An interesting mix of standards one would be more likely to associate with Johnny Cash and interpretations of more modern songs.
The results are mixed. I personally don't think "Bridge Over Troubled Water" works at all. "Personal Jesus" is interesting but feels a bit gimmicky. "I Hung My Head" is very good, but his interpretation of "Hurt" is superlative. Especially poignant knowing this is his last album, the emotion and feeling in his voice touches me every time.
That one song for me is enough for the album to have earned it's place.
I like Hendrix's music, but never loved it. Listening to this album I have to admire the production. It sounds fantastic and yet it still leaves me a bit cold.
File it under and acknowledged classic but not coming back soon.
Serious Glam rock. Good fun but not favourite and time has moved on.
No doubt this was innovative at the time, and still a good listen with some banging tunes. However the years haven't treated it that well.
In terms of the recording itself, it was ground-breaking as a live album, but again time has passed.
Good but not great.
Enjoyable music. I don't know anything more about Elliott Smith than I read on Wikipedia. Perhaps had I been more onboard at the time it would have meant more to me. I can certainly hear the influence on artists that came later.
A good, but not great album to me. 3/5
I suppose a lot of people would list this on their top 100 albums let alone 1000. Peak Eagles, the album is commercial yet has some biting lyrics and uncomfortable themes.
The title track is of course so well known it became a meme before memes were a thing. Life in the Fast lane is a good rocky song. The last Resort comes across as a country song in places, but heavily orchestrated in others.
This is one of those albums where the styles can change quite radically from song to song. I like that.
I remember in my teens thinking Jim Morrison was a profound and gifted poet/songwriter. I read the biography, listened to the music, and all was good.
This time around it leaves me a bit cold. Don't get me wrong, the musicianship is top notch and Morrison's brooding style suits the music well, especially on this albums more blues focused style. Now though I find the lyrics less compelling and the majority of the songs forgettable.
A good album, but in my opinion, not great. This one does not make my top 1000.
Interesting. At the time, like a lot of my peer group I had distain for this sort of music. It was for people who couldn't sing. Needless to say my opinion has changed over the years. This is a great album. I'm not going as far as a 5, as I think it builds rather than totally invents, but hey, that's just my opinion man.
Will I relisten, possibly which is a pretty good endorsement. 4/5
Good but unremarkable to me. I imagine you had to be there at the time.
I enjoy this album but it's difficult to imagine how innovative it was at the time. Listening to the stereo mix it's hard to imagine it in mono as well. Ahead of it's time and mostly stands the test of time.
Not my thing at all. Technically it's very good, but I just don't like getting shouted at for the better part of an hour. Dos points from me.
Enjoyable. Don't call it folk rock :-) I know little of this band despite having been a bit of a folkie in my time. So I have no idea where they fit into the history of things. Still a pleasant listen. 3/5.
Lovely background music. Doesn't do as much for me as I imagine it should. Guess I don't get Jazz as much as I thought.
Very good. Very clever. I actually prefer her more recent stuff but this gives you a sense of where she started. Not my thing thought. 3/5
Again, really nice. I understand the structure but it doesn't move me. Enjoyable in the background. I can't see sitting down and listening all the way through.
I like this album. I like Dylan. I don't think it's his best. There is no doubt he is hugely influential and a talented singer-songwriter with a vast body of work.
I just think some of his other work is better. It's still a 4/5.
Kanye's last great album before his descent into insanity. Some outstanding tracks. Very raw in places.
OK, Wow. I really like this album. I know Dylan of course and most of the songs on this, but I've never sat and listened start to finish.
The unrelenting pace of the lyrics, the hook laden music, this was peak Dylan. I suppose there are some who bemone the loss of the more folky accoustic Dylan, but the two can stand apart but complimentary.
Hard 5 here.
Nice. I'd never heard of them and they seem the kind of thing I would have been listening to at the time. It almost feels like reminiscing, but without the associations of a song you know.
Not listening to this shit. I try to be openminded but this is a step too far. I begrudge the fractions of a cent he would earn from my streaming.
It's OK and might improve with a few more listens. It does feel a bit like he has the style but leaves me cold.
Absolute genius. The backstory on this makes it even more special. A performer at the absolute top of his game captured giving a once in a lifetime performance.
If you're coming to this cold you should google the story of the concert. It will help you understand.
Great Album and one I've come back to and listened to over and over. 4/5.
I rate Leonard Cohen quite highly. That said this isn't my favourite of his. Good album, not great.
Fun, and an entertaining listen. However there's not much memorable here other than "Groove is in the Heart". Sorry one great track doesn't make a 5 or even a 4. 3/5 for me.
I've liked Beck for a while but never actually sat down and listened to this album start to finish.
It's really quite even with no real duds. Enjoyable and a few new songs added to frequent rotation.
Interesting to have listened to back to back with III. You can really hear the change in the music from a more folky bluesy sort of sound to a much harder rock.
This style of rock was never my favourite, but I can appreciate the talent and influence of the band. Another album with not a bad track on it.
I listened to R.E.M. pretty much from the beginning when their odd, often un-understandable lyrics and different sound were perfect for my late teenage angst. By the time Document came out I was well past that and they changed as well. The lyrics, while still often odd were intelligible and the meanings understandable without digging to deep.
For me this is about my favourite period for REM. Of course great music was still to come but for me this was when the changed from a band I listened to in order to seem a bit pretentious, to just plain good music.
Love Pulp, but that said I find it a bit uneven. Still a classic of it's time.
I remember when this album came out though I never had it on vinyl. I suppose if punk was a reaction to heavy and art rock this was a reaction to punk. Clear clean sound, more traditional rifts. Not a bad track on the album. What's not to like?
Love me some Bosa Nova. I always though this music seemed almost out of place for the period it became popular. Then I remember Paul Simon popularizing South African Musicians and Ry Cooder and Cuban misic. So hardly a unique proposition. I'm know there are may examples, but those spring to mind.
Pleasant to listen to but not going to change the world. Music doesn't always have to try. For me it reminds me of warm breezes by tropical seas. That give it a 4/5.
I enjoyed this. I think the concept is sound and the individual songs as listenable as the whole album. I'll probably listen again, hence 4/5.
Love this album. Loved Steely Dan. I remember when the Nightfly first came out. I thought IGY was OK but didn't pay much attention to the rest.
Now that my tastes have matured, this is one of my favourite albums and an absolute classic.
Again and absolute classic. Joni's voice soars and dips as she plays with words. It's poetry, but her singing elevates it to a different level.
There are some classic hits. Carey and This Flight Tonight and my favourite California. However the whole album is great.
Growing up in Canada I probably got exposed to this music more than most. Still love it.
Not a big fan of metal. Still not. I can hear the expertise in the playing, but I can't get past the recurring metal guitar licks. Does nothing for me.
Fun. I imagine for people who grew up when it was new it would bring back lots of memories. Britpop sort of passed me by, so it really doesn’t mean as much to me. Of course I know Alright from its usage in commercials, the rest of the tracks range from Ok to pretty good. Probably not going in my rotation though, so 3/5
Well that was weird. Kind of enjoyable, but for me more as a novelty than anything else. 3/5
So. First time I heard this album I was in bed with my first "intimate" girlfriend. Weird music to f**k by, but I didn't really care much. It started a long running Anglophilia that ended up with me married to an English girl (not that one) and leaving Canada to settle in England.
But enough about me. Genesis is one of those bands that went through many periods. This is probably peak Gabriel era, though "Lamb" comes very close. I love this album, and of course that bias's me. Def a 5/5
An album I'd not really listened through before with of course the obvious exception of Layla. That song along justifies the album but there are lots of other good bits here as well. Little Wing is poignant when you know the story. The blues influence is good and strong.
An album that could have led to so much more, but chance and circumstance mean we just have this one masterpiece, and of course the few lost tracks on "Crossroads"
A good album. I knew Ian Hunter more from his solo career, but of course knew of his history.
Something super special, I'm not so sure but a very enjoyable listen.
I wore the grooves out on this when it came out, so it's difficult for me to disassociate the memories from the music. But I'll try...
A good album, every song is a fun listen. What it lacks is any real passion, meaning, or message. But Hey! When you're a teenager blasting it through your headphones in your bedroom Rock and Roll is more than enough.
Fairly insipid middle of the road filler. Never been a fan and still not. I listened to the whole album, but it wasn't enjoyable and far too long. Clocks is about the only decent song in my opinion, and even it is limp. Some like "Daylight" are truly dreadful.
The kind of music you put on when you don't want to offend anyone or distract them. The only question in my mind is whether this is a 1 or a 2. Nothing to redeem it so 1 it is.
Music to f**k by. Seriously, “you sure love to ball”? As if “lets get it on” was too subtle. Still enjoyable for what it is. 3/5 for me. Edging to a 4 but not quite there.
Was set to give this a 3. It’s not my favorite Roxy album, but having listened through I’ll go to a 4. Great album.
Sympathy for the Devil is of course the song everyone knows, and it's a banger. The rest is very good but needs to be taken as part of the bands evolution to be fully appreciated.
I really like this album, and it is deserving of its place, but there really isn't anything revolutionary there.
Prob my favorite McCartney album outside of the Beatles. A fun album with lots of hits but nothing truly ground-breaking.
That's fine and shouldn't be compared to the solo careers of other former Beatles. Listen and enjoy a master at work without looking too much at the past.
This is music my parents would have listened to. As I get older I have to admit, they weren’t all wrong. not my thing and never likely to be, but I can appreciate raw talent and this is the beginning of something huge. Won’t be in my regular rotation but impossible to give it less then 5/5
Interesting. More rocky than I'd have imagined, but still very angry. I probably won't go back, but enjoyed listening.
Green Onions gets a 5. The rest of the album, not so much. Don’t get me wrong. I enjoyed it, sounded like they were having a lot of fun. It does get a bit samey part way through, it is mostly covers, good ones, but covers. It’s also probably my age, but the organ just gets a bit bingo-hall to my ears.
I recognise what it was so a 3, but I won’t be going back, except maybe for “Green Onions.”
At once classic yet much maligned. Born in the USA was Springsteen's big jump from being know by his fans to the top of the charts. A formative album for me I saw the tour in Connecticut and played the album to death. I guess I'm hardly unbiased.
The title track is misunderstood by the right and perhaps overinterpreted by the left. Once you move on from that you have classics life "I'm on Fire", "No Surrender" and "Glory Days". It actually isn't my favourite Springsteen Album. It is however definitely an album you should listen to.
I went into this thinking OK. Good singer songwriter. Then I listened. This is well above average. I mean so many songs, some of which are better know as covers by others… but still solid 5/5
Not my favourite. Good album, but Depeche Mode were never my thing.
Very good, but mostly about the words rather than the music. The tunes themselves are fairly repetitive and just provide a background for the poetry.
It gets a lot of credit for the words and the sentiment, but, sacrilegious I know, but not a 5 for me. 4/5.
Again for me quintessentially Canadian. This sound is music I remember growing up with. Hearing it regularly on the CBC.
As I said with the previous Joni Mitchell album, her vocals play with words and it is entrancing. 5/5
Surprises with how raw the sound is given how refined they became. The blues influence is still strong on some tracks yet the hints to the future were there with "The Kids are Alright". Not my favourite of their albums but worth of it's place.
Interesting. Sound and Vision is of course the song I remember, but there is lots of interesting stuff. Enjoyable but I don't understand people calling it his best. Good but not the heights I've come to expect from Bowie.
Surprised I enjoyed this as much as I did. I would have thought my days of Hair Rock were long over. Some great tunes and a band that I think were better than the stereotype of the music would lead you to believe.
Lots of good bluesy rifts, songs with great hooks, and not over the top on the bravado. I probably won't be coming back to this, but it deserves it's place.
Interesting. Not so much an album as a collection of 10 minute long stories. Enjoyable, but not my thing really. Still great to hear, music of that era takes me back to a time that I was too young to understand, but still a part of.
3
I remember when this album came out. Completely different than the Guitar Rock I'd listened to up until then. I'm not convinced it was totally revolutionary. There were other bands around the time doing innovative things, but they were one of the first in this wave.
Great album, all the tracks are fun, some are classics. Worth of a place in the 1001 albums.
Very nice. Great harmonies and catchy lyrics. I've like these guys for quite a while.
However there isn't anything really original here. For me it falls under "pleasant but mostly forgetable".
Up until about six months ago I knew nothing of Tori Amos. Then a friend insisted I saw here in Manchester. He was sad that she had lost the range in her voice, but as I didn't have that background I just enjoyed it.
With this album I can hear the range she had. Very Kate Bush-esk in sound. Lyrics that have to be listened to, more than once in many cases.
Very good. Still not one of my personal top albums, but a great listen.
I like this album a lot, but it's not really a casual listen. "Quiet Life" is the most likely song to be remembered, but the rendition of "All Tomorrows Parties" is also fantastic.
The album is of its era and the sounds show that. Still the music is original and manages to innovate despite using some familiar hooks.
I'm struggling to give it a five though, so four it is.
Early Who with Keith Moon in full form. I think you have to take the who in era's, the modern name for this sort of change. In this early Who the music is hard, loud and very raw. For an early live album it is exceptionally well recorded and almost doesn't sound live.
Greatest live album ever, I'll reserve judgement, but near the very top for sure.
Interesting. I enjoyed it, but wasn’t blown away. Well except for “Time of the Season”. Lightning really struck for that one. I’m giving it a 4/5 because of that song in particular.
Different from the albums that came before, and yet a wonderful thing. I haven't given this album the attention it deserves, but it is transporting when you listen in full.
Almost a concept album, but not quite. The first side is the one you'll remember most. Of course "Running up that Hill" is there with it's recent revival, but Cloudbusting was always my favourite.
Wish I'd seen her live. Perhaps one more show like "Before the Dawn" please.
It's hard to say this is her best album, there are contenders like "The Kick Inside" and "Lionheart" , but def a 5.
Enjoyable. Special, Not so sure. 3.5
Well what do you do about this. “Tangled up in Blue” is a top 100 ever for me. “Simple Twist of Fate” is pretty high as well. The rest of the album, meh. So two fives and a bunch of threes. Might as well split the difference, 4/5.
Damn! I have to give this a five. I'm not a huge Stevie Wonder fan, but this is very good. Not something I'd listen to every day, but there's not a bad song on the album, and some absolute timeless hits.
I imagine I'll hit some more of his albums later. We'll see how those do. Meantime, this is a classic, well worth a listen.
Heresy I know, but far from my favourite Bowie album. I get that he made it knowing death was imminent, and it's his last testament as such. It of course belongs on this list for that alone. In places it is moving, but it's not an album I'll come back to often.
Really surprised by this. A great album and one of the few I've gone back to listen a second time almost immediately.
The glam is strong and the influences on others easy to hear. I never rated T. Rex highly before, but I'm converted.
I was about 12 when this album came out. It's good. Sweet Emotion is of course a classic. Walk this way also a great song. The rest to me, not so much. The musicianship is great but I don't hear anything groundbreaking. So a couple of hits and a bunch of admittidly good filler.
Liked this a lot. I knew the name but don't recall listening before now. Certainly not this album. Enjoyable. Not life changing but enjoyable. 4/5
On first brush I thought. Good, but not amazing, but then I think this was the beginning. So much in this album was new. Of course you can hear the influences, but they made it their own. Ozzy's voice was at it's best and very very good. The guitar rifts aren't derivative, they are original.
Any other album with this sound I'd likely give a 4, but this one deserves a 5.
Again, surprised by how much I liked this. “Killing Me Softly” is the song I remember, and I remember thinking… just a cover. I suppose in some ways it is, but a very good one.
I even enjoyed “No Woman No Cry”. Guess my tastes have broadened in my old age. 5/5
I like this a lot. Never a huge Stevie Wonder fan, but that's more a me not him thing. The brilliance shines through. 5/5
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Some real talent and originality here. Enough so that I may try more. 4/5
Quite like this. Echoes of Shirley Bassey for sure. I had heard Goldfrapp before, but not like this. Somewhat experimental but not in a bad way. It will get added to my regular rotation. 4/5
Enjoyable Country Rock. Cripple Creek is the one everyone will remember, followed by "The Night they Drove Old Dixie Down" but there are other good tracks. Just not overly memorable. For me it's edging towards a 5 but perhaps sacrilegiously for me it's not quite there.
"American Idiot" and "I walk alone" are the ones I knew well. Hadn't really taken the time to listen to the entire album. It's good. Great, well I don't know. I think a four for being a great album, but nothing feels particularly innovative or original.
Not what I expected. Honestly OK background music, but nothing worth a second listen here. "What are their names" is about the only thing that made me stop and listen, and even that seems a sad echo of the protests of the late 60's.
Oh well, not every album can be ground-breaking. 2/5
Well, this belongs here even just for Kashmir, but there are lots of great tracks on here. I'll stop just short of a 5, but def a hard 4/5.
Quite like this. Of course I was a huge Split Enz fan which counts into it. This is enjoyable music with some clever hooks. It's not going to change the world, but why should it. Sometimes music can just be for pleasure.
Dad-rock, perhaps, but it is a 35 year old album, so why not.
Nothing ground breaking, but a good solid album with no bad songs. 4/5
Obligatory I'm not a fan of country music. That said I'd class a lot of this as more bluegrass than country. Amazing that out of these three legends Dolly's voice is just a step above. I know Emilyloo Harris by reputation mostly, and Linda Ronstadt from a fair bit of teen lust. :-) The three work together brilliently.
Still... I don't like country music. So 4/5
No idea what to expect from this. I didn't know about the Paul Simon connection until I read some other reviews. I try not to do that until after I've listened so my opinion isn't influenced.
I like the music, the rhythm and his singing. I like the way the sound bounces between speakers giving it a lot of depth. I don't know enough of it to say it's ground breaking or influencial, but I know what I like. It will get more listens in the future 4/5
I’ve always enjoyed Blues, while perhaps not totally understanding the history. This album doesn’t need a deep understanding. You can just listen and enjoy. That said what I do know about blues tells me this is something special. Given the timing I can understand it was likely the influence that started “white boy blues” as well. That’s a good thing. People like me probably wouldn’t have heard the classics and greats had it not been for their influence.
5/5. Gotta be.
I don't know quite what to make of this. I love it to bits. A real statement by Lou Reed. I love "Perfect Day". "Walk on the Wild Side" is a stone cold classic. "New York Conversation" is great fun. Again though, not a bad sone on it.
So should I give it a 5 purely on that. Hell why not.
I'm surprised, This is actually sort of OK. Only sort of OK though and I cant say I'm a fan. Very derivative stuff by musicians who probably wouldn't have had this chance had they not done the earlier pre-fab stuff.
I understand it belongs here as a document, but really not great. 2/5
I like this album. The lyrics are very politically incorrect in places, but hell, it's punk. My first introduction to The Stranglers was Golden Brown, which is about as far from the rest of their music as it gets. Then I saw them live at Glastonbury, and listened to the rest of their music.
I find this entertaining, with lots of great songs and catchy rifts. I'm not going to a 5 but this is a solid 4/5.
Good, but not my thing. I mean don't get me wrong. The lyrics tell a story and reward a good listen. Had my musical roots been different I'd probably rate it differently. But for me 3/5.
Stone cold classic. Again my musical roots are probably influencing me here but this album is peak Bowie, who himself is an absolute top artist. Not a bad track on here, and it both takes influences from others and provides the influences that influenced much that came after.
Bowie of course had more than one peak, but this was the beginning. Can't be lest than 5/5.
Fun. Political without being overbearing. Very danceable which is a bonus, even if I'm not normally a dancer.
I'm going to say this is an album you really should listen to. If it doesn't make you smile... and think give yourself a good shake.
5/5
I can hear the brilliance in this, and enjoy it as well. Something that's not always a given for me and Jazz. I probably won't come back to it but I'm going to give it a 5/5. We don't always have to completely understand music to appreciate genius.
There was a time when I would have been dead against the samples on this album. “Why can’t they make their own music” would have been the cry. Well times have changed and so did I. A great album. Fun, sonically diverse. I can hear how it influenced bands like Avalanches who I also love. My only negative would be it’s possibly a bit longer than it needs to be. Still 5/5
Wow! I know the standards, but what an entertainer. Fantastic album that I might not otherwise have listened to. Albums like this are why I’m doing this. 5/5
Pity Morrissey became such a dick, but that’s now. When this album came out he was a prima-donna, but then so was Johnny Marr and when the two of them could get on they made music like this. Morrissey’s voice is haunting. Marr’s music is brilliant. The album is an easy 4/5.
Might as Well Jump, the shark. Don’t get me wrong. I liked and like this album. I just think Eddie should have stayed with guitars. I also imagine MTV and the videos for Jump and “Hot for Teacher” probably increased David Lee Roths already high opinion of himself that going solo was inevitable.
Some great music here, especially if you look past the occasional juvenile bits. Misogyny is a given with the attitudes of the time, so you have to see past that.
A good but not great. 3/5
I've been aware of this album for years, but never really took the time to listen. Musically it's entertaining if not amazing. I do find Billy Braggs ability to shift to this style quite surprising. It's quite different than his own output.
Qobuz took me to "The Complete" sessions album so I listed to this and a fair bit of the next.
I think it's an album that stands almost as much by how it came about as what it is. None the worse for that, but not groundbreaking. Probably 3/5.
Uneven, but good. Levon is one of my favourite Elton songs. Tiny Dancer not so much, but mostly because it's been played to death over the years.
The rest... well it's good but not great. I'll give it a three based on the strength of the first two songs and the rest being mostly OK.
Another artist with better albums. 3/5
Enjoyed this quite a bit. Cool jazzy sort of vibe. 3/5
I like this band a lot. Rio was one of the first CD’s I owned and I used the build from the title track to show off the build up from silence to ear splitting volume. Also off to see them in a few weeks, so I suppose I’m a bit biased.
That said, lots of good tracks, some amazing ones. Part of the popularity was that this was peak MTV, but the music still stands alone.
I don’t think there’s anything groundbreaking here, but still a great album 4/5
I went into this expecting an overhyped mediocre album. I was wrong. This is fun, witty and quite good. I suspect it suffered under the weight of expectations. Not sure if it will become part of my regular rotation, but very enjoyable 4/5
What can you say about Aretha Franklin. Amazing voice with lots of emotion and expression. This album of standards and originals is exceptional. Respect is the song everyone knows but far from the only great song here.
Personally, I like and can appreciate the album and I'm glad it's here. It's just that it's not really my thing. Personally I'll give it 4/5 but overall it's a solid 5/5.
I really like this album. At the time it was something totally new. I suppose it doesn't hurt that it came out in my formative years and I can remember litening to it with my girlfriend of the time.
Message in a Bottle is of course the one everyone remembers. A good catchy song, but there is so much more here. I quite like "Walking on the Moon", "The beds too big without you".
So somewhat biased here. This is a solid 4/5. The only reason it's not 5/5 is Outlandos d'Amour
Mandolins :-) I like REM and I recognise this is a transition album for them. Stand and Orange Crush are of course the standout songs on this album.
Enjoyable but not overwhelming. It feels a bit like a deliberate attempt to do something different, only partially sucessful. I still love the enigmatic lyrics and atmospheric melodies, but not their best. 3/5
OK, I tried. There is some metal I can get on with. This isn't it. It sounds well made so it gets a a two, but for me that's being generous.
2/5
Enjoyable. Forgettable. Maybe you have to know more of the backstory. Maybe I didn't listen to the lyrics well enough.
Thing is great shouldn't' require that. I'll give it a 3/5 because it's pleasant enough, but not sure why it belongs here.
Creedence is one of those vans that I think doesn't get the respect they deserved. This is great music. Every song is a good one. Some are absolutely legendary. I saw John Fogarty at Glastonbury last year. After a patch of someone else "owning" his songs he was performing them again. A friend with me was amazed he knew so many of them.
I think there is enough here to make this a 5/5
Well, I wasn’t expecting this. Looked at the playlist and went “Ray of light”, like that song. Don’t recognize the rest. A very listenable album and a real tour through the musical styles of the late 90’s
I’d always thought of Madonna as more of an attention seeker than a serious musician, but this is a talented artist at pretty much her peak. It could be argued that her earlier stuff was more original, but nothing wrong with being influenced by others.
Shockingly for me this is a 5/5
Interesting. A bit back to basics rock. There feels like a bit of naivety in the lyrics, but that could just be the language issue.
The instruments themselves are well played, but fairly derivitive. I sense this is the beginning of something rather than the peak. On that basis 2/5
Very good yes. Brilliant, well not for me. Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed this album and all the songs are good. That gets it a 4/5
Struggling with this one. Maybe it needs more time but on one listen it isn’t great. Good but not great. 3/5
What can I say. I love the music of Kate Bush. She can do no wrong. Not her best album but still far ahead of most.
5/5
Uneven. Surprisingly to me I have heard Heatwave and enjoyed it. There's a bit of Japan in here, a bit on 80's synthpop toned down.
The production and sound quality is fantastic. Just a pity that the music doesn't quite match up to it. Still... enjoyable 3/5
You can hear the beginnings of what they would become, but it's early days and all a bit Spinal Tap. Queen made some truly amazing albums. This isn't one of them. Good but not great. 3/5.
I tried. Almost made it through. Honestly not as bad as I thought it would be, but given I didn't think I'd make it past one song that's not saying much. I did actually listen to most of it, but it was an endurance contest. 2/5
I really like this. A concept of course and somewhat annoying when it works to fit the idea into the album, but overall a success. Also surprisingly self aware for a band at that stage of their career. "I can see for miles" is a stone cold masterpiece. Going back and forth between a 4 or a five, but think I have to come down on a 5.
Like this a lot. Freddie’s Dead and Superfly are of course classics, but all the songs are very listenable. At the time this was pretty amazing stuff, an artful blend of funk with meaningful lyrics. 5/5
Same as it ever was...
Another album I know but never listened to properly. Wow. The rhythm is mesmerising. David Byrne's vocals work well with it. Brian Eno's hand is strong on the production.
The crazy thing is as good as it is, you can't even say it's peak Talking Heads. They keep reinventing themselves in interesting ways. I suppose it could be said this is the last of the first incarnation of the band. Fantastic stuff 5/5.
Well it’s the Beatles isn’t it. Personally I find this album is just at the right point of pop genius before they became more experimental and good if different ways. Innocent yet knowing. Hook-laden, yet in places complex.
Of course much is borrowed and improved upon, but that’s the nature of popular music.
Has to be a 5/5 for me. Very enjoyable.
Enjoyable. Not amazing but good. Probably won't be relistening though.3/5
I think my favourite Bowie era. Though it's hard to choose. Short and sweet. Every song is fantastic, with the only possible exception being "Word on a Wing".
I of course already have this in my collection and listen to it regularly. No question a solid 5/5.
Like this a lot, but probably not going to join my album rotation. Solid Indie but to my ear nothing amazing 3/5
I really liked this. Of course I’m a sucker for this sort of sound. I think this will be revisited. 4/5
Not a popular opinion it seems, but I really like this and would put it as a "Desert Island Disk". I know it has been sold shamelessly for commercials but that doesn't particularly bother me.
Part of it is that it came out just as I was going through a big personal change, in life and in music. Part of it is that at a time when albums were still a thing and I could happily listen to all of this one. Part of it comes from the absolute disdain my folkie friends had for the album, when I was at a listen to everything stage.
I suspect you either love or hate this. I love it 5/5.
Interesting and not bad. I enjoyed it, but it never made me go Wow!
3/5
OK, started well, but then it just went on and on and on and on.
Seriously I imagine one track from this on the dancefloor would be fantastic and the album seems like it would be a great element of a DJ's mix kit. Listening to it start to finish though is a waste of time. Filler I'm afraid.
2/5
OK, but not my thing. Well done for the genre. For me nothing special. 3/5
Well, like most I went through my Doors phase. I thought Jim Morrison was a misunderstood genius. I read books about the band, looked for meaning in their music.
Truth is in retrospect it was mixed. Some good, some not so much. Morrison was smart, but again not as much as he or anyone thought. He wrote some genuine classics. "Break on Through" has become almost a cliché. Same with "Light My Fire". If you want dark and brooding, there is "The End".
Ultimately, The Doors legendary status was cemented as much by Jim Morrisons untimely death as by the music. Would he have faded, or gone on to produce more brilliant songs. We'll never know. For me three songs make this a 5. It is genuinely an album you should listen to before you die, even if it is a bit uneven. 5/5
Well, the title track Autobahn is itself groundbreaking. The austere electronica and robotic vocals may not be for everyone, but that isn’t the point. The music has a traditional jazz like structure with solos and recurring themes, but of course the instruments are anything but traditional. It’s also important to remember how groundbreaking this was at a time where the instruments were far more primitive than today’s.
The B side is interesting but suffers a bit from being a bit more ponderous. The excitement is lacking.
Still a solid 5/5 from me.
I like the Kinks, so obvious bias there. That said I started with the more pop/rock kinks. Never listened to this entire album, but have enjoyed other English pastoral themed albums so this hits the spot.
Also like that it’s very different from the bands other output. Versatility is good. Puts me in mind of a village fete out here in the Shires.
Got to be. 5/5 for me.
I like this. Degüello is my favourite of their albums, but of course everyone knows the song, La Grange. Straightforward Blues rock by fantastic musicians. Already in my rotation so 3/5 for this one.
Effortlessly cool. Not my favourite of his albums, but very near the top of the list. Listening to the whole thing it's an interesting fusion of Blues influence, sitar, electric piano with a bit of folk. Folkedelic before the term was properly coined.
I think this is worthy of its' place on the list. a bit too uneven to be full marks for 4/5.
In my opinion very much one hit wonders and that hit isn't on this album. It's not bad but no real hooks and a bit derivative in my opinion. I think I could have died without hearing this. Oh and "One of those things is a very clear rip-off of "Werewolves of London". Not just the distinctive melody either, the whole "style" of it. It loses a mark for that. 1/5.
Wow, so many huge names, such a mediocre album. I was set to give it 1 star, but listening through I could gradually see some good in it. I guess the best way I could describe it is pensive and brooding for the sake of being pensive and brooding.
That said a lot of people with a lot more talent than me thought she was something special. So maybe it just went over my head. Regardless I won't be giving it a second chance. 2/5
Love this album. Dark and brooding. Atmospheric, best listened to in a dark room late at night. Saw Radiohead at Glastonbury and while they were good it just wasn’t the right dynamic for the music.
Stands the test of time a quarter century later. Got to be a 5/5.
I had a long rating for this, but it got lost. So the short one, good, but not captivating. Enjoyable but not challenging. 3/5
A good album. Not their best. A bunch of threes, and “Love Removal Machine” a solid 4. Their cover of “Born to be Wild’ is awful and more than counterbalances for an average of 3/5.
A brilliant album and yet uneven for all of that. Songs like “Heart of Gold”, “Old Man”, and “Needle and the Damage Done” are almost painfully beautiful. Then there is a second tier. “Out on the Weekend”, “Alabama”. On any other album they would be standouts. Heretically the rest don’t really move me, and some come across as just not good.
I’ve seen Neil Young live twice, and unlike a lot of artists he seems to just get better with age. I fully expected to give this a 5/5. However this album as a mix of genius, great, and just OK gets a 4/5.
Interesting. Lovely background music. I like but don’t love. Might get better with more listening, but isn’t likely to get the chance 3/5.
