Aug 31 2025
Sheet Music
10cc
Only one listen so this is probably unfair, but it's not really my era of music and the extremely melodic rock washed over me somewhat, though I know from older peers that they hold this in very high esteem. I think this washes over those who were born after it was released who are more influenced by post punk music.
3
Sep 01 2025
Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea
PJ Harvey
Not a hardship to listen to this one as it's only a few days that I did in "normal" l know that PJ was not happy with this one as the sound was too slick and mainstream for her, but the songs are so strong and the overall mood so cohesive, that it's power and brilliance is impossible to deny. In my favourite three albums of hers with Rid Of Me and Let England Shake.
5
Sep 02 2025
Young Americans
David Bowie
Despite my brother having played me his vinyl years ago and trying it myself more recently through streaming, this album hadn't connected with me beyond the great title song and Fame. Today listening to it on a journey home from long weekend away in Scarborough for my 50th birthday I enjoyed it more, even if still have some reservations on the qualify of a few songs and his singing on them, they're a little loose and lacking in his normal precision and form. Still further to go with this one I think!
4
Sep 03 2025
Live At Leeds
The Who
I'm starting to get the feeling this is going to be hard work. I'm sure this is great for people who like this kind of rock, I'm really not keen unfortunately. There's great songs on there but I find it tedious and tiring.
3
Sep 04 2025
Stardust
Willie Nelson
I do like some Willie but this is too smooth and easy for me atm, I prefer his self penned songs with an edge
3
Sep 05 2025
Ellington at Newport
Duke Ellington
Apart from the spoken introductions for the performers, this is great stuff. I probably didn't experience it as per the original release but more the expanded modern edition.
4
Sep 06 2025
Heaven Or Las Vegas
Cocteau Twins
One of the greatest, especially the closing frou-frou
5
Sep 07 2025
American IV: The Man Comes Around
Johnny Cash
The title song has been a favourite of late so a great reason to listen to it more. The album always struck me as being too long but it was enjoyable to immerse yesterday. The Nick Cave duet doesn't work as well as hoped unfortunately!
4
Sep 08 2025
Dare!
The Human League
My favourite revelation on this path so far - not that I didn't know the album, but I have felt the need to play it on repeat and the non-singles have really hit home. I must now find a decent vinyl copy.
Are there any other classics where the main hit / best songs are at the end?
5
Sep 09 2025
The Wall
Pink Floyd
Oh God, I'm going to need to feel in a strong constitution to survive this! It was a fave when I was more maudlin / morose / depressive / suicidal / drink in nature!
Listening to it now the shock is how pleasant it is to listen to despite the subject matter and dark introspection. Kudos to Waters for bringing the songs when others were unproductive BUT it's the others that make it so enjoyable and listenable.
4
Sep 10 2025
Trafalgar
Bee Gees
Bob Stanley had already opened my mind to the Bee Gees in his book Yeah Yeah Yeah (haven't got around to his book specifically about them yet!), but these boys are so much more than SNF and disco. I knew this in part due to songs like New York Mining Disaster, but I didn't know anything about this 1971 album apart from the opening song that became one of the best songs ever in the hands of Al Green.
And it's a great album and repays repeat immersive listens to its consistent sound and quality.
4
Sep 11 2025
Virgin Suicides
Air
Whilst I think it was a great soundtrack for a wonderful film, I don't tend to enjoy soundtracks without the visuals. This has a great few tracks however, and Air of this era were superb.
3
Sep 12 2025
Bayou Country
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Wow was I blindsided by this! The album coming up prompted a less than enthusiastic response but this is is just great swamp blues rock with such a strong vocalist and band. I don't know why I had a negative perception of them, Susie Q was somehow known positively from my childhood (must ask my brother why!) but I think I'm probably a bit snobbish about some US 70s blues rock (thinking it's boring wank jam fears) and need to be more open minded. There is nothing boring about this.
4
Sep 13 2025
Diamond Life
Sade
Splendid album of course with one of the best opening 3 song salvos in music history, up there with Let's Dance for perfection. Frankie's first Affair immediately drops the quality substantially (with some of Sade's worst vocals IMO she just doesn't suit it) but the rest of the album is good enough, if not as consistent as later works. Those first 3 tracks though....
4
Sep 14 2025
With The Beatles
Beatles
Pre Rubber Soul Beatles isn't really my thing, even if their graduation is so historically vital and fascinating. There is raw excitement here and a youthful charm but the real art and craft was still a couple of years off. I didn't necessarily yearn to finish it early, but was quite relieved when it was over.
3
Sep 15 2025
Groovin'
The Young Rascals
Not one I'd have known or considered but it's a great listen and has the incredible title song!
4
Sep 16 2025
Morrison Hotel
The Doors
Reliably serviceable album from the blues rock behemoths, I need to listen to more intently again but the first couple of tracks in particular were captivating and impressive. Never going to be my favourite band though.
4
Sep 17 2025
Will The Circle Be Unbroken
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Some damn fine music here, though I must admit I didn't get to the end - it lapsed into more pure instrumentals after a while and I lost some interest (will finish it off at work today). The mark lost is for the overly American Christian nature of some of the songs, which rankle due to the crap that the Christian right wing are perpetrating in the US today.
4
Sep 18 2025
Architecture And Morality
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
One of my favourite synth bands, their albums can be a mixed bag but when they hit hard they are perfect
4
Sep 19 2025
Bringing It All Back Home
Bob Dylan
There are so many great songs appearing on his albums by now, which are almost evenly distributed between acoustic and electric forms. Sadly it's the electric ones that Maggie's Farm that bring this down for me (although songs like this can be amazing live). When an album has Mr Tambourine Man and Subterranean Homesick Blues however who can complain.
4
Sep 20 2025
Dummy
Portishead
If this would allow 4.5 stars I'd give it, but even though this album is a standout of the era and is so original and impressive, it is VERY cold, which stops me playing it often and giving it top marks
4
Sep 21 2025
Heroes
David Bowie
The surprise here is that it's the instrumentals that I really like, which is the opposite to what I expected. Apart from the title track I am not fond of his vocals, he has that lack of discipline whine and the recording of them has too much echo and effects, it's just unbelievably pretentious and annoying, stopping me really here any song or tune, like vocal masturbation. What I like is very good and it would be churlish to give it 3 given how amazing the song Heroes is and how much I like the instrumentals, so 4 it is.
4
Sep 22 2025
Different Class
Pulp
An absolute "modern" classic (ahem, it still feels it but of course it's nearly 30 years old now!), the only downside is that the production can seem a.bit lumpen and flat at times, but I can't quite bring myself to allow that to make it a 4*, as it is a solid 4.5 and nearer 5. So many great hit songs and the album tracks like I Spy are fabulous.
5
Sep 23 2025
The Band
The Band
Absolute classic, just perfect as a band and as a record.
5
Sep 24 2025
Machine Gun Etiquette
The Damned
It's a lot to take on fresh as it comes at you like an onslaught with little respite. I find the Captain's switch to guitar unbelievably successful after the departure of Brian James and can't find any fault here on 2nd listen, far too good for a 3 even if as a newbie it's yet to sink it's talons fully yet.
4
Sep 25 2025
Casanova
The Divine Comedy
Overjoyed to see this gem come up, not least because they have just released a new album (Rainy Sunday Afternoon in 2025), but because it's an old favourite. There's rather annoying shouting (roaring basically) on songs like Charge and Through a Long... but otherwise it's an impeccable enjoyable listen. TDC would only improve from here and had more masterpieces to come in the form of Regeneration, Fin De Siecle and Absent Friends but this continued to pave the way nicely.
4
Sep 26 2025
Introducing The Hardline According To Terence Trent D'Arby
Terence Trent D'Arby
Whereas this was his most successful album and I love it, it's not my favourite TTD, but those main singles are perfection "wishing well", "dance little sister", "sign your name" and "if you let me stay". I feel the album tracks improved with the next 3 records to give better overall experiences but this will of course be the one held most in peoples consciousness
4
Sep 27 2025
Deep Purple In Rock
Deep Purple
Child in Time tipped the balance, initially I was daunted - it's exactly the type of thing I'm dreading in this project (70s hard rock), but there was some good stuff, especially CiT which added much more variation shade and colour.
4
Sep 28 2025
Mott
Mott The Hoople
It's been a shame to see how flippantly people seem to rate albums like this, with it's average currently under 3 here. I've never purposely listened to the Mott other than when All the Young Dudes gets autoplayed. I'd not have realised how well considered some of their albums are without this 1001 prompt.
This album comes after their Bowie reboot and this album certainly sounds like glam Bowie of this era, but with their own twist and great songwriting and it's great fun. Even on my second listen and songs are already embedding them. The production is great and they're such a solid band (even if they were already depleted in numbers by this point), and it's sad that they would split up after their next album (also very well thought of!), with Hunter then forging what looks like a rewarding solo career.
Yet another artist to be less snobby or dismissive about, thanks to 1001...
4
Sep 29 2025
The Man Who
Travis
I had the album at the time and there is a wishy-washy slightly boring nature to it and the band (at times) and I definitely didn't hold it in great regard (and had tried it again not so long ago). However, on relisten here it's really not so bad and is chock full of good songs. I imagine the rating from others here will be savage, for me it would be a 3.5 but I've got to lean and it's closer to a 3.
3
Sep 30 2025
The College Dropout
Kanye West
I'm not going to listen to a self professed modern Nazi, sorry.
1
Oct 01 2025
Warehouse: Songs And Stories
Hüsker Dü
I'm sure it's full of great songs but the production is dreadful (all mid guitar wash and splashy echoed drums/cymbals), which thankfully improved with Bob Moulds next band Sugar and solo albums.
3