My 1001 Albums Journey

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1990s

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5-Star Albums

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Albums

You Love More Than Most

Album	You	Global	Diff
Orbital 2 Orbital	5	2.69	+2.31
Music For The Jilted Generation The Prodigy	5	3.07	+1.93
Loveless My Bloody Valentine	5	3.17	+1.83
Sound Affects The Jam	5	3.26	+1.74
I Should Coco Supergrass	5	3.34	+1.66
3 Feet High and Rising De La Soul	5	3.45	+1.55
Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots The Flaming Lips	5	3.57	+1.43
Ill Communication Beastie Boys	5	3.64	+1.36
Bridge Over Troubled Water Simon & Garfunkel	5	3.96	+1.04
London Calling The Clash	5	3.98	+1.02

You Love Less Than Most

Album	You	Global	Diff
good kid, m.A.A.d city Kendrick Lamar	1	3.61	-2.61
Brothers The Black Keys	1	3.57	-2.57
Sign 'O' The Times Prince	1	3.45	-2.45
Abraxas Santana	2	3.72	-1.72
Blue Joni Mitchell	2	3.49	-1.49
Chocolate Starfish And The Hot Dog Flavored Water Limp Bizkit	1	2.48	-1.48
Reggatta De Blanc The Police	2	3.45	-1.45
Fragile Yes	2	3.31	-1.31
Risque CHIC	2	3.27	-1.27
Truth Jeff Beck	2	3.17	-1.17

5-Star Albums (12)

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Popular Reviews

Orbital 2

Orbital

5/5

This is a classic of the UK late 80s early 90s dance / rave / electronic / techno scene. The album flows through each tune from the lush Lush(s) to the halcyon Halcyon. Maybe the first, Green, Orbital album should have been included instead, and not sure third album Snivilisation should have made the list, but you can’t deny Orbital’s contribution to the genre.

1 likes

1-Star Albums (4)

Chocolate Starfish And The Hot Dog Flavored Water

All Ratings

E.V.O.L.

Sonic Youth

3/5

Probably my least listened to, and least liked, Sonic Youth album. I’m being generous with my 3-stars as it may deliver more if I was to go back in time to my 1986 self and give it some more listens.

Neon Bible

Arcade Fire

3/5

At the time I thought this was a big step down from the magnificent 5-star debut Funeral, and still do today. Stand out track “No Cars Go” rehashed here from their debut EP issued four years earlier.

Horses

Patti Smith

3/5

Not a bad listen, but one I haven’t chosen to listen to for about 20 years.

Abraxas

Santana

2/5

Not my cup of tea. In the history of rock music this might be a five star gem. I can only rate it on how much pleasure listening to it gave me.

Jagged Little Pill

Alanis Morissette

3/5

This is my first time listening to this album, although nearly half the tracks are familiar as singles. 1995 for me was a year of Trip Hop and Progressive House and Brit Pop associated albums. This isn’t bad 30 years on now, dismissed at the time by me as being too commercial and pop. I could probably let it become a grower.

Reggatta De Blanc

The Police

2/5

I was 10 in 1979 and getting my music via a weekly dose of Top of the Pops. According to official TOTP stats, the Message in a Bottle and Walking on the Moon videos were played 8 times on the show that year - not sure why the band didn’t turn up to mime in the studio as they had done for previous singles. Despite being so familiar with The Police singles, I have never previously listened to one of their albums. Always took exception to Sting for multiple reasons, but mainly his voice. This particular album has the feel of something cobbled together as a contractual fulfilment agreement, which it wasn’t, or maybe even as some sort of badly realised musical joke. Worse than I’d ever imagined it could be.

Mothership Connection

Parliament

4/5

Not a genre I am usually found listening to, but I really enjoyed the voyage this album took me on to outer space and back and beyond. Great stuff.

Pink Flag

Wire

4/5

I like that this is now being referred to as the first Post-Punk album. Released in late 77 following on from the (5-star) debut albums earlier in the year by the UK punk big three (Damned, Clash, Pistols). This is the first time I have listened to this Wire LP in its, admittedly short, entirety, preferring tracks from their next two albums. I reckon if I’d spun it hundreds of times on my record player back in the day it would have made my classic list.

Are You Experienced

Jimi Hendrix

5/5

The US version of the album, with the first four singles included, gets my five star voting. Along with Fire, the title track, and indeed every track.

Oracular Spectacular

MGMT

3/5

Time to Pretend and Kids are standout tracks, tracks that preceded the album by a couple of years though. I never got into the album itself at the time, still not my cup of tea, and much preferred the follow up Congratulations.

Axis: Bold As Love

Jimi Hendrix

3/5

I need to give this more listens, although in nearly 60 years I have only just attempted to do so. I gave Experienced five stars, being generous here …

The White Album

Beatles

4/5

As John was probably thinking at the time, lose the Paul filler tracks, okay so we’ll give him Helter Skelter, drop a couple of George’s and save Revolution 9 for a John and Yoko release. Then you’d have a 5-star, non-double album.

Blue

Joni Mitchell

2/5

One day I might enjoy listening to a Joni Mitchell album. Even just finding listening pleasure in a single song would be a start. For now, there are a hundred plus other female singers from the 60s and 70s I’d rather be listening to.

Truth

Jeff Beck

2/5

Can’t get past the fact that Rod provides vocals to all these tracks. The exception being Greensleeves which really should have been vetoed. For the finale, “I Ain’t Superstitious”, and for the citing of this record in the birth of heavy metal, I up my rating to give two stars.

Live / Dead

Grateful Dead

3/5

Grateful Dead live, you had to be there, and then, I suppose. I like the idea of bringing the live concert feel into your living room. Needs the presence of thousands of tripping hippies to complete that feel though.

Fleet Foxes

4/5

Some classics on here that still sound great, not my usual listen now or on release, but worth a 4-star rating from me.

Chocolate Starfish And The Hot Dog Flavored Water

Limp Bizkit

1/5

Celebrating its 25th Anniversary release this year - somewhere. A first listen for me, although aware of some of the songs at the time. Downhill from the Intro, which was actually quite good but was probably a piss take of LFOs 1991 album opener of the same name, or something of that genre. My first 1-star rating, and that for an album no longer in the 1001 list, so presumably some agreement there.

Raw Power

The Stooges

4/5

Contains what it says on the tin. Prefer their earlier stuff to listen to, but history, and indeed the future, created in the making of this.

Ill Communication

Beastie Boys

5/5

Sabotage is an undisputed classic. However, prior to this project I’d never listened to this album. 1994 UK wise for me was the year of Trip Hop, an interesting connection to the mix of sounds on offer here from the Beastie Boys. Was Tricky influenced, giving rise to the heavy Black Steel’s inclusion on Maxinquaye.

Harvest

Neil Young

3/5

Harvest, in one word, corny. Not something I would choose to listen to again. The Needle and the Damage Done track, I’ll take that away as a highlight though. 3/5

Cloud Nine

The Temptations

3/5

The tagline that this is the introduction of the psychedelic soul genre is stronger than the sound of this album being the birth of psychedelic soul. Three stars for the A-side.

Konnichiwa

Skepta

2/5

Shutdown, then a shutdown of Spotify for me. My teenage son, as was in 2016, would have been blaring this out wherever he went back then, so a five star from him, not so for me

Lust For Life

Iggy Pop

3/5

Two absolute classic tracks don’t make this a classic album. Revisiting this album today still can’t find another track to appreciate.

Modern Kosmology

Jane Weaver

4/5

As a Jane Weaver fan I was pleasantly surprised to see this in the list. Only a handful of 2017 releases were added to the list in the revised edition, so the inclusion is open to much debate - and that includes me debating with myself now.

Happy Trails

Quicksilver Messenger Service

2/5

Another one where you feel you had to be there. Instead of 32 minutes of a Bo Diddley jam just give me four minutes of “Who Do You Love?” by the Jesus and Mary Chain. I think Quicksilver themselves would also be surprised that these live cover jams made this 1001 list.

Fragile

Yes

2/5

Perhaps worse than I ever imagined it would be. Could just about tolerate the sub-two minute “We Have Heaven”. Thanks, but no thanks.

The Trinity Session

Cowboy Junkies

2/5

It just doesn’t grab the attention, even Sweet Jane seems to just fade into the background with the first note. Sorry.

Sound Affects

The Jam

5/5

I was a big Jam fan in the early 80s in my early teens. Then seemingly gave them a miss, following their split, and never got on with the musical style of the Style Council or Paul Weller’s solo material. Listening to this after an absence of forty odd years it does sound pretty good.

Loveless

My Bloody Valentine

5/5

An album I loved at the time, enjoyed giving it a few spins this week. Play loud

I Should Coco

Supergrass

5/5

Up there with His’n’Hers and Different Class as the trio of albums that best survive the Britpop era.

Risque

CHIC

2/5

If you leave off the three singles, which were probably most listened to via 12”/7” formats, you are left with four rather background listening tracks (in my opinion).

Dub Housing

Pere Ubu

3/5

Do we need two Pere Ubu albums in this list? (No). Are Pere Ubu best represented by their early singles rather than albums? (Yes). Does this album deserve to be in the bottom 1% of ratings on this site? (No). I reckon if I heard this at the time it would garner a 5 from me, listening now I’ll give it a 3.

Brothers

The Black Keys

1/5

Not for me, and not for this list, in my opinion. I see that The National’s High Violet, also released in 2010, has since been removed from the 1001. I suggest Brothers would be a better candidate for removal.

Sign 'O' The Times

Prince

1/5

I’m not a fan of Prince, few artists grate with me so consistently. A double album of Prince is a new low in my listening history I’m afraid. Albums you must hear to appreciate just how terrible you still find them.

Paranoid

Black Sabbath

5/5

RIP Ozzy. The only heavy metal album I own, and all I’ve ever deemed necessary.

Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots

The Flaming Lips

5/5

Nearly 20 years since band formation, the Flaming Lips peaked with this, their tenth album. Still sounding great.

3 Feet High and Rising

De La Soul

5/5

A return to the classics

Hotel California

Eagles

3/5

I wasn’t expecting much from this. Enjoyed the listen whilst reading the back stories to each song. Mexican Reggae through to environmental concerns and planet destruction.

Electric Ladyland

Jimi Hendrix

4/5

I appreciate that the record label had to drag this out to a double LP so they could release with that gatefold sleeve. However, trim down a few tracks, leave out the filler, and it would get my five stars.

good kid, m.A.A.d city

Kendrick Lamar

1/5

Firstly, this album is no longer in the 1001 list, having only had a short lived entry, so I didn’t need to listen to it before I die. Secondly, I did give it several plays as I know there should be something in this that I should like. However, no joy at all. Public Enemy, NWA, Wu-Tang Clan, five stars from me. Not even Dr. Dre’s involvement in closer Compton provides any real lift here.

Music For The Jilted Generation

The Prodigy

5/5

This sounds better today than it did 30+ years ago, and it was pretty awesome back then.

Trafalgar

Bee Gees

2/5

One of those albums where you think it is included because it is so bad it has to be heard to be believed. For the Bee Gees, it shows how much they improved / developed over the next few years, even though at this point they are already nine albums in. Also, so many albums from 1971 in the list (36?), why include this? Two stars for a couple of okay songs.

The Rolling Stones

4/5

Historically very interesting which is why it’s on the list. Better than the Beatles two openers.

Grace

Jeff Buckley

3/5

No, still can’t enjoy this album. Back in 94 my friends raved about it and I just couldn’t get it. Still can’t, but in this artist’s case, I may be wrong, so favourable rating.

Orbital 2

Orbital

5/5

Bridge Over Troubled Water

Simon & Garfunkel

5/5

Simon & Garfunkel, along with ABBA and the Carpenters, were the sound of my childhood. Therefore, this was always going to veer towards five stars for me. Listening to the album for the first time as an adult, and reading the back stories to each track, confirms the five star rating.

London Calling

The Clash

5/5

Another classic, I’ve been on a bit of a five star run with this album generator these last few days. I purchased this on vinyl not long after its release and still have it pride of place at the front of my collection.

Led Zeppelin II

Led Zeppelin

3/5

Regarded as the quintessential hard rock and heavy metal album. That’s enough to have put me off listening to it all these years, until now. I just can’t get any enjoyment from the rock screechings of Robert Plant.