Very solid album. Stevie Wonder is a master of providing plenty of space for all instruments to breathe, and it perfectly blends funk and soul in a harmonious way. While it is not his magnum opus [see 'Songs in the Key of Life'], 'Talking Book' is buoyed by the obvious brilliance of 'Superstition' [Stevie's signature song, depending on who you talk to], but also features 'You Are the Sunshine of My Life', 'Maybe Your Baby' and 'I Believe [When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever], three remarkable tunes that helped bring Wonder out from the Motown pigeonhole and into the realm of the bold and innovative. We got Prince and Michael Jackson in the 80s, but Stevie was the one who showed them their future in the 70s. 4/5

Obviously, most people remember this album for the title track [easily Eric Clapton's signature song], but in reality, there's quite a lot to like about the sprawling, 77-minute double LP that is 'Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs.' For a long time, I would always see Eric Clapton's name pop up on the 'Greatest Guitarists of All Time' lists and didn't really understand why. I felt that, maybe, he's a touch overrated. Sure, 'Sunshine of Your Love' has been so many guitarists 'first song learned' for decades, but it's a pretty simple song to learn, all things considered. But, if I didn't find out already from 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps', this album, to me, justifies why Clapton is regarded as one of the all time greats of the six-string, especially in the blues category. Clapton's subtle-but-emotive guitar work combined with his and Bobby Whitlock's impassioned vocals and a solid rhythm section make 'Layla...' [at times] such an engaging listen, not to mention the additional contributions of fellow guitar great Duane Allman. In addition to 'Layla', 'I Looked Away', 'Bell Bottom Blues', 'Anyday' and 'Why Does Love Got to Be So Sad?' are some key highlights. With that said, I did find the 77-minute run-time a little bit exhausting, especially with the blues genre having a tendency to get lost in meandering guitar solos [some might call it guitar wanking], and the cover of the blues standard 'Key to the Highway' is the worst culprit here. I don't mind the blues, but sometimes I can't help but think 'just get to the point already, sheesh.' Overall, it's a good album, and the truest showcase of Clapton's guitar skills, but there's maybe a few too many covers, exhausting guitar passages and a little too much untrimmed fat for it to be a perfect record.

I must admit, I wasn't at all familiar with Elliott Smith prior to this record being chosen for me, but that's the whole point of me doing this challenge: I want to open myself up to many different artists and get out of my comfort zone. Listening to 'Figure 8', the influence of The Beatles across this record is clear as day, right down to fact it was recorded in part at Abbey Road Studios. The production on the album is spot on, and it's a good album to chill out and relax to, although I can't say many songs really landed for me. It's basically just a Beatles homage that sounds pretty; a homage so eerily similar to what The Beatles [John Lennon in particular] had already perfected in the 60s. Smith also sounds very similar to Neil Finn [Crowded House, Split Enz], a fellow Beatle aficionado, although again, Finn just does a bit more for me. I then read about Smith's untimely death at the age of 34 in 2003, which put 'Figure 8' into greater context for me. 'Figure 8' was Smith's last record completed in his lifetime before his life spiraled into depression and drug addiction. So he's definitely in the same ballpark as artists like Kurt Cobain and Jeff Buckley; artists who have probably become more iconic in the wake of their demise [something to be said about artists suffering for their art], but unlike Cobain or Buckley, I just feel like there's something missing from Smith for me. I don't think this is a bad album by any means, but nothing really jumps out for me except the clear Beatles influence and great production and instrumentation. Might be a taste thing for me though, as I will admit the indie genre has never really done it for me. I can see why 'indie' fans would love this record though, and I did enjoy 'Son of Sam'. 'Figure 8' is basically your average 'Beatle-loving' indie rocker of a record, but I have to give Elliott Smith props for handling basically all of the instrumentation himself on this record: guitars, piano, bass, drums, organs, string arrangements. That's no easy feat, and I have plenty of respect for multi-instrumentalists. So overall, it's OK, but nothing more than that. 2.5/5

Long before he became known to a new generation as the iconic voice behind 'Chef' in South Park, Isaac Hayes had made his mark as a soul musician unafraid to test listeners with longer compositions and psychedelic/progressive elements. On 'Hot Buttered Soul', Hayes rips up the soul rulebook, backed by the impressive Bar-kays to give the songs a dense and driving edge. Only four songs on this album, three of them covers, but how Hayes and co. transform songs such as the Bacharach staple 'Walk on By' and Jimmy Webb's 'By the Time I Get To Phoenix' [the second cover of this song I've heard, the first being Nick Cave's] into original works of art featuring acid-laced guitars, simple but rolling percussion, funky bass, inventive piano/keyboard, all brought together by Hayes' smooth, laid-back voice. But the true highlight here is the sole original track, 'Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymystic', an enthralling funk masterpiece that no doubt would've encouraged the likes of George Clinton and Curtis Mayfield to go bigger, longer and more innovative in the 1970s. Until today, 'Chocolate Salty Balls' is the only Isaac Hayes recording I'd ever heard, but now I can add arguably one of the greatest and most important soul records of all time to that list. 'Hot Buttered Soul' is fantastic, an album I most certainly will revisit! 4.5/5

Ahh 2009, I remember it fondly. I was getting really heavily into grunge music almost two decades past its peak. As a result, I really wasn't paying attention to the music of the day because, as an angsty 15-year-old, I was probably dismissing it as "boring techno crap" (this was before I really got into Nine Inch Nails, New Order etc., so I was naturally a bit naive). So, as a result, I completely missed out on artists such as Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and with 'It's Blitz!', there's plenty to love for my older, more cultured ears here. With Karen O's etherial yet punchy vocals (sitting nicely somewhere in between Debbie Harry and Kate Bush), and some eclectic musical arrangements courtesy of multi-instrumentalist Nick Zinner and drummer Brian Chase, 'It's Blitz!' is a fun album full of raw energy and eletro-punk pizzazz. I dig 'Zero', 'Skeletons', 'Dull Life' and 'Shame and Fortune', although the big hit on this album, 'Heads Will Roll', is a bit mid. But I cannot fault this album's boldness to traverse different styles, especially in the back half. Its an album that gets more and more interesting the deeper you delve into it. There's so much going on throughout this record (fuzzy guitars, shimmering keys, cinematic string arrangements) that I can't help but be impressed by how daring the music gets in places, not to mention the beautiful production by Nick Launay (Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Public Image Ltd, The Slits, Killing Joke). 2009 Sam would've hated this album. 2025 Sam quite enjoys it. Big YEAH! to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs!

When you think 1980s music, Duran Duran would surely be close to the front of most people's thoughts, and on 'Rio', the group's second record, just about every 80s cliché is there: guitars drenched with chorus and delay, walls of synth and fat bass lines. What Duran Duran did wasn't unique to them; Brian Eno and Roxy Music, German Krautrock groups, Pink Floyd, Bowie and Genesis had already dabbled with the New Wave genre; but there's something to be said about 'Rio' and how it captured lightning in a bottle for the group. This album's so darn infectious. There's a reason 'Hungry Like the Wolf' is one of the most iconic songs of the 80s. Simon Le Bon sounds like an urgent beast ready to infect listeners with his confident, charismatic croon, and he's well supported by Taylors Andy, Roger and John, as well as Nick Rhodes and his mastery of the keys/synths. Other great songs on this album include 'Hold Back the Rain', 'Save a Prayer' and the title track, and the sheer consistency of 'Rio' makes it hard to believe it was panned by critics upon release in 1982. 'Rio' spearhead Duran Duran into a brand new renaissance for British pop, alongside The Human League, A Flock of Seagulls, Culture Club and Phil Collins, and was the blueprint so many pop/synth bands (Eurythmics, Tears For Fears, Wham!, Pet Shop Boys, Dead or Alive) would follow later in the 1980s. You know your album's done its job when it encourages the likes of David Bowie to keep up with 'Let's Dance'.

Damn, what a trip this record is. No [or at least, barely any] vocals necessary. Never a stranger to producing some of the most bizarre music ever produced, 'Hot Rats' is a relatively tame affair as far as Frank Zappa is concerned, though a 'tame' Frank Zappa is akin to Evel Knievel with training wheels on. Gone is the hilarity and sheer ridiculousness of The Mothers of Invention, and in its place is an inspired six-track set of mostly instrumental music that, while still experimental and bizarre in places, is far more subtle and focused than anything Zappa had produced previously. This album is pure cinema, right from the one-two punch of 'Peaches en Regalia' and 'Willie the Pimp' to open the record to the free-form jazz of 'The Gumbo Variations'. Even though there's barely any vocals present [Don Van Vilet AKA Captain Beefheart gets a few throwaway lines on 'Willie the Pimp'], there's something oddly intriguing about 'Hot Rats' that it's hard not to be entertained. Zappa's guitar playing on this record is outstanding. His guitar takes on a multitude of different voices, from groove laden ['Willie the Pimp'] to bombastic ['Son of Mr. Green Genes']. Then you have full-blown mystical jazz ['Little Umbrellas'] and horns as demented as a screaming cat ['The Gumbo Variations'] and it all contributes to an unusual yet satisfying blend of jazz and rock. While not immediately accessible, Zappa's influence on popular music is endless, and 'Hot Rats' is arguably Zappa at his most focused and straight-forward, and the first record where he truly let his guitar do the talking! 4/5

The first record that saw Bob Dylan embrace his "electric" side in full, Highway 61 Revisited has a very strong case for being the finest collection of music ever produced, and I can't argue with the many pundits who believe this record to be Dylan's best. The fact this album opens with the iconic 'Like a Rolling Stone' is justification enough. The iconic organ and harmonica on this song alongside Dylan's unmistakable murmurs of loss and harsh realities served as the perfect call to arms for a generation facing sweeping sociocultural changes in the 1960s. Couple this with the fact that Dylan, around the time of this album's release, was booed off stage at his infamous 1965 Newport Folk Festival for a perceived betrayal of his folk fanbase by going electric only added to the feeling of change in the air. So many themes are addressed throughout Highway 61 Revisited, from war on 'Tombstone Blues' and clueless media on 'Ballad of a Thin Man', to the absurdities of American culture ['Highway 61 Revisited'] and worlds in disarray ['Desolation Row']. But one thing's for sure; Dylan sounds quite irate and antagonistic on this album. I guess he wanted a harsher, more intense voice to match the heightened intensity of the music on this record. He even looks pretty annoyed on the album cover. That face screams of someone saying "don't mess with me, pal." Highway 61 Revisited came at such a pivotal time when artists started to take the concept of the long player and studio creation seriously. 1965 was where the RnB/folk covers and sellable, well dressed artist/band photos were being eschewed in favor of candid imagery, abstract/psychedelic art and much more emphasis on songwriting and storytelling. For example, The Beatles put out Rubber Soul about three months after Highway 61..., which is largely considered their first significant studio effort. This was when music became works of art, rather than marketable pop for profit, and this is a process that has followed a strange ebb and flow ever since. While Dylan is far from my favourite artist in the world [I like his voice in small doses, but can find it grating after an extended period], I can't help but honour the sheer legacy of 'Highway 61...', and agree that it's probably one of the most important albums in music history. 4.5/5

With all the background issues affecting The Rolling Stones during this period: gutarist Keith Richards' worsening heroin addiction, long absences of vocalist Mick Jagger and bassist Bill Wyman from recording and the band still shut out from the UK as tax exiles: It's a sheer miracle that Exile on Main St. is as good as it is. The band's first double LP, Exile on Main St. is an 18-track journey through some of the finest tunes the Stones ever put to tape, with some notable highlights being 'Rip This Joint', 'Tumbling Dice', 'Let it Loose', 'Shine a Light' and 'Happy', the latter a rare Richards lead vocal cameo. Effectively combining the Stones' classic rock and roll sound with country and blues in the same vein as their previous record (1971's Sticky Fingers), Exile on Main St. takes more risks and pushes the envelope further, although its not always successful in this regard, as some songs roll past without really staying with you. While Sticky Fingers is perfect Stones from start to finish, Exile is maybe 5 or 6 songs too long to be a true five-star record for me. Nevertheless,

When Iggy Pop and David Bowie lived together in West Berlin, four records of sheer magic transpired from this union across a whirlwind 10 months in 1977: two of Bowie's own (Low, "Heroes"), and the first two solo efforts from Iggy Pop: the subdued, somewhat trance-like 'The Idiot' and this raucous record with a grinning Pop on the cover looking satisfied that this new record was a quantum leap forward for him. 'Lust for Life' was produced by Bowie (as was 'The Idiot'), and the strong Bowie influence on this album (he co-wrote 7 songs on this album) brings out a refreshing new side of Pop. Before he went solo, Pop was known as the wild, maniacal frontman for The Stooges, flopping around stage like a possessed demon with a hard-living lifestyle of drugs, sex and mayhem to match, but 'Lust for Life' sees Bowie unearth Pop's sensitive, more humane side. The transformation had started on 'The Idiot', but 'Lust for Life' sees Pop delve deeper into addressing and conquering his demons ('Lust for Life', 'Some Weird Sin'), accepting life ('The Passenger) and making fun of himself ('Success'), before closing the album with sincerity ('Fall In Love With Me') Yes, the Bowie influence adds so much to this album, but you have to give Iggy props for rolling with it. His lyrics are quite deep and heartfelt in places, and his delivery of them proved there was so much more to him than the reckless frontman of The Stooges. There's seriously not much I can fault about this record. The Iggy/Bowie friendship yielded such fantastic music from both artists, and this is a shining example. I will also hold a soft spot for the title track given it opens one of my favourite films, 'Trainspotting.' Top marks for me. This album is brilliant!

This album is.....interesting to say the least. The Flaming Lips have always been a band I've wanted to check out but never got around to, so when 'Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots' came up as my next album to review, I thought "ahh well, guess its time to scratch that itch." And.....well, this album's a trip. Acid-tinged production, glitchy electronics and utterly bizarre lyrical content, 'Yoshimi...' sounds very much like it owes plenty to Radiohead, particularly their 'OK Computer' and 'Kid A' efforts, and also the Madchester scene of the late 80s-early 90s (Stone Roses, Happy Mondays etc.). Equal parts psychedelic and electronic, 'Yoshimi...' blends both together in quite a bonkers way, but its by no means unlistenable. This strange brew of dreaminess and weirdness is evident in such tracks like 'Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell', 'Yoshimi... Pts. 1 and 2', 'Fight Test' and 'Do You Realize' (the only song of theirs I'd heard previously), with psychedelic guitars and inventive electronics blending together seamlessly. With Wayne Coyne, Steven Drozd and Michael Ivins all having a comprehensive share in the music, taking on multiple instruments and production each, there's no shortage of creativity present. With that said, Coyne's voice bears plenty of resemblance to Radiohead's Thom Yorke and Pink Floyd's David Gilmour without really possessing the majesty and spectacle of either, and there's just something about whispery male vocals (generally in the indie genre) that don't do it for me. I generally prefer vocals with more drama and intensity, and indie vocalists have always sounded too boring for me. So while I don't dig the vocals, I do dig the vision and scope of the music on 'Yoshimi...'. It sounds amazing and the songs have plenty of distinct character. 3.5/5

Yusuf Islam/Cat Stevens hits your soul like few other songwriters, and 'Tea For the Tillerman' is perhaps the brightest example of his minimalist, yet poignant songs about perseverance, generational disconnect, heartbreak and personal journey. Much like Neil Young and Joni Mitchell, Stevens only really needs his acoustic guitar and voice to get the message across, and he does so with plenty of emotion and feeling throughout 'Tea For the Tillerman', with standouts including the solemn 'Wild World', the retrospective 'Father and Son' and the preservation anthem 'Where Do the Children Play?' It's impressive how Stevens conveys so much emotion and feeling in this album with such a minimalist approach to the music. He doesn't need significant studio magic or innovative effects here, he lets the sheer strength of the songs do the talking. It's also a very easy album to listen to. Stevens music is like a warm blanket that will never let you go cold. But the true strength of this album is Stevens ability to speak to the human condition. He sings in such a calm way, but the messages of 'Wild World' and 'Father and Son' hit so brutally that you can't help but want to do better by yourself and others. 'Wild World' and 'Father and Son' are two of the greatest songs ever written, and the rest of 'Tea and the Tillerman' is pretty bloody good to, so top marks from me!

The album that very nearly became a Simon & Garfunkel comeback record before Art Garfunkel cracked the shits with Paul Simon and left the project. Not that it bothered Simon much, as he was always the chief songwriter of the duo anyway. 'Hearts and Bones' is essentially about Simon's relationship with Carrie Fisher (they got married during production for the album), and serves as somewhat of a return to form for Simon, who's career had stalled somewhat heading into the 1980s. With this album, you can hear Simon starting to incorporate a strong worldly presence within the songs. This is very significant as it gave listeners a hint of what was to come a few years later on 'Graceland', his finest solo effort. But unlike 'Graceland', the lyrics on 'Hearts and Bones' are less adventurous and more centred around a select few themes: love, self-reflection and reaffirmation. Simon made the right call not to include Garfunkel on this record (although Garfunkel, by all accounts, disagreed), as its really hard to see any of these songs working as Simon and Garfunkel songs. Perhaps Simon had realised by this point in his career that Garfunkel was more hindrance than help. The songs work very well as a solo effort, and Simon has enough confidence here to take his own career in a new direction. It's no 'Graceland' to be sure, not even close, but 'Hearts and Bones' is the more subdued and bare-bones predecessor (distant cousin) to it, not unlike Bruce Springsteen's transition from 'Nebraska' to 'Born in the USA'. Best songs: Hearts and Bones, Train in the Distance, Allergies 3.5/5

1001 Albums to Hear Before You Die [in random order]: 14. THE CLASH: London Calling (1979) The best punk rock album ever made? 'London Calling' has a very strong case. The punk explosion of the late 1970s was starting to peter out somewhat by 1979, with the Sex Pistols no more, Sid Vicious dead and the remaining first-wave punk bands [Ramones, The Damned, Buzzcocks, The Jam, The Stranglers etc.] diversifying their sound further to stay relevant heading into the 1980s, alongside a few new, moodier players [Joy Division, The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees]. But The Clash were heads and shoulders above the rest at this point, striking solid gold in the dying months of '79 with the brilliant 'London Calling'. Branching out from traditional punk rock to include elements of ska, reggae, jazz and rockabilly, 'London Calling' took plenty of risks musically, and where many of their contemporaries failed, The Clash passed with flying colours. With Joe Strummer's world-weariness ['London Calling', 'Spanish Bombs', 'Revolution Rock'], Mick Jones' growing confidence as a pop songwriter and frontman ['Lost in the Supermarket', 'I'm Not Down', 'Train in Vain'] and even a rare Paul Simonon-led song [the riot-worthy 'The Guns of Brixton'], this album is The Clash firing on all cylinders. There's not a dull moment in 'London Calling's' 65-minute run time. So many bands post-1979 [Green Day, Rancid, The Pogues, U2, any 80s/90s ska punk band] owe so much to The Clash, and in particular 'London Calling', as it was the first punk record that dared to branch out, and is all the more better for it. 'London Calling' blew me away when I first heard it as a 16-17 year old moving deeper down the alternative/punk rabbit hole, and it still blows me away to this day. The world would be a poorer place without this record. My Picks: THE ENTIRE RECORD! Not one bad song on it! 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕 [I'd give it 6 if I could!]