249
Albums Rated
3
Average Rating
23%
Complete
840 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1970
Favorite Decade
Blues
Favorite Genre
other
Top Origin
Perfectionist
Rater Style ?
11
5-Star Albums
4
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Duck Stab/Buster & Glen
The Residents
|
4 | 2.02 | +1.98 |
|
Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
|
5 | 3.32 | +1.68 |
|
Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
|
5 | 3.45 | +1.55 |
|
Electric Warrior
T. Rex
|
5 | 3.54 | +1.46 |
|
At Newport 1960
Muddy Waters
|
5 | 3.55 | +1.45 |
|
Pink Moon
Nick Drake
|
5 | 3.65 | +1.35 |
|
Live At The Regal
B.B. King
|
5 | 3.67 | +1.33 |
|
Doolittle
Pixies
|
5 | 3.74 | +1.26 |
|
Grace
Jeff Buckley
|
5 | 3.74 | +1.26 |
|
Djam Leelii
Baaba Maal
|
4 | 2.78 | +1.22 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
At Folsom Prison
Johnny Cash
|
2 | 3.97 | -1.97 |
|
Kala
M.I.A.
|
1 | 2.91 | -1.91 |
|
When I Was Born For The 7th Time
Cornershop
|
1 | 2.91 | -1.91 |
|
American IV: The Man Comes Around
Johnny Cash
|
2 | 3.89 | -1.89 |
|
Arular
M.I.A.
|
1 | 2.83 | -1.83 |
|
Highway 61 Revisited
Bob Dylan
|
2 | 3.76 | -1.76 |
|
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
The Smashing Pumpkins
|
2 | 3.68 | -1.68 |
|
Born To Run
Bruce Springsteen
|
2 | 3.63 | -1.63 |
|
Lust For Life
Iggy Pop
|
2 | 3.6 | -1.6 |
|
Frank
Amy Winehouse
|
2 | 3.46 | -1.46 |
5-Star Albums (11)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Sabu · 1 likes
2/5
I think this is just wide of the mark for me. It’s a little too slow build, instrumental and it’s only when the brass, drums and vocals all come together that it piques my interest.
Under the right circumstances and live I reckon this could hit differently.
SZA · 1 likes
2/5
I felt obliged to look up the wiki before reviewing to understand what I was missing. Interesting that the artist’s hard drive had to be confiscated by her label as it kept being reworked without being delivered.
It’s been described as “confessional” and that does come through, there’s some soul bearing that goes on. However, I’m not a fan of the style and so it doesn’t come across to me in a way that I can connect with. It’s just not my genre and I found it on the whole unrelatable and unremarkable apart from some choice language and amusingly crude phrasing. Strong vocals though.
Bonnie "Prince" Billy · 1 likes
3/5
A difficult one to review. Stripped back, emotive and well balanced, I find little to fault with it, but even on a second listen it just didn’t grab me. I like the tone and atmosphere it produces but it feels like it’s all running at 80% and I can’t quite put my finger on it.
U2 · 1 likes
3/5
I entirely see why this made it in, and on the strength of the hit-laden first half it feels good value. Well made American-Irish fused light rock / pop rock, and no doubt at the time it felt pretty cool.
The second half tapers off into U2 slop that I could not care less for. But taking my prejudices aside, just about a 3 for the first half, for what it is.
But I still think half of them are right so and sos.
1-Star Albums (4)
All Ratings
Metallica
3/5
This is a solid bit of thrash metal but I don’t think it’s their best work. It’s all personal preference but I like the more theatrical songs like on Ride the Lightning whereas this is more pure heavy metal. But overall I still enjoyed it.
MGMT
3/5
There’s a few classic songs on here but mixed in with some pretty forgettable ones too. Was interesting to listen through the album as I reckon I’ve never heard the non-singles before.
Held my interest but probably nostalgia playing a bit of a role there.
Depeche Mode
2/5
There’s snatches of solid 80s beats and I found myself finding it a “what if” album. Almost good but ultimately boring. Doesn’t compare well to its peers.
The Velvet Underground
3/5
Interesting, creative, weird, and touching on a number of genres. Being slightly lazy as I listened a week ago and can’t be bothered to listen again, so just dipped back into a few songs for a refresh.
Foo Fighters
3/5
This has to be the most bland set of Foo Fighters songs I have listened to. It doesn’t really have the highs and lows of their later catalogue so you’re left with the uninspiring middle. It was an ok listen but left me disappointed.
Santana
3/5
This was an eclectic hoot. I like the Latin influences and the inherent lack of any sense of where the album might go next. Not sure what I expected but it wasn’t this.
Sufjan Stevens
3/5
This was pretty cool to listen to, sort of easy listening but some storytelling going on. I can see why it got made into a Broadway show using songs from the album.
Probably the one letdown was the realisation in the second half that the singer reminded me of Daniel Bedingfield in the second half, once I had that thought it was just about all I could think of.
Would return to give it another go, at least in the background.
The Temptations
4/5
Enjoyed this. A nice mix of soul and funk without the wackiness of some funkier albums. Run Charlie Run wasn’t for me (in more ways than one) but other than that definitely enjoyed. Ended up listening to a chunk more temptations afterwards by not paying attention, no bad thing.
Sabu
2/5
I think this is just wide of the mark for me. It’s a little too slow build, instrumental and it’s only when the brass, drums and vocals all come together that it piques my interest.
Under the right circumstances and live I reckon this could hit differently.
MC Solaar
3/5
This was a challenge as this stretched my semi-lapsed A level French (without the French lyrics on screen I would have been lost) but in a weird way it probably meant I followed the lyrics more than I might otherwise.
It has a good flow, decent variety of backing tracks and nice wordplay. It’s not groundbreaking from a non francophone country perspective but enjoyed it.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
5/5
This is a brilliant album. It’s probably also going to trigger me returning to Tropical Fuck Storm.
It’s a lovely blend of witty vocals, strong guitar and complementary percussion etc, building a sound calibrated with just the right amount of chaos/irreverence alongside great musical foundations.
A great find as someone who’s never really given Nick Cave a pop.
Bob Dylan
4/5
This is objectively a great album although I appreciate Dylan is a bit marmite (he definitely gets on my nerves on other albums).
Not this one though. It wears the anti-war message on its sleeve but somehow you get a sense it is genuine and it didn’t seem cloying.
Personal preference but his voice on this one is far better than some other albums where his style is infuriating.
A true showcase of his singer-songwriter talents although it’s still not in a style I absolutely love so no 5 for me.
Fatboy Slim
2/5
Repetition is only good when something bears repeating. Loops for loops’ sake.
A great start then leads to getting lost in a succession of boring middle songs before Praise You saved me a bit toward the end. Mercifully little more to listen to after that.
I’m sure I could bop to it with the right paraphernalia but it doesn’t lend itself to a quiet weekday evening listen.
Slipknot
3/5
I think this album is a missed opportunity, which is something I often feel with Slipknot. They are technically (I think) good musicians but the screamy vocals kill some good quality guitar and drums.
But I always find bits I do like - Psychosocial, Snuff and the Vermillion pt 2 remix are decent, and a couple of others almost get the balance right. Overall a 3 being a mixture of good and bad.
Louis Prima
3/5
I enjoyed this - had a good vibe to it and the band in the background gave it some gusto. Some very “of its time” themes and lyrics but didn’t expect any different. Really solid rhythm to it but can’t see myself returning for another listen.
Rewrote this a couple of days after reviewing the first time as my review doesn’t seem to have saved!
Joni Mitchell
2/5
This was an odd one. Joni Mitchell is certainly a cool character, and there is an ease to the way she records music, but elements of this album felt like they had a “forced” attempt at coolness, maybe an unintended consequence of taking on some jazz influences. It seemed insincere and monotonal, which is a shame given how much I rated Blue.
Jorge Ben Jor
3/5
Strong vibes to this. It’s nicely balanced for someone who doesn’t listen to any volume of this kind of music, you just immediately can enjoy the rhythm and composition. I don’t think I would return per se but it’s mostly easy listening and something a bit different, pleasant.
Iggy Pop
3/5
This was surprisingly wacky on face value but makes a lot of sense when you find out Bowie was a major contributor and it’s probably generous that only Iggy makes it onto the main artist credits.
I didn’t dislike the weird mixture of iggy’s vocals and the synthy, Bowie-esque (and actually Bowie in some cases) backing but it didn’t leave me wanting more. Thought the final track pushed a bit too far on the weird factor.
Rod Stewart
2/5
I don’t have many issues with Rod Stewart. I just don’t like his music, his personality or his politics…
An album where the mission brief seemed to be “can you take inspiration from 60s pop, rock and roll, folk, blues and some jazz, mash it together and make it all sound truly mediocre.” No thank you.
The Doors
3/5
I didn’t know The Doors other than the name. They sit just on the right side in terms of experimental blues/rock for the era, but occasionally it gets a bit too weird (L’America). It has a compelling beat/sound throughout but I didn’t necessarily get any deeper resonance with the songs, they’re just decent tracks.
Jack White
3/5
As always with Jack White it’s solid, he’s a musician of such talent. However, I felt like there was a bit too much of a gap on a few tracks between the tone set by the band/piano (generally quite chill and a lot would easily fit on a country/generic pop album) and the strong, slightly abrasive vocals. So I’m not sure it quite worked as well as some other albums but still enjoyed it.
T. Rex
5/5
This an effortlessly cool album. An indulgence to listen to, like knocking back a glass of your favourite beverage on a double bank holiday.
It’s confident, unabashed glam rock produced to perfection with a few unexpected surprises for a millenial listener who has heard snippets of multiple songs on adverts, tv film and the like over the years. Iconic.
Glad to have discovered this but a shame to have taken 1001 to do so. But paling in comparison to the tragedy of Marc Bolan’s untimely death.
Nick Drake
4/5
An interesting blend of jazz, country influences and folk with the voice of Nick Drake that draws you in.
I think there’s an enjoyable fragility to Nick Drake’s voice, there’s always a sense of some deep emotion lurking behind even with an upbeat track, which creates a more interesting dynamic. There’s also some nice orchestral accents that is more typical of a 50s or early 60s album, but less than in his other work.
Prefer his more serious stuff but enjoyable.
Ice Cube
3/5
Ice Cube has a flow that I do like and generally delivers on the political elements, which always (for me anyway) elevates rap because there are limits to how much gangster rap bingo you can listen to.
At its best it has some sharp political commentary, some genuinely funny elements and I like the use of fake/real tv clippings in the background. It’s brash but I don’t think takes itself too seriously. Has its obvious limitations but an enjoyable listen.
Elliott Smith
2/5
I listened to this a few days ago and it was entirely unremarkable. Cannot bring myself to relisten for a deeper dive.
Beatles
3/5
High high quality pop but other than the title track and Can’t Buy Me Love nothing sticks long in the memory. Can’t necessarily fault it but can’t imagine returning to it.
The Cure
4/5
A captivating album, but one best enjoyed when giving it full attention to appreciate the little accents in there.
I think it’s an interesting tussle between some soundscape-y stuff like Three, The Final Sound and more archetypal Cure songs. Where the balance works best is songs like Forest, where it creates the atmosphere in the intro and returns you to it in the outro, but with solid vocals as the “meat” of the song in the middle.
Sometimes less is more and I think this album just about hits that.
N.E.R.D
2/5
This is a weird album. It’s at a crossing point of genres/influences and generally I found it ok but it’s weak. I assume it merited inclusion as it attempted to do something weird and eclectic but it fails to fully lean in - lazy experimental music makes it a bit of a miss.
Neil Young
3/5
This is a genuinely good folk album and I appreciate its quality. Simple music done well with good lyrics. But I am not a fan of Neil Young’s vocals and its pacing is a bit too ponderous, even for folk. So while I know it’s good it’s not really for me.
Beth Orton
3/5
This one grew on me. There’s a nice, folky and only lightly poppy feel this album, it felt like music the artist wanted to make and definitely something of a blueprint for more “alternative” female pop singers to come.
It had some interesting turns and I liked some of the more ‘western’ style elements - Devil Song sounded like it belonged as a title track to Red Dead Redemption or a similar vibe of gritty western drama.
Not hugely exciting, but liked the composition and vocals.
Steely Dan
3/5
The jazzy funky elements date this but I have no real complaints, it’s well put together and all the elements compliment each other. Would be a good vibe at the right venue.
Queen
4/5
I am self-aware enough to know that I am tending to a slightly higher rating as a fan. But I think the things that stand out are
- the variety within the operatic, ‘big’ rock. Plenty you would expect but then the experimental Seaside Rendezvous and then The Prophets Song, felt like it could slot into any kind of fantasy rock album.
- Superlative guitar as always and good vocals
- Bohemian Rhapsody that I reckon easily has to be in the top 10 pop songs ever
It’s probably still a bit ‘inaccessible’ for people who don’t consider themselves Queen fans but as one myself think it’s great.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
Easy to digest, enjoyable and quick rock album. Not many standout tracks but I enjoyed the general feel for most of the album, decent backing music and guitar. Vocals a bit hit and miss but in general good.
Did think a few of the later songs in the album went off the boil a bit, trying to be slower and ‘deeper’. Stick to what you are good at.
Feel like they are capable of better given the quality it shows in bursts.
Nanci Griffith
3/5
Ok so I think this caught me in a good mood, but for me this just about got the balance right on sweet vs saccharine and it generally had a nice ‘feel’ to it. I liked Nanci’s vocals, they gave off quiet confidence. Some reasonably folksy instrumental aspects (could maybe have done more speedy fiddle stuff for my mind but that wasn’t necessarily the vibe, decent steel guitar though).
Nothing special and not 100% sure why it got in the 1001 but I’ve heard far worse and found it reasonably enjoyable. Weak 3.
Pixies
5/5
Truly an awesome, pioneering, belter of an album. I have listened many times now but struggle to write anything particularly erudite. I just really like it and think it’s excellent.
When listening for review purposes I likened it to miners opening up a new shaft. There are untold wonders lurking within if you look closely enough, some experimental aspects and sometimes you have to come up for air before diving back in again. Not all seams are perfect, and maybe others will come back and make it their own to greater heights, but those first are the trailblazers.
Metallica
4/5
A great album, possibly their best for being the most rounded of their better known albums.
Kicking off with Enter Sandman, it’s undeniably good and elevates thrash metal to a higher form than it usually reaches, emblematic of the rest of this album. The ‘cleanness’ of much of this and great use of pauses/silence creates more of an edginess compared to some albums in the genre (including their own work).
Beyond that, further highlights included Sad But True, Wherever I May Roam and The Unforgiven. All in all great.
Dire Straits
3/5
There’s some great level of musical performance on this album. Super guitar and bass, decent variety with some proggy stuff, more quintessential rock and then some other funky stuff in between.
Very dated in some of its lyrics and feel. Certainly wouldn’t pass any ‘woke’ test on ‘Money for Nothing’.
Low 3.
Pixies
4/5
A high quality album, if less experimental and compelling than Debaser. Cop out review as I listened a few days ago, twice, but failed to take notes. Just vibes.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
A bit too slow and ponderous all in all, but did really enjoy some of it (Into My Arms, Lime Tree Arbour and West Country Girl). I just think for a whole album it would be nice to have some more punchy numbers to break it up. Cave’s gutsy vocals can’t do that on their own and so it made a collection of mostly decent songs difficult to push through as an album.
Waylon Jennings
2/5
Themed country with a reasonable tempo. It doesn’t quite lean into the outlaw theme fully so it doesn’t get to parody levels but still plenty to like if that’s your thing. It doesn’t really do it for me but it’s fine and short enough that it didn’t become a difficult listen.
The Offspring
4/5
There’s a funny thing that happens listening to an Offspring album. Despite the high energy, shouty vocals, it’s so on par for them as a band and always quite consistent in what they put out that somehow it is easy listening. It never feels forced and while there’s always a bit of comedy/whimsy, it gets the balance right, for me anyway.
I reckon you’re either into it or you aren’t, as it’s a highly homogenous album and I’m hard pushed to pick out individual tracks barring those I knew already, but it just works.
The Stooges
3/5
I enjoyed this maybe more than I expected having not massively enjoyed the Iggy album. The vocals are more varied than expected and it had a bit of energy to it, but doubtful I would listen again.
The Doors
3/5
I thought this was actually pretty decent and a good, if dated, rock and roll album. It’s up and down but running through the middle of it is some decent guitar and drums and a variety of sounds. Probably a 4 for the most part but knocked a mark off for some grating songs.
Mj Cole
1/5
Just dreadful. The repetitiveness of a trance album but with an RnB beat. The radio style MC shoutout track was the only real garage bit I could recognise. I reckon most songs only had about 10-15 words that weren’t the title of the song, which while a helpful reminder I don’t need to hear 50 times. But it helped put being stuck on the M25 into perspective as I realised life could be worse and mercifully I don’t expect I will have to listen to this again.
SZA
2/5
I felt obliged to look up the wiki before reviewing to understand what I was missing. Interesting that the artist’s hard drive had to be confiscated by her label as it kept being reworked without being delivered.
It’s been described as “confessional” and that does come through, there’s some soul bearing that goes on. However, I’m not a fan of the style and so it doesn’t come across to me in a way that I can connect with. It’s just not my genre and I found it on the whole unrelatable and unremarkable apart from some choice language and amusingly crude phrasing. Strong vocals though.
Nine Inch Nails
2/5
Techno-adjacent Slipknot without the light relief of some actual musicality in more acoustic/vocals driven songs.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
This is a vibe of an album. Jimi oozes cool and the guitar feels so fluid. I am not a huge fan of the style of recording, it does give some plus points in feeling “earthy” and more like a live performance but it’s also a bit grainy and takes away some of the brilliance of the music.
Anyway. It’s iconic for a reason and I really enjoyed it. Slightly too long but I make some allowances for genius. Enough small gripes that it’s not a 5 but definitely a 4 for me.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
I did like this, but it lacked the quality of the previous album rated on 1001 (abattoir blues).
I appreciate this is a concept album but I found that wore thin and by the lengthy O’Malley track I was done really. Weirdly seemed like Nick’s charisma carried some songs but not others.
However, I did enjoy the PJ Harvey and Kylie tie-ins that would have been a bit barmy NOT as part of a murder themed album. A strange but not unpleasant listen.
Stevie Wonder
3/5
Meh. I think for me this was a case of too much funk but without having other qualities to elevate it, prefer when it can throw in some other aspects e.g comedic elements, rock, R&B.
No faulting the musicianship but I did find it a touch repetitive. Just not ever going to be a main genre for me (I think). I’m sure Stevie will be gutted to hear that.
B.B. King
5/5
A classic live blues album where one track drifts into another (at least for part of the album). No doubting the charisma and rhythm that comes through on every track. I don’t always think the electric guitar makes absolute sense but equally there’s some stonking solos in there. Somehow never sat down and listened to BB, which I have reason to change now.
Isaac Hayes
2/5
I found this quite a struggle. Having made it through the first couple of session-style songs I found the third track a relief at a mere 5 minutes long, only to get into “By The Time I Get To Phoenix” and all of its 18 minutes.
While I generally like or at least don’t mind soul, I don’t (personally) think Isaac Hayes had the sheer charisma and singing talent to pull off these kinds of tracks in terms of length. I found the single edits easy enough to listen to but the full versions were a drag.
Having read up on him I get the sense he had an outsized influence beyond his solo career and is credited with being a significant part of the music of the 60s and 70s, with influence lasting much longer, but that didn’t make me enjoy this any more.
The Stone Roses
3/5
I found this reasonably enjoyable although I didn’t think the album necessarily had any standout songs (asides from those that are more well known so they stick in the mind). But it’s a impressive first album, interesting that this was probably the peak of the band’s work.
I think what I like most about the sound of the album is the mixing of different eras, there’s definitely some pop 80s in there but aspects of earlier eras like the 60s comes through too.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
I found this album pretty bland and I’m not convinced I’m a fan of Costello’s style of singing, a bit grating to me. Didn’t hate it but didn’t especially like it.
The White Stripes
4/5
I enjoyed this. VERY different for the most part to the White Stripes I know, entirely informed by Elephant / Seven Nation Army.
I liked the creativeness and the stripped back nature of it, could really appreciate the drums and guitar when it made an appearance.
Would have been a 3.5 but more a 4 than a 3.
Jurassic 5
3/5
Enjoyed this. Refreshing to have a rap album that doesn’t stick to the regular tropes e.g violence and misogyny.
The beats felt fresh and can see how this would have been an interesting album to come out in the 2000s as a contrast to other artists in the era.
I didn’t feel like there was anything groundbreaking about the lyrics, but it was inoffensive and easy listening, which is pretty rare for the genre.
The Notorious B.I.G.
2/5
This wasn’t as hard going as I expected and some of the tracks with more developed background beats were okay to listen to.
However, I am just not a fan of the genre and all that comes with it. Some of the intro/outtro’s with the sex stuff were just a bit gross to listen to rather than funny.
Led Zeppelin
3/5
I liked this, and glad to be led to listen to some Led Zeppelin again as I’ve not done so for a very long time. I didn’t find it profound and it didn’t necessarily grab me but some enjoyable guitar play and the distinctive sound of the lead vocals.
Maybe on another day it would be a 4 but a 3 today.
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
Another soul album with great social commentary. Pusherman and Freddie’s Dead stood out to me, the characterisation involved I really enjoyed.
I slightly prefer Marvin Gaye’s style, probably the closest comparison and very much a contemporary but I’d happily listen again.
Johnny Cash
2/5
Voting with my head not my heart. I love a bit of Johnny Cash and there’s a couple of Cash classics on the album but other than the novelty of Folsom Prison live at Folsom Prison I don’t think it will massively please anyone other than the die hards. Jackson for instance sounded really tired compared to some other performances.
Beastie Boys
3/5
At times this was too much and just a lot of NOISE but not always in a good way. But there’s a few classics in there. Equally a few lazy songs in my opinion so a mixed bag.
Steely Dan
3/5
De La Soul
3/5
I think this album is a bit too long but is dotted with some solid tracks with decent beats, I just lost a bit of interest by the end.
Have never listened to De La Soul purposefully but heard them a few times on Gorillaz songs, definite overlap explaining why I generally liked this. I think without that link I might have struggled a bit more through it.
Eagles
3/5
I think the first three tracks are the high water mark and HC itself is undeniably a classic, but then this gets more and more overindulgent for my liking.
The quality of the music is great but it all feels middle of the road, which is what they were clearly aiming for!
Manic Street Preachers
3/5
Not sure I gave this one the full concentration it deserves but generally enjoyed it. I sort of eased my way into it as at first I wasn’t sure quite certain, but a couple of tracks later got into general vibe. Feel I need to give it another listen and will try it again for sure.
Pavement
3/5
Middle of the road grunge, I enjoyed it but having reviewed Nevermind recently it doesn’t stack up that well as a comparison. Felt quite similar to the Stone Roses and I possibly liked some tracks better on this one, but it didn’t really capture me (nor did the Stone Roses album to be fair).
Quite liked some of the slower songs though.
4/5
I liked the angsty passion of this, it made an otherwise monotonous trip for the Fulbourn Tesco Extra shop on Saturday, dare I say it, a pleasurable experience.
Will be returning to it (sadly, the Tescos too)
Talking Heads
3/5
I enjoyed this to start with but felt like it petered out a bit by the end. The slightly unusual/eclectic rhythms of some of the earlier songs piqued my interest but then it seemed more samey later on in the album. Overall decent though.
M.I.A.
1/5
I really tried to give this the benefit of the doubt considering the album as a whole, and trying to suspend judgement after the absolute dross in the first few tracks. But that just carried on throughout.
Any plus points for creative/unusual beats and the mixture of different styles cultures etc is lost by the repetitive lyrics that feel like someone is slowly driving a blunt nail through your head.
This isn’t one for me. First 1 star review!
Prince
2/5
Brian Wilson
2/5
I don’t really have anything novel to say about this. I listened to it and didn’t hate it, but it just felt majorly drab and I can’t say I would actively listen to any of it if I happened to hear it again. Most likely I would switch the radio/skip.
David Bowie
3/5
Weirdly my first Bowie album that I have listened to fully and enjoyed this. It had a coherent theme (his own mortality lies heavy on this) but I don’t think it was quite straying into indulgent.
It’s not necessarily something I’d pick out to listen to but it was definitely engaging and leaves me interested to try more.
Iron Maiden
3/5
I think this album is a mixture of pretty solid songs typifying the genre and equally some forgettable dirge. The more upbeat Number of the Beast (a formative song for me in my teenage discovery of heavy rock/metal) and Run to the Hills do better in my opinion but Children of the Damned is decent. May be a bit of a rose tinted 3 here.
2/5
I just found this boring. I think I’d have a different take on this if I had been around to enjoy it the first time around, but I don’t think it’s aged that well and a few tracks in I was done with it all.
I’ve never really listened to Blur beyond the obvious hits and on this listening I won’t be rushing back!
Meat Loaf
3/5
This comes out so strong and then loses its way for me. The first couple of tracks perfectly set up the show-style melodrama and I think it’s an amazing piece in the genre. But it does then get a bit lost in the latter few tracks.
I think it does enough for a 3 but that’s on the strength of the first few tracks.
Public Enemy
2/5
This was ultimately a bit of a meh album in my opinion. Another rap album that wasn’t dreadful nor overly profane but it went on SO long. It honestly took me about 3 attempts to get through and has put me behind in this grand album exercise.
I just feel like they have one speed/style and it’s not for me but I’m sure others would enjoy.
Dr. Dre
2/5
I do enjoy the 90s west coast rap beat/flow but that on its own isn’t enough. Interesting to hear quite a bit of Snoop on this album and actually hearing him knock out some decent bars is a novelty having grown up on his mainstream days.
But it’s not for me and some of the standard gangster rap stuff is just very regrettable on account of being both boring and vulgar. Call me a Victorian prude.
The White Stripes
4/5
This was super. A bit heavier than their last album on the 1001, but a few stripped back songs slipped in too.
I think more or less every song had me engaged and I always appreciate the clarity of the vocals, you never have to struggle to make out what Jack White is saying. Just good crisp rock music. Enjoyed some of the nirvana/soundgarden/audioslave vibes on parts of the album.
Lambchop
2/5
I can imagine this kind of album being performed on a Saga cruise. I feel like it would cater well to some middle class octogenarians who would probably think it was all marvellous and doesn’t he have such a wonderful singing voice.
I found it pretty insipid start to finish. There are some different musical influences in there but none used to any great effect. The falsetto didn’t surprise me but could have done without it.
Kate Bush
4/5
Loved this. This album feels irreverent and creative, I may entirely wrong but it came across that Kate Bush is just doing the music she feels like making and it just so happens to be great.
There are some absolute classics in the album but the rest of it works too.
Merle Haggard
2/5
Just middle of the road old school country. It wasn’t awful but pretty bland and didn’t really feel much conviction behind the songs. Fine to listen to but nothing to return to.
Amy Winehouse
2/5
There’s a lot of drug and sex fuelled dross in this album. There are snippets of jazzy vibes that are pleasant to listen to, and it just had me feeling “what if”.
Don’t feel I can give this any more than a 2 but the jazzy/slower tracks are reasonable, at least in places.
Johnny Cash
4/5
Folsom Prison gets the attention (I think mainly just as the song is popular) but this is a far more engaging live performance. The performance of the tracks could better but there’s no denying the charisma and sheer effrontery of Johnny Cash in this live performance. As a piece of cultural history it is superb.
Gang Starr
2/5
Inoffensive, reasonably well put together rap. It has the usual tropes about nobody else raps as well as we do, we’re going to get you, but more that we might diss you rather than engage in hijinks with firearms.
Bland enough that at times I sort of forgot I was listening to it, which is saying something for a rap album. But when focusing it was reasonable enough.
Parliament
3/5
Well ain’t this funky. A bit interesting as there’s this weird extraterrestrial funk theme they spend a reasonable amount of time on in the first few tracks, but given it’s so funky it sort of works in a whimsical way?
I’d say it’s “accessible” funk, in that it’s not ramming really loud vocals or excessive sax solos down your earnoggins, and genuinely enjoyable. Maybe just a bit done with it all by the time I got to the last couple of tracks.
Dinosaur Jr.
2/5
At first I thought, “oh, this is what Nirvana would be like if they had no charisma”. But that does a disservice to Nirvana and also doesn’t explain the weirdness of this album.
It starts off terribly with the first song - thought I was in for a very rough ride at that point.
Mercifully there was less terrible white noise/screaming from there on in. Which allowed me to collect my thoughts on the lead singer:
- effeminacy reminiscent of the pet shop boys but without the charm
- a bit like when they let a fan come up on stage and sing a song, but they’re not any good
- at times sounding like they were asked to sing this all with a gun to their head having only heard it a couple of times previous
The different sounds throughout this album threw me too. It all started sounding more coherent in the last few tracks then there was the bizarre outtro on the last track.
All in all, a bit strange and confused. As am I after listening to it.
Fugees
3/5
I am slightly in two minds about this one. Overall I found it reasonably enjoyable and Lauryn Hill’s charisma makes for some solid tracks.
It’s a bit of a mixed bag - interestingly I found some of their biggest hits didn’t necessarily gel with the general thrust of the album. But I think it’s worthy of a 3 rather than a 2.
Miles Davis
4/5
I think this would be utterly mesmerising to witness live and I feel the need to go to a dark room and just let this wash over me.
It felt like an effortless flow of music and while I am not necessarily a jazz fan I could appreciate this and the talent on show here.
Not quite a 5 for me but maybe that’s more a reflection on my tastes than the musical quality. A superb way to spend some time and I’ll be a repeat customer (maybe then at least in spirit I’ll be increasing my rating).
Cowboy Junkies
2/5
I think this kind of music is better enjoyed live. I imagine the vocals would cut through better enjoying it in some dimly lit bar where you can try and vibe with it. As it is, it’s some well produced but ultimately boring music. The occasional instrumental section cut through differently but I wouldn’t go as far to say I enjoyed it.
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
I don’t think this ages well. It’s a bit of a groany, mumbly mess with some theatre-esque piano chords and folksy blandery.
I get that he’s supposedly an icon and all that but not for me thx.
Television
3/5
This one had me torn. Overall enjoyable and I enjoy their sound, there’s some creativity in this album in pockets but is a bit samey.
I don’t think I’m quite on a 4 but it’s a very solid 3.
Tears For Fears
3/5
This was a pleasant listen. I could imaging bopping around to this in a perm in the 80s, were I born a couple of decades earlier.
I thought it started strong then got a bit lost, “I Believe” was a bit dull.
Actually enjoyed this a bit more than the Television album but not quite enough for a 4.
Blur
2/5
A bit of a weird medley of sounds on this album. It was by no means shit but the idiom about throwing enough shit and some of it will stick comes to mind.
I don’t think it really works for me as an album, I found some songs reasonably enjoyable and no denying the staying power of the first two songs on the album, but then you get the dire ending of the final two tracks.
Kudos to anyone who can enjoy Essex Dogs, in particular the final interlude.
John Grant
2/5
This is an interesting listen.
There are moments of bleak introspection at the beginning that are then followed by comedy tracks like Sigourney Weaver and “I hate faggots”, which hits a strange note mixing attempted comedy with more serious topics. I honestly did not see where the album was going to get towards the more pure comedy songs.
As a collective piece it’s really hard to rate but I think it gives a look into the artist’s life experience, whether we wanted that as a listener or not.. but I’m sort of glad I listened to it as an unhinged piece of artwork.
I just cannot imagine being in the recording studio for some of these tracks though. Utterly bizarre at times.
2/5
I appreciate that there is a raw energy to this album, it’s like the sound is straining to get out but then rumbling into deeper, darker noises. There’s a discordant theme throughout so weirdly it does work as an album.
However. I think this is all a bit too much for my poor head. I find trying to engage with some of the songs is like trying to do quadratic equations while banging a saucepan perched on your head, and other times the very devil himself is after you.
The drums on Read The Book That Wrote Itself and birdsong with eerie banging noises in the background on Flow My Tears the Spider Said will haunt me for a while.
Charles Mingus
2/5
Another album where there is loads of energy in the tracks. Charles Mingus has a really strong presence in every song and I reckon if you are into jazz it would be pretty special to have watched him live jamming away.
I don’t really like the genre though and I know I’m sort of “missing the point” when listening. Overall I found it an ok listen but the final 18 min track was a struggle, each crescendo felt like an attack on my uneducated ears.
I’m just too basic so apologies jazz fans.
Jethro Tull
3/5
I enjoyed this, sort of classic rock but with some creative touches thrown in. I think the flutes really add something here and while I wouldn’t say it was a masterpiece it had enough going on to make it interesting. I did lose a bit of interest by the end but that’s not unusual.
Radiohead
4/5
A strong 4 for me.
I loved the start - Everything In Its Right Place had strong Massive Attack vibes (maybe it should be vice versa but I listened to Massive Attack before this album).
Then there’s some real tonal shifts that come through later in the album, it’s got such creativity and melding of electronic and more typical rock vibes of that period.
The one downer for me is I didn’t really vibe with the actual title track and on occasion I actually thought the electronic sounds were a bit OTT (maybe anathema to say but this is an honest first listen review).
But there are some really enjoyable tracks on this and considering it’s such a divisive album I’m liking the fact that this is my first proper experience of them and enjoyed it so much.
I think I’m just a miser with 5 ratings and suspecting with relistens I might be there. But this is a super 4.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
4/5
For me, this is a really high quality jazz album and for me as someone who can struggle with the genre sometimes, it never felt overindulgent.
The opening track (Blue Rondo) got things off a jolly high tempo start and it rarely dipped too much after that. Was interesting reading this was a pioneering jazz album as it was at an atypical speed for the genre.
It had enough musical variation while all feeling like it had a clear strain of slightly funky jazz throughout. I also think it was (for me) a really good length to not become same-y.
Nice to find some more jazz that I would happily listen to again!
Black Sabbath
5/5
I appreciate the algo tweak to get this in now.
Lots of opportunity for hyperbole here but for me in general this is just a generally epic album. Brand new genre, the tone is at the right level to not be either overly serious or silly on the more ‘doom metal’ tracks, with other really high quality songs as well.
There’s so many tracks on this album (if not all of them) where you can absolutely trace the heritage of other albums and artists that followed back to the industrial wall of noise from brum.
The bass, guitar, drums all play their part in allowing Ozzy to shine.
My first instinct was a 4 but for the combination of great music, its outsized influence and the fact this is the first thing they even released I’m happy to pop my 5 cherry. Not even necessarily my favourite “Slack Babbath” album.
Cornershop
1/5
Just dreadful really.
The lack of coherence in this album is so jarring. There are songs that sound like run on the mill late 90s/early 00s pop/soft rock, others with heavy Bhangra/south Asian influence then others that are relatively benign electronic sounds. None of which are particularly enjoyable.
On multiple songs I got transported to some sort of purgatory and I truly feared for the wellbeing of my soul. I’ve only ever heard the sped up remix of Brimful of Asha and assumed it was the actual track, how wrong I was. It’s telling the remix has 12 to 13x the plays compared to the original.
I imagine for some people this was an important album but I just found it dire.
Thelonious Monk
2/5
Had to remind myself of this a little for the review as I hadn’t written any notes.
I think this strays more into the kind of jazz I struggle with. The musicality is top quality but to listen to as a standalone exercise it’s not necessarily my bag. My favourite sections are probably when the sax and other instruments are involved but given the style that can then get a bit chaotic, like each instrument is fighting to break through.
Billy Joel
4/5
I think this is a really solid album. It’s just really high quality songwriting and there’s more than a few classics.
I wasn’t a huge fan of “Scenes from an Italian restaurant”, wasn’t sure how well that sat with the other tracks and it was lengthy but I can excuse the blip.
Soft Machine
2/5
This is a weird and difficult one to rate. It’s eclectic to the extreme.
I felt like the first song was the high watermark. There was some interesting jazz-rock stuff going on and the tonal shifts were at that point intriguing.
But each track is so long that you lose the plot a bit. Some sections put me in mind of Pink Floyd but only if they were trying to find a particularly obnoxious opening sequence.
The vocals really don’t help and prefer when it’s instrumental (fortunately most of the time).
I think both the second and third song had a very jarring climax shortly before the end with eerie electronic sounds.
So all told I applaud the experimental nature and there is musical quality involved but it was an album I pushed through rather than enjoyed. Just don’t think I can give it a 3 (on my own personal scoring).
Hugh Masekela
4/5
This was enjoyable zippy, what I would term mainstream jazz. High quality but mostly accessible stuff that I reckon even the less initiated could listen to and at least respect if not enjoy.
I think jazz is only ever going to be background music for me but this is a high quality version.
Robert Wyatt
2/5
Just found this an odd really. I really struggled to keep interested because it feels like a bit of an unfunny parody after of an artist. No thanks would not listen again.
Beatles
3/5
High quality pop but with fun shifts throughout, enjoyable but I can’t see myself returning frequently to listen.
Call me a cynic but I would be really
interested to know what global score this would get if it WASN’T Abbey Road and the Beatles. At time of writing from memory this is one of if not the highest scoring album globally?
It’s great iconic pop but the genre has its limitations.
5/5
Superb. I can’t quite describe it, but this album is sort of timeless while also being a lovely time capsule, pulling on influences from the 60s.
It sort of ebbs and flows from the dizzying heights (Starman has to be the archetypal pop song and might be my favourite ever, Moonage Daydream you can almost hear echoes of The Eagles but with some passion) through to more (dare I say it!) but each song stands on its own merits.
Enjoyed the melodramatic rocky horror-esque ending of Rock n’Roll suicide, felt like the Ziggy - Suffragette City - RnR transition was really smooth.
As an album and collection of great songs I can’t really fault it and it’s another album in the pantheon.
Grizzly Bear
3/5
Just meh. I don’t think there’s anything profoundly wrong with it but there’s nothing particularly good about it either. Recognised Two Weeks that has clearly had plenty of airtime and is objectively a good single, and wonder if it got in on the back of that song, the rest was quite forgettable.
Feels wrong giving this the same rating as Abbey Road but we live in a strange world.
Jeff Beck
3/5
I feel tied in to a weird rating funk due to a potentially dodge last 3 rating.
Enjoyable guitar and unexpected (and unknown 😂) Rod on vocals actually turned out to be an ok combo for me. I’m not sure it worked 100%, at times I thought I would have just preferred a Jeff Beck jam minus the vocals. But all in all reasonable to listen to.
Suede
3/5
A stronger 3, this was perfectly enjoyable. I don’t think it has the songwriting strength of The Smiths or the catchy hooks of The Cure but it sits nicely in that sweet spot genre-wise.
A nice way to while away the best part of an hour.
Duran Duran
4/5
Good quality 80s Pop. Not every song is a banger but I didn’t think there were any duds. The one thing I thought it lacked was on a couple of songs the intro would start with an interesting tonal shift, but then once it got going it just defaulted back to the same kind of sound as the previous track.
I’m sort of toying on the rating but enjoyed it enough to give it the 4.
Sigur Rós
3/5
I found this really interesting and could definitely see myself listening to it more to really dig into it. So different to the last few albums I’ve listened to.
At its best you get transported away into a peaceful plane of existence and the music washes over you. I was definitely in this category for a few songs on the bounce and into solid 4 territory.
However at times I found the vocals a bit discordant, it was like they were needed to tie the music together but a bit grating, particularly on the first two songs. Then towards the end of the album there were a few songs that had a more chaotic vibe I didn’t enjoy as much.
A close miss on a 4 and might be one that over time I grow to enjoy more, but it’s a strong 3 on first listen.
Leonard Cohen
4/5
A bit of an exercise in how far charisma can carry an album.
This is a rich, brooding album that hits a lot of great notes. Cohen’s voice is definitely an acquired taste and there’s limits to how much you can say he is truly ‘singing’ but each song feels like an event. The presence of choir/gospel elements leans into the theme/material nicely.
I definitely think it’s not for everyone but I can’t help but enjoy it a lot.
Small Faces
2/5
A strange mixture of trippy and attempts at comedy. Large sections like an unfunny Monty Python sketch put to music. Odd without being interesting.
Elbow
3/5
I don’t really know how to describe it but everything on this album felt quite surface level. Maybe I was missing something.
I generally found the album reasonable to listen to and there are a few certifiable earworms that I’ve heard before, but I don’t think the style is quite for me, it’s a bit “earnest northerner”. An album where the answer to “would I care if I never heard it again” is a no.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Being a Luddite/millenial a few steps removed from the Rolling Stones, this is the first Stones album I have listened to all the way through so it was interesting to give it a go.
I think for me this album is at its best when the soul/blues influences are at their strongest and the rock and roll is taking a back seat. In general I didn’t have any standout songs, but it was pretty decent background music. A strongish 3.
Supergrass
2/5
Potato. Croquette.
It was alright. There was a surprising amount of variation in the second half of the album but it didn’t necessarily make it any more interesting. For me it was sufficiently boring to fall below a 3.
The only real highlight was “Alright” as it’s a song I heard tons of times growing up but didn’t actually know who performed it or even what it was called.
The The
3/5
This was an interesting one in the end. The percussive elements gave it a discordant vibe, mixed in with the heavy backing track and in your face 80s vocals it’s a heady mix.
At times I think I was sort of ironically enjoying it because it felt like a parody where the artist wasn’t in on the joke. It didn’t keep my interest throughout but had enough to draw me back in at times. A weak 3.
Aimee Mann
2/5
Whatever. An apt name for a boring album.
Answered the question of “what if PJ Harvey had no charisma and droned a bit more”. Not necessarily a question I needed an answer to.
It was fine for parts but dragged on and couldn’t get into it.
Bob Dylan
2/5
Meh. There’s a mix of reasonable songs (title track and while long, Desolation Row was more engaging than many others) entirely drowned out by harmonica on other songs that is on a spectrum from grating to bone-grinding. Particular shout out to the closing sequence of Queen Jane Approximately for being truly terrible.
Hope I enjoy the next Dylan album more.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
Placeholder. Will edit later
Wu-Tang Clan
3/5
I enjoyed this. For the most part it’s clever, easy flow, that typical 90s era backing music that I quite like and I think having a number of different artists in the group helps keep it fresh.
Probably would have been in 4 if it hadn’t had the usual issues of the threats of violence (albeit in more imaginative ways than most rap/hip hop) and dragging on a bit.
M.I.A.
1/5
It’s somehow monotonous while also being quite varied in its flavours of rubbishness. It is short and no track is too long and I appreciated that, if nothing else. The creative influences do not lead to anything genuinely interesting for me, but quite aware I’m a few steps removed from the target audience.
I know many others will have a different take (beyond this 1001 group) but I’d be grateful if this is the last M.I.A on the 1001, please and thank you.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
This was an unexpected gem, at least a rhinestone or opal if nothing of greater value.
It confounded my expectations after the first two tracks that are solidly British alt-rock of the era (Heads Will Roll and it’s more famous remix are a classic) to then play through to the acoustic set of the last few songs (minus Faces), all in all pretty enjoyable.
Maybe a weak 4 as I did dip in and out a bit in the middle, but a step above the average. Would (and will) listen again.
Jamiroquai
3/5
Well, this was a tale of two halves.
The first disc is a mixture of funky, jazzy poppy sounds that to me taken on its own would have been a perfectly pleasant album and a great place to stop.
You then have the bloated, slightly indulgent second disc. Did we really need extended versions of songs on the main album? Isn’t that what deluxe editions are for?
The weakest of 3s - a 2.5 if ever there was one.
Cyndi Lauper
3/5
A solid 3. Some real pop classics and found this album good fun on the whole, but there were a couple of grating songs too.
If the assignment was “give me some quintessential 80s pop” this would fit the bill.
David Bowie
4/5
I think there is just (just) enough creativity and variety in here to get a 4 and even though each number in the rating system covers a broad range, this deserves more than the last album (soz Cyndi).
I did find Cracked Actor and Time jarring on both the first and second listen, for whatever reason didn’t think they sat right in this album. But there’s a good beginning and end, and ultimately a number of songs I could see myself returning to.
Jeff Buckley
5/5
Masterful,
Inspiring,
Sonically
Stimulating,
Individual,
Simply
Sublime,
Inimitable,
Perfectly
Produced,
Ingenious.
An album you can really drown yourself in. Every song washed over me like the lapping waves of a major river in the American deep south.
Meat Puppets
4/5
Wow, this was an unexpected pleasure.
The first song is an all-out assault and must admit I read the Wikipedia review that talked about this album being a departure from their first that had “unintelligible vocals and chaos” - along those lines anyway - and thought, have they really departed from that?
Luckily, they did, though this remains a chaotic piece of brilliance. Country instrumental has never sounded so good as when it’s put to punk/grungy vibes and I agree it’s more engaging than Nirvana where there are obvious parallels.
I’m very on the fence but it’s maybe (just) not a 5 for me, but it’s darn close.
Elvis Presley
2/5
This was just a bit insipid. I woke up for suspicious minds as it’s actually got some energy to it but so much of this album felt languid, phoning it in. But no denying the king’s voice and its perfectly acceptable background music providing you’re not paying massive amounts of attention.
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
It is probably more a matter of taste that sees this not quite a 5 for me. I can’t quite fault it and I think it’s a great album, but it didn’t grab me in the same way that other 5s did.
It is however, effortlessly cool, full of excellent guitar and has a distinctive sound it remains true to throughout. The potential lack of variety can be excused through just how good each track is. I just don’t have the same visceral reaction as I have had for other 5s maybe.
R.E.M.
3/5
Found this quite bland and a few songs did the musical heavy lifting. None of it was unpleasant and perfectly reasonable background music for the most part. But I do like the general “sound” and it has a clear style. So a bit of a mixed review, could have been more compelling but enough in there to have not found it a bad way to spend 48 minutes.
Tim Buckley
2/5
An apt title. This wasn’t quite a slog as it wasn’t too long, but it didn’t really reach me emotionally nor was the music interesting, for the most part.
All of a sudden Gypsy Woman grabbed me a bit and Sing A Song For You also had a bit of something different, but on the whole a bit of a miss for me.
The Byrds
3/5
This sits firmly in the pantheon of “high quality 60s pop”. It’s very of its time, you immediately know what you are dealing with and the short tracks come thick and fast.
Listening in 2025 is a difficult one, as it feels so familiar and un revelatory when at its time it was in the thick of a movement. So I can’t say I love it but I can appreciate it as a fine product of its time, and it has enjoyable guitar throughout. Just a bit dated now.
Everything But The Girl
2/5
This was drab. It’s hard to feel any strong emotions towards this kind of music. At times it invokes Dido but without the distinctive voice or catchy hooks. It’s less middle of the road than lane-splitting a 3-lane motorway. Will not be returning.
Beck
2/5
This was an odd listen. There was one, maybe two track(s) at the beginning of the album with a slightly heavier guitar element that was enjoyable, but then it got fully into the swing of a variety-packed album but nothing really grabbed me. I generally found most songs quite boring so the variety didn’t really help, and if anything meant I couldn’t really get into the swing of it.
Maybe I need to give it another try some time but I can’t see myself going to much effort to.
Wilco
3/5
I like the atmosphere of this album but it feels a really missed opportunity. There’s a bit of a dreamy, light guitar and piano soundscape going on at times, but it’s made far less compelling by the vocals that are very forgettable. The sound mixing is slightly off imo as it’s almost like the vocals are a notch lower than the music at times and that doesn’t help!
But I did like the ‘feel’ of the acoustic elements and that’s enough to carry it to a 3.
Norah Jones
2/5
Not actively unpleasant but instantly forgettable. Like a dream that slips away before you can really remember what happened. I’m sure it’s a 5 for someone.
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
3/5
On the whole this was just fairly middle of the road stuff, with the proviso that I enjoyed Damon Albarn’s elements more than some of his earlier stuff. Reading that he got stuck into this project just after Demon Days makes a lot of sense - while it’s profoundly different you can pick up notes of it.
All told, I didn’t think too much of this until the last few tracks and then it blew open into a pretty enjoyable blast of britpoppy rock. Overall not bad but not great.
Ministry
2/5
This was a bit much for me, even for someone who professes to like metal.
I tend to like metal albums where there is an undercurrent of a tangible melody, occasional lighter touches (usually when they actually attempt some singing, however questionable it may be) and doesn’t take itself 100% seriously. Hit 2 out of 3 with some really solid drums and guitar and we’re laughing.
I just didn’t get it from this, which I think is the genre and maybe the particular band. It just felt like an assault and un enjoyable in the main. I’m clearly just too basic.
Elvis Costello
3/5
This was a pleasant uptick from the mania of the ministry album but it’s the kind of music that has a ceiling to it. My main thought on listening was, he’s the kind of music star you wouldn’t mind too much if your adult offspring started dating and took them home to meet you.
The Strokes
4/5
This album is a vibe. I was too young to listen to this the first time around but it nicely straddles being ‘of its time’ but also having wider appeal.
Quality but simple guitar, a consistent ‘sound’ albeit some attempts at heavier elements, good vocals and a pretty tight album, no dead weight. Enjoyed and will return.
Malcolm McLaren
3/5
This was a weird one but enjoyable. It drew on a shedload of influences but somehow wasn’t intolerable and seemed relatively novel. Some of it was a bit on the weird side so it wasn’t always the easiest listen but overall decent.
A bit of a lazy review as listened a few days ago.
James Taylor
3/5
Middle of the road, high quality but uninspiring stuff. I couldn’t find much to fault it but it didn’t grip me and I would be hard pushed to remember much of it. Meh.
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
This felt like a close miss. I can have no real complaints with it, generally good funk/soul but it never quite kicked up a notch. Snippets of strong riffing/solo elements but didn’t sustain the more interesting sections. Reckon they could have put on a good show though.
Sex Pistols
5/5
First introduced to this album through the truly excellent playlist on Tony Hawks Pro Skater 4 (also my intro to AC/DC, Iron Maiden and System of a Down!).
This was a groundbreaking album and it is funny to look back at this as one of the last major ‘moral panic’ moments with popular music. Johnny Rotten and co cracked on despite being de-platformed from entire areas of the country and shown as blank on charts.
The actual music is quality punk, even if they did have issues with their bassist (think including their main guitarist they had 3 different ones on the album?)
Anarchy in the UK and God Save The Queen rightly get a lot of plaudits but the rest of it is consistently decent too.
I’m probably giving this a 5 for cultural significance where maybe the music is 4/4.5 but no shame in that.
Carole King
4/5
In terms of musicality and the skills on show this is a really high quality album and a really easy listen. King was clearly a talented musician and this was a highly influential and well received album.
It’s simple, clean and well produced, and King has a purity to her voice without being sanctimonious. I can’t really fault it, maybe it’s not the kind of music I would seek out to listen to but it’s really good.
Genesis
3/5
This is prog rock and a bloated offering of it at that. Another review I read referred to too little butter spread over too much bread and that feels about right.
It has its qualities (well produced and it attempts to be interesting, high energy once it gets going) but I didn’t get much joy from this album. Also maybe I was in the wrong mood but Counting Out Time was excruciating.
A scraping of a 3.
Neil Young
3/5
Wow, this is bleak. I mean, it’s not a terrible album, but some of the subject matter is rough.
I don’t really know what to make of it though. I appreciated that he deployed the harmonica without doing any Bob Dylan esque painful riffing and there was a general rawness that I somewhat appreciated but for the most part I didn’t get much from it.
Sort of at a loss at how to review it, a bit confounded, but can recognise it has merit. 3 it is.
The Only Ones
4/5
Enjoyed this. The vocals are a bit of an adjustment but give it a sort of Pet Shop Boys feel layered onto some pretty enjoyable pop. Definitely a decent first studio album and landing when it did just before the 80s, it would have fitted in well to the decade to come.
I found myself quite happily listening to more songs from them after which is usually a good sign.
Leonard Cohen
4/5
Suzanne is a beautiful start to the album. A lovely atmosphere.
There is generally a beautiful quality and solitude to many of the tracks, early on in the album especially.
Enjoyed the folksy turn on So Long, Marianne bar the backing vocals. The Teachers was weaker though.
All told a very good album, though maybe the less Leonard inclined would score it lower.
The Smiths
4/5
This album is a mixture of the sublime bass and guitar, and much of the composition, mixed with the bizarre and discordant sounds; i.e., this is a Smiths album.
This album more than most Smiths album the musicians are let loose and you can sit back and enjoy it. Barbarism Begins at Home has such a strong beginning and almost every song has an instrument-focused interlude where the bass and/or Marr on guitar take you on a bit of a winding journey.
However. The elephant in the room is old Morrissey and his role in all this. I have a love hate relationship with old Mozza. This isn’t one of his better albums as a lot of what you get is the whining/crooning vocalisations and the wordplay is missing. He almost becomes the backing instrument. It couldn’t be further from The Queen Is Dead that came a year later.
Probably the most balanced song is Well I Wonder and you get the best of everything. Then on the flip side there is the title track, which has the archetypal Morrissey moral grandstanding with animal noises thrown in.
Mostly on the strength of the instrumental aspects and a nod to the elements where it does get things right giving this a 4.
The Residents
4/5
This is an unexpected pleasure, if one that was made possible by taking this in a good mood.
In the main this is raw, challenging and just plain weird. I have no idea what goes into the creative/recording process to come up with this kind of music, but I get the sense they did it how they wanted.
If I ever want to be truly freaked out I could do worse than go for a walk in the dark listening to this album with headphones on. But I think there’s something rewarding about listening to it and it genuinely made me laugh sometimes it was so weird.
Somehow a 4.
Cat Stevens
4/5
I have a soft spot for Cat Stevens and there is a lovely quality to a lot of his songs, although it can tip into the saccharine.
It’s all nicely produced, folksy but in an accessible way. For the sentimental out there, Father and Son is a lovely song.
However, it all sounds quite same-y and despite considering myself to like a fair number of his songs it failed to fully hold my interest on a first listen. However, having revisited it charmed me more and a 3 feels criminal. Suspect the stalwarts will think it’s brilliant and the nonbelievers will think it boring.
Neil Young
3/5
There is nothing essentially wrong with this album. There’s a few nice blends of different genres that all create a comfortable, unchallenging vibe. Perfectly serviceable background music.
A bit unfortunate to have this on the back of Tea For the Tillerman and only 6 albums beyond the previous Neil Young album. I’m not sufficiently clued up to know which Neil Young albums best warranted inclusion but that’s too quick a turnaround!
The White Stripes
4/5
There’s a few different strands to this album and not all equal.
- solid Jack White acoustic stuff that is easy to listen to
- excellent heavier songs, Seven Nation Army rightly a classic but other decent songs too
- more bluesy, almost Rolling Stones style rock
- weird talky “clever” songs but lacking much bite
I am a fan of the first 3 but the last fell flat, so it was a bit in and out. But plenty to like for the Jack White fan.
Michael Jackson
4/5
Immaculate disco vibes on the A side, followed by a drop off on the B side. This is truly good poppy, funky disco and perfectly put together.
Music alone, this has some brilliant high points and it if willing, can immediately take you out of your current headspace. It’s like an itch you want to scratch. However, it won’t be for everyone and the full span of MJ’s life colours any work reviewed posthumously.
A scraping of a 4.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
So so rock flitting between heavier and lighter notes. It never really seemed to kick up a gear, unlike “It’s Blitz!” and there weren’t really any standout songs, but it was fine.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
Whatever the opposite of “timeless appeal” is. An earnest, serious entry from Peter Gabriel that maybe even in 1986 was starting to be overtaken by more pure pop and heavier music elsewhere.
It has some decent synth moments and Sledgehammer is a decent tune, but it’s missing the poppier elements you’d expect from a Genesis album.
I don’t think it quite tips into parody but not far off. An album probably best left in the 80s.
Black Flag
2/5
This is a bad recording (Spotify) and does no favours when the music is already a bit grunge-y even if primarily punk.
To my British ears it is pretty boring and noisy. Maybe it is hitting some cultural notes for North American listeners (it has a sort of alternative, devil may care attitude to it, beers with the boys fuck the system etc) but it feels so basic compared to the recent Sex Pistols album - really puts it into perspective.
Nothing especially wrong with the instrumental aspects but not that interesting. Bleh.
Paul Simon
3/5
This was a jolly old album. I admire that it somehow knits Paul Simon’s vocals with so many other artists from other cultures but didn’t (to me anyway) seem to appropriate or patronise. It’s maybe not to my normal taste but enjoyed it.
Radiohead
4/5
I think this is an excellent album. It has variety, edge and interesting percussive elements. It mixes in all the different sounds to create something coherent but dynamic, the antithesis of this garbled review written in haste.
I remain on the fence so I am plumping for a 4 but had to listen again at a minimum. Straight into the “will listen again” bucket and reserve the right to return for an amended review.
Travis
2/5
There is nothing so bad about this album, but listening in 2025 it feels so ordinary and lacking in any particularly interesting features to warrant a 1001 listing.
Anywho. After a weary start, once I actually settled in I could appreciate it as some fairly decent rock, nicely put together. No one element swamps the other but they do combine to create something a bit like a Twix extra chocolate bar. It’s alright, but I don’t need it, I wouldn’t have chosen it if better options were available and it doesn’t fill me with satisfaction.
Tina Turner
3/5
I think this merits the 1001 entry. What it lacks in variety it makes up for in gusto and “Whats Love Got To Do With It” is a true pop classic.
Tina is a true powerhouse but there’s only so far you can go with vocal performance alone. There’s some reasonable synth backing on (say) 1984 and I Wrote A Letter almost attempts to do something different, but in general the instrumental aspects are doing nothing other than giving Tina a chance to take a breath before she goes again.
Not to my style on the whole but I respect the full send nature of the singing and Tina is excellent.
ABBA
3/5
I am far from an ABBA fan and personally a lot of the album I found a grind of sickly sweet fluff. It’s highly crafted pop but some songs were weird (When I Kissed The Teacher), or bizarre Scandi-Scotch instrumental fusion (Arrival) and that added a new layer to the monotony.
What has to be acknowledged is how catchy their core hit songs are, and there are three on this album. They’re not to my taste but they are deserving of an entry on 1001 for their longevity and popularity, even if I don’t necessarily get it.
A 2 for my money money money but giving it a 3 on account of its wider significance. I just wish it weren’t that way.
Elton John
3/5
Elton is masterful on the piano and a talented songwriter, this much we know. Tiny Dancer is a lovely piece of work and there are some other nice tracks on here. He can conjure up a beautiful sentimental feeling out of nowhere stroking those ivory keys.
However, I don’t think it’s his best work, there’s some weak stuff on here and Indian Sunset is a BIT of a strange listen in 2025, although some novelty factor to hear where the Tupac Ghetto Gospel sampling came from.
Paul McCartney and Wings
4/5
Highly enjoyable album. It straddles the Beatle era influences with more of a rock sound being introduced and (in my opinion) more interesting instrumental elements as a result. I definitely prefer the ‘sound’ of this album to most Beatles stuff I have heard and actually quite enjoyed McCartneys verbal asides on the tracks, even if they were a bit self indulgent.
Not a showstopper but enjoyed and will return.
Cheap Trick
3/5
This was a jolly outing and a solid if uneventful little live album. I like a live recording where it’s all blended together like this, the proper feel of a ‘set’. I don’t think the recording was the best, but maybe to be expected for a live performance. Solid guitar, percussion and vocals. I’m not sure of the wider significance of this album (if any) but it’s a solid listen.
Aerosmith
3/5
Having not heard Aerosmith in their “glory” days I had low expectations for this. Fortunately, they were exceeded and this was a far more varied, interesting album than first expected. Solid guitar, vocals are decent if not my cup of tea, but lyrics are a bit inane. If you don’t pay attention and just listen generally it’s more than passable.
Elvis Costello
2/5
Blergh. I think the last album I listened to had a bit more about it, this one I mostly endured my way through.
It’s such a distinctive voice but it has the result of all sounding quite same-y and I found it hard to remain interested.
The shoutiness seemed manufactured.
Maybe just not in the right mood to appreciate it but a miss.
Kendrick Lamar
3/5
Kendrick Lamar is a talented rapper and I appreciate that wordplay is used far more than other rappers - he doesn’t rely on the tropes in the same way that a lot of others do.
I’m not an avid fan but have listened to (and enjoy) DAMN., which I do prefer as I think the hooks and music itself draws you in more - this didn’t quite capture my interest as much being a sometime fan. But it’s still solid and some decent tracks in there.
Johnny Cash
2/5
Oh Johnny. This is a bit painful. There are some covers I really rate because they provide something interesting and worthwhile (Hurt, Personal Jesus, maybe Streets of Laredo is alright too) but so much of this is unnecessary and a difficult listen.
Belle & Sebastian
3/5
This one developed unexpectedly from the unassuming start. Another band that toes the line between the morose and the joyful. Didn’t necessarily gel with it but feel I might get there with a repeat listen. Full fat musical expression but a difficult one to digest.
Booker T. & The MG's
3/5
This album is a prime example of “too much of a good thing”. There’s some genius musicianship and timeless hooks in there but it’s so samey. It really lacked enough variety of sounds for me and so much instrumental didn’t help, it could have done with more vocals to break it up.
However, there’s an emotion that the music taps into early on in the album (pre-boredom) that wordlessly washes over you and it was a thing of some beauty.
Enjoyed but overstayed its welcome, despite it not being a particularly long album.
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
To give this album some props, it doubles down on a very specific sound, even for a Pet Shop Boys album. Were I a mincing man of the early 90s rather than being in my first year on this planet I would be well acquainted with this music rather than only knowing a couple of songs.
Unfortunately it’s not a good sound. There’s not enough gusto in the backing music (weak ass synth) to balance out the whimpering vocals. This is also lacking their main hits bar ‘Go West’ which I’ve never really liked anyway. A no thank you.
Janis Joplin
4/5
Janis’ vocals have a pulsating energy that is a bit intoxicating, even when it’s at the more abrasive end. Charisma abounds.
The recording could be better but this doesn’t detract from it capturing the interest. Would have been quite something to see her and Jimi at Woodstock amongst other performances in her all too brief career.
Would have loved to see a longer career as I imagine she would have become an artist of great depth but the talent and star power is clear from this album.
Paul Simon
3/5
This is a bit of a variety piece that just about works.
The Calypso-esque sounds on first track didn’t get it off to a great start. It felt a bit forced where somehow the pan pipes on Duncan didn’t.
Then you get some decent tracks dotted around. Some enjoyable funky guitar on Armistice Day and a few others that while not profound are generally decent.
Papa Hobo sounded like a S&G song but very much poorer for only being half the equation.
All in all quite a mixed bag and I’d probably rather just listen to S&G but there’s enough to pique the interest (just).
Living Colour
4/5
All in all a really enjoyable rock album even if I thought the album did tail off a fair bit.
Cult of Personality sets a pretty high bar. Stonking opening with shades of Guns and Roses style bass but with far better vocals (also got GnR vibes from Open Letter).
Some nice glam rock stuff to follow - I Want To Know was good fun and elements of Glamour Boys although it did get repetitive.
After that, became a bit less memorable - Funny vibe had a nice mix of different influences, all of a sudden then the rest of the album leaned a lot more into jazz and the wider genres.
Just about a 4, mainly on the strength of the first half.
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
3/5
A difficult one to review. Stripped back, emotive and well balanced, I find little to fault with it, but even on a second listen it just didn’t grab me. I like the tone and atmosphere it produces but it feels like it’s all running at 80% and I can’t quite put my finger on it.
Leftfield
2/5
I don’t have much of great worth to comment on this. If you sort of let it was over you while doing something else, the tempo and variations, it is possible to not be too unpleasant. It’s well put together and sure it’s a hoot to the right ears in the right place, but I’m not high off my tits and it’s not 4am in a basement club so cannot fully appreciate.
Beck
2/5
Lethargic, languishing, lo-fi lament. Lacking lustre.
Better than the last Beck album mind.
AC/DC
4/5
A great classic rock album, executed to perfection. You know exactly what you’re going to get and it’s exactly what you want. Robust riffs, charismatic vocals and solid drums that consistently deliver an instantly recognisable AC/DC sound.
3/5
Clever, well produced pop that compares favourably to the Beatles, their closest contemporary.
Some interesting social commentary mixed in to the decent music, even if it comes a bit “ooh aren’t we edgy” when you’re on your 7th album an an established name that can get away with it, and even by the standards of the time it’s hardly seditious.
But all in all a decent listen.
Caetano Veloso
2/5
I have nothing against this album, except I can’t understand the lyrics and it’s not to my taste.
My cultural inadequacies aside, there’s a reasonable tempo and vibe to it but it doesn’t captivate me. In an ideal world I would understand it and be able to mark it properly.
Weather Report
2/5
Zippy, colourful jazz with more variety than I expected, but I find it really hard to properly engage with as a genre, it so quickly fades to background trilling and tapping. Could have done with some vocals for my money to help break it up, but appreciate a core component of jazz culture is pure instrumental.
Iggy Pop
2/5
Another album where everything feels a bit subdued, I’m not sure on this one that the Bowie influences totally work. Hard to describe but it feels under itself, there’s angsty, poppy rock music trying to break out but it doesn’t quite manage it.
It’s like trying to rip open a packet of food but try as you might it won’t open. You get a whiff of the goods inside but you can’t quite get at it and you wonder why you bothered.
King Crimson
3/5
Didn’t really get this the first time around, certainly not the first half, but there’s some quality to it and they push the boat out with some experimental elements. I think some of that first listen confusion/jarring aspect stuck with me when reviewing but it’s an album of genuine interest.
3/5
Decent frenetic punky rock. It’s all on one level and that’s pretty high tempo and controlled aggression.
I can’t imagine feeling a strong desire to listen again but it was entirely serviceable. If I were listening as as a contemporary I probably would have found it a more compelling listen beyond it being “decent”.
Michael Jackson
4/5
Reviewing musically. Important to qualify these things.
This is a genius pop/disco album. At one point in the middle it is stupendous; three certified bangers and some other decent stuff in between.
It’s almost (maybe actually) insufferably catchy at its best but quite middling at its worst. The slower love songs make sense in a pop album but I can’t say they add anything and the Paul McCartney song is totally unnecessary.
Could have been a 5 but it’s not quite there and I don’t necessarily want MJ on my profile page.
Teenage Fanclub
3/5
A thoroughly decent album. The first half gets off to an interesting start, moving from quintessential late 20th century rock on the opening track with a lengthy guitar solo to the in your face shoutiness of ‘Satan’, then back to more recognisable pop/rock.
While the second track ends up a bit of an outlier, there’s decent variety throughout. You get some semi-grungey songs, others more britpoppy but (I would argue) a less acquired taste than the bands who made the genre famous. Could definitely hear from Foo Fighters / Biffy Clyro in there too.
A strong 3 for me, definitely found it enjoyable but no wow factor to it.
Dusty Springfield
4/5
Smoky, sultry Dusty. She is not fully to my taste but she is one of the singular voices of the mid 20th century and this is a great recording.
For some reason my saved notes are no longer saved, but I imagine I commented on the strength of charisma and quality of composition. Not all songs are compelling, but most are decent. An album that’s definitely worthy of inclusion.
John Coltrane
4/5
Excellent album, it creates such a strong atmosphere. It is entirely ‘of its time but in the best way’. One of the few jazz albums where the limited vocal aspects are quite alright, as it lets the musicians do their thing.
It is creative without being inaccessible and it is a jazz album I will genuinely return to. Almost a 5.
The Waterboys
3/5
I appreciate mixing folk with more pop/rock type influences was probably the literal point of this album, but for me the purer folk sounds worked well and the more ‘fusion’ stuff wasn’t so good. Enjoyable but a bit of a close miss for me as I definitely enjoyed aspects of it quite a bit.
Arcade Fire
3/5
This album is a bit of a Quality Street situation for me. It’s all relatively decent and oh aren’t we glad to be tucking into yet another nice chocolate, but nothing in the box is going to rock my world. But there’s a good amount of variety in there and I wouldn’t be against coming back for more another time.
Todd Rundgren
2/5
Found this album a bit weird (shock). It starts off in a haze of whimsical psychedelia that goes on for some time, which on the whole is grating and feels a bit forced, if experimental and interesting on some level.
It then transitions on the back end of the album into something more conventional that is (to my ears) not all that interesting. Both parts probably equally not up my alley but for very different reasons.
Props to the audacity of some of the early songs though, Giggling Dogs was batshit.
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
It’s good, it’s stylish, it’s got good composition. But it’s quite a run of the mill soul album for me. Nothing about it is surprising nor really elevates it; it is what it is. Much preferred superfly that felt like it had some bite to it, even if hid behind some tongue in cheek-ness.
Willie Nelson
2/5
This sort of bumbled along for the most part. Occasionally it breaks up the tempo but for the most part this is soporific, classic country. Can I Sleep In Your Arms following Down Yonder made for some appreciated pace changes but didn’t find much in here to hold the attention. Would be fine on a journey if you had other genres to listen to but I can’t see myself ever seeking it out.
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
Masters of the mundane. Mostly S&G doing S&G things and making music out of every day happenstance.
It’s quite a mixed bag of well known hits, some pretty banal songs (A Simple Desultory Phillipic maybe had some greater meaning but not evident in 2025) but a surprisingly poignant end with Silent Night.
Did toy with a 4 as I admire their craft but it’s not my favourite S&G album and I really doubt I’d seek it out having listened twice for the review.
Arrested Development
2/5
Another hip hop album that had more creativity and didn’t rely on tropes, but I didn’t feel like the flow and beats were as compelling as other similar albums. It had a decent amount of variety but I mostly found it either ok or a bit on the boring side. A few less tracks might have boosted this a bit but it wasn’t really for me.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
2/5
I don’t really know what the point of this album was? A load of covers from a mix of genres, poorly lumped in with 80s pop - even if there’s a couple of well known hits in there. I just don’t know why it exists. This could have just been an LP of the songs that were actually their own. That’s my grumpy take on it anyway - maybe if it wasn’t so bloated I’d take to it better.
Janelle Monáe
3/5
This is a bit of a funny mix of an album. At times it wears its concept lightly, in particular the beginning of the album (minus the classical overture) but also other tracks dotted throughout.
What I appreciate about it most is the boldness to have two primarily classical tracks and the other “full concept”tracks where you really have to buy in to that.
This could easily have been a dull pop album if you lopped off a few tracks, but then maybe that was never going to happen with a lady of many talents like Janelle Monae.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
A great album. Perfectly crafted and yet it all comes across as very natural.
It’s the little things that are somehow spectacular. Every drum beat, chord and word spoken feels like the cog of a perfectly functioning machine full of industrious energy. You could easily draw a parallel with a piece of classical music where the composer has painstakingly brought together a plethora of instruments - despite this being far simpler it’s a similar level of genius.
Plenty of fun riffs to enjoy and the drums are a pleasure. Some of the solo instrumental sections maybe go on a bit long, but fine, nothing is perfect. But this is truly excellent.
Motörhead
2/5
There is one speed and one sound and that is frantic. Can definitely see its relevance in the growth of thrash metal to come that decade.
But it’s really monotonous and the only thing that really caught my interest were the questionable lyrics on the overtly sex inspired songs. I get that these songs were never really designed with intellectual criticism in mind but can’t help but feel it’s an awkward listen in 2025.
Enough irritants to keep this down at a 2 for me but I don’t doubt they had a lot of fun recording and performing this for many years.
Marianne Faithfull
3/5
Kind of liked the energy to this. It felt quite self assured and had some rawness to it. I find it difficult to believe I would seek it out for another listen but it definitely held its own.
Q-Tip
2/5
The funky beats aren’t enough for me. I think where I went wrong was paying attention to the lyrics and realising just how banal they are.
Q Tips has a decent, if very regular flow but the album mixes it up with quite a few different influences/backing tracks. But once you dial in to the lyrics you quickly forget that and wonder what on earth he is going on about.
“Won’t Trade” was a low point on this front. Maybe I’m just feeling uncharitable but I just wondered why am I listening to this nonsense.
ZZ Top
4/5
An excellent old school rock album. There was something effortless about it and it was somehow an “easy listen” despite heavier elements at times. Can’t say I followed the lyrics closely but easy to tap along to.
Radiohead
4/5
Really good album. Wish I could share more nuance, but suffice to say I listened twice for the review and have dipped back in since. Excellent slow and deep cuts mixed in with generally great alt rock. Was borderline on a 5.
The Cardigans
2/5
Bleh. It was ok, and it was perhaps better than expected, but wouldn’t go as far to say I enjoyed it.
Little Simz
3/5
A little 1001 surprise. Found this actually fairly decent to listen to, for a grime/rap album. Had a bit more nuance than some others in the genre, this felt like an album that benefitted from coming in on the back of years of rawer, grittier grime but made possible by a clearly intelligent and gifted artist. Found myself enjoying the wordplay and while normal tropes are deployed, not enough to drown out the good stuff. Plenty said about what it’s like being a woman in that world but not surprising and sort of think fair play on that front. Not my bag but this is good.
Various Artists
3/5
For what it is, this is pretty decent Christmas music. I have a soft spot for the Christmas songs of the 50s and 60s, the old timey quality takes the edge off the saccharine content. But it’s still just basic Christmas songs.
Nick Drake
5/5
A beautiful album. For me a lovely example of Drake finding a balance with his heartfelt vocals and the passionate strumming of the acoustic backing (wet as you like).
Initially feel Five Leaves Left speaks to my depressive qualities more acutely but this remains a stunning album, if not for everyone.
Metallica
3/5
Apart from the melodic thrash song par excellence that is One, I probably could have reviewed the album after 2 or 3 songs and not missed much.
It’s decent, musically it all works and they know what they are doing. But even by the standards of Metallica this feels a ‘safe’ album. I didn’t feel like any of the songs played with the tempo anywhere near as much as other albums, and it was missing the high tempo lyrics to give it gusto. Felt like a session album and one for the most ardent of fans but not a casual admirer of heavy metal/thrash.
Raekwon
2/5
I guess this was fine. I mainly found it interesting as some sort of bizarre rap social history. The style with so much talking in between/on tracks is quite something given it’s in almost every track and it gives it a bit of an intimate feel.
The music itself I found pretty nondescript.
50 Cent
3/5
50 is a charming character and gets away with a lot through strength of personality. What I do really enjoy is the playfulness mixed with some strong hooks and tight beats. It feels effortless.
On the downside it’s too long and the subject matter is pretty derivative, but that can be glossed over for the most part.
Baaba Maal
4/5
I found it quite easy to chill out and relax listening to this. The two artists combine together really nicely, playing off each other and creating an atmosphere. I do like the analogy of a river as this album does nicely float along, taking you with it. Definitely something you have to be in the mood for but it works despite the lack of language comprehension.
3/5
I entirely see why this made it in, and on the strength of the hit-laden first half it feels good value. Well made American-Irish fused light rock / pop rock, and no doubt at the time it felt pretty cool.
The second half tapers off into U2 slop that I could not care less for. But taking my prejudices aside, just about a 3 for the first half, for what it is.
But I still think half of them are right so and sos.
Duke Ellington
4/5
There’s a certain magnetism to live albums like this. The soupy, smoky atmosphere of the venue comes through strongly on the recording, the clamouring of the punters making it a pretty raucous affair.
It’s too much of a good thing but it is really good - superbly played jazz that you can zone out to given the right conditions.
Turbonegro
2/5
Bunch of white guys making unremarkable music with an obvious attempt to gain attention through shock factor. Why is this on 1001?
Soft Cell
2/5
80s camp disco mush without the charisma, variations in synth use or hooks in the songwriting. And WAY too long. Struggling to think of many people willingly playing through the whole album without it happening to be required by this 1001 world we inhabit.
Could have been a 1 if a few of the more bearable songs weren’t there.
Sheryl Crow
2/5
I didn’t mind this, but mildly admiring an artist’s efforts at asserting themselves musically doesn’t make it more enjoyable. Very average but nothing especially wrong with it, after a recent poor run I guess I’m chalking it up as a draw.
4/5
Funny to listen to this critically after merrily enjoying for so many years.
This album is a bit of a funny one. To my mind it has some exceptional guitar playing, in particular the bass guitar that produces some really memorable stuff. The songs that are heavier on the instrumental elements are I think the strongest, the band can shine rather than it being a Matt Bellamy ego stroke.
Some of the slower stuff stands up well and maybe you need these anyway to break up the album a bit. But there’s some tracks that are dangerously close to filler for what is otherwise an album with some really strong tracks.
A very enjoyable album with some caveats.
Supertramp
3/5
A Proggasm. Progtacular. Progtrocity. Operatic Prog, Rock Prog, Jazzy Prog. Prog.
Decent mind.
The Pharcyde
2/5
This album offers snippets of the 90s hip hop stuff I have time for. The classic beats and tight vocals are distinctive of the era and I found the tracks that stayed true to that were decent (thought it ended well on Return of the B Boy).
Also some decent mixtures of different musical influences that I could appreciate - some jazz elements that actually worked well.
But it also has the downsides. Repetitive in themes and sounds. Also while I think the skits were attempting to do something different they really didn’t work for me - lighthearted and good natured sure but it just fell flat.
A real mixed bag. Some at a 3 but overall felt a 2 or was right.
Alice Cooper
3/5
A funny one. Classic rock with some lovely guitar but some of the songs were a bit on the odd side - deliberately so I’m sure. I’m sure I Love The Dead went down well with the broadsheets in the early 1970s..
Overall a bit of fun and enough of interest but nothing special. Compares poorly (but many would) to Black Sabbath.
AC/DC
4/5
Great in a very simple way. Hearty vocals, superlative guitar and the clear recording allowing the drums to cut through in the background.
The strong, high energy sound delivered so convincingly makes up for some of the repetitive elements. It isn’t revelatory but it doesn’t need to be, it’s just great.
James Brown
3/5
What Pupienus said. No, really. What he said. I cannot add any more to his summation.
Soundgarden
3/5
Run of the mill, slightly dirgey rock. It fluctuates between decent and a bit under that.
I’ve liked Black Hole Sun as a song for some time and I’ve heard a few others on the album but clearly I’ve been listening to the high water marks.
I don’t think the more whimsical songs really work (Spoonman), they just sound a bit off. But the instrumental stuff is well put together.
The Byrds
3/5
There’s some interesting experimental stuff mixed in with more “normal” 60s pop rock. They aren’t afraid to try things and there’s some historical context that they were pushing the boat out, metaphorically and musically speaking.
Kudos to them but catching up on my reviews from Saturday and apart from the weird (Moog Raga) and interesting (Universal Mind Decoder) it hasn’t really stuck with me. So a 3 it is.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
4/5
Can you get a 4 on vibes and musical excellence? I guess this review is proof you can.
For whatever reason I really gelled with the tempo, enthusiasm and quality of vocals and instrumental work. Normally language is a serious limitation on this type of album, but I found the general sound of it so compelling that it triumphed. Willie and the big trombone wins the day.
Eminem
4/5
Harsh, funny, horror-inducing, light-hearted. This packs no less of a punch in 2026 and it’s a clever album. Just when you think it’s getting too dark or too silly, it yanks you the other way.
I’ll be honest enough to say I was pretty late to this album, I probably started listening to Eminem mid to late 2000s as a teen with his later work that probably lost the plot a bit. But it has a really strong running order with some commercial hits (Stan, The Way I Am, Slim Shady), plenty of darker cuts and whimsy.
It’s crass and shocking but that’s sort of the point, a definite moment in time and a great rap album.
The Specials
3/5
I’m not a huge fan of ska. It’s the kind of music I feel I should like more but for whatever reason I don’t fully gel with it.
What I do appreciate is the historical context of the album, it’s easy to listen to and the vocals have a certain energy to them that seems to say in equal measures “I don’t care what you think of me, but you should be listening to me”.
So I appreciate it but it’s not something I’ll be minded to return to.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
I’m not sure I’d quite say this is a guilty pleasure but it gets close. I love the energy many of these songs create through the stripped back percussion and instrumental elements and I’m a sucker for the big hits (this is probably the guilty pleasure part - Bridge over Troubled Water, Cecilia, The Boxer). That series of songs rarely fails to get me in a good mood so for that I’m unashamed to give it a 4.
Eagles
3/5
I find it hard to have strong feelings about this album. It’s pleasant, easy going and well produced, profoundly unsurprising and also therefore quite uninspiring. That is the 2026 view but it probably felt quite fresh and fun back in 1972. Commendable but maybe not recommendable - apart from an American road trip playlist maybe.
George Harrison
4/5
I listened to the “original” length recording ignoring tracks 10-14 on each disc.
I think this is a very good album without ever blowing your socks off. It nicely mixes 60s / 70s pop, rock and strong blues influences in the way you would expect it to from a Beatle. Some great guitar in there that easily cuts through the backing music.
I think I would have been daunted by the full length piece of the remastered edition but this was good, if still slightly too long.
The recording sound is very ‘of its time’ but don’t mind too much as it’s the kind of quality / sound you expect.
It’s not going to be a top favourite but could definitely happily listen to it more.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
There are the archetypal RHCP styles on showcase in this album:
Frenetic guitar based (Around the World, Parallel Universe)
Slow, story/vocals driven (Scar Tissue, Californication, Porcelain)
Frenetic, vocal and bass heavy (Get on Top, Easily)
You then also get some stuff in between.
The first two tracks got me going only to be robbed of the momentum by Scar Tissue (not a bad track but jarring). The more I hear the bass and vocals dominating the less I enjoy it, but there’s a good amount of decent tracks on here and less of the silly / meaningless stuff you get a lot of with RHCP. Not bad.
Muddy Waters
5/5
There’s a lovely building momentum to this album, that broods before sweeping you along and listening to the crowd build in excitement. The musicians are so assured in their craft, it feels easy, cool and like the music is alive. Like many live blues albums, it doesn’t disappoint.
The music is sufficiently good that even when the live element finishes it still keeps you locked in.
For what it is, it’s superb. Yes it’s got limited variety but I can live with it as a general fan of the genre.
Yes
2/5
This was ok, I guess? It had some interesting use of difference musical influences (think I spotted some Latin-style instrumental stuff) but some of these were way too long without actually developing a great deal. Felt like jamming within the confines of a song at times. Bleh
The Smashing Pumpkins
2/5
Wow, a come down and a half from reviewing some of their other work.
It starts really badly with poor quality production and whiny, jeery vocals - like the Gallaghers stumbled into a rock band. They return to this kind of sound a number of times in the album.
It has brighter spots and some songs were reasonable, I guess that shouldn’t be a surprise when it’s 2 HOURS long and 28 tracks to choose from. The slower songs are ok and a few more typical rock tracks that are fine. But that’s clutching at straws.
Clearly to the true fans it’s brilliant and there must be some poor blighters who have listened to the 5 hours 51 epically long extended super runtime edition. I was just left thinking why they bothered.
If they picked out the 6 or 7 best songs and left it at that, this still wouldn’t be that good of an album, but it would have taken up less of my life.
3/5
Found this a real struggle to break into with the 18 minute first track a mental block. Once you crack it open, it’s decent. Each of the longer songs feels like a journey and plenty of transitions into different styles and sounds, experimental without being jarring. Prog fatigue is real but this album was worth pushing through.
Don McLean
2/5
Sappy All-American fare, it’s not bad but it’s not something I feel like I would choose to listen to, I couldn’t dial in to the emotions of the songs. American Pie and Vincent are classics but dated. I am however deeply grateful for the brevity of the album.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Simply great, it’s a lovely, easy listen. I think it lacks some of the gusto of II (previously rated) and is less bluesy, but it’s still really good.
Could quite possibly be a 5 with more sustained listening to pick out its subtleties.
Hole
3/5
Surprisingly compelling at times but it never quite hit its stride for me. It felt like there was emotion bubbling away under the surface, either coming out in blasts of moody grunge but at other moments it was a bit morose. But there was enough going on to keep it interesting and a decent entry.
The Temptations
3/5
Easy listening, nicely produced funk. Middling but good. The kind of group you could throw on and people would have a good time to.
The Jam
3/5
I liked this quite a bit, there were a few different influences in there and it felt quite fresh for the time and sound they produced. Not completely captivating but certainly decent.
The Pretty Things
4/5
A really enjoyable album. It mixes quintessential sounds of the 60s with a Beatles undercurrent, but throws in some tonal and tempo shifts with rock and some vocals that feels much more 70s.
Having never heard the music before, glad to have this brought to my attention on 1001.
The Zombies
3/5
A pleasant late 60s album that doesn’t redefine anything but that doesn’t mean it’s not decent. It just lacks the cut and thrust of the rock-ier albums or the psychedelic elements that similar albums would incorporate. I had no issue listening despite a 60s heavy run.
Lorde
3/5
Equal parts really good and annoying. Confected, high pop production of the late 2010s means you have to work to enjoy what are some decent vocals from a singer with some genuine star power.
The simpler, rawer songs are really quite good and there’s an underlying confidence in the music. The hit singles are good in their own right but even for the style you can’t avoid the feeling it’s overdone.
This is probably a high water mark in pop of the 2010s so marking accordingly.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
This caught me a bit off guard after a shaky start on account of actually being decent. There’s definitely less of the usual annoyance from Neil Young the singer, allowing the ensemble to be enjoyed. The lack of a tinny, high pitched sound means it sounds less corny than I’m used to and genuinely found it quite pleasant. A scary state of affairs.
Sonic Youth
2/5
This just seemed derivative and confected, no thank you. I think this album only exists because of the success and greater creative talents of other bands and this version doesn’t add anything other than noise. A bit of a mess of an album.