My 1001 Albums Journey

Album	You	Global	Diff
Olympia 64 Jacques Brel	5	2.78	+2.22
Talk Talk Talk The Psychedelic Furs	5	3.03	+1.97
All Mod Cons The Jam	5	3.25	+1.75
Blackstar David Bowie	5	3.48	+1.52
The Velvet Underground & Nico The Velvet Underground	5	3.61	+1.39
Ill Communication Beastie Boys	5	3.64	+1.36
Chore of Enchantment Giant Sand	4	2.64	+1.36
Blood On The Tracks Bob Dylan	5	3.67	+1.33
Scream, Dracula, Scream Rocket From The Crypt	4	2.77	+1.23
Black Sabbath Black Sabbath	5	3.82	+1.18

Album	You	Global	Diff
Brothers The Black Keys	1	3.57	-2.57
Green R.E.M.	2	3.47	-1.47
It's Too Late to Stop Now Van Morrison	2	3.25	-1.25
McCartney Paul McCartney	2	3.25	-1.25
High Violet The National	2	3.24	-1.24
Time Out Of Mind Bob Dylan	2	3.21	-1.21

Artist	Albums	Average
David Bowie	2	5

Artist	Ratings
Bob Dylan	5, 2

The Verve

3/5

David Bowie

5/5

Absolutely brilliant, experimental and challenging. You rarely expect someone 50 years into their career to still be making such flat out weird music, but Bowie delivers as always.

Brothers

The Black Keys

1/5

Dull, lifeless, overproduced stuff from a band that used to be good. 'Unknown Brother' is about the only tangible thing on the album.

American IV: The Man Comes Around

Johnny Cash

4/5

A fitting testament to Cash's talent and the various songwriters drawn upon here. Not every track is a winner, but the highs are quite high indeed - NIN's 'Hurt' at the top of the heap, of course. Cash's own 'When the Man Comes Around' is another standout and a great opener - one of his last songs, but man he still had the juice. The album is best when it's pared back and gets a bit too fluffy with strings and all sorts at points. Fiona Apple, Don Henley and Nick Cave guest for duets too, and make very little impact. Other big winners for me are 'I Hung My Head', 'Give My Love To Rose', 'Personal Jesus' and 'In My Life'.

Band On The Run

Paul McCartney and Wings

4/5

I'd heard bits of this before and I'm sure it's been on in the background of my life. Classic McCartney melodies thrown into a solidly proggy affair. What it might lack in emotional punch at times, it makes up for with some stellar songwriting and plenty of variety, dipping into everything from Fripp-esque riffs to world music. The title track, 'Jet', 'Let Me Roll It', Mamunia' and '1985' were the big standouts to me, though there's no real sore thumb on there.

Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots

The Flaming Lips

3/5

Tanto Tempo

Bebel Gilberto

3/5

I probably don't have the context or ears to really rate this, but it is a very pleasant listen. Gilberto's soothing vocals are like a soft breeze on a summer's day. The second track 'August Day Song' really caught me, and maybe there's more here that further listens would reveal, but it's hard not to let this album float by like a dream.

It's Too Late to Stop Now

Van Morrison

2/5

Out Of The Blue

Electric Light Orchestra

3/5

Honky Tonk Masquerade

Joe Ely

3/5

At Folsom Prison

Johnny Cash

4/5

Hail To the Thief

Radiohead

3/5

A needless inclusion here. An undercooked album by Radiohead standards, predictable and overlong. They have done better and I can't think of a compelling reason this should be included here beyond the list editor's bias.

Dare!

The Human League

4/5

Hypocrisy Is The Greatest Luxury

The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy

4/5

Scream, Dracula, Scream

Rocket From The Crypt

4/5

Ill Communication

Beastie Boys

5/5

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Kanye West

4/5

Green

R.E.M.

2/5

Pornography

The Cure

4/5

Blood On The Tracks

Bob Dylan

5/5

Lost In The Dream

The War On Drugs

3/5

Joan Armatrading

4/5

Chirping Crickets

Buddy Holly & The Crickets

4/5

Dry

PJ Harvey

4/5

More Songs About Buildings And Food

Talking Heads

3/5

Fleet Foxes

3/5

Talk Talk Talk

The Psychedelic Furs

5/5

Black Sabbath

5/5

Olympia 64

Jacques Brel

5/5

Another winner for me here. I wish I was fluent in French to have any mucking clue what Brel is saying here, but there's an undeniable power in his voice and performance - super charismatic, emotional and evocative. The music swings between heavy and playful and Brel matches both well. The actual album offered here is the 28 minute version but I was inspired enough to check out the full version and it's just as good. Two spins of the short and one of the long confirm this is a more than worthy inclusion here even without a translator. I was not at all surprised to see an absolutely massive list of people who claim him as an inspiration on his Wiki page and see he was covered by everyone from Scott Walker and Bowie to Westlife. Bowie's cover of the opening track here 'Amsterdam' is excellent. I'd almost say Till Lindeman from Rammstein got some swagger from this lad. Brel would kill it with a flamethrower too.

Electric Ladyland

Jimi Hendrix

3/5

Foxbase Alpha

Saint Etienne

3/5

Djam Leelii

Baaba Maal

3/5

Jazz Samba

Stan Getz

3/5