1001 Albums Summary

High energy prog rock. Awesome musicianship. Didn't listen to any of the lyrics because it'll be the usual prog rock nonsense. Drifts into jazz-rock for YYZ. Entertaining. 3/5.

The big band arrangements on side A are off-putting, but the orchestral arrangements of side B suit his vocal style better. This sounds like an attempt to mold him into a standard crooner, but there are much better singers for that. I don't think we get the real Ray Charles on this record.

Love everything about this album. Strange to think this was recorded in 66/67, just 3 years after they were a rock and roll covers band.

Hugely popular album from my teenage years. Still had plenty of interest.

The least favourite of his winnings for me.

With Thundercat I started off thinking it was great. But it's too splintered to make a good album, just a collection of ideas really. It's overwhelming, and towards the end I was counting down the tracks.

It's excellent. A very rich mix of Latin vibes, Americana, country and cool jazz. Complex and accomplished.

My least favourite from the rock and roll era.

So long as you stop at what is supposed to be the final track, it's a low 4. Lots of imaginative music and arrangements that take you in unexpected directions.

Didn't land with me

This is a pointless reworking of Gilberto compositions by her daughter. All spirit of the original has been lost.

Some monster tracks you know plus great sounding slow burners. Before from listening on a good hifi.

With the Beatles - not quite in their stride yet but you can see why they stood out from the other Merseyside bands. Paul and John's voices meld so perfectly and the original compositions are good.

On Fromohio firehose seem too keen to show off their prowess as musicians. The voice is weak and way back in the mix. Impressive in many ways but lacking the songs to bring you back for a repeat listen.

Everyone should have Thin Lizzy in their collection. Superbly executed hard rock and well crafted songs. Love the dual lead guitar format and driving bass. It's only rock and roll but I like it.

Catching up with Stevie Wonder and Fulfillingness First Finale. A mix of jazzy, funky, gospel-ly, soul music. Not his best I think.

They moody reflective tracks are good, let down by a couple of songs. Not as constantly good as The Next Day

Pretty generic

A random set of noises that occasionally form interesting music.

A pretty inconsistent collection.

I can't get as enthusiastic about this album as other people seem to be. The opening track is the hook, but the rest is not so engaging.

More variety than expected. Authentic, heartfelt lyrics.

Love the voice, lyrics and sound of this album.

Sublime

Not real identity to this album. Not a bad album butt but great.

It's okay, but not an experience to be repeated. If... is quite funny, and the arrangements are high quality.

Good side A, per side B

A real hidden treasure. Love every song. Somehow they can get away with being as quirky as they like.

So much good music in here and you just know it's going to grow on you.

Great album only let down by Private Lives and some filler tracks.

By far my favourite Prince album. 9/10

Starts strong but soon runs out of steam.

Grounded in the Big Band sound but with decidedly modern solo performances.

The Dire Straits' album scrapes 3. A few very strong tracks, and Mark Knofler is pretty handy on the Stratocaster.

https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/the-beatles/the-beatles-white-album/

Objectively a good album with folk infused blues rock.

Incredible come back after a 10 year hiatus and incredibly 30 years after Let's Dance

A waste of my time.

End of an era statement from the boys who's identity was bound to sunshine, optimism and the American dream.

If you're looking for excitement look elsewhere. It is very quiet. Whispered lyrics. Brushes rather than sticks on the drums. Unfussy arrangements. Languid. Good songs, but the delivery becomes tedious by the end. Ultimately that meant she just had the one hit album. 5/10.

Side one is perfect with great song after great song. The Prophet's song gets side 2 off to a shaky start. Nice recovery with Love of my life. All in all a good album. 8/10.

On first listen not hitting the spot for me. Many of the elements are there - easy going music with lyrics that demand you listen to them. It's probably the vocal delivery that's not working for me. So a 2 out of 5.

Based on the first half, this would be a 9 or even 10. After that, interesting but not to the same standard. 7 over all, which converts to 3 stars.

All the energy and sparkle you expect from 80s REM.

Still sounds fresh and relevant. Genre defining.

I fully respect the fact that so many people love this record. Not their best in opinion.

Generic. Self-indulgent. Good musicianship.

I love Dare. All lyrics are quite inventive and worth listening to. Hooks a plenty. Energy dips here and there but near flawless for me. 8/10

An impressive debut with better still to come

Track 1 is a classic. The rest doesn't come close. Listening on phone speakers as we're away so probably not giving it the best platform.

Wasn't sure what to expect. A bit limited / formulaic. Easy listening, classic hip hop. 5/10 for me.

Enjoying Rock Bottom much more on a second listen. Love the nonsense rhymes, except they get a bit too repetitive. Some avantgarde jazz edginess here and there. Trance-like. Quite a lot of Mike Oldfield influence along with guitar parts. 7/10.

Lots of good individual songs but no overall integrity to the album. Arrangements are bare / interesting. Big drum sound. Deconstructed rock (?)

All hail the Queen - enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Not likely to go back to it.

Not their best album, but some flashes of brilliance

Crazy first half. Weak side B.

Should have checked this album out years ago. It's probably just overlooked because of hit-laden later albums. Ahead of their time.

Intelligent lyrics for a pop record. Superb voice. Songs are great in French and in English, so actually worth having both.

Bad start with America..., unnecessarily abusive. Irish Blood... is a good song, again love/hate, but that's fine when you talking about your own country. Then there's the unfair world, self-loathing tracks. First in the gang... is a stand out track. Overall sounds great if not quite the Smiths.

Overplayed at the time, no surprises here

A unique mix of traditional, protest and lighter material. A work of genius.

Not good

Some sublime moments, but does not work as an album for me.

Even better than I remember. Kind of makes you want to get your guitar out and play along.

Good album. Strong voice. Strong songs.

It's worth checking out the video for Teenage Kicks. Puts the record into context when you see how young they were. Northern Ireland's answer to the Ramones. Would love to rate higher but quality veres from the sublime to the ridiculous.

Loved it at 16, outgrew it by 18. Good to hear again, but just the once.

It's fun. Rocked along nicely. Scooby Snacks and King of New York are standout tracks. Glossy production.

Iconic.

Thought about not voting. I get it he's not a gangster, but brought up in that environment. Still not comfortable with the vibe and language.

Fun, experimental. Fresh. Great production throughout.

The first 2 tracks feature Percy Jones and Phil Collins. If you like these you'd probably like Percy's band Brand X, which also featured Phil in the 70s. The rest of the album is made up of pleasant vinyets and dities. While the approach to song writing may have been experimental, the outcomes are surprisingly conventional. Overall a pleasing listen.

I really dislike this album.

Enjoyed the first few tracks but became tedious. Too low energy.

I like this guy in small doses. Clearly a talented songwriter, with songs covered by other artists.

It's a really good album. Improves with repeated listening, on the evidence of listening twice!

Alpinist in the top tier of Bob's albums.

Big band arrangements of this period tend towards the angular and shrill, same with the Ray Charles 'genius' album side 1. The percussion is the best part and the inspiration I guess. Not for me, though.

I think I have downgraded previously because it's not the Smiths, but objectively this is a great album imo

The Beastie Boys were a lot better than I thought they'd be. A lot of quality and depth.

I liked the album. Simple and effective with a distinctive personality. They don't have the songs that the Strokes have but it's better than the average White Stripes album. The voice is Great. Last 2 tracks out of character with the rest but equally good. A Strong 3, almost a 4.

Surely a big influence on talking heads. Manages to be extremely odd but very listenable. A creative tour de force.

An iconic album from 1973. Part one is a masterpiece, and part two a bit of fun.

Can I Kick It? was a massive hit. This is a stand out track, and I really like the J Cole mix at the end of the anniversary edition. It's easy going and charming.

Somewhat generic.

Put off by the over the top theatricality.

Superb voice and songs. Ambitious and brave. Would be even better with repeated listening.

Authentic and raw.

Not my thing

Two or three very strong tracks and a fair amount of filler for me. Bass and drums always to the fore with vocals dialled down, except on the singles.

Some great stadium rocking moments, such as Assassin, SMBH, Knights of Cydonia, Starlight, etc. The lyrics are a bit meh, but taken in the right spirit this is a strong album, if not their best.

Spellbinding. I'm a fan.

Sioixsie not hitting the spot (yet) on her debut album.

Lovely sound but ends on weaker tracks.

No coherence, just a couple of good songs.

Crazy good. Genuine find. Experienced as a 4, could become a 5 with time.

Lovely voice but the material is generally weak.

A superb album from the coolest band.

Not their best, but still features some string tracks. Polished as ever.

Great opener. The rest is interesting but not a compelling listen.

Pure joy from start to finish.

Not for me.

BS4 is much better than expected with a surprising amount of variety. Fav tracks are Supernaut, Cornucopia, and Under the sun / Every day comes and goes.

It's the coolest and most sophisticated background music, but that's all it is. Luckily I have a very high tolerance for repetitive music that has no sense of development.

Best tracks are the covered and early singles (only on the extended version)

The acquired Jamaican accent is annoying. The singles are okay.

Piano led and very distinct sounding record from Bowie

Surprisingly bad given the prominence of the singles.

Unique and highly entertaining.

Songs not strong enough to carry ambitions.

Bright live recording. Strong songs and virtuoso guitar playing.

Very enjoyable. A superb voice.

Prefer the more developed songs.

One of the best albums of all time.

Hitting the Cool Jazz sweet spot.

Amazing album.

Not into so much boasting, he's really not that interesting

Nice mix of pop and soul. Lovely voice.

I didn't realise Our lips are sealed (co-written with Terry Hall) was recorded by them earlier than Fun boy three. The rest of the album not quite up to the same standard.

I have really enjoyed the Spirit album. Sounds like four bands in one, but that's okay. So much music packed in.

Sounds like Dad's hip-hop to today's ears. A fun album.

Not classic Joni but Jazz Pop Joni. Very enjoyable and engaging.

The musical palette of Hot Chip is top drawer, so would have loved to give their album a 4. Unfortunately it is let down by weak songs and vocal delivery. 3/5

Classic album. U2 at their best.

Some nice southern rock vibes, but inconsistent quality.

One of their best. The greatest rock band of all time.

I like the band. Some good songs but inconsistent

Guitar playing and song writing at it's best.

A few strong tracks. Just sneaks a 3

Trying to be a hard rock band and not succeeding. Singles good.

Expansive sound world and vocals that are strong and vulnerable at the same time. Especially good from Aurora onwards

Good album

Like the idea of free flowing experimental minimalist music but not enough to hold my attention here

But consistently good. Finishes strongly.

Innovative use of layered samples thanks to the Dust Brothers, paired with Beck's nonsense rhythms. Works for me

Some strong tracks but things out of steam

At their best, and focused on harder rock elements. Now I'm Here a favourite.

Poor quality songs.

Stuart Copeland is full tilt on this album and drives the whole thing along. Big singles and no real duds.

Not for me, not into completely freestyle improvisation.

I like the New York Dolls album a lot. Giving a generous 4 as they have influenced so many great bands.

Often my go to album when I want to listen to REM.

Too long, incoherent.

The blues numbers were a bit generic. Otherwise strong songs and a great voice.

Exuberant and wild. Great example of the transition from jump blues to rock and roll.

Sadly, KLF are more interesting than their music.

Some good songs but does not make a good album

From the intro to Planet Claire, we're transported to a different sound world. Great stuff.

Grace Slick's contributions shines out. Otherwise okay.

Horror of a production.

Some excellent moments, but a little low key overall

Deceptively clever. Really takes off from Identity.

Alone Again Or and Andmoreagain are iconic.

A lot of nonsense with a few flashes of genius

Great songs, great voice

Waterboys at their best

Lots to love here

Great reminder of the beginnings of house music. Not really my thing but an entertaining listen nevertheless.

Gets a little boring hearing lots of 12 bar blues with no real distinguishing features

Elton has much better albums

Disintegration is epic, glorious, dreamy, melancholic, reflective, dealing with grief, disappointment and hope. Unfulfilled with previous pop success, Robert makes a deliberate attempt to produce his masterpiece. Each track lays down a musical pattern through a long intro that stands on its own. Reminds me in some places of Cocteau Twins and other places of New Order.

Elvis at his best

Only a few songs landed with me.

Much better than I remembered.

Not for me

Great album. Roots reggae in a minor key.

Great singles, and side 3 works as a series of linked tracks. Overall too long.

Dated, but has some appeal.

Jangle pop heavily influenced by 60s music

Disappointing. Lacking strong songs

Original and contagious. Bjork has no fear.

Annoyingly bland

Amazing to think they made this music 50 years ago. Hugely influential and just brilliant.

A pale reflection of Rumours

Entirely derivative. Sweet voice, slick production. Weak songs.

Solo album in Roxy Music era. Experimental and works well on many tracks.

Loved hearing Emmylou Harris on second vocals. An interesting mix of clean country and soft rock.

The lead track would be worthy of led Zeppelin, the rest more run of the mill. Vocals unrefined.

Competent crossover country rock album.

Didn't work for me.

Superb album. Not competently joined up as singles added to side two. Still great.

I'm not a huge fan of crooners. For some reason the songs didn't land for me.

Some good music here but so long it inevitably became background music

Well produced, well written, well performed power pop. Missing a standout song to make it a truly good album.

Unexpectedly good.

Some classic tracks but then a lot of filler.

Only serves to confirm that Abba are just a singles band.

Stacked full of hits from his best period.

An interesting listen but not something I would come back to.

Atmospheric. A great showman.

Not my thing

Brilliant album

Rock ballads and psychedelic rock are a great combination here.

Butt for me. Sounded like Nirvana but still didn't engaged me.

Genre defining.

Better than their second album in my opinion

Entertaining but not something I'll come back to

The level of improvisation drives me mad

Surprising number of blues tracks. Only just realised that Riders on the Storm is based on the 12 bar blues.

Simply lovely

Not so special.

Not my bag

Classic era, very enjoyable

Excellent musicianship but songs have not stood the test of time

Great sound

Disappointing

Butt his best but still good

A surprising album. Very different from Everything must go. Glad it was included.

Strong start to the album, then fades.

Interesting but not something I would put on.

Eclectic, strong voice, great singles. Entertaining throughout.

Not for me

US version is best, including early hit singles.

The first British folk roll album. Beautiful voice.

Singer gems in there but not an album you're likely to put on ever

First ever jazz rock album. Maintains interest throughout.

I like the turned percussion. Fabulous voice. All a bit drawn out and low energy though for me.

Faultless production and musicianship but just missing some stand out songs. Love the country numbers.

Rocks along nicely but many weak songs.

Starts out promising but then pulls in too many directions

Hilariously bad until it becomes tedious.

Nina Simone is a superb pianist and vocalist with one foot in the fifties. This album lacks coherence, and was apparently made up from left over studio recordings from previous albums.

Need artist to me. Unique style, great songs and musicianship. Looking forward to hearing more of theory music.

The flat tone and delivery works only for a few tracks before it started to grate on me.

They make an awesome sound. Unfortunately the vocals are relatively weak and the songs do not mean through

Classic proto punk. Menacing, raw and powerful.

Not his greatest but very listenable

Remain in Light is an unusual album, the 3rd and last to be produced by Brian Eno. More or less consistently, there are no chord progressions or development of any kind within each song. Rather, a groove is established and maintained, a patterned background onto which melody and lyrics are placed. The music is compelling without the sense of progression. I like it a lot, though it's not my favourite of theirs.

Singles are awesome and overall sounds great

Singer good songwriting but I find her voice irritating.

Love the setup of a live studio recording. Neil is on top form

Classic era U2. Unrefined, raw, relevant.

Her student voice works fine on singles but not for a while album.

Packed with hits. Good song writing

Probably my favourite prog rock album.

Similar material to The Beatles at the time but with more of an edge.

Started off liking this - nice voice - but after a while realised I'd stopped listening. It's just too bland.

A legend. Clean cut and simple.

Does well to maintain interest over two hours. Sure to get better with repeated listening. Awesome sound and surprisingly worded range of styles.

Incredibly accomplished given that were so young. The singles are well known and stand out, but the whole album rocks along nicely

Some great tracks such as Song of Life and Open up, but a lot of ordinary material sonic the way.

#1 album of 1976 and my favourite from Stevie. Chock full of amazing tunes right up to, but not including, the last 2 tracks, which would have been on the b side of the accompanying EP.

Buenos Noches almost sent me to sleep. A conservative revival of a conservative strain of a conservative genre. Some nice fiddle playing here and there.

This album is quite good. Although I'm not the biggest fan of musical theatre, abba seem to have perfected the format albeit in album form. Fabulous production adds a gloss to everything.

Got into the vibe for parts 2 and 3.

Blues music with an African accent

Side one is quite strong and almost a complete work. The other tracks are only okay. Didn't quite work as an album.

Okay, but unlikely to play again

Johnny Cash is cool, so you'd like to give a good review. However, many of these covers do not work. The best tracks are the unknown (to me) country songs.

Lucinda Williams is an interesting artist, and I will return to listen to her other bolded albums. A more authentic sounding Sheryl Crow.

Mix of new wave and electronic pop. Perfectly listenable but without any truly outstanding tracks.

Christmas classic

The first truly exciting Beatles album.

No need to qualify this as 'white reggae'. It's a really good reggae and dub album in the political tradition.

Without merit of any kind

One of his better albums. Quite varied. Kept the flag flying for guitar based rock music.

Strong singles, but a succession of novelty songs grates.

A shame the strongest track Stay with me was spoilt with orchestration. Otherwise generic.

Combining rock and hip hop works well in places but can't sustain a while album. Ends up a bit like a novelty act.

The Crusaders serve up easy listening jazz fusion.

Great opening tracks but then Child in Time spoils the vibe and it never fully recovers.

Smiths at their peak

I'm not a great fan of the voice. Put me off listening to the lyrics.

The tunes are predictable and while he's clever with the lyrics, it's not what I'm looking for in an album.

Not for me. Not sure this should be on the list

Classic

The best parts are the classical Indian ones with subtle beats. He takes a lot of risks here and not all of them work, but still a very interesting listen.

Not his best album, but interesting all the same. Some very raw and edgy content showing a different side.

Blondie's // is full of variety, from cute pop to new wave and disco. Full of hits and no real duds.

Spirited and youthful. Honestly not something of return to.

Consistent with other CCR albums, a couple of killer tracks booked out with generic blues. I'm in a harsh mood.

Papa was a rollin' stone is a classic. The first and last tracks are also strong but apart from that a mixed bag.

High quality country selection for a cosy quiet day in.

Forgot all about this album. Not a particular fan at the time but must have heard it loads. Sounded great this time round.

Promising debut with much better to come

Starts well but peters out so it's almost not there.

Not bad writing but not good enough too break through.

Lame

Same vibe as Low but not as successful for me.

Long and boring

One really strong track, otherwise quite pleasant.

One of the best folk rock albums of all time.

Plenty of attitude, nice raw sound and loads of great ideas. A bit long and sprawling.

Felt Mountain has a couple of really strong songs - Utopia and Lovely Head. Overall a nice sound.

Not for me

A fair selection but not adding up to anything memorable.

An album of strong highlights of not fully consistent.

Unusual and ahead of it's time. Not an album for repeated listening. Some cool arrangements, though.

Love the big band backing, and both the vocal and guitar delivery are excellent.

Liked the spacey, echoey slow parts, reminiscent of early Verve. Lost it towards the end and could have been better without last 2 tracks.

Not funny but not too annoying.

A few strong tracks. Not my thing.

Singles great, the rest variable quality but always listenable.

Made me smile all the way up to the murder. That rather spoilt the mood.

Pulling in different directions, but some fine harmonies and a couple of classics.

So glad that you could make it into the 1001. This is radio friendly Hole, and a great sounding album.

The first of a remarkable run of albums, the most successful since the Beatles. They are all brilliant and show different aspects of their developing talent.

This one's better than Heroes to Zeroes with well put together songs and arrangements. Something I can't put my finger on stops it being a compelling listen though. The last track is supposed to be funny but isn't.

Rich production, good songs. Curious choice of instrumentals but not unpleasant.

Started out with this album thinking high 3 trending 4, but ended up a high 2. It's just too much to digest.

Hooks galore, outstanding singles, entertaining throughout

REM made some great albums in the 80s and 90s, up till this LP. This would end up being the pinnacle of their output; their masterpiece. Tracks complement each other perfectly to provide light and shade - perhaps a bit more shade than light. The vocal performances are honest and sincere, and perfectly project the joy, despair and hope of the first class lyrics. Arrangements are more complex, with much use of piano, organ and strings. Some will miss the fact that they no longer sound like a four-piece, and the masterly way in which they managed limited resources, say as on Fables of the Reconstruction. Some will miss the jangle of Green, or the obscure murmurings of Murmur, but for me, these are all part of the story that unfolds and leads ultimately to this album.

Liked the basic setup of syncopated riffs / grooves and simple production. Vocal style wears after a while.

The album is a grower. Good voice and interesting mix of influences

Rich in textures. Early progressive with jazz, folk and blues overtones.

So many good songs here in the story telling tradition. One of his very best

Rushed release. Kind of interesting but also a little disappointing.

Radio friendly hip hop. Some nice sounds and quality production.

He has a strong, distinctive voice, the songs are good and the arrangements are simple and effective - love the double bass.

Commercial and easy listening.

Nice vibe, voice annoys after a while.

I don't really get Velvet Underground.

A solid 4 for me. Really took off from Sir Greendown. My favourite moment was when Say you'll go morphed into Debussy's Clair de lune. Very ambitious and mostly successful. Obviously a very talented artist.

Much better than I expected. Lots of humour, and punk energy in commercial form.

The highs outweigh the few lows.

A couple of absolute belters on this album, but the rest is highly variable. Honestly would never think of replaying this.

Murmur is important because it is an early example of Jangle Pop and the first in a run of near perfect albums. The playing and arrangements are first class but the songwriting is inconsistent at this stage.

PJ Harvey's debut album is excellent. The three piece band with Polly Jean on guitar and vocals is so strong. Every track is really interesting, raw and engaging.

Liking it so far but need to hear on a speaker system, to big for headphones?

Some great sounds, would have liked to hear more of that fabulous for playing.

Django Django still sounds fresh and I don't think I'll ever get tired of it.

I enjoyed today's Metallica album a bit more than their eponymous LP, but still a 3. Probably the max for this genre for me.

My Dad was keen on big bands and the swing era, so today's album taps into some childhood nostalgia. The arrangements are brilliant and I love how minimalist the count's playing is.

Not for me

Okay but not exceptional.

I can't get to excited about Eric Clapton. Everything on here has been done better elsewhere. Let it Grow is good.

Van Halen is an entertaining listen. Extraordinarily virtuosic guitar playing. Catchy songs with very simple arrangements.

American Pie of every bit as bad as I remember it, but it's still the best song on the album. The album really stands on its production which is excellent, but can't sustain interest for a whole album. So it starts off feeling like a 3 but ends up a 2 for me.

Not for me

Preferred her subsequent album

Starts strong but ends disappointingly. Elected is the highlight.

The singles still sound strong. Very much a producer led album. Runs out of steam so has plenty of filler including pointless covers.

The Cocteau Twins create their own unique sound world. The tracks flow perfectly. This is my favourite of theirs and one of the best albums by anyone.

The singles made a huge impact and spearheaded the punk movement. It made a lot of music sound tired and dreary.

It has many of their best tracks. It features David Palmer as vocalist on many tracks because they hadn't yet worked out that Donald Fagan's voice was a key distinguishing feature for the band. Musicianship, songwriting and production all top notch.

Not for me. Aged badly.

Mostly excellent, but could lose a track or three to be even better.

It seems to get better as it goes along, or maybe i was hypnotized 😵‍💫

Paul Rodgers is a pretty impressive singer of the Hard Rock school. All a bit slower than I expected. Would have liked more like the opening track.

So many styles of music on offer here, all well performed. Never a dull moment but zero coherence.

Some is okay, much is alternately monotonous or irritating.

Remembered every track from 50 years ago. Superb production.

Classic album with some big hitters

Not cool enough

High quality R&B

Boring and annoying in a few places. Slick production.

Didn't land for me. Lyrics were tiresome.

A poor album made all the poorer by guest artists.

Nice mix of easy listening and Virtuosic jazz. Drums are so crisp.

Clumsy use of a drum machine, but settles into a couple spinning with echoes of Seventeen Seconds.

Classic Brit pop

Riff based rock music. Good throughout.

I am predisposed to dislike musical theatre.

The Zutons are okay. Conventional songs nicely arranged. For some reason I find the grade 3 saxophone quite charming.

A special album.

I like the general vibe of the The Doors, but a couple of tracks break the spell for me, e.g. The Alabama Song.

77 has a lot of charm. Better on 2nd listen.

Just what the list should be doing, introducing people to great news music. Really enjoyed it today.

Don't get it

Great singles but the rest is variable. No clear musical direction as music composed by others except one track, so just the vocal style holding it together.

Let down by weak songwriting

I put Alex Harvey in the same camp as Meatloaf. Theatrical performers with some okay music here and there. I'm being generous with a 2.

One of my favourite albums of all time. Perfect blend of electronic and rock.

Classy production. Atmospheric. However, I'm not a fan of the vocal delivery, and everything is quite flat and monotone, to me.

Not my genre, but I appreciate this is well crafted.

Great album

Good album with a few big hitters. Not quite on the same level as Ocean Rain

Genre mismatch for me

The voice is a bit jarring to start with but you get used to that. Not a classic but still he rekindles some of the old magic

Really enjoyable listen, except for Satisfaction.

The first half of Exodus is perfect roots reggae, and the second half is perfect pop reggae. It works.

Would be a grower no doubt.

Some great tracks but not all good.

Diamond Life was a dinner party favourite when we were in our twenties. Long time since hearing it. Crisp production. Very smooth, laid back. Some good songs, although Why can't we live together is a cover - still good though.

Great sounding live album. Drifts into self indulgence here and there

Production is fine but the songs do not cut through.

Classic, more or less solo, album by Paul

Better than expected. Unashamedly kitsch.

The black keys can put together great sounding tracks and I think with repeated listens I could get to like the Brothers album.

I prefer three Who when they're playing straight rock music. The fun stuff on The Who Sell Out would wear thin after a few plays in my view.

Liked the lead single but the album is a bit samey and lackluster.

Starts strong but I was sick of it by the end.

I like the YYY sound world on this album. A mix of post punk, dance punk and indie pop influences.

Based on the first 10 tracks, it's a good album with lots of variety and complexity.

Seems to have improved with time

Classic hard rock

Short and sweet

I prefer the serving half.

Flows like no other album.

7 Nation Army sets an expectation that cannot be met elsewhere, except for flashes here and there. I like the lazy 12 bar blues of Ball and Biscuit. The stripped back production is effective.

Classic album

Great at creating a mood. The impact reduced with to many voices, most successful tracks were with Tracey Thorn

Great sound, songs could be stronger.

A fun album for a while, but got tedious towards the end.

No value add to being unplugged.

Fails to marry East and West. The covers are almost unbearable.

Some great moments. Must have been dynamite in 67/8

A more consistent and, for me, enjoyable listen compared to the second album.

Lots of cool ideas not fully realised.

Laudably raucous.

'Who knows where the time goes' is such a beautiful song. Denny has the perfect voice for English folk.

Very long. Got fed up with vocal store.

Sweet voice. Easy listening. Sumptuous production.