's close.

I’ve never listened to Black Sabbath, I didn’t even know they sang Changes. My grandfather is a huge fan, and I see why. This was incredible, I loved it. In my previous reviews I’ve been saying how none of the rock albums I’ve listened to have converted me to a rock fan, coming back for seconds… this one has. I’ve played this album on repeat more than any other so far. Deep cleaned my old fridge with my headphones, hung washing and drove around all night with only this album on repeat. Hard to explain exactly why this one and no others have, perhaps it’s that this one has a “electronic” feel to it (namely in the guitars, but in the rest of the production too) and a male vocalist I actually like (not a fan usually). Maybe not, who knows, but I’m beyond impressed. I can’t wait to tell my grandfather about this!

A good, nearing on great, listen. Nothing I hate, but boy is "Mother's Lament" quite the tone shift! I was caught off-guard by that, shared it with some friends in a group chat to equally shocked responses. Very fun, very weird. Another example "oh, that's this song?" with Sunshine of Your Love" and the opening instrumental - immediately recognisable, scarcely nameable. Otherwise it was very enjoyable and groovy, but definitely a bit strange and unique. Would like to come back to it as I feel I didn't listen to it enough to recognise the individual songs and just generally not as much as some others i've listened to.

I listened to this while cleaning my carpets and I grew to like it, but much like many things that you grow to like only through exposure, it doesn't really have longevity, especially something as deliberately artistic and unordinary as this album. It is a Stockholm syndrome of sorts, perhaps, much like the noted origin story of Ace of Base. But with this album I didn't *dislike* it to begin with. It reminded me a lot of early Björk in small glimpses, whom I adore. So, every song except "Energy Fools The Magician" eventually made it into my likes, after a few listens. I found it quite interesting and dynamic, the songs were quite varied and very... fulfilling? Like they were a journey you had successfully accomplished. There is a clear difference between the first and second halves, with the latter descending more into lower energy, moody, ambient songs that are hard to classify and the former being higher energy, more recognisable pop/rock. I enjoy when songs have hyperspecific themes and lyrics, even if they're near meaningless and bordering on nonsensical - as this album seemed to, for me. I couldn't really make heads or tales, but could see themes. Reading some background, it would appear this is intentional, and Eno prioritises sounds over lyrics. Favourite Track: Backwater was my original choice - the lyrics are delightfully silly and a really jaunty track with some interesting sounds - but something about Spider And I really tickles my brain, it's a gorgeous song and I love how it finishes the album. Completely opposite vibes between the two, which captures this album's essence well.

I really don't think there's anything I can say about this album that hasn't already been said. He's classic, iconic and a genuine, literal superstar for a reason. This album, itself, is the same. It's an absolute beast musically. I will admit, I haven't really listened to that much MJ. I did briefly dip into his best hits as a teenager, which even then was still after his death. But I have never listened to a full album of his from front to back. So, based on my sample size of one, I feel like this is his most iconic. It has some of the biggest songs, and most of the rest were not unfamiliar to me either. Melodies and lyrics I was familiar with without realising it, owing the pervasiveness and sheer scale of his music. Although, I certainly wasn't familiar with the "you're a vegetable" proclamation of Wanna Be Startin' Something, that one caught me off-guard and... may need some explaining. I was actually really intrigued by this, so I went and looked up the lyrics; the closing unquestionably recognisable refrain (you know the one) has a translation/etymology link to... peeling vegetables! So that's... interesting! There's a couple forgettable tracks like Baby Be Mine and The Lady in My Life, but that doesn't detract from how incredibly loud, funky and satisfying this album is to listen to. Incredible production. Favourite Track: Thriller (of course), followed closely by Human Nature

Listened to this while blowing down the leaves in my yard on my headphones. It wasn't unpleasant, but it was... boring. Never been a folk or blues fan. It also shows its age well (much like Maggie in the morning sun?), just listen to the opening track; I may be wrong, but I'm hearing that he was dissatisfied with his lack of sex and love in Europe, and feeling so very persecuted, so went "east" and found a lovely Asian "slit-eyed" woman, complete with a casually racist and distasteful description of her appearance. Wow, what a classic!!! I also found his voice largely annoying and his lyrics rambling and wandering, sometimes too specific. I knew Maggie May before (except the opening - has it always opened that way? I thought the first line hit immediately), everyone does, but had never actually properly listened to it. It's kind of... nasty. "You look old in the sunlight, but it's ok I love you lol" like, what in the nineteen sixties is that!? It's *almost* romantic, but then he continues to mount an armed assault on her character, but repeatedly comes back to "it's ok still love you lol jk". Ok Rod. I find it hard to listen to music when it's so clearly about something so specific, at least if I can't relate to that situation. Still a decent track, but it's like listening to a lover's fight, makes me uncomfortable almost, like I shouldn't be there. I really hope Maggie was as bad as Rod makes her out to be, or he just sounds like a misogynistic dickhead. Also, very personally, there's a little dinging sound that makes a couple appearances from about halfway that sounds *exactly* like the Doordash offer sound, so as a Doordash driver in my spare time I was deeply triggered by this every damn time; "oh shit a new offer!" - oh wait no, just Rod continuing to sing about how much he hates Maggie still. I find that funny, but once I tune into something like that in a song I can never listen without hearing it, and it gives me such a visceral muscle-memory reaction that I can't enjoy it. I found the sudden change 2/3 through That's All Right to a guitar strum of Amazing Grace to be quite annoying each time, suddenly I'm at a funeral? Then his horrid voice comes in. Rod Stewart sounded then how Dolly Parton sounds now - like each note they sing might actually blow their larynx clean out of their mouth (and I say that lovingly, I adore Dolly, but she's earned that struggle through a lifetime of exquisite singing and getting *old* old). Tomorrow Is A Long Time + Mandolin Wind are both nice lovesongs, with the latter being quite devastatingly sad, but also... are the Buffalos dying in the fields during the coldest winter in 14 years a metaphor for dying love? A rough patch? Or the aging/dying referred to at the end of the song (not sure which it actually is)? Or like... just dying buffalo? Cool either way just curious, Rod. Specific detail to mention. The random "hey" in (I Know) I'm Losing You also makes me jump - got me in my yard while blowing leaves and also in the office - but I do like that track. The last two tracks really save the album for me, both are quite good. The album is actually quite literally split for me; I like the final four tracks, not the first four. Something about parentheses makes good music, apparently. Largely boring and forgettable. I was expecting more. I'd say I quite liked the instrumentals, but his equally painful lyrics and voice ruined that for me. It's listenable, especially the second half, and not unpleasant, but not something I'd come back to. Probably wouldn't skip the ones I've liked, but probably won't seek them out either. I'd give it 2.5 if I could, but not good enough for three. What's bad really drags it down for me. Most / Least Favourite Track(s): (I Know) I'm Losing You and, despite everything I've said, Maggie May is still pretty good / Every Picture Tells A Story (sorry not sorry)

Very funky and groovy right from the opening seconds. I was immediately hit with "retro video game" vibes with the first track and was instantly entranced. I recently played Undertale, and can't help but see the commonalities. This album was definitely in my "sonic" rather than "lyric" category of why I enjoyed it so much, not that the lyrics were bad, but the sound of this album is what made me enjoy it so much. It was a great mix of electronic and analog instruments, at least to my ear, and I really loved it. Quintessentially 80s, for someone who wasn't there at least. I actually enjoyed the vocals too, which is often rare for me with male artists. This would be a 3.5 for me, which is exactly the proportion of songs I liked too (5/7 - for now at least). I should probably note my favourite track too, as hard as that can be - here it would be "Second-Hand Woman", just makes me want to groove and bop.

Aggressively boring, but not actually unpleasant. It made me feel like I was at a Christmas dinner where my chain-smoking uncle had gotten drunk and decided to adlib new lyrics to a Disney movie soundtrack. Some tracks were decent listening, but only decent. I couldn’t help but snicker at the line about the $15 prostitute, despite its intended seriousness. I didn’t actually dislike the vocals, they’re interesting and… fine, but the general vibe of the music is just quite boring and forgettable. I didn’t hate it, but it’s not for me.

It feels unfair to rate an album in a language I don't speak, as I imagine there's quite a bit I missed. But, based entirely on the sonic component, it was still very pleasant. Felt great to listen to early morning at my desk doing busy work, with the morning sun beaming through the city buildings on me while enjoying a cup of tea and some sweet biscuits. It was... a mood, very enjoyable, I would listen to this again happily.

I've listened to M.I.A before, according to my streaming history it was 2012! I had thought it was when I was discovering Björk, which was a few years later, but it was not. I had faint memories of listening to a bit of her discography quite a bit and enjoying it, to the point that she was no stranger to me as an artist - including her recent, uh... change in beliefs and business pursuits that has played out on instagram (for me, at least). Turns out it was her 2007 album Kala and her 2010 album /\/\ /\ Y /\ which I seem to have listened to enough to put it in my top songs of that year. I use stats.fm to analyse my Spotify data, and it was here I discovered that it seems to have not captured that year - I assume Spotify didn't keep good enough data back then, rather than it being stats.fm, but I also have last.fm data from that year. I was still in high school then, and I was transitioning to streaming rather than iTunes CD rips (couldn't afford to actually purchase much in those days, and I preferred physical if I was - still do!). I'm not sure why I listened to her, but she wasn't exactly unfamiliar with her success of Paper Planes (which is really the only M.I.A song that Spotify has fed me consistently in the years since) and I guess my penchant for more alternative pop and strong interest in Die Antwoord at the time led me to trying her out. I listened to Kala 4 times and /\/\ /\ Y /\ 5 times, going by the streams, between December 14-17, and a brief revisit to Kala on December 21. Of course, the streams weren't perfectly divided and some tracks have more listens - but you get the point, numbers are fun! It was nice to revisit that old memory of a very different time in my life, and I look forward to revisiting those albums too... as I had a great time with this one! Every song, minus the skits, made it into my likes during my roadtrip home. I had it loud, and immediately knew I was in for a bundle of music that i'd love. Super interesting with a wide variety of sounds and themes, hard to not dance along even while driving, with a few hooks still ringing around my head the day after. A real pleasure to listen to.

What an incredibly strange and erratic journey. I'm glad I was aware it was a satirical art piece before going in, or I would've been very, very confused. The music was discordant and intentionally bewildering, constructed to deliberately mess with your ears... and I liked it. I certainly wouldn't listen to this in regular rotation, but as an album it's a very fun journey that provides a very unique and more obscure perspective on a very iconic era in history (that is, anti-Hippy). I found it extremely creative, interesting and fun. It was like being in a museum about an era long past. I'm a big fan of "slice of life" stuff, and this felt a lot like that, aside from its pure artistic merit. I visited MONA in Hobart early last year and there was an exhibit by the artist Tamy Ben-Tor titled "My Name is Adolf Hitler" and listening to this album gives me similar vibes to that - absurd, surreal but ultimately historical as both the media and its subject are so far removed from present day. All that being said, if this album weren't so well-produced sonically, it wouldn't be have been a pleasurable listen. It's carefully and skillfully constructed unchaotic chaos. Favourite Track: Who Needs The Peace Corps and Flower Punk are probably tied, with What's The Ugliest Part Of Your Body? in close second.

It’s giving Vivian from Young Ones, but unironic. This album was quite a journey for me, as I didn't just listen to it and move on, I listened to it a few times over a couple days, alternating with the 2012 remastered versions (I could kind of hear the difference - it was cleaner), did a lot of Wikipedia reading, reading reviews and so on - essentially gave myself a history lesson. It was a journey, but not because of the music directly but because of the periphery. I think that's much like The Sex Pistol's historical and musical legacy - the music wasn't what was great or revolutionary (oh no they called the Queen fascist and used taboo words!!!), but they themselves as a band were completely... unhinged. Obviously i'd heard of them, but couldn't name a member or even a song. Reading their history, particularly of Sid Vicious, feels like something of fiction and hyperbole. Really, they were performance art rather than musical artists, so absurd and novel in their unbridled animalistic behaviour that you couldn't look away, and the infamy and notoriety followed - except their “art” wasn’t a performance but the result of deep-seeded anger, fundamental instability of personality and troubled childhoods. Inter-generational trauma: the musical. Of course it does seem this fire was stoked quite attentively by their management for profit. Perhaps “circus act” is a better fit? At least that's how it feels to someone decades and continents removed from that era, speaking from a couple hours reading about them. I'm sure what their music was about was as profound and shocking (more the latter) as it is and always has been proclaimed to be, but it doesn't really hit the same today. I can go on any social media platform and find a whole selection of people saying far more controversial, inflammatory and taboo things in less time than it takes to listen through their album. Their music would be completely meaningless, insignificant and unsurprising today, they just did it "first" - or were the first to get enough people talking about them that everyone else did too. Angry young men with serious issues that the world hadn't quite seen before. Shock is powerful, but relative. I doubt they’d have even registered on the cultural radar if they’d existed now, not for their lyrics and music anyway, but maybe for their behaviour. Maybe that’s exactly what happened in their time too - but it seems their words did have more power then than now, at least. Anyway, nothing I have to say about them is particularly revolutionary, I’m sure. None of this is to say their reputation and legacy as “the birth of punk” or whatever is unearned, either, I just like to think about cultural relativism and find them fascinating. The music itself? I’ve already said what I think about the lyrics and themes, and otherwise it was… ok. Not my genre, but it grew on me. Easy to hate with only one listen. The hasty, imperfect quality is kind of cool. I feel like it adds to their mythos, makes them feel more ethereal and transient, like they were only barely captured just once. It was rough, but not amateur, although did feel a bit monotonous at times. The random noises (a cough, a burp) at the ends of a couple tracks further that feeling. It has a “one and done” feeling, “good enough, let’s go drink”. The accent is particularly pronounced with the singing (if you can call it that) style, makes it more iconic really. The rolled Rs scattered throughout are very satisfying. Angry Americans just sound dumb and whiny, angry Brits make you wanna smash things and join in. Most / Least Favourite Tracks: No Feelings / New York (and not just because of the slur), but their two biggest (God Save The Queen and Anarchy in The UK) didn't really have much of an impact on me, not a fan. I think those were “you had to be there” tracks.

Didn’t even recognise this band or album’s names, but I did recognise Why Does It Always Rain On Me? immediately - classic song. My immediate impression is that it’s a very “pretty” album, the melodies and instrumentals are very soft and airy and just… pretty. I've found a couple songs - the aforementioned, Turn and The Last Of The Laughter - coming back into my head, something that doesn't happen super often. However I did find about half the album fairly weak and straight up hated Slide Show. I don't care what your artistic intentions are, having a 10 minute song where a good third or more is just dead silence is an incredibly bad choice. The first half of that song is lovely, then the second (after the silence) is horrid. I get the point, heard the lyrics, but I don't want to listen to that at the tail end of an album that is, mostly, quite enjoyable, even if largely weak. I liked that album overall, but it definitely gives mum "rock" vibes. Giving it a 3 as it's saved by the stronger songs, but dragged down by the weaker. Most / Least Favourite Track(s): WDIAROM, with TLOTL in second / Slide Show by a wide margin, but didn't like Driftwood either.

Oh man, I was excited to see this come up. I grew up with Basement Jaxx music, and Red Alert is a defining song of my childhood. This was an era before I collected or listened to music in album form (I was but a wee child), just what was on the TV and radio, so I had a squizz at the tracklist to see if I knew any - as there is an even more defining and iconic Basement Jaxx song for me, Take Me Back To Your House - and was happy to see I saw one. I knew i'd enjoy this album, and I did. I was surprised to see the low rating on here, however I shouldn't be as the 1001 albums project is a magnet for pretentious knobs whose singular idea of what is "good" music is always "has instrument, not female, not on radio". They listen to these things once and since it challenges their tastes and disrupts their comfortable position for jerking themselves off over the flimsy and predictable opinions they've gravely mistaken for having a personality, they dislike it. Oh no, I'm not being force-fed a melody and there's samples and it's, it's - *gasp* - popular!!!! Thank god we're not crowd-sourcing 1001 albums for this list or we'd end up with one of those "average human face" situations. Not liking this album is valid, as with any, and you can't really argue taste, but I scrolled through the reviews and didn't actually see a single valid reason, it was all just "it's noise!!! it belongs in a club!!! it's dated!!!" - basically, it's different. I can't criticise too much, as I've hated albums for fairly superficial reasons too, but not because I simply look down on them from a false position of superiority. Hard to find a review on here that doesn't drip with elitism. After all, this album charted high and was reviewed extremely well. That should say it all. Obviously, I loved it. I enjoyed the various samples and heavy, active production. There is a lot going on and every song is very distinct, a taste of entirely different genres (funk, reggae, latin...). Basement Jaxx always make very "alive" music with a lot going on, playful and a little... boisterous? It's a distinct style. Red Alert is a huge song, comes right at you. I enjoyed the interludes too, I think of interludes as a more modern thing (don't come for me, i'm sure it's not) so it was cool to see them here, and integrated so well. Same Old Show is a great track but the moaning is definitely... a lot. Most / Least Favourite Track(s): Yo Yo + Don't Give Up, Red Alert would be my favourite if it didn't make me think my devices were lagging every time it starts playing / U Can't Stop Me, grates on my ears a little. Rating: 4, maybe edging a bit over.

Oh, it's mellow. Very mellow. I feel like i'm in a hot tub listening to this, being strummed to sleep. And I really mean that - it has an almost gloomy vibe, while still remaining bright and happy. Like an apathy of sorts. Not sad, but not particularly happy. A melancholic vibrancy, almost. Just very... mellow, and moody. And funky, of course. Do I like funk now? I think I might. There's so many layers and sounds, and each song changes so much throughout yet still stays recognisable and consistent. I'm a big fan of more ambient (i.e. lyricless) music, and this is a fantastic album for that, about half the songs are pure music. It's an entirely different experience when there aren't any words, to me it's a fundamentally difference category of music. The opening to Freedom Flight is one of the most gorgeous things i've ever heard - the soft noise of windcatchers underneath and incredible, slow guitar bars - gorgeous. The layers work incredibly well, then the saxophone comes in and it's like heading to another planet. I've never enjoyed a song longer than 5 minutes more, to be honest. The whole album is very magical and atmospheric, really loved listening to this. Most / Least Favourite Track(s): Hard as I discovered that the original album didn't have the final four songs until a 2001 reissue, and they're from his former album. Freedom Flight, Ice Cold Daydream and Strawberry Letter 23 would all be vowing for first, but if I limit to the "original" tracklist then it's Aht Uh Mi Hed - the various noises throughout this are especially fun to listen to, the little keyboard melody that plays throughout is addictive, the occasional flute, and I swear I even heard an eagle cawing at one point (if wrong then i'm joking), title track close second / XL-30, but "least" is doing some heavy lifting here, I loved the whole album head to tail, but this one did sound like Grandma got a bit excited on the church organ. Rating: 5, probably only 4 if it were confined to the original tracklist.

Lovely, feels very folky and like it's being sung while you sit around a campfire in a dark, chilly forest, especially when those flutes come out in Duncan (did get a laugh from the "ooh-wee" he makes as it sounds exactly like Rick & Morty). I'd say I enjoyed the music, but I didn't really enjoy the lyrics that much on the whole. I liked how personal and intimate it felt, hence the campfire visual, like in Everything Put Together Falls Apart where he turns away from the microphone to scratch his face. You can hear his facial hair moving with the scratches as he keeps singing before turning back. Me and Julio has some deliciously strange noises going in the background of the second half, and very catchy lyrics. Each song was distinct and defined, they each had their own character. I get very fatigued by albums where after 3 listens you're still like, which track was that again? How did it go? And it's just a blur of noise - this album was not like that. This album feels more "story book" than "diary", if that makes sense. He's telling you stories, not sharing his feelings. Unfortunately I didn't really like most of the stories. Mothers, hobos (twice) and some guy named Duncan listening to people have sex in a hotel room then leaving his fishing boat to go live in New England, or something? At least they were palatable enough to listen to. I would say that's an apt word - this album is like a McVities Digestive biscuit of the music world; technically edible, perfectly satisfying, probably not really anyone's favourite but also kind of hard to hate, just a bit boring too often, but also so specific in composition you wonder who the target audience is. Most / Least Favourite Track(s): Run That Body Down for substance, Me and Julio for style / Armistice Day Rating: 3

This was nearly unlistenable to me. I hear the lyrics, I hear the point, I hear the instrumentals, the melodies etc etc - I hate it, all of it. I did not like this one bit. Every aspect of it was like taking an angle grinder to my brain and felt clunky and hollow. It felt like the musical equivalent of a melodramatic teen movie with superficial quandaries and problems communicated through bad and rigid acting. It wanted to make a point but instead of a spear we got a baseball bat. Fly Or Die and Drill Sergeant are the best examples of this. I happen to really dislike repetition in songs too, the same lyrics or word repeated an unreasonable amount, which this album apparently loves. Nearly every song felt the need to repeat its name incessantly, did they think we would forget? I recognised She Wants To Move, registered somewhere in my brain, and it was probably the only song that gave me any semblance of pleasure. I found nothing novel, original or even interesting in this album. Absolutely incomprehensible how to current top review for this says it's "eclectic and original" and "pushes the envelope", this sounds like one of the most cookie-cutter early-2000s hip hop/"rock" albums I've ever heard. Most / Least Favourite Track(s): She Wants To Move, with Thrasher the only other song I didn't beg to finish / Jump Rating: 1.5/5 but I always round down here. Just truly exhausting.

I already had two songs liked from this album - Mr. Brightside and All These Things That I've Done. The Killers are such a facet of my childhood, the nostalgia that Somebody Told Me unlocks is wild, as well as all the lead singles from this album. It's a nice feeling. I've never really listened to The Killers, though. Not sure why, it's good music. I enjoy that there's a good mix of instruments as well as synth and electronic elements. Compare the last two tracks I listed, for instance. Really different compositions. One distinctive thing about The Killers for me is the vocals always sound hollow and muffled, like you’re listening through a wall. I don’t hate it, it’s a very cool decision even, just very characteristic to me. It also makes it feel very "cinematic", like every song should come with an emotional heavily colour-graded supercut with lots of fog and strobe lights. Good music. Most: Everything Will Be Alright, Somebody Told Me close behind Least: Glamorous Indie Rock & Roll Rating: 3.5, but I’ll round up for this one

Loved how “live” this actually is, the audience interaction and ad lib towards the end of Willow Weep For Me is amazing, as well as her charm at the beginning. Just imagining being in this club in the 50s is so exciting, this was my grandparents era and I just love to picture it. This album really makes that easy, brings it to life. Both her vocals and the recording of them are crystal clear, it’s incredible, absolutely beautiful to listen to. How High The Moon was fun, the improvised lyrics with yet more of her personality shining through was very fun, makes me smile, but the scat part did get a bit old quickly. Most: Willow Weep For Me Least: Just a Gigolo, but didn’t hate it Rating: 4

You really can't help but move along, it's involuntary and forceful participation! It is so incredibly groovy while also being very, uh, cultural? I don't know how describe it without sounding like a white lady experiencing her first luau. It's very refreshing, but more the sort of thing i'd expect to hear in the background while drinking cocktails on holiday or at a restaurant, somewhere it's still hot at 8PM and the sound of the music has to cut through a busy venue of happy and energetic people. I can't imagine myself ever playing this in my house, but I just know i'd say "oh I love this music" while grooving with my shoulders at my table and taking another heavy sip if I were on that holiday. But it's too good for just that, the production is incredibly layered and intricate. There's a really good mix of modern/traditional instruments and a heavy bassline through the whole album, which I love. Electronic elements mixed with exotic (I hate that word) percussion - it's fantastically fun and intoxicating, really. Can't resist grooving along. The gap between most and least favourite, for me, is very small, the whole package is very good. Most: Taaw Least: Pitche Mi Rating: 5

It's funny, I had no idea who UB40 were until last year. The visited my city and some family went to see them, my mother in law kept saying "you know, red, red wiiiine!" and singing it to me, but I, infact, did not know even after having it played it to me. Had never heard of it or them. I actually travelled to the venue that night to see said family outside. And that's the only exposure I have ever had to UB40. It immediately comes off as preachy with Tyler, but I guess "political" is probably a better word, and is apparently something this album is esteemed for (although can't say I really caught much more of it). There's also no mistaking that this is reggae either. I did love the heavy basslines, although they did get a bit monotonous and repetitive. Didn't love the abrupt stops and changes in the first two tracks. Really loved the last minute and a half of Burden of Shame, very cool and almost psychedelic. It was pleasant to listen to, but I kind of tuned out of the second half of the album and it all felt very same-same, a bit one trick. Groovy, but monotonous. Most: Burden of Shame Least: Tyler Rating: 2.5, but I'll round up.

I really wanted to like this, sonically and lyrically I enjoyed it enough. Hope There's Someone is a beautiful song, but my god this is such a good example of vocals I can’t stand. The vibrato on every single syllable and the weird droning timbre of her voice was just not as captivating or alluring as it's apparently supposed to be, it just got too much after only a couple songs. That is very subjective though, something about my brain doesn't like lower registers, and combined with this specific timbre it's just near unlistenable for me. I actually went on a hunt as I knew I recognised this voice from a Björk song - a bit of searching confirmed that this is the same vocalist featured on The Dull Flame Of Desire and My Juvenile from Björk's album Volta. I can, then, confirm the consistency of my opinion on this person's voice - I have always hated it. The reason I recognised it so viscerally is because it makes me hate those two songs too, and I have listened to a lot of Björk so I don't see it "growing on me" any more than becoming tolerable. She can sing, but I don't like it. It reminds me a bit of jasmine.4.t's vocal style, actually, except hers has a better timbre to it. There was a fair bit of repetition in the lyrics across the whole album, especially For Today I Am A Boy, and I really hate that. No, the meaning is not any cleared now you’ve said the title of the song 57 times. I did like the general atmosphere, the heavy string usage and the cover image is incredibly captivating once you know the context (iykyk, google it). It's quite a sad and dreary album, though, so despite everything else it's not really my thing. But it does take on a more significant meaning since Anohni only came out publicly years after this album. Most: Fistful Of Love, I could actually listen to this one despite the vocals, but Hope There's Someone for the production if the voice were different. Least: For Today I Am A Boy Rating: 1.5, but rounding down.

The four singles are solid, iconic and nostalgic and have successfully worked their way back into my rotation. I am a big sucker for the production on Cry My A River, I just love it so much, those weird vocal layers in the background - so good. Everything outside these is filler bloat so they could actually release an "album". They all sound the same and cover the most banal and uninspired topics. Truly vapid stuff. It was honestly difficult to pick my least favourite. The production is decent across the board, some actual depth and character, but lyrically and vocally just absolute drivel. To be fair, this includes the four singles too, but they're actually more interesting and have stronger hooks and themes. The rest feels... remedial. Most: Cry Me A River Least: Take It From Here, Last Night, Still On My Brain - basically everything not a single Rating: 1, even with four Certified Banger singles that are a lovely blast from the past to listen to, the rest in between is unlistenable.

Exciting to be doing my first duplicate artist, as I've already had The Fat Of The Land and absolutely loved it. This album came out when I was only a couple weeks old, so I was excited x2. Excitement not misplaced, as it was fantastic. It's a beast of an album though, I didn't see the run time when starting and only noticed when I thought "wow, this song is long.... oh, so is this one" and so on. I can usually get through a full album on my bus ride to work, barely got through half of this. Very much what I expected based on their other album - fat beats, a lot of drum, lots of low bass-y noises and ethereal synths, quite industrial and grunge for EDM, an almost total lack of anything resembling traditional music like melody/song structure/lyrics (not a criticism for me, is for others) and never being bored the entire play through, which is a feat for an album so long. Being more "noise" than "music" it can be hard to see meaning and themes, but it's there. A lot of sonic variety too, bits of everything scattered throughout and it manages to sound of the time but also fresh, or maybe that's just because it's new to me. But it doesn't sound likes it's dated and poorly-aged, like Remedy by the Basement Jaxx for example (still good, but you can see its age). It starts strong and keeps going right through until ending with a bit more chill, atmospheric stuff (but still EDM, of course). 3 Kilos is especially representative of that - it's a real big change in the vibe of the album, but works incredibly well and signposts a really good 3-track close out to the album, I enjoyed the whistles. Found Speedway a bit... comical? The racing car sample was repeated so much it became funny, still a decent track otherwise though. Nothing bad on this album. The laughing loop on Claustrophobic Sting is absolutely intoxicating too, loved it. The glass breaking in Break & Enter too, it's weaved in so perfectly. The opening sample/lyrics in Their Law as well as Poison's office sounds opening, too - "oh fuck sake, tryin ta write this fuckin tune man", very relatable every time I get a phone call too. Seems each song has a distinct sample/sound it's built around, which I love. What I would pay to be able to go back to the 90s and get completely wiped dancing to this at a club. Plays: 2 Most: No Good (Start the Dance) Least: The Heat (The Energy), but Full Throttle also - still like both, but find them a bit jarring at points. And the "yeah-e-uh" vocals in the former are very dated imo, not a fan. Rating: 5

Wrote all of the below and realised I hadn't actually said anything about the album overall. I really enjoyed it, I like being able to hear the work going into using the instruments, very characteristic of older music. I was expecting a more novelty experienced like with We're Only In It For The Money based on the title / blurb on here. I wasn't far off, the second half is firmly in that vein. The first half was fantastic, very diverse set of tracks that feel like they're from completely different genres, yet unified. Very fun, too, especially Lazy Sunday. The second half is... interesting. Not bad, but the sort of thing you put and sit down to listen to intentionally, like a movie, not something you put on for passive sound. Unless you're into that. The weird switch to only one channel about halfway through Happiness Stan makes it completely unlistenable to me, even in the version without the frustratingly demi-comprehensible nursery rhyme/poem in the coda. It makes me physically ill and is unbearable, otherwise I would've added that one to my likes too. A lot of weird channel stuff going on too - weird drum flourishes in the title track that sound like they're coming from another room, the very tail end of Afterglow. Said poem continues right through the second half of the album, it's definitely... interesting. A fun little story, albeit weird, but as I said it's annoying as it's understandable but also not? Somewhere between English and one of those "what English sounds like to non-English speakers". Almost gives Prisencolinensinainciusol vibes. Reading the wiki, it seems that's the point and this is that guy's whole schtick. But I enjoyed Stan searching for half the moon regardless. Very absurd and unique. It’s actually quite strange that the main version of album available for me in Australia (2019 Revolver Records, with the dark blue background) completely omits nearly a minute of the end of Happiness Stan, I don’t recall if any other tracks are truncated or not but… why? Isn’t the point of that track the story? Weird. Unfortunately it makes it hard to just casually listen to, I don't think i'd enjoy any of side B rocking up in my Daily Mixes or shuffle. And even in the omitted version, the channel shift is still there and that's so much worse. I flipped between said main Australian / Revolver Records version, which appears to be remastered or something (doesn’t state in song titles like yet another version does) and the version linked through here (2011 Sanctuary Records, white background). Definitely a noticeable difference in quality, cleaner and boosted in the 2011 version. The Revolver Records version is quite noisy and quiet, but weirdly that version of Lazy Sunday is kinda better, the rest are not. Reading through their Spotify bio, it seems their catalog had some issues with languishing and mismanagement and subpar releases, I wonder if that’s an artefact of that. Weirdly, when I try to play tracks from the 2011 version using the Spotify web player, it plays from the 2018 50th Anniversary / Remaster by Charly Records, spotted the titles of what was currently playing being inconsistent across places. Super strange! Would be interested to see the difference with the other versions on Spotify, specifically the odd channel mixing moments, but I think that with every band old enough to have multiple versions of albums, the chaos discomforts me. Anyway, I loved it. Probably won't listen to side B too often or at all, but side A is incredible and the more I listen, the more I love every track. Plays: 4 - only 2 from everything after Happiness Stan, but much more random / unordered plays in the week between listening and posting. Most: Lazy Sunday - loved the very sudden screaming and rioting and the weird little frog voice in the background, with Afterglow in close second. Title track is marvelous too. Least: Long Ago and Worlds Apart - if excluding side B, otherwise probably just Happiness Stan for that horrendous and unbearable channel drop at roughly the halfway mark. Rating: 4 - I think it’s a fun little project that’s very unique and creative, including side B, but side A is what really gets this score. Would be a 5 without that, easy.

Really beautiful, classic “music” music. Strong, defined melodies, compositions with heavy piano accompanied by guitar and drums, clear and well-structured lyrics. And it’s good. I’d heard and loved Wild World and Father And Son before this, so it was nice to meet their family. Songs like Sad Lisa are just so beautiful, those string sections are incredible, so despite not being a particularly relatable or relevant song I just can’t resist smacking that like button. I honestly can't say much else about, just an absolute pleasure to listen to. Plays: 4 Most: Father And Son - came along and knocked Wild World out of an easy top spot. Least: Into White - I honestly just did not get this song, I mean I too want a simple garden and acres of sky etc etc but what is this song even about? Colours? Rating: 4.5 - but i'll round up, really loved listening to this.