1001 Albums Summary

Same song for an entire album. Still good. Classic even. I hear a lot of other bands in this album.

Truly beautiful covers on this album. Cash aged like fine wine before his time had come. What an American master.

Normally my opinions for Elton John were that he was overly cheesy and quite schmaltzy. To my surprise, I find this album quite tasteful. This album hit a prog/pop/rock nerve that I didn't know my life was missing. I can see why this is regarded as his magnum opus. There are parts that I considered as filler which takes off a point for me. As well as a weak second half to the album which makes it drag. I give this one a strong 8/10.

At this point in my life I'm not really into folk rock. I see and hear the massive influence this album has had. I will surely revisit this album later in my life but for now I will leave it a strong 3/5. Just not now.

Unexpectedly jammy and real high energy at points. Mr. Churchill, Brainwashed, Shangri-La, Yes Sir No Sir, Nothing to Say are stands out for me. While parts sound extremely dated and do not hold up, other parts of the album are surprisingly modern sounding. There is an air of urgency that the 60s carried which resonate with today. This urgency can be felt in some aspect of any decade which is a difficult thing to capture artistically without sounding corny. However, the innocent flower child aspects of this album do come across as corny and naive. Which thankfully, are sparse within this album. Overall, I enjoyed the album which gives it a solid to mild 3/5.

Right out the gate this already sounded like a rawer album than my previously reviewed Apocalypse 91’, which I loved. The opening instrumental had me hooked. The second track was cacophonous with squealing guitars and front and center loops. A hype track that keeps energy flowing, where actual lyricism doesn’t begin until halfway through the track. Flava Flav’s funky hooks and Chuck D’s fire verses really don’t relent through this album. Despite this constant barrage of unbridled rage against the powers that be, the run time felt 10-15 minutes too long. Understandably so, this album won me over and exemplifies why I dislike the 5-star system. I give it Soft 5. Inflated because I enjoyed it more than Apocalypse.

Front loaded powerhouse singles. The second half overall felt a bit weak however. Despite my preconceptions on this album and its compositions within the album it felt coherent despite the incessant radio play it has received. I flinched when this came on my next album but I did overall enjoy this album. A solid 4/5.

Not my thing. Also just an overplayed style. I feel like this is responsible for all stomp clap music of the late 2000s and 2010s.