Another mistake of judging a book by its cover. Loved this way more than I expected. I had never heard of this album or Big Brother & the Holding Company, yet I actually knew some of the songs (and had wrongly thought they were solo Janis Joplin songs). I think the obvious runaway star of this album is Joplin’s voice but a close second is the absolutely stunning guitar solos. I confess to not having listened to much 1960s rock at all but can hear how this album has influenced Stevie Nicks, Sheryl Crowe and Lady Gage to name a few. Probably not one to listen to on earphones for future repeat listens as the sound quality didn’t hold up great there - my fault though!

Really impressed by the saxophonists (John Coltrane and Canonball Adderley). Can see clearly how this influenced a lot of modern jazz, especially within the improvisation genre. It was a short album but really packed a punch. Will likely return to this when I’m looking for something instrumental.

I have heard some songs from this before so am excited to listen to it in its entirety. I can see why it is influential, has a bit of everything. It has a few stand out songs but mostly, you can hear how it influenced the genre and tried to do something different. Definitely an enjoyable listen, will return to some songs. Songs I liked: So Fresh, So Clean; Ms Jackson, Spaghetti Junction, B.O.B, Xplosion, Red Velvet Songs I liked less: Snappin & Trappin

Defos judged it by the cover and thought I wouldn’t like it before being pleasantly surprised. The flute solos were an unexpected treat and the songs themselves were solid. It’s not my go to genre but could see myself listening again if in a particular mood. Can also see how it influenced other music at the time which was cool!

Remember this album from years ago and it was nice to listen to it in full. The standouts are “Crystalised” and “Islands” for me, and probably the main songs I’d return to. I can hear influences from the White Stripes but can also hear how they influenced 2010s indie/ pop with simpler guitar riffs, vocals and beats.

Another mistake of judging a book by its cover. Loved this way more than I expected. I had never heard of this album or Big Brother & the Holding Company, yet I actually knew some of the songs (and had wrongly thought they were solo Janis Joplin songs). I think the obvious runaway star of this album is Joplin’s voice but a close second is the absolutely stunning guitar solos. I confess to not having listened to much 1960s rock at all but can hear how this album has influenced Stevie Nicks, Sheryl Crowe and Lady Gage to name a few. Probably not one to listen to on earphones for future repeat listens as the sound quality didn’t hold up great there - my fault though!

Enjoyable album that I had never heard of before

Recognised the song “My Best Friend’s Girl” but didn’t know anything else prior to listening. I really liked the guitars and the synth elements throughout the album. A lot of it sounded familiar in a way I couldn’t place my finger on. I assume that means they’re featured on soundtracks I’ve heard or else have heavily influenced other artists i have listened to (David Byrne and Scissor Sisters comes to mind)

An absolute classic for a reason!

Knowing that this album was released only a few months before his death puts a different spin on it. I think the highlight for me is the title track “You Want it Darker”. I loved the vocals on this album, both LC’s voice and also the use of a gospel choir too. The themes were really prevalent and I can see this being an album I come back to when I get a bit older. It also makes me want to listen to his 2019 posthumous release. I did really enjoy this one and found it cohesive but I think it’s an album that will grow on me so for now it’s a 4 star for me.

I’ve got to admit that I had heard of Peter Gabriel but hadn’t heard any of his songs or albums. My first thought on listening to this album was that it sounded like Phil Collins… imagine my surprise when I did a little research and found that they were in Genesis together! Hoping my ignorance is forgiven by my age and the fact that I pieced them together from sound alone. In terms of the music itself, I found the drums especially strong in “Red Rain” which was a standout for me. I liked the funky elements of “Sledgehammer”, definitely feels classic 80’s. I thought “Don’t Give Up” was a nice change of pace, definitely showed range and solidified the album as solid rather than a few individual songs.

Obviously had listened to this album before. I had read ‘The Diving Bell and the Butterfly’ at school which focused a lot on ‘A Day in the Life’. Beyond that, I was mostly familiar with the big singles eg Lucy in the Sky, Sgt Pepper & With a Little Help. In terms of new thoughts, I liked ‘Being for the Benefit of Mr Kite’, felt like something a bit different from what I’d heard before. I liked the inclusion of the sitar (and other traditional indian instruments that I am less familiar with) in ‘Within You Without You’. The composition of this song is so different but I really loved it. The highlight has still got to be ‘A Day in the Life’. Honestly feels like a Tour de Force where you move through the song in stages. The use of strings, brass, vocalisations and the upbeat piano and drums in the background taking you through the song. A masterclass in storytelling, songwriting and musicality. The strings do so much to make you feel the discord at the tenser moments of the song and the use of building momentum and creating space is pretty groundbreaking. Overall, the album has some real highs and a few mids. Although it is solid as an album with some real standout songs, it is not super cohesive as an album so I think 4 stars feels warranted on that basis alone.

I had never listened to Run DMC or this album before but it turned out that I knew a few of the singles. My personal highlight was their cover of “Walk this Way” as it was a really interesting take on the original. Having never heard this album in its entirety before, I can clearly hear how influential it has been. I would return to listen to some of the songs but not all, therefore its a 4 star album for me.

I cannot stand R.E.M. (although fully accept that I am in the minority). I still wanted to give this album a fair chance though. I think the vocals are very nasal and quite same-y. The music itself felt repetitive and although some songs were slower than others, I found them all really similar. The music itself just didn’t vibe with me at all. The only pleasant moment was a surprise oboe in one of the latter songs on the album but I was mostly just grateful it was over. I am aware that this review is probably an unpopular opinion but even with significant effort, I can’t force myself to listen to it nevermind enjoy it.

Enjoyed it but likely wouldn’t return to it. I liked the use of strings and appreciated that it sounded very 70s. However, considering some of the other albums on the list that I’ve really enjoyed, I would struggle to place it higher than 3 stars. For now, I’ve opted for 2 but I may change it later if it grows on me.

I hadn’t heard this album before but I listened to Blackstar when it came out just before Bowie’s death in 2016 (and have listened to his classic stuff too ofc). There was nothing particularly wrong with this album, there were a few songs I liked more than others but nothing stood out hugely. Bowie obviously deserves to be on the 1001 list but I’m not sure I’d personally have chosen this album as a highlight. I think Blackstar is a much stronger album and I believe it also made the list, again this album is enjoyable enough but pales in comparison.

Not a bad album by any means but felt more experimental than “must hear before you die”. I liked the song “A Minha Menina” the best, although acknowledge that this is a cover. The band feels a bit like Fleet Foxes but funkier, might return to some of the songs but no guarantees. I reckon it might grow on me but it’s not an automatic winner for me.

Stand out is obviously “Life on Mars” although “Changes” has a special place in my heart because it was in the Shrek 2 soundtrack lol. Really enjoyed this album and it was pretty cohesive but it had a few songs I probably wouldn’t return to so it’s got to be 4 stars. Loved the use of piano throughout too.

I wasn’t looking forward to a live album as it had never been something I vibe with from artists I love (e.g. live in concert albums). However, I was pleasantly surprised as the set list was perfectly curated. My favourite was the David Bowie cover of “The Man Who Sold the World”. I think I will return to this album, a worthy 4 stars!

Strong songwriting and guitar riffs. Definitely enjoyable but felt it’s the sort of album that would grow on you over time. Highlights were “A Bunch of Lonesome Heroes” and “You Know Who I Am”. Sticking with 3 stars as the other Cohen album on this list was significantly better and I gave it 4 stars.

I liked this way more than I expected, will probably revisit a few of the songs too. I liked the variety of instruments they used and how cohesive the album felt considering how different each song was. My favourite was “Crying to be Heard”.

Can honestly say I haven’t listened to any punk music before but I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected. Possibly I’m biased as a saxophonist but the inclusion of saxophone was genius. I also really enjoying the vocals (again, never expected that from a punk album). I’m looking forward to generating more punk albums on the 1001 list to see whether this is an outlier due to the sax and the band having a female singer or whether I unexpectedly quite like the genre.

An absolute banger of a pop album, no skips and packed full of absolute classics. This was my first time listening to this album through (although I obviously recognised the majority of the songs). I hadn’t heard “That’s Me” before and loved it. A standout song is “My Love, My Life” though. Will listen to this album regularly until I die, therefore, got to be 5 stars.

I like the instruments but it’s just not my jam.

Firstly, I appreciate how controversial Kanye is and how disgusting his recent comments have been. However, I have chosen to review this album based on the music alone. There are some real career highs on this album (“Blood on the Leaves”, “Bound 2” and “Black Skinhead”). The production on the album was arguably ahead of its time and there is a real cohesive throughline that pulls the full album together sonically. The samples on this album are next level, especially the Nina Simone sample from “Strange Fruit”. I like that this album isn’t afraid to try something new but not everything hits the mark and it does scream of ego at times.

A really nostalgic album for me. Hard to fault it!

I had heard “Hurt” before but never listened to this album in full. It was definitely a bit too angry and discordant for where I was at when listening which felt jarring. However, after reading that this is a concept album and looking into the background to the album (ie its recording location and the story its trying to tell) I viewed it from a slightly different perspective. Highlights for me were “A Warm Place” and “Hurt”. I think “Closer” has not aged well and the lyrics felt questionable, however, I acknowledge that this may be the ‘point’. I can hear the influences from David Bowie, especially in “Heresy”. Ultimately, I am not the target audience for this album and I am listening to it more than 30 years after its release and its societal context has shifted since then. I will always return to “Hurt”, although my preference is the Johnny Cash version. I’d say the highlight from this album is the production and the concept rather than the lyricism and the musicality. It’s also clearly very influential in its genre. I can understand why it has made this list, but I cannot give it a high rating as I frankly didn’t enjoy it as a whole.

Inoffensive but not for me.

Enjoyable enough but nowhere near as good as Pet Sounds.

I’d never heard this album before. The highlight was “Proud Mary” but nothing else stood out to me especially. I especially like the guitars and drums on this album but probably wouldn’t relisten to it often.

Surprisingly enjoyable and more jazzy than expected.

Enjoyed this a lot and would listen again!

Solid album!

Enjoyable album but no stand out singles I’d return to. I liked the trumpets and the variety in the album overall. A solid listen.