1001 Albums Summary

This is an era that somehow passed me by. I was 13 when this album came out and neither the album nor the band were ever on my radar. I can appreciate the time and mood it represents, but it just doesn’t resonate with me. I picked up on some of the new wave and happier post-punk that sprung from this, but I don’t think I was ever this sad or angry as a teenager.

This one is more in my wheelhouse than Joy Division. I think it’s a good example of a band at the peak of their power. Everything was coming together here - songwriting, playing, a fun mix of funk and rock- it all works here. Been an RHCP fan for a long time. I don’t love everything they’ve done, but I do love most of what they recorded here.

I appreciate Willie, really, I do. And this is a classic bunch of wonderful songs. And he does a wonderful job performing them. And it’s fine. Really. I don’t think I get what the fuss is all about.

Long time fan of Ms. Armatrading. I don't recall why we were listening to The Key in 1983 - "I Love It When You Call Me Names" and "Drop the Pilot" were probably getting airplay on the college radio station. My best friend and I went to see her at a small theater in Crown Point, Indiana, maybe at a casino, I'm not sure. I've enjoyed her approach for many years and this release has two standouts for me - 'Down to Zero' and 'Love and Affection' grab me every time. Always an enjoyable listen for me.

Neil, Neil, Neil. I like this one. A little dirty, a little grungy, a little greasy, nice and slow. I'm thinking mostly about the title track. The whole thing sounds a bit like he's fronting The Band or a really early version of The Eagles, maybe? Does this one fly under the Neil radar? I never hear anyone talk about it, I might not have ever even heard of it until this list generator pushed it to me. Pretty much an insta-add to my library.

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I'd certainly heard the big hits and they were better than I remembered. Hard to believe she was only 19 when this was released. It definitely works well as a package, some very strong songs here. I probably won't come back to this repeatedly, but when my wife plays it, I'll enjoy it that much more having listened to the whole thing.

Long-time Van fan, but i’d never heard of this one. Caravan was a highlight for me. The strings came through very nicely on several tracks. I definitely prefer the younger version of Sir Van to the current day old codger version of him, at least as far as his opinions go. It’s worth noting that the sound and recording quality on this live performance are pretty amazing for 50 years ago. Overall a solid live album.

I’d like to give half stars. Specifically, this would be 2.5 from me. I appreciate the Bowie references here, but this was a musical era that I skipped. I might have just been busy raising little kids, but I wasn’t listening to a ton of popular music in this time frame. It was a little shouty in places, an approach that puts me off, a la Oasis. Some good songs, including the one I had already heard, that everyone has heard. I’m ok with the 3 star rating.

Not a new album for me. This man has one of the great voices of all time. Didn't realize the band is mostly members of the Dead, but I definitely hear that influence this time around. It's got a loose, rambling feel to it, emphasized by the couple of tracks that haven lyrics but feature Crosby vocalizing over the instruments. Despite that rambling feel, Crosby's voice holds it all together very nicely.

I appreciate the history of rock and roll as much as the next old white guy, but there's nothing special here for me. I would say I'm a fan of psychedelic rock and space rock, and I can see how this represents at least part of the origin of that music, but there's nothing about this that grabs me. It's got that mid- to early '60s jangle-pop feel and that leaves me with the impression that it's generic sounding, electric jug be damned.

This is not my thing, but I appreciate it for what it is. The fact that this is a woman, let alone a Sri Lankan woman, making overt political and cultural commentary in the context of otherwise fun music that much of the time is either in the background or being danced to rather than thought about, is impressive. Very much appreciated the Sanford & Sons samples in "U.R.A.Q.T." - "you big dummy" hits a bit different in the context of that song. I think I might have heard "Galang" before, though I'm not sure where. Figured it out - I'm impressed with myself. Looking at my last.fm account, I've scrobbled the track a handful of times since 2008. I'm vaguely remembering that it was a free download on the iTunes store? Anyhow, probably won't come back to this, but glad to have been exposed to it. Fun stuff, with a serious side.

I've never listened to a Kanye album. At this point, I have too many opinions about the man to appreciate his music. As an old white man, I can't have too much to say about this anyway. I've never appreciated what sounds to me like misogyny. I did appreciate the King Crimson sample on "Power".

Not sure what I think here. This might bear repeated listening. I've heard of him from Steven Wilson and Tim Bowness' "The Album Years" podcast, but I've never listened to him until today. First impression is that he's a bit of mumbler. That's the thing that's got me on the fence - his voice. I have a feeling it would grow on me if I dove deeper into his catalog, but I don't think I found these songs compelling enough to lead me to do that. I'm stuck between two and 3 stars - I think I have to go with 2.

A bit of nostalgia for the time, though not really for the music. I don't think I've ever heard a Pet Shop Boys album all the way through. I certainly know their hits here in the U.S., but it doesn't seem like any of those were one this, their second, album. Maybe I've heard "It's A Sin" before? S-H-O-P-P-I-N-G was a frolic. "Hit Music" was a bit too self-referential for me. Solid fun all around.

Definitely more of a new wave fan than punk fan, but I like where these songs sit, drifting back and forth between the two. There's a lot of fun to be had here, even apart from the astronomical hits that we all heard a million times, "Our Lips Are Sealed" and "We Got The Beat". "Skidmarks On My Heart" is a bop, as the kids say. We've always needed to hear from the women in the world and it's been great to have this coming into our ears for the last 44 years.

This was a wonderful listen! I knew her name, but I don't think I could have named a song before today. I can hear her in so many artists, some performing today, and many who are no longer recording. To have people like Aretha carrying the soul torch on this side of the Atlantic at the same time Dusty was doing that work in the UK is quite a thing. Loved it and, as a bonus, it sounded wonderful, even the mono version I listened to!

Boy, was this not for me. I've never heard of The Triffids (other than in their original sci-fi context). This never grabbed me in any way. I played it, the time passed, and I moved on. I felt nothing. Not a fan, not sure why/how this album made this list.

Yeah, nope. Almost grabbed me once or twice, but honestly, all of the f*$ks and moth@$^ckers were a turn off. I'm fine with cursing in lyrics, but this was over the top. Lots of music from this band, they're still recording, but it's all slipped by me. That must mean that the Venn diagram that includes this music does not intersect with my tastes. Another puzzler on the "1001 to hear before you die" list. I've heard it, but I'm not in a better place because I have. Fingers crossed for better things tomorrow, the last two have been duds.

There's so much emotion tied sup in music like this, joy and anger in equal measure. Also love the relentless, rhythmic drive it has. Anything with Tony Allen playing has me hooked within 30 seconds. Long live Fela!

A classic. I was only 11 when it was originally released, but "Walk This Way" and "Sweet Emotion" were FM radio staples my entire life from that point on. I've always enjoyed their hits, but I haven't been a fan in general or really dug very deeply into their catalog. I've heard this one all the way through before and enjoy it.

A bluesy, playful romp through history. Kinda funny to hear white people making black soul music, but I guess that's where rock n' roll came from - soul, gospel, rhythm & blues, and jazz. I like where they went from here more than where they were when this came out.

I get it now. This is from that 90s era where I wasn't listening to a ton of music and even less new music. Grunge, indie rock, nu-metal all passed by me, not interested. Obviously I know who Nirvana are, I know their most well-known tracks, but I had never listened to a Nirvana album all the way through. I get it now.

Turns out I like acoustic punk more than electric. Also, I never realized Adam Sandler is totally doing a Gordon Gano imitation when he sings. The acoustic bass makes these songs. I learned that the lyric is "like I blister in the sun" and not "like a blister in the sun." I don't know what a blister in the sun is, always thought it was one of those nonsensical, poetic lyrics, but, no, it actually made some sense. Anyhow, good stuff. I don't recall hearing it all at the time, but glad I've heard it now.

This was very 'meh' for me. Nothing ever really stuck. It felt somewhat generic, it could have been a release from just about any angsty new-wave band of the time.

The jangly, angular style of this music appeals to me. I'm coming to the conclusion that there's a stylistic middle ground for me. Too smooth, no thanks. Too angry, too jagged, no thanks. But a U2, a Peter Gabriel, or, as it turns out, an Echo & The B-Men - those I like. I don't recall hearing much from this release when it first came out. There were definitely other tracks that got radio play and that I enjoyed. This is interesting music.

Jack White has been an acquired taste for me. When The White Stripes first started releasing music I just thought they were weird. I’ve really enjoyed the stuff he did with The Raconteurs and his more recent solo work. Going back and listening to this, where the only song I had ever heard is “Seven Nation Army, I can see that I should have had some more appreciation for him from the beginning. A solid record.

Sorry, but I’m going to put this album in a basket with other shouty stuff from the late ‘90s and early 2000s - The Strokes, The Killers, Arcade Fire, Franz Ferdinand. I didn’t love any of it then, don’t love it now.

Absolute classic, quite possible my favorite of theirs. I do appreciate the heavier, wild stuff over the folksy tracks. The 4-track sequence of 'In My Time of Dying' through 'Kashmir' is just so strong, so heavy. This is great music from a great band.

Songwriting, harmonies, chef's kiss. Wooden Ships, Suite: Judy Blue Eyes, Guinnevere, Long Time Gone. These men made amazing music over a, thankfully, long career. Incredible to think this was just the start!

Nope. Just not my thing.

This is music that is both chill and warm at the same time. Pat Metheny is probably responsible for my enjoyment of real Brazilian music, including Milton Nascimento. I knew of 'Girl From Ipanema', but it was Brazilian and Latin jazz that caught my attention. This is a wonderful record - guitars, Milton's voice, the rhythms, all come together in such an evocative way. 'Clube Da Esquina No. 2' is a favorite.

Apparently, I am a goth, or at least should have been one? I kind liked this. The only track I've heard by them has 'Corrosion' in the title. It's on an 80s compilation that Steven Wilson curated for a a CD release a couple of years ago. I don't remember the exact title, but I can't be arsed to go look it up right now. I can hear Bowie in so much of the late 80s-early 2000s music that I've been exposed to here. Good to know he lives on...

Definitely lots of respect for this artist, in all the aspects of her art - acting, fashion, and her music. This sure is all over the place stylistically, but in a good way.

Loose and sloppy, but in an enjoyable way.

Generally a fan of downtempo and chill, psytrance, and other related genres as well and this is no exception. Would love a half star to go with 3.5 - giving them the benefit of the doubt and calling it a 4-star release.

No question, a classic, both in music overall and in my cannon of progressive rock fandom. The inventiveness of tracks like "Yours Is No Disgrace", "Starship Trooper", "I've Seen All Good People", and "Perpetual Change" is really unmatched given the time period. Wonderful.

I don't really get it. 'Get Behind Me' was the only track I remotely enjoyed. Hard for me to see where this fits in to what else was going on in 1969. Maybe there's more or better elsewhere in his catalog? Sounds like he was a pretty wild guy.

I've been rating more on my own personal preference and enjoyment than some kind of objective measure of quality. In other words, I haven't left any room for a rating that reflects the thought that "I can't stand this but it's an objectively great album, 5 stars." I've definitely rated the other way, as in "I know this is crap, but I love it, 5 stars." That changes a bit today. This is a 5 star album for me, more for what it represents than my enjoyment of it. I enjoy it, I appreciate it, to a 3 and a half or 4 star level. But the strength, the grace, the talent that is reflected here - the whole package taken in the context of its original release - 5 stars all the way.

This is the first Beach Boys album I've listened to. I've been hearing Beach Boys songs my entire life - I was 1 when this was released, but never listened to an album, not even 'Pet Sounds'. The 'American Beatles'? I'm sure someone has called them that before now, but that’s where I'm at with this. Their music is almost as much a part of the fabric of life from the 60s on as the Beatles and this has some of the threads of that fabric recorded right on it.

Though I wasn't there as a fan at the beginning, I'm definitely a fan now. And I appreciate what they did at the beginning. Some amazing songs here.

I’m Team Beatles, but this is a great album. You’ve got classics here - “Sympathy for the Devil” and “Street Fighting Man”. Some of the low-key country and blues tracks are even stronger - “No Expectations”, “Factory Girl”, “Salt of the Earth” - these are all great folk blues, mostly acoustic tracks.

George is underrated. Full stop. Classics here - “My Sweet Lord”, “Wah Wah”, “Isn’t It A Pity”, “What Is Life”, “My Sweet Lord”, and the title track “All Things Must Pass.” Very poignant from a lyrical perspective looking back on The Beatles, George, and one’s own life.

Incredible music from an incredible artist that I’ve listened to for almost 45 years! I’ve seen him twice and actually touched him once when he used to crowd surf during ‘Lay Your Hands On Me’. No question that this is a true 5 star release both in objective quality and my love for the recording.

Poking around online, I find that this album garners some extremely high praise. Something along the lines of “the significant piece of modern western music”. One can certainly trace the lines forward into today’s music. I found myself tapping my toe. And “El Paso” is a song that my family used to sing at get togethers when everyone who could play guitar would and the kids would get a washboard or rhythm sticks or a jug to play along. Definite sentimental value there for me. I’m struggling to rate this, thinking about my two scales. Sticking with 3.

1962. That was a long time ago. This guy’s career has spanned nearly y whole life. He became a bit of a caricature of himself for a time, but man did he own his act. This is extremely funky for 1962, but that’s not entirely surprising. You can almost smell the sweat.

I’m going to file this under ‘art I don’t understand.’ There are a lot of paintings I don’t understand, there is dance I don’t understand, and various other types of performance art I just don’t get. I think this is that. My one star rating doesn’t reflect active dislike, but rather a lack of understanding or, perhaps, just the idea that this album is not ‘for me’.

Yet another band for whom I had never listened to an album in its entirety. There are 2 classics here that received tons of radio play that 16 year old me heard - “Breaking The Law” and “Living After Midnight”. Those are classics for a reason. While I appreciate the role of JP as standard bearers and the forefathers of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, these two classics are offset by some really cheesy rock, namely “Red, White & Blue”. Solid but flawed in my opinion.

Simple, effective, and catchy as hell. I think I might be a White Strips fan.

Really interesting, probably necessitating multiple listens to figure out what's going on here. I'll be back.

Already a fan, but I think I prefer Mezzanine - more trip, less hop.

Knew the name, but not the music. To me, it sounded like a stripped-down and more politically or socially oriented version of Squeeze or The Jam. I can hear NIck Lowe’s influence, Difford & Tillbrook coming through. Not sure I’d go back, but pleasant enough.

Certainly interesting. Those Germans can make some weird stuff! That said, I wasn't really digging into this at any point except maybe the last few 'dub' tracks. I would be curious to hear more from them, but I don't think I'll be coming back for more of this particular flavor.

Got to admit, you got me with this one. I was 33 or 34 when this was released, married with a couple kids. This missed me by at least 10 years. I know a lot of these songs, turns out that’s because they are great songs. I’m not a punk, or even a post-punk, but Billie Joe is a great singer and songwriter and this is a really good album.

Pick your cliché - a masterpiece, ahead of its time; say what you will about this as long as you say it’s fantastic and I’ll agree with you. That it exists as a musical creation, a cinematic creation (albeit, a bizarre one), and a theatrical creation makes me think Townsend accomplished exactly what he wanted with this story.

Solid Mr. Marley release.

This could have been released last year. It sounds ridiculously contemporary for what is effectively a heavy-metal cave painting. Hard to argue the place of this band and this recording in the rock music pantheon.

Fun and funky funk that makes me feel funky.

Nope, not me. Elton, Billy, James, even Jeff (Buckley) and Elliott (Smith) at times, but not this guy. As I've said in other reviews, it's not that I think it's bad, it's just not for me. Emphasis on the 'for' and not the 'me'. Nope nope nope.

Liked Unknown Pleasures more.

That was fun! The covers were surprising, especially the instrumentals that I recognized. I’d never heard of this band - pleasant surprise.

Cisco Kid, of course. Worth 3 stars on its own. I was also pleasantly surprised by ‘City, Country, City’ and ‘Four Cornered Room’. Solid grooves all the way ‘round.

Not their strongest or most listenable in my opinion.

I appreciate where Beyoncé is today and enjoyed the Bee Gee's cover.

Kind of fun, actually. Knew 'Firestarter', but had not heard anything else. 'Breathe' is also a standout track for me.

This is part of what seems to be an entire era and group of styles or genres that has never really appealed to me. It's the whole emo, shoe gaze, goth, angsty, noisy, punk, and post-punk thing. I can appreciate what they've done here, but listening to this does not make me think I'll be looking for more of My Bloody Valentine or anything like it anytime soon.

Found myself tapping my toes fairly often while listening to this. Not sure if a couple of the tracks were covers or not, but quite a few others certainly were. Covers and originals were both enjoyable - seems fairly raucous for the time, sort of Kingsmen-like, I think, though not sure who came first. Fun stuff.

This was hard to find - not on any streaming services as far as I can tell, at least not any that I have access to. I think I listened to it - there was a version of it on YouTube, although there was one song somewhere in the middle that didn’t seem to fit all that well. In any case, didn’t like it. Not even a bit. Nothing of interest for me here at all. Not a fan. Period.

There are more interesting things going on here for me than in a lot of music of this era. 'Personal Jesus' is a standout that I think I've heard before, but wasn't familiar with much else. This leaned more into the new wave approach that I enjoy - a little, just a little less dark, even if the title is 'Violator'.

This might be the Prince album that made me decide the man was a genius. Fun, thought-provoking, and both of and ahead of its time. If you told me this was all I could listen to forever, I think I'd be ok with it.

Love me some Crusaders, but my preference is for their earlier work, most everything from prior to this release as they transitioned from The Jazz Crusaders to The Crusaders. Still some nice tracks here, the title track being a favorite.

If I had never heard this before and someone wanted to play it for me and told me this was David Byrne’s newest album, I’d probably believe them. This is punk I can get behind. I agree with the reviewers that say that the last two tracks, ‘Psycho Killer’ and ‘Pulled Up’ feel and sound most emblematic of what I enjoy about Talking Heads and everything yet to come from them after this first album.

Never listened to an entire Elvis album. Appreciate his place in music history, but not sure if I’ll listen to another Elvis album, unless there are more in this list. A couple of classic songs here for sure, but this sits on the border of the crooners and rock and roll and I prefer things after we’ve crossed that border firmly into rock territory.

This is beautiful music that I really enjoyed.

Not my thing now, never been my thing. Appreciate that she has a great voice and I know that many albums like this are very collaborative in terms of performance and song writing. As I've said a number of times now, this is not for me. And by that I don't just mean that I don't prefer it, I mean that I was never the intended audience for this art. Now to rate it - my preference, my enjoyment, a 2. Quality of the work, recording, how much this deserves, in my opinion, to live on a list of 1001 albums to give your time to - I'm going with a 3 here, and since there are no halvsies, I'll give her the benefit of the doubt and go with 3 overall.

Liked that a bit more than I expected. I figured it would be more of the doom and gloom I’ve come to expect, but it was a bit more jangly and pop- oriented - almost pleasant at times. The title track was not so much fun.

It's Pharrell, of course it's fun! A little racy, a little funky, an all around good time.

This is an album that was integral to my musical tastes in 1986 and many elements persist. I've been listening to 'World Music' (crummy label though that may be) for a long, long time. I took a course in non-Western music in undergrad, probably around 1984 or 5, and I was the only one who could instantly recognize a Balinese ketjak, or monkey chant, courtesy of Peter Gabriel's World of Music and Dance compilation from a couple years earlier. Mr. Simon took some of the most pleasing elements of South African music and made them immensely popular. There is sadness here, but mostly, I can't help tapping my toes and smiling as he and his wonderful group of musicians pull all those influences together.

I think this might be the second Fela album I’ve come across on this list, and rightfully so. This release has such a tight, strong groove, with or without Ginger Baker, it’s everything I love about him, his band, and his music.

Hard core and/or East Coast rap is not my thing. I would question whether or not, as a 60 year old white man, I'm even allowed to listen to it. Some intriguing moments, but no thanks.

What a coincidence - is this really a random list? I only ask because Ozzy died yesterday and here is a, maybe even the Black Sabbath album popping up for me. Fifty five years ago - hard to believe, seems like such a peachy-keen, gee whiz time, though I suppose war was coming into everyone's home again and things were getting quite a bit darker. Amazing riffs, amazing vocals, masters of the reality of heavy metal music, most certainly. 5 stars for my preference, 5 stars for the impact on what was to follow, 5 stars for what this was at the time.

Turns out I like 'political rap'. Whatever it is about this style - more commentary than grit or anger, I think, I prefer it and enjoy it. At one point the rhythm of the lyrics reminded of Rage Against the Machine and then I read that these guys opened for RATM at one point! Definitely complimentary styles. Also reminds me a bit of 90s acid jazz/acid house in terms of flow and rhythm tracks. Overall, I quite enjoyed it and probably never would have found it if not for this list!

Listened, but did not enjoy. There were one or two tracks that I was familiar, appreciate the role they've played in the history of hip hop, not my thing.

Appreciate Neil and much of his music. The sentiment of this release is definitely felt, given that he spells it out quite literally in a couple different places. That said, there was nothing in particular that reached out the speakers and grabbed me here. It's fine.

“The Beautiful People” is a good song, but I just really don’t dig the way this dude has moved through the world during his career - too much muck and mire left in his wake to be make believe.

You know them, you love them - “Badlands”, “Prove It All Night”, and “The Promised Land”. There are other strong tracks here - “Adam Raised a Cain”, “Candy’s Room”, and the title track. Thinking about everything that’s still to come from this relatively young artist over an amazing career is mind-boggling.

Pleasant surprise, gotta say. More sophisticated folk, thinking Laurel Canyon and CSN, than goofy, sixties bubblegum pop. Some nice notes being played and sung on this one.

That was a wild ride. I was absolutely not expecting however minutes of 'Who Do You Love?' to be the opening chunk of that. Very Grateful Dead, photo-jam band stuff. Putting 'Happy Trails' on the end was just silly.

Certainly knew what I was in for here. ‘Love The One You’re With’ is an unassailable classic and there are some other great songs here. In many ways, Stills was the backbone of CSN(Y) with his playing, his voice, and his songwriting. An American folk rock treasure.

Excellent music that I’ve heard a million times.

Always enjoy Bjork, in all her quirkiness. This was no exception. A couple tracks sounded familiar and were quite enjoyable, particularly 'Birthday'. A solid 3-star album for me. Added to my library.

I knew the name, but not much else. In fact, I was mixing them up with The Wallflowers. I was listening, enjoying the mix of traditional folk, strongly influenced by and including Celtic sounds, when I decided to read up a bit - I had no idea of the connections between The Waterboys and other artists I enjoy, namely Karl Wallinger and, most of all, Kevin Wilkinson of China Crisis. This album was a little all over the place stylistically, but a good listen. Strong Van the Man vibes at multiple points. I’m going with my gut and landing on 4 stars for this one.

Amazing songwriting paired with an amazing voice. All the more amazing they are coming from the same person. Another national treasure, she is, so glad to see her having her day in the sun here at the end of her career and life.

Interesting - sparse, but not cold and distant. There's a bit yearning, a bit of longing here. I think I've heard something from this in the past, but didn't go digging into my last.fm history to find it. Evokes some of the one-hit-ish wonders from the 80s - doesn't seem like it had a lot of staying power. Middle of the road for me, 3 stars.

Not that I know everything about every artist who’s ever won a Grammy, but this person has won 2 and I’ve never heard of them. This album includes a broad range of styles across R&B and hip-hop and is not unpleasant, though songs about wet pu##y are not among my favorites. Any artist that collaborates with H.E.R. deserves some credit and Anderson.Paak is another fun addition. I’m all for strong women in the world and the arts, glad she’s empowered to create this and that she’s been recognized for her work, but it’s not for me.

I imagine if I was sitting in a smokey coffee house in Greenwich Village in the late sixties that I would eat this up. In my office in 2025, I appreciate the poetry, but I’ve never been a fan of his voice. That said, I would never have listened to an entire Leonard Cohen album if it wasn’t for this project. Seems disrespectful to award this less than 3 stars.

That was downright entertaining. Quite a variety of styles, I can see where the appreciation of his work comes from. Almost a 4 star release, but not quite.

Really, really interesting, but I don't know what I think just yet. A combo of Jaques Brel, Nine Inch Nails, and somebody trying to do a death metal growl but producing something that's close, but not quite that. I'm leaning toward a 4-star rating here just because this is so, so different. It does have me wondering what the rest of their catalog sounds like, but not sure I'm going to looking to find out.

This was really nice. I think I've heard her name, but don't know her music. Looking at my last.fm history, I've scrobbled one track prior to today, back in 2023. It has not stuck with me. I enjoyed this from the get go - very Knopfleresque guitar work on 'Stolen Car', definitely a highlight. Her vocals are very engaging without being overpowering. More of this, please!

This is interesting hip hop. Love it when the music is interesting, the rappers aren't 100% angry, and the lyrics aren't limited in the scope of their topics. That's very old-white-man of me, but I'm an open book here. Great bass lines throughout, from the opening track to 'Scenario' the closer. Couldn't find a credit for the bassist other than Ron Carter on the one track. Just made the connection between the title and those bass lines, by the way. Not just an old white guy, a slow old white guy.

This album so evokes the 80s for me, it's wild. Back in the day when radio was still a thing, if you can believe it. Not really nostalgia, more like these songs were part of the background of the world in 1986. Given her history, it's amazing that she put this record out and then added almost 40 years to her career. That said, the music doesn't really do anything else for me - I mean, it's fine, but I didn't find myself tempted to jump up and dance around or anything.

Enjoyed that more than I thought I would.

He was 22.

Formative album, formative film, at a formative time. Miss the man and his music.

Exoskeletal junction at the railroad delayed. No, you Take the Veiled Cerpin Taxt. Delightfully unhinged. I was thrilled when I first discovered these weird boys back in 2008. This is a great album, no doubt in my mind. Bizarre, lyrically at least, but great.

If you had played this for me and told me it was a joke or parody album The Kinks had made, I would have completely bought it. This is not version of The Kinks that I prefer. I recognize the voice, but that's about all.

Ok, so there's some hard-core East Coast rap I can almost get behind. I could do without the descriptions of torture in 'Method Man'. I do get why this is such an important album and group. Interestingly, my wife, a 57 year old white woman, has been listening to a fair amount of Wu-Tang lately. Makes me chuckle. I probably won't be coming back to it, but I can appreciate it for what it is, maybe more so that some of the other gangsta rap that I've heard via this list up to now.

Meh.

And I described Prince as foundational music. This is it, this is at the center of who I am and who I have become musically. These first two Beatles albums are imprinted on me from as far back as I have memories. Watching the Let It Be documentary made all of their music that much more meaningful and even more fascinating. What a story. So grateful to have had this music moving through my life.

Meh.

I'd not heard this particular release. I found it quite enjoyable. Monk is a genius, though maybe I'm using that label excessively in these brief reviews. I suppose I feel obligated to talk about my opinion of the artist as a whole because I don't know if this will be the only Monk release out of the 1000 albums in this bunch. This is jazz in a nearly pure form. 'Bemsha Swing' is a standout.

Getting into overused terms again - classic, genius, etc. This is the birth of heavy metal as the world has come to know it. How lucky for the rest of us that Tommy injured his hand when and in the way he did. Turned out ok for him, too, I think.

This was a re-listen for me, but it has been a very long time. I still enjoy this music immensely. Her voice is so evocative, it’s almost painful to hear her sing some of these lyrics. This album was such a powerful social force when it was first released, I was surprised how fresh and relevant it seemed all these years later.

Doesn't even sound like Queen until 'Seven Seas of Rhye'. That track feels like a preview of what's to come. Everything before that is something else entirely. Not a bad something else, but definitely something else. A little chaotic, a little proggy, and just kind of weird. A good weird though.

A hour and 4 minutes? Really, are you kidding? Do I have to do this? I'm writing this before I listened, dreading what's to come. I would never - I repeat, never - choose to listen to this album. And, it turns out it was entirely an unpleasant experience for me. If I was had been a 14 year old girl in 2002 (I was a 37 year old man) or maybe even was one now, I might - might, I say - enjoy this. However, I have neither nostalgia nor appreciation for much of anything this is - the musical performance, the song writing, his singing, not a bit of it. And that's even with Pharrell along for the ride, whom I appreciate very much. Nope, nope, hard no thank you, do not prefer.

I’ve never listened to a Velvet Underground album or a Lou Reed solo release. I definitely found myself tapping my toes from the opening track ‘Vicious’. There were a couple others that caught my attention as well. I hadn’t heard ‘Walk on the Wild Side’ in a while, and that doesn’t really need anything else said about it. I was ready to lump this album in with others who have a talk-sing style - Leonard Cohen in particular, Dylan a little bit, though I suppose in his case it’s just a group of folks who don’t have great singing voices, but Lou Reed and his songs stands apart from them a bit. This album certainly belongs on this list.

Back to the land of people who talk as much as sing…This was a bit disappointing. ‘Personal Jesus’ is strong, but I’d feel better about liking it if it hadn’t been used as the soundtrack for a TV commercial for, I guess, Jesus? Some of the covers are a bit weak and bland, too slow and almost depressing. Songs about bashing folks heads in and then getting hanged because of it - no thank you. I’ll stick with his earlier work, thank you very much.

My memory of this album was that it was full of bangers. That is not the case - there are exactly 2 of those. ‘Rio’ and ‘Hungry Like The Wolf’. The rest of it is fine.

Really pleasantly surprised here. Never heard of them. I saw a not very good band called The Beta Machine open for A Perfect Circle a few years and I knew Beta was in the name but couldn't remember the band name. This was much better and in a nutty way. The first track sounded like a combination of Elbow and U2, mostly because the vocalist reminds of Guy Garvey. From there, things were all over the place, wonderfully all over the place. A song called 'Lion Thief', whatever that is, has the lyric 'As the fruits of the loops of the friendships that droop...' Ok, sure. There was more Elbow-like ness as things went on, but songs bounced from 60s psychedelia to very contemporary sounding. Really enjoyed it!

Kind of came and went for me on this one, initially sounding interesting and then less so.

Alright, I think I get it all the swooning and fawning over this mythical singer-songwriter. I read one review that described it as 'bleak'. Sad maybe, but bleak - nah. The guitar playing is lovely, as is his voice. I'm going to have to take another listen and pay more attention to the lyrics, maybe that's where the bleakness lives?

Not sure what album I'm on, definitely 100+. I'm running out of things to say. I like Common, seems like a good human. Didn't realize he came up with the shambolic mess that is Ye, Mr. West, Yeezee, Kanye, or whatever we're calling him these days. He loses a little bit for me with that, but I guess you don't get to choose who your contemporaries are. I usually say that for me to like rap and hip hop, it has to do something interesting musically. This just about gets there.

A couple of great tracks here - 'Breakdown', 'American Girl' - I could listen to either of them on repeat for a long time. Saw TP & the HBs in the early '80s - great band, great show. I think 'Damn the Torpedoes' is a stronger album, but for a first record, this one ain't bad at all!

This is one of the weirder, and, at the end, most disturbing things I think I've ever listened to. I expected thrashing, screaming punk, but what I got is this strange hushed or sort of fuzzy version of punk-tronica. And that last track, yikes, not thank you, not listening to that again.

It’s fine, it’s a live Who album. Though I will say, I’ve been listening to a lot of these songs for almost 50 years and it’s something else entirely to take a moment and think about the idea that this wasn’t ’classic rock’ in 1970! This was contemporary, current music and pretty wild stuff, so impressive in that sense.

The opening 3 tracks and the closer are really strong. Never given heard of them but really enjoyed this. Lacked that shouty approach to things that I often associated with 90s-00s Britpop. This was more subtle, more sophisticated. It leaned a little toward Coldplay, which I know isn’t a good thing for a lot of folks, but the leaning was without the sappy sweetness that Coldplay sometimes has. This was really strong stuff, enjoyed it.

Nope. Twee ain't for me. This is pablum that holds no interest for me.

I had forgotten how many of the tracks on this album are simply outstanding. Hard to give this anything but 5 stars.

I did not know what to expect headed into this. I knew who he was but didn’t know anything about the sort of music he himself created. This was a great surprise, loved it. It was like listening to 3 different albums at the same time, but absolutely in a good way. Love the Afropop influence, was already a fan of music from much of that part of the world thanks to the gateways of Peter Gabriel and Paul Simon. Would recommend!

This is weird for the sake of being weird and not particularly interesting to me at all. It all sounds like something I would have heard between Weird Al songs and ‘Fish Heads’ on a Dr. Demento show. That could be the point, I suppose, to sound like that, but I would never, ever have listened to this on purpose. I’m good for some weird music, but this is too weird. I don’t even want to try to like it. Thankfully it’s only 35 minutes long. I’m writing this while listening to a grown man whine ‘semolina’ over and over for reasons I do not understand. Only 5 more songs to go.

Was not aware of the existence of this artist or their one album. The Presidents of The United States of America (peaches and what not) but not just The United States of America. Bold choice for a band name and eponymous release. Anyhow. Very psychedelic vibe, Jefferson Airplane meets, I don’t know, maybe the Byrds. Interesting, but not particularly notable to me listening in 2025. Apparently an early example of use of electronic instruments and no guitar, but it was sort of floating out there while I was listening and never pulled me in 100%.

Exactly what I thought a Meatloaf album was.

I really enjoy her voice. ‘Criminal’ is a great tune. Don’t love some of the ballads quite as much. Solid, especially for a teenager.

What’s a Zuton? TIL what a Zuton is. Anyhow, kind of fun, sure doesn’t sound like anything else I was hearing in 2004. Almost favorited a track in my streaming library. I won’t say I’m super excited about this band as a discovery, but I wouldn’t be mad if I heard it again. And when it came up, I thought, oh boy, here we go, another weird one. It wasn’t, it was just regular music.

This is an album that was just part of life as a teenage male in the 1970s and early 80s. These songs were everywhere. And often, we played them ourselves, very, very loudly. Great voice (RIP Brad Delp) and great guitar sound (thank you Tom Scholz) that made Somme great songs. Holds up ok, honestly, haven’t given the whole thing a listen in a very, very long time.

Got to admit, I did not give this one my full attention, at least in part because it just wasn’t that interesting to me. I appreciate Iggy’s place in rock history, but can’t say I’ve ever enjoyed his music very much. This was ok.

This one didn’t really change my mind. I appreciate the sampling and his style, but East Coast and gangsta rap just aren’t my thing.

Interesting. Not fascinating, but interesting.

Now that’s some Elvis I can get behind. Some real classics here, I enjoyed listening to this and he sounds great.

I know they’re not part of the Seattle scene (I had assumed they were), but they definitely have that Foo, Pearl, Nirvana grungy sound. At least some of the time. Not really the stuff I gravitate to, but not unenjoyable.

Not my favorite Van album, but also not one I've listened to all the way through before. I have a feeling this will take multiple listens to fully appreciate.

I had no idea that The Temptations had that kind of funk in them! Those first couple tracks were wild!

As weird as this was, if you told me it was made any time in the last 60 years, I wouldn't be surprised. Would have been weird last week, and was definitely weird 52 years ago.

Meh. I think I’ve figured out that it’s only ok when Prince sings about sex explicitly and no one else is allowed. I like the remixes in the Collecor’s Edition ok, but I’m fine if I don’t hear this again. New artist for me, by the way.

When this popped up, the label that immediately came to mind was 'hippie-dippie' and sure enough, reading a review of this that is exactly the label the reviewer used. This is the epitome of the dreamy, far out, psychedelic 60s and it is not the slice of music from the 60s that I prefer. The title track is a classic, but there's not much else here that I really enjoyed listening to. Donovan has his place in music history and I respect that. I think my appreciation stops about there.

I really did not care that I was listening to it. Canadian national treasure?

I think of my self as someone who likes R.E.M. I never really imprinted strongly on them in their heyday, but they have some great songs. Maybe I even look a little bit like Michael Stipe? This one is fine.

I’m a fan. I do prefer their heavier, even proggier stuff and this is not among my favorite of their releases. Hard to dispute that the opener “Immigrant Song” isn’t among their best. “Since I’ve Been Loving You” is straight-up blues, but it’s a good one. The rest of the album is very folky, and fades a bit for me.

Any excuse to listen this. Every track is a groove - the best musicians, amazing lyrics, a quirky voice. I used to hate Steely Dan. When this Gaucho were released they got played up and down WXRT in Chicago and I just got sick of them, never wanted to hear them again. When it was time to purchase my first CD, before I even had a player but knew this was going to be an amazing medium for playback, I bought a copy of ‘Aja’. Haven’t looked back.

A pleasant surprise. I really was expected some sort of noise/industrial/avant garde mess. This release, that is supposedly the advent of acid house, which I quite enjoy, was pretty fun.

Interesting, I accidentally had the first track set on repeat - I wasn't sure at first, I might have listened to it all the way through twice before I figured it out. That said, this is sounds and music that I enjoy. Not all the time, not while I'm driving, for example, but I appreciate ambient and minimalist music and compositions. This is one of the grandaddys of that style. Wonderful.

I’ll say it - not my favorite Dire Straits album, not even close. It’s a great recording. There are some good songs, Mark and the boys are playing well. It feels a little thin to me - not as dark as it could be, not as moody as could, not as much longing or yearning as there can be in their earlier work. It’s fun enough, but not an outstanding Dire Straits album.

Thank you for an excuse to listen to this most excellent album! I hope all of Steely Dan’s catalog is in this list, this is number 2 for me, both 5 star releases!

Pretty fun. Incredible the run The Jam had during their career. That whole Paul Weller, Nick Lowe, Jam, Style Council circle of artists and songs is some of my favorite music coming out of England during that era. Hard to argue with "That's Entertainment" as a great pop song.

Quite a pleasant surprise. Like a nice summer breeze that cools you off but is also carrying just the slightest whiff of manure or fermenting silage. But just the slightest.

A like this one a little better than Document, perhaps just more familiar to me. This is fine. I do find it a challenge to really get absorbed in any of their music.

This was enough of a raw Bowie-ish recording that it won me over. I had heard of Jarvis Cocker, but honestly thought he was Joe Cocker's son. Never heard of Pulp, except maybe on Steven Wilson & Tim Bowness' podcast 'The Album Years'. First half is definitely stronger, first 5 tracks are a great sequence and 'Party Hard' is a standout for me.

Yeah, turns out I don't like Brian Eno when he sings. There's so much music he's touched that I think is fantastic. This is a solo effort/Roxy branch that I don't think that way about. There are some interesting moments, mostly instrumental. It was already in my streaming library, but I'm not sure it will stay there.

I very much appreciate what they do. Their introduction to the world by Paul Simon felt like a little miracle at the time. Such subtle and beautiful sounds. A whole album all feels a little samey-samey for me. It’s a nice bonus when they show up somewhere else. A single song - wonderful. A whole album - hard to be excited or engaged by it for the full 45 minutes of the 30th anniversary version that was available to me on streaming. I think there was only one additional track, so basically the same as the original.

This has some good ones. And some less good ones.

Three stars for some classics. Generally do not prefer them. Maybe my least favorite of the CSNY family?

Not a fan of the LA punk scene. some of this was decidedly rockabilly.

This was a pleasant surprise. Already in my streaming library for some reason. Actually quite enjoyed it.

Two surprises in a row? Seeing the name and the cover, I figured this was some new wave of British heavy metal BS. I was quite pleased to see it was electronica. And some fun stuff at that.

He has a couple songs I appreciate, but I don’t think I have ever listened to an entire Alice Cooper album all the way through. Maybe, back in the late 70s. He must have a greatest hits collection that someone’s older brother had. Nothing particularly notable here for me, struggling between 2 and 3. I think with the title ‘Raped and Freezin’, I’m going with 2. The title track and ‘No More Mr. Nice Guy’ are not enough to overcome this.

I’ve got Cleveland connections and had heard of Pere Ubu. I think I remember them as a reggae band. Clearly not that. Respect to Cleveland and its place in rock history. Not my thing.

Didn't particularly enjoy this. 'Victoria' is a fun track, but I'm starting to figure out I'm not really a fan of The Kinks.

Can’t find it on any streaming service.

Had some awareness that they existed. Knew Kim Gordon has, and I believe continues to make important contributes to the world of rock. There were interesting moments on this album, not sure any of it pulled me in to the extent that I’ll come back to it or look more deeply into their catalog though. At this point in the 80s, I wasn’t that angry or sad and wasn’t looking for or listening to music like this.

Another artist I had some awareness of, but no real familiarity with. I don't know exactly where they fit into the chronology of other women who create similar music (Fiona Apple comes to mind). I enjoyed this.

Fun stuff - knew about of the history behind this and I've listened to the original once before, 10+ years ago. Amazing what he/they have done here!

Grungy, greasy, dark, heavy amazing music from the metal masters.

Not a huge indie rock fan. A couple of notable moments, but not more.

I treasure this album and what it represents. Beautiful, tragic, stark.

I've listened through this before - very French, which makes sense, I guess, what else would it be. There's electronic music I enjoy more than this.

Classic banger.

This one has grown on me. I have it on vinyl and haven't listened to it in forever. It's loose, it's wild, but then you blink and it's tight and greasy, but it's all Miles and it's all jazz.

I think I’ve heard Donimo, can’t be bothered to check my last.fm history right this second. They’ve got a brilliant thing here, so few lyrics to memorize! Actually, I enjoyed this quite a bit - an early version of Sigur Ros, in some ways, with a bit more new wave electronics thrown in.

Fun little romp. What is with Terry?

Felt like a Velvet Underground knock off. I've always heard what an amazing songwriter Jonathan Richman is. There were some fun moments, but I won't be coming back to this or looking for other releases from his catalog. Punk/protopunk just ain't for me, with very few exceptions.

How do you not like anything this fella has ever done? And heck, he was still in his 20s when this was recorded!

This is the 3rd old Kinks album this list has forced me to listen to and I still don't enjoy them. It's silly music.

Forgot how much I like this.

The epitome of cool and smooth. Have owned this for a long time and enjoy it each time I hear it.

Liked that more than I thought I would. I had only ever heard ‘Epic’, which is kind of fun, gotta admit. Good version of ‘War Pigs’ to top it off.

I actively dislike this more than just about any piece of music I have ever listened to in the 7 decades I've been on the planet. If I could give it less than 1 star, I would. I do not see the genius at work here, maybe I'm missing something. He's got song here about vegetables, for cryin' out loud.

Intriguing. If these guys had come along at the right time for, I think I might have connected with them.

Those first 2 songs are killer. Wish she could have stuck around.

Don't love it. Bluesier than I was expecting and definitely less weird, but not enough to put me over the top and say anything too kind about it.

Read one review that said this is the studio album by The velvet Underground that sounds least like the Velvet Underground. It's interesting that this is the studio album by The Velvet Underground that I've enjoyed the most.

There's a bit of joy, a bit of lightness here. I much prefer this to Pink Moon.

Odd but interesting. Definitely appreciate him as a storyteller, a bit less as a musician and singer.

I’ve never heard a Pet Shop Boys album in its entirety. Definitely heard, and enjoyed, the hits in the 80s. This is some dark pop. Jealous? Who’s jealous? I’m not jealous. You do that.

Listening to this, I kept confusing Kevin Rowland with Bob Geldof. They aren’t the same person. Some interesting bits here, but nothing that caught my attention for any extended period. This is the “Come On Eileen” band as far as I’m concerned, no need for any more, thank you.

One of the greats. Not a huge Stones fan - I wouldn't list them among my favorite bands. But then I hear songs like these and I'm reminded that maybe they should be.

Always enjoyed 'Jane Says', never heard much else. Enjoyable overall. Not sure I would listen to an entire album, but I wouldn't skip an occasional song that popped up on shuffle.

Love Tracy’s voice.

Not much to say here. I did, at one time, party like it was 1999. Because it was.

Some great tracks here by one of the very first supergroups, not to mention an amazing power trio. I’m torn between 4 and 5 here - Sunshine of Your Love, Strange Brew, Tales of Brave Ulysses, SWLABR are all classics. I could do without Mother’s Lament. I think the good outweighs the less good here, 5 it is.

I expected way more throbbing and was pleasantly surprised by both the quantity and quality of gristle here. Seriously, I’ve heard the name tossed around, was slightly familiar with their place in music history, but had never heard a single second of their music, that I was aware of anyway. Kinda cool

Irie mon.

This is among Bowie's best, in my opinion. Or at least this is the Bowie I like best. This and his Berlin phase.

A couple of good tracks, but not enough there to pull me in or convince me that I should be or have been a Depeche Mode fan.

Elvis Costello & The Pogues seemed like a fun collab and I wasn't wrong. I kinda liked it.

Arctic Strokes Killer Monkeys.

Some good old fashioned soul. Or maybe R&B? Or maybe not so old fashioned? That's more of a me problem than a Bobby problem - 1981 was 44 years ago, after all. It doesn't feel that way.

No big hits here, but a great collection of songs. Looking for the 3.5 for this one.

No ska for me, thank you.

Take Me To The River is worth 4 stars for me.

Kinda fun, sex & drugs & rock n’ roll and all, but otherwise, not for me.

This got interesting once it took a turn toward something that resembled folktronica. From 'The Architect' on, I quite liked it.

I didn’t know there was a Stones album called Aftermath. My guess was that it was some 90s release that I had overlooked. Wrong. “Paint It Black” and “Under My Thumb” - obvious classics. I like my Stones a little later than this.

There a couple of my all-time Beatles favorites on this one - 'Norwegian Wood' and 'In My Life'.

Turns out I like some East Coast rap.

I heard Beach Boys here in the harmonies and a little bit of klezmer by the end. Not entirely unenjoyable, but not entirely enjoyable either.

I love what Nina represents, but there I times when I listen to her sing and wonder if, in fact, she should be singing. But I’m going 3 stars for what she represents.

I’m once again pleasantly surprised - an interesting mix of electronic and Brit rock. The name turns me off, but then I hit play and everything works out ok.

A banger right from the opening track.

No, this is my favorite Bowie album.

Maybe my favorite of the King of the Arctic Strokes, Leon the Monkey Killer bunch. But now I want to see a movie about King Leon.

Not my thing, but I like what's going on here musically and the rhymes are amazing.

The energy in Femi and Fela's music is really quite something. Love it!

Faded into the background after a bit.

I feel as though this is music I should like, but I have a hard time getting into it for some reason. Almost feels like a parody of itself, a little hokey?

I thought I wasn’t supposed to like this, but I kinda do. Now that I think about it, like the man, it started out in a more interesting fashion than it ended up.

I liked that way more than I thought I would - more polished and less grungy than I expected.

I can appreciate the hits here, as well as Karen Carpenter’s talent, but this is too much stuck in time for me to really want to come back to.

I am not a huge singer-songwriter fan. Hard to argue against Dylan, however. This might be the Dylan album for me.

Respect.

Another old one where I can appreciate the hits, but all in all it just doesn't float my musical boat.

I appreciate the twang.

Stark, spare, dark. Some of his best song writing.

This was a fun one. Not that I've got my finger on the pulse of Brazilian popular music, but I'd never heard of this artist. Chalk up another discovery thanks to 1001 albums!

These are great performances, Mr. Spector’s misdeeds notwithstanding. I’d rather they were sprinkled in among the rest of my holiday listening.

Enjoyed the Ozomatli overlap. Chali 2na fan.

Some bangers here. Strong entry in the final phase of his output.

This absolutely did not need to be 2+ hours long. Especially since 'Brown Paper Bag', the second track, was the highlight. I can't imagine listening to all 5+ hours of the 2oth anniversary edition.

Excellent soul music!

I came across her release 'Raven' at some point soon after it came out and really enjoyed it. Her connection to Tosin Abasi, both musically and personally, was a surprise! Interesting and enjoyable.

Though I prefer their later stuff, this is punk I can get on board with.

I caught myself tapping my toes more than once. Strains of a lot of different 90s post-punk/indie/grunge here. "Man on the Moon" is a favorite - almost REM-like. Bob Mould keeps popping up in expected places.

Turns out I like Green Day. Missed them at the time, but catching up now and liking it!

I’ve heard so many of these tracks over the years but never listened to the whole things all the way through. Has to be one of the great live releases.

I think this might be the second Dinosaur Jr. album on the list so far for me. I liked this one more, added it to my streaming library. An interesting mix of past/future music. Having just listened to Rust Never Sleeps, the Neil Young parallels are fun. Pearl Jam is here too. Sludgy in a good way.

Passed by without grabbing me at any point. Nothing all that interesting, IMO.

Reminded me of a less angry and less drunk Oasis.

Here’s another turns out - I’m a Jamiroquai fan. Who knew?

Not sure about this one. Never heard of him. His voice was fine, the songs were fine. I think I'd be ok if I had continued to never hear of him.

That was wild! This is the Johnny Cash I think of when I hear his name. Not sure I've heard another live album or an actual live performance, for that matter, where the same song was played twice in succession! I guess if the inmates are yelling at you to play the song again, you play the song again?

Nope.

Have to respect this - a great American poet and songwriter. Never loved his voice, but hard to be critical of a dying man.

Classic 90s hip hop. The sampling set the standard.

This is right up my street - fusing western music with music from other countries. That said, the opening track is so firmly stuck in 1970 it’s more of a parody of the time than an enjoyable track. ‘Light My Fire’, on the other hand is wonderful, as are the more traditional Indian pieces. Solid.

I was expecting fluffy R&B and this isn’t that.

I was confused by the first track, which, if I’m not mistaken was an instrumental, or very nearly so. I had no idea. This album sounds like the 80s. I was also taken by the fact that this didn’t seem as sad, as angst-filled, as I think of The Cure being. Gets my stamp of approval, I added it.

Greazy, greazy swamp music.

I guess I understand the historical importance of these songs, and maybe there's even a sort of ironical reason for them to be played and heard right now, but I do not prefer this music and don't understand how this landed on a list of albums to hear before I die. Would give less than 1 if I could.

There is no need for this to be nearly 3 hours long. I don't find anything about this enjoyable - voice, lyrics, or music, sorry.

Mellower than I’ve heard him. I prefer his experimental side over this, but it was nice.

The dynamic duo? That name is already taken, I guess. Their best work never fails to have me singing along and drawn in to the pictures they paint.

The great songs are great - ‘My Ever Changing Moods’, ‘You’re the Best Thing’, and ‘Headstart for Happiness’. And then there’s just the fact of Paul Weller. However, the bad songs are bad. I’m still going with 4 stars - 3 for the release itself and 1 for 80s nostalgia.

I listened, but I don’t really understand why this ended up on this list.

An improvisational wonder.

Five stars. Fight me. No, didn't think you would.

"Tainted Love" is not enough to overcome "Sex Dwarf".

Fifty years old and the themes of rebellion and uprising are maybe more relevant than ever, at least in this country.

A little more techno than ambient, but still right up my street, as they say across the pond.

An amazing vocalist, for sure. Her style of vocal pop isn’t something I'm drawn to. 'Hello' is a great song, and 'Water Under the Bridge' caught my attention, whether I wanted it to or not.

Aaaand my next album up is more Brit pop….

Now this is proper Brit pop, but still doesn’t really grab me where it grabs some, or so I hear…

Jaco's presence alone rates at least 3 stars. Always a cool, dark sound from Joni, sparse, if you will. Not my absolutely favorite of hers, but some wonderful songs on this one.

Great combination, vibes and tango.

Classic Rush, what did you think I was going to rate it? Actually, the title track is a 5 star song, and ‘Passage to Bangkok’ is a favorite, but other tracks, not so much. This is a 4 star Rush album for me.

The album is mercifully short but the song is mercilessly long. That said, the song makes this a 3 star release.

Plus/minus on this one. Title track - fantastic. ‘Liberian Girl’ - kinda weird tbh. The good outweighs the….bad.

Didn’t grab me as much as I thought it would. Funk ‘n metal is still a combination of genres I enjoy though.

What a sleazy, greazy bunch of boogie from the boys.

Rod's voice. 'Stay With Me'.

Gotta love West African music. I’ll gladly add this 10th Ali Farka Touré album to my library.

Ahead of it's time and wonderfully Frank.

I'm not sure what I thought a Stooges album would sound like, but I don't think this was it. The hot mess that was "We Will Fall" in particular. What is a 10 minute song doing on an album from a band like this? Inscrutable.

Enjoyed this more than I thought I would.

This is the sort of angry music I can get behind.

Wonderful music.

I might have had a friend in college who was into Bauhaus. I wasn't, but it's kinda cool now.

Interesting. Second PJ Harvey release in 288 albums, rate of 1 every 144 albums. Will there be 8 or 9 more to come? I don’t really wish for this. Looking ahead, I have another PJ Harvey album 3 from now. It’s fine, varied in style, which is always fun, but I can’t say I get it.

I think I might be a fan!

Partly sentimental 5 - Cheap Trick was the first band I saw live, in January of 1981, a few years after this, but they were likely at the peak of their powers in that era.

I was surprised to find that this was her first album. It is more raw than ‘Let England Shake’ and I think that drew me in.

We have moved into the era of Aerosmith that I do not prefer. At their worst, they sound like a parody of themselves. There are some fun tracks here that I had forgotten that I enjoy when they pop up.

This came out during the summer between my junior and senior year in HS, a pretty pivotal summer for me. A group of about a dozen students travelled through the Canadian Rockies and into Glacier, Yellowstone, and the Badlands over a 3 week time span. We were in 2 vans. Ours had an 8 track tape player. We did not have Juju playing, we were listening to Blizzard of Oz on repeat. That fall, I saw Bruce Springsteen, AC/DC, and Genesis live. These folks were just not on my radar. Some other post-punk acts were, but, as I've said in other reviews, I was just never that into goth, emo, dark, sad music that much. I can appreciate this, but I understand why I wasn't listening to it then and I don't think I'd come back to it now.

I've heard two songs before. I respect their place in music history and appreciate the influence they had on what came after, but not my thing. Approaching hippy-dippy, like Donovan.

So glad that wasn't an hour long. Uninteresting, angry metal.

Tough to find a reason to criticize. Pioneers in so many ways.

Not a great U2 album, but a good U2 album. “Beautiful Day” is a slide show anthem.

I can hear where Jeff gets it from.

I thought I was going to latch on to these boys, but they didn't stick. Good stuff though.

Overused, I’m sure, but no other way to say it. Masterpiece.

Gotta admit, I didn't listen to this super closely. I can hear the family resemblance, a little.

I'm not likely to come back to it, but certainly intriguing.

Cool music for cool people. I can’t believe this is 65 years old. I believe this, and music like it, has the best shot at being the ‘classical’ music of our day - that stuff that humans, if there are still humans and a place for them to live, will be listening to 300 years from now.

You know what I'm going to do here - can't not.

Forgot about the Bowie association. The first track and ‘China Girl’ hit right for me.

At first, I thought this was another band to add to my Arctic Strokes Monkey Killers bunch and was pleasantly surprised that it was not. A much more venerable outfit. Alas, not my thing. Especially when I heard the lyric "we're going to make love until you bleed...". Yuck.

Thanks for giving me a reason to listen to this again. This is the best U2 album.

I usually tell people I have very broad musical tastes, but I'm finding out through this list that maybe I don't. One of the things I generally don't enjoy is britpop. Maybe this is that, maybe it's not (apparently the main Auteur didn't like his stuff being labelled that way), but didn't really get it. I liked the last song.

Frankly forgot how much fun some of this music is!

It was fine. Willie is fine. I appreciate his place in music history, if not his actual music, but wouldn’t seek it out.

Wow, what a start to an album. Makes me look around to see who else can see this old-ass white man listening to music that is clearly not for him. Maybe I should somehow seek permission to listen to this? Pass a test? Who knows. I enjoyed Snoop on this more than I thought I would, but the misogyny is too much for said old white man to really enjoy it all.

Caught myself tapping my toes. Generally a fan back in the day, at least the hits. Can’t say that they really stuck since the 80s, but strong 80s music nonetheless.

Didn’t care for the wavering style of a lot of the vocals, but the track ‘Fistful of Love’ was really good. Interesting mix of a lot of sounds - pickled up on Roxy Music, Van Morrison, and I don’t even know what else.

OK Computer is my favorite of theirs. I was late to the Radiohead party, really wasn’t aware of them as they were releasing albums, but I definitely appreciate them now. Thom’s voice is a little annoying though.

I had previously listened to 'The Hat', maybe it's called. I think I might like this band. I hear Talk Talk very strongly in this particular release, with a whole bunch of other musical flavors thrown in.

A bit of a wild ride - first i didn't like it, then I did, then I didn't and then I did again. I enjoyed the Sabbath undertones but am not a speed/thrash metal fan generally

As mysterious and beautiful as I had heard.

More upbeat than I expected. I think of New Order as doom and gloom emo music. Not exactly full of sunshine and rainbows, but energetic at least. They’re growing on me as a result of this project!

Modern day poetry. A challenging listen, but that's as it should be.

The whole things sounds like it belongs on the Pretty in Pink soundtrack. So In Love, not on this album, is my favorite OMD track. So so.

Too important to rate it anything less.

Gotta say, I'm surprised to see some Latin Jazz here. Tappin' my toe right away and wiggling in my chair right from the beginning. No other way to listen!

Some recurring themes are starting to show up in my listening - East coast and gangsta rap, not so much my thing, but I can find elements that I enjoy, especially when there is something interesting going on musically, as is the case here.

Soul classic. What’s Going On is a little stronger, in my opinion.

Equal parts quirky, melancholy, and mysterious, just as any XTC release should be. I consider my self a fan and had never heard of this one. Not much of a fan, apparently.

Surprisingly, to me anyway, I really only started listening to them in 2021. I think my enjoyment of and curiosity in ambient and electronica was increasing at this point. I’m sure most mainstream music fans would say this is background, or music to fall asleep to, and I do play it in both of those roles, but there’s much more going on here and it deserves having some attention devoted to it.

I’m on a hot streak - more 4s and 5s than 2s and 3s lately, and this one is part of that. This might be the first Kendrick I listened to. A little alarming, being the white guy that I am, but my opinion of Kendrick being a modern-day poet who speaks volumes for his people still stands.

This is not a band I have listened to much at all. I checked my last.fm stats - I’ve been scrobbling tracks as faithfully as possible since 2007 and I listened to more Smashing Pumpkins tracks today than I have in the preceding 18 years. Two tracks in 2016 followed by five pumpkinless years. A single pumpkin smashed in 2021, 2 in 2023, 1 in 2024, none last year, and now a whopping 13 tracks. It’s fine. Their heyday was my time in the musical desert - I didn’t like new music older was being released, it seemed like radio was garbage, and the internet wasn’t quite well-established enough to be a good route for discovery. All of this to say it was fine.

The arguing on the last track was wild. It's the 60s. I could do without the Moog - I think I prefer post-Byrds CSN by far.

Surprisingly cathartic.

Grow the fuck up, dude. Strongly dislike this.

Now that is some original stuff right there. Such a refreshing contrast compared to the Eminem crap of the previous release this list served up for me. This is a pretty good unicorn chaser to follow that.

Can't play this at a party, can you? My sonic senses have been assaulted by this, but not in an entirely unpleasant way. Won't come back to it, but glad I listened once.

Such a lovely, smooth, powerful voice, one of the most talented singers I’ve ever heard. These songs are that much better because k.d. is singing them. 3 stars for the album, the 4th is for the singer.

Debated here. 4 or 5. It is Stevie. Some great songs among lesser known songs. But it is Stevie.

Wow, this was kind of a rocker, up there with some U2 albums. Caught me off guard to some extent. More power, more heft than I would have expected from Coldplay. I think there’s more here than meets the eye.

There are not words that haven't already been said about this album for me to say.

His good songs are great songs.

The music from this album has played somewhere, sometime in my life since it was released. I wonder on how many days of the year have I heard at least one song from this record? In spite of feeling a little like a one-hit wonder (I know there were multiple hits from this album and that he's had a long career), listening to this start-to-finish gives me a better appreciation for his talent.

Quirky and beautiful.

I thought Steve Martin said you can’t be sad listening to a banjo? This “Knoxville Girl” thing is bonkers. Why tell a story like that in a song? Because it was part of everyday life at that time in that part of the country? Yikes. At least the main character of the song ends up in jail… Tragic, indeed. Ok, I guess technically there is no banjo on this record, so it must all be fine. “Mary of the Wild Moor” paints a beautiful picture of a dead mother on a doorstep with her little baby holding its dead mommy’s hand. Great. Wait, did the baby just die, too? These boys are brutal. Mandolin is almost as a happy as a banjo. Whoops - “Satan Lied to Me”? WTF? This is surprising how? This all sounds like something Uncle Baby Billy would be singing on “Righteous Gemstones”. I like bluegrass, but this flavor is not for me.

Ok, I guess. I can understand why I never got super into this band. I wasn't so performative back in the day. I mean, "I know how Joan of Arc felt" or some such crap? Come on. And it was over before I knew it.

I think I like "Heroes to Zeroes" more. This one is more subdued.

The good songs, the ones that everyone knows are really good. The rest of their music, I tend to find to be just ho-hum. I get that this album was a wonder at the time. However, ask me to choose between the Beach Boys, the Stones, and The Beatles from this era and it’s The Beatles every time. By the way, “Sloop John B” is a great song.

Let’s try something new - pre- and post-listening notes. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a Kraftwerk album. One of my favorite artists of all time, Steven Wilson, holds them up as favorites of his, so I’m hopeful I’ll be intrigued by this… Love the opening of the record. Fewer vocals, please. “The Model”, for example, is a little ridiculous. “Neon Lights” isn’t helping things either. I think I was expecting more driving, repeated rhythms and less shimmering keyboards. Darker. The final track, “Man Machine” brought it back around to a moodier tone, one that I prefer. Overall, a little dated, but it does have me interested in exploring more of their catalog, unless the first track of the next one I listen to sounds like “The Model”.

Didn’t really notice that it was on. Their story is obviously tragic but even knowing that, this doesn’t draw me in at all.

And I quote: “I am in pain.” What a slog. Took me 3 sittings to get through this and I don't think I enjoyed a second of it.

I have a tough time separating art and artist with this one. Maybe it's the kids? Maybe the idea that as a society we're still so willing to look past what he might have done? I mean, come on, do we need the movie? That said, the opening track is just a great, great pop/disco track. It's too bad his life went off the wall as his star rose, seems like a tortured soul. I'm going to rate the music rather than him and go with 4 here.

Something I've learned about myself through this process - I'm fine with sex talk in music (see Prince), but really don't like misogynistic lyrics. Certainly some rock 'n roll classics here, most of them overplayed, if you ask me, but I can't look past the misogyny.

"Baby I'm Amazed" is one of the great songs of all time. Hard to get very excited or proclaim the genius at work in much of the rest of this. Paul's solo work comes across as very self-indulgent a lot of the time, and this is a good example of that.

Honestly expected to be more captivated than I was, given how The Smiths have grown on me over the course of the project.

I was an Iron Maiden maiden until today - never listened to an Iron Maiden album all the way through before now. I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. A bit of an onslaught, but that's a feature, not a bug. Fun stuff.

Perfectly fun and fine pop album. Gets a little same-samey at times. Her voice is interesting but she tends to use a similar pattern of inflection across songs, or at least that's something my ear picked up on. Royals (not on this album, I know that much) is a great song, didn't hear a great song on this one.

Would have loved to see this man continue to make music.

Perfectly fine hip hop album, didn’t leap out of the speakers and grab me by any particular body part.

Always nice to have a reason to listen again.

I’m doing something I haven’t ever done, and will try to never do again, with this list - rate an album without listening to it. I refuse to give this idiot a second of my life. I have no idea why this is on the list. I would put it on a list of 1001 albums to make sure you avoid for your entire life, but that’s just my opinion. I wish I could rate something 0 or a half a star.

Classic soul. I really had forgotten how many great songs this man was responsible for. And to think, this is contemporary with the Beatles!

I'm sure I overuse the term 'classic' in my reviews here, but this is exactly that. What a voice, what a time!

Kind of fun, actually. There’s a Zappa-esque element in terms of the zaniness of some of the lyrics. I might be a fan.

I did a double take over that Comfortably Numb cover. And the Sir Elton sounds like was pretty fun, too.

I think this might be the first album on the list that I was truly excited - in an "I can't believe this is popping up here!" way - to see on the list. Long-time Sprout-head (as we are, of course, called) here, since the release of this album and, if not this one, then since the second album, "From Langley Park to Memphis." The opening 5 tracks - yes, 5 tracks - on this album make up one of the greatest pop song sequences ever recorded, rivaling anything the Beatles did, in terms of song writing and emotion. Paddy McAloon is one of the great songwriters of the modern era. And Mr. Dolby's fingerprints on this record don't hurt either. One of my favorites of, well, ever.

I don’t get him.

Glad to give them their due as being among the fathers of punk rock, but whatever.

This was unlike any Nick Cave I have ever heard. Almost operatic in its complexity and story-telling scope. Not sure if there was an over-arching story here or not, but there were certainly stories within individual tracks. I was initially thinking a double-album of Nick would be a slog, but I was wrong. This is really artful and intriguing.

Nu-metal. Sure. In 2026, this sounds like something AI would put together as the soundtrack for one of Iran's Trump-dissing Lego videos.

Angular, African, amazing.

First track threw me a bit - had to stop and think, surely, this must be satire. Even so, quite painful to listen to. Louisiana 1927 is a great example of his songwriting skill. Knew the song, had no idea it was his. I think his talent overcomes the parts that don’t hold up so well from 1973 or thereabouts.

Never heard of Mr. Orbit. Quite like the less poppy, more experimental electronica here. Good find, thank you, list!

Great songs, great harmonies.

This does hit, without a doubt, but I'm just not a punk guy, let alone a hardcore punk guy.

Defines dream pop for me.

Every time I hear these boys, I have trouble believing they're not from Louisiana or Mississippi or Alabama or some such place.

I don't really understand why I can't get excited about Metallica. I enjoy some riffs, bits and pieces here and there, occasionally an entire song. I've never listened to an entire Metallica album, in fact, looking at my listening history on last.fm, I didn't listen any Metallica at all between 2011 and 2023! I might just not be a fan.

Not sure why I'm supposed to appreciated 60 year old French pop music.

This album is formative for me in some fashion, though I'm having a hard time putting my finger on it. It came out during my fall semester of freshman year in college. Maybe I identify with it as a transitional, transformative piece of art, with me trying to be something more sophisticated, more mature, than I had felt before the fall of 1982. I don't recall feeling strongly about it at the time, but through the friends I made and the music we listened to, I sure do feel strongly about it now, and those feelings are all good.

He’s a force, for certain.

Stressed me out to play this while I was at work. I don't know, but didn't enjoy it.

I'll concede that this band is ahead of its time. I found this unsettling a bit monotonous. I'm hard to please, today, I think.

I’m not even sure what to say about this album. Too many good things to list. The opener, the closer, most of what’s in between.

Am I having a party? Is there a party here?

Almost fits my Stroking Arctic Monkey Arcade Killers on Fire model. Not sure. Perhaps just a tad more interesting and engaging than most of that. An era that passed me by.

Nothing that thrilled me here.

I wonder what’s up with me liking more electronic music as I’ve gotten older. Never listened to this when it was made.

Caught my self enjoying this at times.

Fun, fun, fun. These boys had a great run, sad the way it ended. Have this on vinyl - haven't listened to it in a long time and streamed this, but glad for the re-listen. Some of their subsequent releases are more imaginative than this, so not quite a 5-star rating, but glad it's here.

Here are the sad, weird boys I thought I would hear when I listened to the other Cure albums on this list. Stuff about 'worms on my skin' and 'your name like ice in my heart' or some such nonsense. I prefer other Cure albums to this.

And now I have listened to an album by The Afghan Whigs, a band with a great name. Generally not a big indie rock guy.

Boy howdy, I’m conflicted and confused here. I thought this was a British guy playing alt-country, Americana-style music, sort of the way Keith Urban is an Australian country musician. I recall hearing his name in the context of him not being a good person. I couldn’t name a song, and certainly have never listened to an album all the way through. Looking at my last.fm history, which is not perfect, but pretty close, I’ve only listened to 1 song of his (out of about 230,000 since 2007) and that was 3 years ago. I gotta say, I kinda like it, right from the jump. All that said, and I know he apologized, but I’m going to be a liberal beta-cuck and side with the women he seems to have treated badly and not come back to this.

Good stuff here, music I was not into at the time it was being released but have come to appreciate. Electronic, down-tempo, lo-fi, trip hop, call it what you will. Morcheeba, Massive Attack - this isn’t exactly those things, but I'd group it with them and I like it!

Had this one in my streaming library already, though I don’t think I had listened to it yet. You can hear the soul in this - Otis, Marvin, and many others. Wraps around you and makes you feel.

Glad for any excuse to listen to one of the best progressive rock albums of all time by one of my favorite bands of all time. 1973?! 1973! Are you kidding me? Peter's story telling, Phil's drums, Tony's melodic riffs and amazing solos, Steven and Mike filling out incredible songs. Great, great music, sorry if you think it's overblown noodling, you're wrong.

It's always the vocals that let me down. I've listened to 2 Megadeth songs since 2007, the last one being in April of 2019. I'm guessing it didn't leave any particular impression on me. The music is plenty punchy, but the vocals just don't have the heft they need to back up the music. I don't need a death metal growl, I don't need screaming, but some vocal strength might push this over the edge to something more intriguing for me.

What do you say? It’s Aretha being Aretha.

While I’ve certainly heard of The Buzzcocks, and I’m pretty sure I’d heard the name Howard Devoto, I don’t think I’d ever heard of Magazine before today. I wanted this to be more interesting than it was.

I really thought this was going to be a hardcore punk outfit and was all set to express my dislike. It is not hard core punk. Not exactly sure what it is, but it doesn't sound like it was released 8 years ago. Older sounding, more 80s in many ways. Interesting find.

I was never entirely sure what that was or where it was going. Not unpleasant, but not particularly notable either.

I was relatively late to the Radiohead party - didn't get excited about them all at the time. I think it's mostly Yorke's whiny voice - bit of turn off for me. That said, they are in my top 100 artists on last.fm, so I mustn't dislike them. This is a fine Radiohead album, if not a good Radiohead album, but there are others that are stronger.