189
Albums Rated
3.23
Average Rating
17%
Complete
900 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1950
Favorite Decade
Metal
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
32
5-Star Albums
15
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Back to Mystery City
Hanoi Rocks
|
5 | 2.68 | +2.32 |
|
Permission to Land
The Darkness
|
5 | 3.15 | +1.85 |
|
Ritual De Lo Habitual
Jane's Addiction
|
5 | 3.19 | +1.81 |
|
At Fillmore East
The Allman Brothers Band
|
5 | 3.37 | +1.63 |
|
Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
|
5 | 3.38 | +1.62 |
|
...And Justice For All
Metallica
|
5 | 3.42 | +1.58 |
|
Cheap Thrills
Big Brother & The Holding Company
|
5 | 3.42 | +1.58 |
|
Dirt
Alice In Chains
|
5 | 3.47 | +1.53 |
|
Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music
Ray Charles
|
5 | 3.49 | +1.51 |
|
1984
Van Halen
|
5 | 3.5 | +1.5 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Doggystyle
Snoop Dogg
|
1 | 3.37 | -2.37 |
|
You've Come a Long Way Baby
Fatboy Slim
|
1 | 3.34 | -2.34 |
|
The Chronic
Dr. Dre
|
1 | 3.32 | -2.32 |
|
A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector
Various Artists
|
1 | 3.3 | -2.3 |
|
La Revancha Del Tango
Gotan Project
|
1 | 3.04 | -2.04 |
|
Tom Tom Club
Tom Tom Club
|
1 | 3.03 | -2.03 |
|
Kala
M.I.A.
|
1 | 2.91 | -1.91 |
|
World Clique
Deee-Lite
|
1 | 2.87 | -1.87 |
|
69 Love Songs
The Magnetic Fields
|
1 | 2.85 | -1.85 |
|
Scott 4
Scott Walker
|
1 | 2.81 | -1.81 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Beatles | 3 | 4.67 |
| Metallica | 2 | 5 |
| Aretha Franklin | 2 | 5 |
5-Star Albums (32)
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Popular Reviews
Big Brother & The Holding Company · 2 likes
5/5
Finally, the first great album of this year! Cheap Thrills is Janis Joplin's last album with Big Brother & The Holding Company and includes her signature song “Piece of My Heart.” It features a slightly overexcited Janis (during her solo career she developed an even stronger, somewhat clearer voice) and the well-known Hendrix-style band. This makes me think once again that it would have been only natural for Janis and Jimi to team up - if they had only lived through the 70s...
The Darkness · 1 likes
5/5
What a pleasant surprise! I wasn't really expecting to find The Darkness here, but I'm really glad I did and happy that it gave me a reason to listen to “Permission To Land” again after so long. When I first heard about The Darkness in 2003, I wasn't sure if it was a parody—their appearance was so at odds with the zeitgeist at the time. I also remember them being described as the gay AC/DC or the straight Queen. What they present on their debut album is all three of those things and much more: a mature production of songs reminiscent of AC/DC, Queen, and similar bands, but with a modern sound (the equipment of the aforementioned bands was already outdated in the 1980s) and a self-deprecating coolness that I still admire today. My only criticism is that The Darkness' later releases never quite reached the level of “Permission To Land.”
The Kinks · 1 likes
4/5
I knew The Kinks as the guys who wrote “You Really Got Me” for Van Halen, but I had never listened to a complete album. I would describe their sound as somewhere between The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, with influences from Simon and Garfunkel—but without the clear and well-rounded overall picture of the aforementioned, and only occasionally reaching their level.
“David Watts” is fun, “Death of a Clown” is actually not bad, but after that the level unfortunately drops and reaches its first low point with “No Return,” which combines the worst aspects of the Beatles and S&G. After that, it gets better again, but I won't describe it in detail—I think the principle is clear.
I guess you could call it light and shadow—though there's more light than shadow.
3.5 for me.
The Who · 1 likes
5/5
Man, Roger Daltrey had an amazing voice! From the softest falsetto to the roughest belting—that must have been unique at the time!
Due to the synthesizer-heavy and unnecessarily shallow intro, which in my opinion pretty much obscures the band's real qualities, the record takes a while to unfold its true effect. It was only later that I realized that the songs are actually just as catchy as those of other 60s greats I've heard more recently (e.g., The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Doors), but in a completely different way. Drums, bass, and guitar are given equal prominence alongside the vocals, making it fitting to describe The Who as the pioneers of hard rock.
I find it significant that the strongest song on the album, “Won't Get Fooled Again,” comes at the very end—here, I think I can already hear a blueprint for the classic Van Halen sound in the guitar riffs and vocals—as if this album was planned as an introduction to a new chapter in music history.
Steely Dan · 1 likes
4/5
I wasn't really familiar with Steely Dan, and it was nice listening to their album “Countdown To Ecstasy” because it's an exciting mix of pop rock, hard rock, jazz, and blues. I like the jazzy sounds and arrangements on “Bodhisattva” and “My Old School,” but also the very clear and catchy vocals on “Razor Boy” and the rougher-sounding “The Boston Rag.”
This is exactly the kind of music I was expecting when I signed up for the daily album challenge. It won't be my favorite album going forward, but it's a very nice discovery.
1-Star Albums (15)
All Ratings
Grant Lee Buffalo
3/5
R.E.M.'s Michael Stipes calls Grant Lee Buffalo's “Fuzzy” the best rock album of 1993. Apart from the fact that he obviously doesn't have exactly the same taste in music as I do, this shows two things: 1. 1993 was a rather disappointing year in terms of newly released music albums, and 2. “Fuzzy” is clearly not as bad as I honestly expected it to be, based on the band's name and the cover. Unlike other largely acoustic alt-rock albums from the early nineties, it is actually quite varied, and Grant's distinctive voice gives the songs (apart from a few uncertainties at the beginning of “The Shining Hour”) a nice individual flavor. Not bad!
Metallica
5/5
Although I was never a big fan of Metallica, “Master of Puppets” is undoubtedly the pinnacle of thrash metal. Since it is one of the few "all killer - no filler" albums, I find it difficult to single out individual tracks. Nevertheless, “Master of Puppets” (every serious guitarist has learned this song—including Eddie Muson, of course ;) and “Orion” (every serious bassist... you know) still stand out! It doesn't get any more legendary than this!
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
Already being one of my all-time favorites, it was a pleasure to listen to “Electric Ladyland” again. “All Along The Watchtower” and “Voodoo Chile” are among the most important Jimi Hendrix references, but The Jimi Hendrix Experience line-up was so strong and well-rehearsed in 1968 that every song becomes a very special experience in its very own right. As said before - always a pleasure.
Beatles
5/5
I'm not sure if Abbey Road needs another positive review. But here it is: Abbey Road shows the Beatles at their best, with great songs (“Come Together,” “Octopus's Garden,” “Here Comes the Sun”) and their distinctive humor (“Polythene Pam,” “She Came in Through the Bathroom Window”). Undoubtedly a must-have.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
“Born in the USA” is Bruce Springsteen's most famous song and also the title of his most famous album. While I was already quite familiar with the title track, I had only heard the rest of the album once or twice. And I have to say that now that I've listened to it more closely, I'm pleasantly surprised. Of course, not every song is as catchy as “Born...,” and this album is anything but complex, but Springsteen's voice still sounds pleasant even after ten songs, and I personally like the powerful yet transparent 80s sound (yes, I like a serious snare drum ;).
Fatboy Slim
1/5
An important lesson for every aspiring songwriter is that music without any recurring elements is very tiring to listen to. On this album (and presumably on every other recording), Fatboy Slim shows that the opposite is also almost unbearable. From a capitalist point of view, this approach is of course absolutely admirable: with ideas that are normally only enough for one song, he fills an entire LP, from which several successful singles could even be released. This is of course not fraud, but market economy.
Alice In Chains
5/5
In my opinion, “Dirt” by Alice in Chains is the most important single album of the nineties because Jerry Cantrell & Co. succeeded in creating the connection and link between the groundbreaking releases of the “Class of '91” (i.e. “Nevermind” by Nirvana, "Ten" by Pearl Jam, “Badmotorfinger” by Soundgarden, “Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magik” by Red Hot Chili Peppers, “Use Your Illusion I/II” by Guns'n'Roses, “Metallica” by Metallica). Every harder band that followed ultimately built on this foundation—with today's ears, you can already hear the source of inspiration for such diverse bands as Korn, Creed, Avenged Sevenfold, and Disturbed on “Dirt.” A milestone in rock history!
Madonna
2/5
Describing Madonna as a singer doesn't really do her justice for several reasons—I see her more as a style icon who is deeply rooted in the 80s. This makes her change in style and image, which she achieved in the late 90s and which is evident in “Ray of Light,” all the more admirable. However, I don't particularly like the rather dark electro style of the songs, and I don't think it suits Madonna's voice, which is unmistakable but not overly distinctive. It's worth a listen, but it's not much better than I remembered.
Bob Dylan
5/5
For me, Dylan is one of the best songwriters of all time and, as a result, one of the most covered artists. So I was all the more delighted to listen to “Bringing it all back home” in its entirety. From the information available online, I gather that this album received mixed reviews due to the partly electric instrumentation on side A. However, I believe that the bluesy, rockier sound suits each of Dylan's seven songs perfectly—it's no coincidence that most of the covers mentioned sound this way. Side B features more classic folk songs, which are just as strong—but a little more predictable for my taste.
a-ha
3/5
I have now rated just over 50 albums and, as an interim conclusion, I can definitely say that there is too much new wave/80s synth pop on the list. Nevertheless, when looking back at pop history with a comprehensive approach (and a list of over 1000 albums must of course have that), there's no getting around a-ha's “Hunting High And Low.” In my opinion, “Take On Me” is as 80s as it gets and probably one of the most influential songs of that decade. I actually still had the title track in my ear, even though I don't think it's that great. To be fair, I have to admit that “Hunting High And Low” is a piece of music history with considerable earworm potential. But my new wave quota for this year is now used up.
The Cars
3/5
The Cars' debut album of the same name is a wild mix of classic rock guitars, new wave vocals, art rock keyboards and synthesizers, psychedelic drums, distinctive but minimal bass, wild experimental sounds, and 70s cheesiness. Remarkably, this balancing act is largely successful, which I believe is largely due to the simple but compelling compositions, the coherent production, and the truly strong vocal harmonies. Under the conditions described, less is often more, so the more straightforward songs like “Just What I Needed” and “Don't Cha Stop” work best. Of the more opulent songs, I can recommend “You're All I've Got Tonight” and “All Mixed Up.”
Kings of Leon
2/5
How did this album make it onto this list? I ask myself this question especially when it's by a band that didn't exactly invent rock ‘n’ roll and that I know has recorded at least two significantly better albums. “Aha Shake Heartbreak” sounds as if someone had deleted Angus Young's tracks from AC/DC's Powerage. I mean, I like it when the guitars leave enough space for the bass, but here the sound sometimes falls apart. That really shouldn't be the case with a 21st-century production. It sounds like a talented high school band with an above-average singer—which isn't too far from the truth, and you can't blame Kings of Leon for that. But I'd really like to know what was going through the editor's mind.
Dusty Springfield
3/5
Of course, I already knew Dusty Springfield, but not her debut album “A Girl Called Dusty.” But even here, she already offers what she is still known for today, namely the classic swinging 60s sound, which can be placed somewhere between Broadway, Motown, soul, and European pop and folk music, with interpretations that are characterized by her unmistakable voice. In addition to “Mama Said” and “Don't You Know,” I like “Nothing” — Dusty's only (!) original composition on this album. Not bad!
Napalm Death
3/5
“Scum” by Napalm Death is THE benchmark for grindcore and the tipping point from crust punk to grindcore. So, if you're interested in extreme metal in any way, this is a must-have. However, as my interest has been rather sporadic so far, I didn't really know the album yet.
It's obvious that this kind of music is difficult to assess using classic evaluation criteria, but I can at least say that “Scum” is surprisingly accessible. It's definitely worth listening to - if only out of interest in music history!
Marianne Faithfull
2/5
At the beginning of Marianne Faithfull's album “Broken English,” the song of the same name sets the tone: sequencer bass, synthesizer, guitar with lots of reverb, and, of course, the monotonous drums typical of new wave, where you're never quite sure if it's not a drum machine playing—and, of course, Marianne's distinctive voice. Unfortunately, this formula remains unchanged throughout the other seven songs, and the mood stays pretty much the same throughout. It's a shame, but in the end, what remains is mainly boredom.
Talking Heads
3/5
This is my third attempt connect to the music of the Talking Heads, and this time I've somehow managed to do so. It's still pretty cheesy, and I still don't particularly like it, but I can now appreciate their innovative potential and influence on subsequent artists.
LTJ Bukem
1/5
How did a sampler (!) with 1.5 hours of repetitive beep boop even make this list?? Are you kidding me?
Lenny Kravitz
4/5
Lenny Kravitz is simply a cool guy and an incredibly talented musician. This was already evident on his debut album “Let Love Rule,” which is really worth listening to. I find it remarkable that the songs are so different that I don't really want to single out any one of them. On the other hand, Lenny manages to convey each of the 13 different moods convincingly and fill them with his personality. It makes sense that he was compared to Prince early on—even though I see him more as a successor to Jimi Hendrix in terms of style. Strong debut!
The Temptations
4/5
To my mind, "Papa was a Rollin' Stone" alone actually calls out for a top rating, but the other songs cannot really keep up with this - even though they're by no means bad. In summary, “All Directions” is a good album but it becomes a must only because of the Temptations' signature song.
Hugh Masekela
4/5
I enjoy listening to jazz from time to time, but I find it most exciting when it is combined with funk grooves or world music elements. On “Home is Where the Music is,” Hugh Masekela integrates both in a wonderful way. This album is great to listen to in the background, but you can also listen more closely at any time and discover interesting details. Easy listening but never boring—that's how jazz should sound!
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
“We were never boring,” sing the Pet Shop Boys in the first song on “Behavior.” I don't know their earlier work well enough to judge, but at the very least, the next line should be, “but now we're starting to be.” The tracks aren't really bad, but somehow you expect something like a camera pan through a canyon or a montage of the day's images, or at least something relevant or interesting that this music can play in the background without distracting from the images. But I don't understand what this album is supposed to be good for on its own.
1/5
“I no longer want to be a man. I want to be a horse. Men have small thoughts. I need a tail.” Perhaps Liars should have been granted this wish, then we would probably have been spared the next 40 minutes...
Apparently there really is a target audience for this “music,” so I gave it a second try and discovered that further back on “They Were Wrong So We Drowned” there are actually occasional hints of song structures. You have to imagine it a bit like Gregorian chants, except that most of the choir isn't singing, but rhythmically banging on whatever is available—kitchen utensils or furniture, for example. It's certainly innovative in some way, but you really don't need to hear it before you turn into a horse.
Pink Floyd
5/5
Of course, I knew about this album, but I never took the time to listen to it in its entirety. “The Wall” is a harrowing masterpiece and, in many ways, it is off the scale. What impressed me most was the incredible timing when the speed, rhythm, mood, or atmosphere changes. I knew this was a monumental work, but it has also aged very well.
At least 5.5 stars.
Sugar
2/5
Generic early 90s Alternative Rock - probably called Grunge at that time - without the edginess of the better known acts (Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains - you name it). The kind of music we would have played at school and no-one would care.
OK-ish but Petty. Probably a good starting point for "1001 albums you can ignore without missing anything"
Megadeth
4/5
Legend - kind of...
Megadeth was always defined by the brilliant instrumental work by Dave Mustaine and his mates that was far superior to his former band (Metallica). However, his questionable decision to take over the vocals by himself limited the recognition by a broader audience.
Peace Sells ... defined trash metal at its time but in my view, the best of Megadeth was yet to come - thus it is not a 5/5 for me.
Did I mention the iconic cover art work?
M.I.A.
1/5
This is the third album I was proposed and the third that would not be on my list.
I was aware that there would be albums I do not know yet and I was not going to like them all. But I was not prepared for something this bad. Not sure if I should adjust my earlier reviews now.
Oh, seems I cannot send with zero stars...
Metallica
5/5
I have never been that much into Metallica, but this album proves that even a technically limited band can still produce great heavy metal stuff if they are musically talented, write songs with sophisticated rhythm structures and play it tightly. Apart from the title track, "One" is the other track that was still in my ears after decades. Clearly the second best Metallica album (Master of Puppets being #1 of course), for me actually four-and-half.
Tim Buckley
3/5
One of my motives for joining this project was to learn about artists I do not know well yet and this absolutely fits the bill. The title sounds like blues philosophy but that's not what I found inside. Instead, this is relaxed singer-songwriter stuff with some nice instrumentation (yes, vibraphone) and lots of air to breathe (or to smoke weed, given the publication year). Apart from "Strange feelin'" and "Gypsy Woman" ( which might have partially inspired Krokus' "American Woman"), I really like the simple but very effective bass lines throughout this record. This stuff is far from legendary or making my playlist, but it surely held a nice surprise!
R.E.M.
4/5
When published in 1988 this must have been far ahead of its time. Nowadays, it gave me a nice and relaxed listen - clear and distinct R.E.M. sound but not too exciting.
Actually 3.5 stars for me
Aretha Franklin
5/5
Now we're talking! Aretha (one of those people who don't need a last name) is the undisputed Queen of Soul and this is her signature album. Starting with "Respect" which alone would already justify five stars, every single song is carefully arranged around Aretha's legendary voice at it's best. Had it on repeat all day, this one never gets old!
Willie Nelson
2/5
It was interesting listening to an artist that was almost unrecognized here in Europe at that time. Willie Nelson was part of the outlaw movement (more or less started by Johnny Cash) in the country music scene but this album contains only cover versions of standards. While the (actually great) songs are nicely arranged, Nelson's voice and his straight and sometimes even hectic timing ruin much of the vibe known from other artists singing those pieces. Nice try, but doesn't make too much sense to me
The Pretty Things
3/5
The Pretty Things clearly spent some time experimenting in the studio, figuring out what gear was meant for recording and what was meant for rolling. I think some of the most ridiculous parts of Spinal Tap (Listen to the Flower People) were inspired by this. This was fun and yes, you should have heard this album before you die. However, once should do though
Elton John
3/5
Man, young Elton John had a great voice! I like that raw timbre far more than the bling bling version of his established in the 80s and 90s. The songs in contrast are far too repetitive for me and none of them really caught my ear. All together a solid listen
Electric Light Orchestra
3/5
Classic 70s Pop, performed at a very high level, but not exciting at all. Kind of a solid listen but in this given context, it's more on the disappointing side.
Edit: after 90 albums, this is at least average in the given context
CHVRCHES
2/5
Definitely not my cup of tea but some of the songs are not too bad ("The mother we share", "Under the tide"), so I can justify 2 stars.
The White Stripes
2/5
I find it difficult to rate this album. Although garage rock in general and The White Stripes in particular have a high coolness factor, I hadn't realized how bad the production actually is. Yes, I know that this is part of the concept, but after three or four songs, the imprecise timing really annoyed me.
I'm giving it a second star for coolness, but honestly, almost 25 years later, this album is pretty rubbish.
Jurassic 5
4/5
I am not at all into hip hop, but I find myself nicely surprised by the relaxed attitude and the funky vibe of this piece. Unlike other hip hop collectives, Jurassic 5 don´t pointlessly shout at each other or the crowd but create a comprehensive and harmonic whole from their very different voices. In some tracks, guests add even more color - just check out "Thin Line" with Nelly Furtado.
Ever thought about creating a series "Rappers that don´t suck"? This would make a good starting point! Still hip hop but far ahead of any other I heard so far.
Beck
3/5
When I saw the name Beck (without Jeff in front of it), I didn't really feel like listening to the album. However, I have to admit that it's not as bad as I remembered it being.
I like the mix of more or less traditional Blues/Folk songs with crossover elements (like e.g. in "Where It´s At"). At that time I found it creepy but now it´s not that bad.
Not exactly great but at least not boring!
Scott Walker
1/5
Wikipedia introduces this album by stating that it failed to chart, and it only takes a few minutes to figure out why: primitive lyrics, simple musical structures and an overall appalling lack of creativity create the most irrelevant music imaginable. The only surprising thing about this album is that such an uninspired work made this list. But there is also good news: after 32 minutes, it's already over.
The Mothers Of Invention
4/5
This album, released in 1966, was way ahead of its time—as are most of Frank Zappa's works. From sophisticated picking to kazoo melodies, from orchestral arrangements to pure chaos, The Mothers of Invention use the entire palette and play it with great timing.
For me, it's not quite top notch, but it's certainly a very good and very influential album.
Kraftwerk
2/5
When “The Man Machine” was released in 1978, it must have been straight-off avant-garde. Moreover, the album is extremely clear and tastefully produced for its time. Unfortunately, despite all its professionalism and quality, the “songs” remain nothing more than ringtones to me - perfect as the soundtrack to a retro computer game. As standalone music, however, I don't think they have aged too well.
The Cure
3/5
"Pornography" is a fitting title for this album—it's almost embarrassingly explicit, but sometimes seems unrealistic. Be that as it may, some of the songs are painful, and it's certainly in the eye of the beholder and depends on their mood whether that's a good or bad thing. In any case, this album is an impressive testament to the early days of gothic rock. Recommended tracks: “The Hanging Garden,” “The Figurehead,” and “Cold” have particularly stuck in my memory.
Coldplay
3/5
I kind of like Coldplay, but this isn't exactly their best album. Sure, there are a few good songs on it, “Clocks” for example, but they've had better material.
Parliament
4/5
Many recordings from the 70s have a certain cheesyness about them, and this one is no exception. If you can overlook that, this album is really enjoyable. I mean, how bad can music with Bootsy Collins on bass be? Apart from the single releases, I recommend "Unfunky UFO".
Elvis Costello
2/5
Although "Brutal Youth" was published in1994 when I was consistently looking out for the latest music, I did only recognize the cover but remembered none of the songs.
I instantly liked Elvis' voice, but a few seconds later wondered why he didn't book a pro guitar player for recording (or elaborated more at least on the electric guitar tracks himself). Hence, the upbeat tracks (e.g. "Kinder Murder", "20% Amnesia ) sound much like a 90s school band to me.
As a consequence, I can recommend the tracks without much electric guitar like "You Tripped at Every Step".
White Denim
4/5
That was a nice surprise! I can't remember ever hearing this band before, but they're really great. Their music is suitable for both relaxed listening and close listening, when you concentrate on every nuance of their playing. I have no idea what to call this kind of music, but I like it! I would say it's pop rock, but with a world music approach, jazz influences, and an extremely tight and groovy rhythm section. The only thing I'm missing is something really catchy.
Approved!
Beatles
4/5
Now this was challenging. The white album is actually two albums - one solo album by John and one by Paul plus some extra stuff by George (among them the great "While my Guitar Gently Weeps"!) and Ringo - totally shuffled. A significant share of the songs are actually parodies of other stuff running at that time, making the album even broader style- wise and thus less coherent.
For me, the Beatles always stood out by combining various styles in each of their songs. In contrast, the white album features a new style in every song. Hence, I personally found it less convincing than I had actually expected (because I like the experimental approach).
The Smiths
3/5
“Meat is Murder” by The Smiths is one of the more inconspicuous albums suggested to me so far. I like the fresh, transparent sound and the powerful production, as well as Andy Rourke's concise bass playing. The songs go well with Morrisey's distinctive voice and contain a few nice ideas, but for my taste they tend to get lost in trivialities and lose momentum as they progress. That's probably the definition of a solid listen.
4/5
I like Yes, but I'm surprised to find this particular album on the list. “Close to the Edge” is undoubtedly a fine testament to the musicality, technique, and enthusiasm of this band (e.g., “Siberian Khatru”), but for me it's not the ultimate reference. A very good album, but not in the highest category.
Heaven 17
2/5
I don't exactly like electro pop, but Heaven 17 is not really bad. Some of the songs, including the title track "Penthouse and Pavement" have some catchy melodies, so I can understand there was some audience for this kind of music.
Needless to say most of the album is absolutely cheesy from today's view
Cyndi Lauper
3/5
“She's So Unusual” is the first and most iconic album by 1980s pop and new wave icon Cyndi Lauper. You could say it's full of clichés, but that's because she actually coined those clichés. And of course, also the cover adds to this. I think that even today, literally everyone knows “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” or “Time After Time.” So, yes, you should know this album (unless you don't really care for music, but then you wouldn't be reading this).
5/5
To me, "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" is the ultimate classic Beatles album. It starts with the incredible triad of the title track, "With a Little Help From my Friends" and "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" without losing much of the momentum afterwards. I guess this might be the most reviewed album of all times so I see no point in adding more.
Saint Etienne
2/5
Despite its French-sounding name, St. Etienne is a British band, but to me it actually sounded as if it were rooted in French culture. “Fox Base Alpha” is technically good but otherwise fairly insignificant 90s pop. I can't think of much else to say about it that's worth mentioning.
Miriam Makeba
3/5
Miriam Makeba's debut album of the same name offers a colorful selection of songs that are more or less based on traditional songs and are kept in a style that was contemporary for 1960. From Wikipedia and contemporary reviews, I gather that this album was the starting point for a broad international awareness of African pop music. Against this backdrop, it is a highly entertaining milestone in both world music and music history.
B.B. King
5/5
For me, B.B. King is actually the king of the blues and this record shows why. Lucille (that's his guitar's name) and his voice were so unique, they could fill just any venue and make the crowd cheer with joy. This is remarkable, as blues is said to "not make you feel better but make others feel worse". If you like the blues, you'll love "Live at the Regal". If you don't, you won't get it.
William Orbit
3/5
Electronica will probably never be my favorite but "Strange Cargo III" actually has some atmosphere, ambience and even dynamics that make it nice background music. Given the technical options of that time, William Orbit must have spent a significant amount of time in the studio carefully producing the patterns and arrangements. Not exactly for me but a very respectable work
Incredible Bongo Band
2/5
Wikipedia states that the Incredible Bongo Band's "output consisted of upbeat, funky, instrumental music". What it does not mention is that this music is randomly interrupted by ridiculously monotonous and repetitive bongo, conga, whatever drum parts. That's a real shame, because the overly simple and undynamic drum sections detract from the professional impression made by the songs, which are actually good and carefully arranged. Sure, it was a contemporary experiment in the early 1970s, but from today's perspective, it was a failed one. What a pity!
Miles Davis
5/5
Kind of Blue is the ultimate jazz album and, in addition to its great concept, features one of the best combo lineups imaginable (Coltrane, Adderley, Evans/Kelly, Chambers, Cobb). Personally, I really like the modal approach, as you can add or reduce any timbres at any time, thus achieving an infinite number of expressive possibilities. On this album, Miles Davis and his band demonstrate what can be achieved with this approach, while at the same time opening up the field for all styles of jazz that are no longer strictly based on chord changes. And each of the five pieces on “Kind of Blue” is a legend in its own right.
Primal Scream
3/5
Primal Scream's "Vanishing Point" is a nice, mediocre psychedelic rock album. What confuses me is that it was only recorded in 1997—to my ears, it could be much older. That already points to my biggest criticism: I expect at least a certain degree of innovation from the albums on this list, but this album is so generic and predictable—if not downright boring. My summary says that I like psychedelic rock (and I do), but for me, Vanishing Point is average at best. So, yes, it's a solid album...
Dizzee Rascal
1/5
This is going to be an easy review. A guy who spouts random nonsense, accompanied by a short-circuited keyboard—you could say that Dizzee Rascal's “Boy in da Corner” has everything I don't need. It's the classic “songs for people who don't like music” stuff you find on any random rap record. I admit that the beats are above average. And of course, it's respectable that Rascal was the first UK hip-hop artist to achieve major international success. Still, I don't like this album.
Keith Jarrett
4/5
“The Köln Concert” is a live recording of improvisational pianist Keith Jarrett. While it was certainly exciting to listen to without knowing what to expect that evening, I would classify the recording as somewhere between easy listening and deep focus. Jarrett's broad stylistic repertoire means that the music shifts between different styles and is therefore mostly unpredictable. On the other hand, he manages to weave influences from romanticism to jazz into a harmonious whole without any real breaks.
I find it challenging to rate because there are only a few comparable albums on the list—most likely other concert recordings such as “Live at the Regal” by B.B. King. In this context, my conclusion would be something like “nice, but not groundbreaking.”
Fats Domino
4/5
“This is Fats Domino” was recorded in 1957, and I must admit that for me, it only makes sense to evaluate it from a historical perspective. I largely agree with Fats Domino that the “rock ‘n’ roll” he delivers here is actually New Orleans rhythm and blues. However, the songs “Honey Chile” and “What's the Reason I'm Not Pleasing You” definitely have rock ‘n’ roll vibes.
In addition to Domino's legendary version of “Blueberry Hill,” I also recommend “Blue Monday” and “Mardi Grass in New Orleans.”
Leonard Cohen
2/5
For me, Leonard Cohen was always more of a poet who occasionally set one of his works to music. Apart from the magnificent “Hallelujah,” this usually involved him reciting his poem while more or less appropriate music played in the background. Against this backdrop, it seems only logical that he tried his hand at synth-based background music in the 1980s. However, I would consider this experiment on “I'm Your Man” to be a failure. On the one hand, the rather lively music, especially on “First We Take Manhattan” or “Jazz Police,” does not fit Cohen's calm delivery or even his voice at all. And on the other hand, when he does try to really sing—as on “I Can't Forget,” for example—he quickly reaches his limits. For me, “I'm Your Man” is not a coherent work overall—not really a disappointment, but rather a testament to the things Leonard Cohen wasn't very good at.
The Streets
1/5
"A Grand Doesn't Come For Free" by The Streets is a rap opera. If you now expect a comprehensive story line or at least songs that build upon each other you will be badly disappointed. Basically, all the songs are about a guy that's mostly either drunk or stoned and thus is not sure whether the girl he's dating is into his buddy. Oh, and his savings fell behind the TV, damaging it. That's about it. Mike Skinner calls this shallow story a concept and even manages to sell an album around this. Another admirable achievement from a commercial point of view.
Isaac Hayes
3/5
Isaac Hayes has a great voice, the songs on "Hot Buttered Soul" are nicely arranged, I like the experimental approach with only four lengthy songs... But still, it somehow didn't really catch me. Solid easy listening stuff.
Bee Gees
2/5
The Bee Gees were great singers and songwriters. Unfortunately, only hints of this can be heard on “Trafalgar.” The album starts with the actually good ballads “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart” and “Israel”, but by “The Greatest Man In The World” at the latest, it's really just more of the same and becomes increasingly irrelevant. I'm not entirely sure why this album sould be a must-listen. Perhaps to properly understand the Bee Gees' later development?
The Triffids
4/5
I wasn't thrilled when another album from the 80s was recommended to me. I didn't know The Triffids and expected new wave music, but when I found out that it was actually a folk rock band, I became curious. It turned out that "Calenture" contains some really good songs, at least if you like a lot of reverb on the vocals and snare (the 80s...). In addition to the very professional arrangements, this album contains 12 tracks in the original release, each of which has its own mood. Therefore, it is difficult to pick out individual tracks. The changing drum pattern in “Kelly's Blues,” the main groove in “Hometown Farewell Kiss,” the bells in “Holy Water,” the well-placed breaks in "Blinder by the Hour" or the raw sound in “Vagabond Holes” were highlights for me.
The Magnetic Fields
1/5
Yes, this album actually contains 69 songs, and I couldn't find two that were exactly the same. Congratulations—mission accomplished!
On closer inspection, this project has all the weaknesses you'd expect: many of the songs are difficult to distinguish from one another, some are very short (do they even count?), and none of them have been comprehensively arranged and produced. In other words, the whole thing prioritizes quantity over quality, and I don't like that.
The Magnetic Fields brought “69 Love Songs” to the stage, but refused to play it in its entirety in one evening. Apparently, they were annoyed by their own material.
The Doors
5/5
I knew that “The Doors” was a great album, but I hadn't listened to it in a while. And what can I say? It's even better than I remembered! Literally every one of the eleven songs is a timeless classic! What I find amazing is that every aspect of it is strong: of course, the songwriting is top-notch, but the two covers, “Alabama Song” and “Back Door Man,” also fit seamlessly into the whole. Of course, Jim Morrison's characterful voice carries every song, but so do Ray Manzarek's keyboard playing and John Denmore's drumming. Robby Krieger holds back in the interest of the songs—compared to later rock guitarists—but when he does get a solo spot, he delivers spectacularly. When you consider that the members of The Doors had only experience in completely different musical styles before this album, it's the ultimate proof of a crazy amount of talent! I'm usually hesitant to say this, but it's downright magical.
Jane's Addiction
5/5
I listened to Jane's Addiction's “Ritual de lo Habitual” three times in its entirety today, but I still have trouble really understanding it. On the surface, this is a really good album that exudes both the atmosphere of late '80s stadium rock and early '90s alternative rock. I have always liked that distinct Hollywood sound in general and Dave Navarro's guitar playing in particular and "Ritual de lo Habitual" doesn't disappoint in this regard. However, according to available records, a considerable amount of heroin was involved in the production, and I suspect that probably none of those involved can say with certainty which parts of the album are intentionally incredibly complex and which parts simply reflect chaos. Sometimes there's a fine line between insanity and genius, and Jane's Addiction crosses it several times in both directions on “Ritual de lo Habitual.” The result is a frightening but also difficult-to-access masterpiece. Exciting!
Queen
5/5
For some reason, I was never that much into Queen. This, I only knew "Stone Cold Crazy" and "Killer Queen" from "Sheer Heart Attack". After listening to that album twice now I must admit that all tracks are worth a listen and most of them are really cool. Apart from the mentioned well known songs I like "Now I'm Here", "In the Lap of the Gods" as well as the triad of "Tenement Funster"; "Flick of the Wirst" and "Lily of the Valley" that together already give an idea of "Bohemian Rhapsody" that would be published one year later. Nice one!
The War On Drugs
3/5
I read that The War On Drugs was an indie rock band with various influences. However, what I hear on “Lost In The Dream” is technically well-crafted mainstream pop rock, which, in my opinion, is heavily influenced by Dire Straits. However, it lacks Mark Knopfler's unique characteristics and—since the album was released in 2014 rather than the 1970s—any innovative power. It's very good to listen to in the background, but of course there are a hundred other similarly good options out there.
Tears For Fears
2/5
I don't exactly hate new wave, my issue is that it is mostly just more of the same. Some artists managed to innovate or at least give the songs their own vibe. In contrast, all the "Songs From The Big Chair" could be played by any other 80s synth pop band and you wouldn't even realize that it is a cover version. Even the voice is always the same - or did all those bands share the same singer? Is this the definition of "Was OK at it's time but did not age very well"?
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
2/5
I read in the liner notes that Captain Beefheart (aka Don Van Vliet) had difficulty finding a label to release “Safe As Milk” because it was too unconventional. That surprises me, because to me it sounds like a normal blues rock album with great guitar sound (Ry Cooder!) and poorly produced vocals. The experimental elements I expected are few and far between and, for my taste, not well placed. You could probably describe the Captain's singing style as “experimental,” but in my opinion, that would just be a nice way of saying that he doesn't measure up to the Magic Band and their songs. As for the latter, the relatively well-known “Yellow Brick Road” stands out slightly for me.
Steely Dan
4/5
I wasn't really familiar with Steely Dan, and it was nice listening to their album “Countdown To Ecstasy” because it's an exciting mix of pop rock, hard rock, jazz, and blues. I like the jazzy sounds and arrangements on “Bodhisattva” and “My Old School,” but also the very clear and catchy vocals on “Razor Boy” and the rougher-sounding “The Boston Rag.”
This is exactly the kind of music I was expecting when I signed up for the daily album challenge. It won't be my favorite album going forward, but it's a very nice discovery.
Billy Joel
4/5
Wow, another album of the kind I had hoped for on this journey! I didn't know many of Billy Joel's older songs and have to admit that every one of the nine songs on “The Stranger” is really great. I especially like the rockier and jazzier moments—or both together, as in “Movin' Out.” Very nice, a must-listen!
Circle Jerks
2/5
When a band called “Circle Jerks” releases an album called “Group Sex,” at least for me, it creates a very specific expectation that is by no means disappointed: punk rock of the most mangy variety! The four guys don't bother with (insert any musical stylistic device here), but always get straight to the point: The 14 songs last a full 15 minutes in total, although “Paid Vacation” even takes a few seconds for a kind of guitar solo. Actually, there's nothing really worth listening to on this album, but it's so wonderfully straightforward and funny that I can't give it just one star.
Erykah Badu
3/5
According to Wikipedia, Erykah Badu's “Mama's Gun” is an important representative of neo soul. I wasn't familiar with this term, but it apparently describes a reinterpretation of the soul genre under the influence of contemporary R&B. That may be true, because just as contemporary R&B isn't really R&B, the music on this album is, in my opinion, not soul, but rather simple pop with distant inspirations from soul and hip hop. The record isn't bad, but to me it's rather on the unremarkable side. Probably good easy listening background music.
Kate Bush
2/5
I've always had mixed feelings about Kate Bush's music. On the one hand, I like her very conscious artistic approach, which sometimes leads to quite unusual song structures. On the other hand, her voice is so high-pitched that it gets on my nerves after a while. And of course, despite the approach I described, it all has that new wave sound that, as I wrote earlier in this project, I've heard more than enough of. The cult factor and “Running Up That Hill” save the album “Hounds Of Love” a little, but for me, that's not enough for three stars today.
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
I had never heard of Echo & the Bunnyman. The songs on " Ocean Rain" are all in-between styles and to my mind the post-punk label attributed to them doesn't really nail it.
Regardless of any categories, I like the more uptempo tracks like "Silver" or "Seven Seas" the best. The whole record is not extremely exciting but surely solid. What surprised me most is that this album was already published in 1984, which means that it has aged very well.
Sonic Youth
3/5
Sonic Youth's "Dirty" has a distinct 90s alternative sound and a few "experimental elements" (most of them are actually intentional background noises). While bass and guitars feature a muddy low-end crunch, the vocal production is crystal clear and the drums - well, sound like standard 90s drums. Some of the songs are not bad (e.g. "Sugar Kane", "Youth Against Fascism") and I like the overall punk-attitude influenced vibe (no, not exactly grunge) so it was a nice-ish listen for me.
Snoop Dogg
1/5
I've never been particularly interested in hip hop, especially rap, but there are artists in this genre who stand out from the crowd and create something unique. Snoop Dogg's stage presence and stoner swag make it quite enjoyable to watch him perform. But just listening to it doesn't make sense to me. Even Dre's beats aren't enough to earn a second star.
Nine Inch Nails
4/5
“The Downward Spiral” is (perhaps together with the early work of Einstürzende Neubauten) the benchmark for industrial music and, as a result, one of the most influential albums of the 90s. Even after 30 years, I still find the opener “Mr. Self-Destruct” rather inaccessible, but it is followed by unusual but really strong material – examples of this for me are “March Of The Pigs” and “Closer.” And surely everyone knows “Hurt,” even if it's perhaps more likely to be the legendary Johnny Cash version. I think this album is the reason why I often find later experimental bands (keyword: noise rock) uninspired—Trent Reznor's creativity, as demonstrated on “The Downward Spiral,” was simply rarely matched after that.
The Charlatans
3/5
“Tellin' Stories” by The Charlatans is a very solid Britpop/rock album that, for some reason, I wasn't familiar with (well, “One To Another” sounded familiar...). Each of the songs is well written, distinct from the others, carefully produced, and professionally played. That should be a given for any album on this list, but these qualities already set it apart from a considerable number of the albums that were suggested to me. Therefore, I consider “Tellin' Stories” to be average among the 1001 albums.
Björk
2/5
I find it really difficult to rate Björk's “Vulnicura.” On the one hand, there is a certain intensity in the lyrics and vocals, and I've always liked her experimental approach to music-making. On the other hand, I find most of Björk's songs difficult to access because they contain hardly any recognizable hooks or melodies. That's why, even after listening to the entire album twice, I still don't really understand it. I'm really sorry to say this, but for me it doesn't make sense to transform lyrics into music in this way.
Fleet Foxes
4/5
The Fleet Foxes' album of the same name features very relaxed folk pop, enriched in places by nice vocal arrangements. A good example of this is “White Winter Hymnal,” which makes it sound a bit like a Christmas carol to me. I was already familiar with “Tiger Mountain Peasant Song,” but I didn't know who wrote it. Otherwise, I like the Johnny Cash vibe in “Your Protector.” Fleet Foxes isn't my everyday kind of music, but today it was just right.
Ryan Adams
4/5
Country music naturally tends to lack dramatic tension, but Ryan Adams largely compensates for this with good and varied songwriting, an expressive voice, and, of course, the incorporation of various other styles. The result is “Gold”, an appealing album with 16 or 21 songs, depending on the edition, that is really worth listening to. My only criticism is that, for my taste, it contains too many ballads, which tend to slip into the country boredom mentioned at the beginning. Apart from the uptempo numbers - of which I would particularly recommend “New York, New York” - Ryan Adams and his band also manage to maintain the tension in some of the slower songs, such as “Touch, Feel & Lose.” Overall, a strong album that, in my opinion, deserves a place on this list.
Green Day
5/5
"American Idiot" displays Green Day at their very best and the it was the album that proved that they are far more than the one-trick-pony known from "Dookey". Already during the 90s, some punk rock bands (including Green Day themselves) had gone far beyond the traditional 3- or 4-chord 3-minutes songs with primitive lyrics. "American Idiot" takes this to the max and with it's well-placed tonality changes between parts and ironic and even subtile lyrics, this is actually modern stadium rock with a punky production. And even 20 years later, "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams" and "Wake Me Up When September Ends" are still the reference tracks of how far punk rock can go. Liked it when it came out and watched it become a legend.
The Killers
4/5
I'm not a big fan of post-punk or new wave, but the mix that The Killers present on “Hot Fuss” is really easy on the ears. The first thing I noticed was the extremely tasteful bass sound, which is very present but not intrusive. Next, I'd like to mention the very New Wave-esque vocals, which are never annoying. Throughout the album, The Killers find a good mix of their own style and variety in the mood of the songs. In addition to the opener “Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine,” I particularly remember the double pack “On Top” and “Change Your Mind.” Nice one!
The Temptations
3/5
"Cloud Nine" by The Temptations is a nice album but I'm nevertheless surprised to find it on this list. I like The Temptations' sound and vibe - so I enjoyed listening to this record yesterday - but I cannot say that something outstanding on it has caught my mind. So, for me it was nice and solid but if you're not into the Motown stuff, it's a waste of time.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds have released some great albums. For me, “Henry's Dream” is not one of them, and I'm surprised to find it on this list. There are probably several reasons for this, but in my opinion, this is the album of an artist who has not yet found his definitive identity. It's not necessarily bad, but I don't see it as playing within the given framework.
Slint
3/5
Nice try! What I'm about to write is probably not correct from a theoretical point of view, but I consider Splint's “Spiderland” to be a somewhat premature attempt to break free from the constraints of 80s stadium rock. The mood created by the harmonic structures (especially the frequent use of the major sixth in minor keys) and Brian McMahan's explicitly non-80s vocal style is clearly similar to what became popular six months later under the label “grunge.” However, Slint did not succeed in creating a new mainstream – in my opinion, because their songs lack the intuitive catchiness of the numerous milestones from the fall of 1991. Instead, from today's perspective, they can be seen as pioneers of the more intellectual approaches that became popular in modern extreme metal – although it was still a long way before the right sound could give the whole approach the necessary impact. Whether the former, the latter, or even both were Splint's ambitions is, of course, speculation.
In summary, for me this is a rather immature album, but one that is very interesting from a historical perspective. Oh, and of course, with this approach, it's impossible to highlight individual songs – it's not for nothing that Splint didn't release a single single, according to the available information...
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
“Stand!” by Sly & The Family Stone is so very 1969 that it almost hurts. The instrumental production, which seems very simple from today's perspective, the organ sounds, the flower power-esque optimistic vocals with wide-open throats, the way melodies are created with a quick drop-off run at the end, the sudden scat interludes... Apart from these details, which make you smile, the band grooves very well and tightly and has such a positive vibe that it's really contagious – feel-good music that you hardly find anymore today. While the title track “Stand!” sticks well, but is a little too intrusive for me in terms of the clichés mentioned, my personal highlight is the bass groove in “Sing a Simple Song.”
Gil Scott-Heron
3/5
Winter In America is one of the few albums on this list that, for some reason, is not available on Spotify.
In any case, the collaboration between Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson was clearly inspiring, even if I don't think the “minimalist production” was the best possible approach—in my opinion, the vocals in particular would have benefited from some post-production work in places.
In any case, the result sounds almost like a live recording and, stylistically, lies somewhere between jazz and soul in my opinion.
As for the songs, “The Bottle” is a very remarkable piece (and the only single from this album), while the rest is mostly easy listening.
Not bad!
Emmylou Harris
3/5
I read that Red Dirt Girl was a milestone for Emmylou Harris because she wrote almost the entire album herself. That's certainly admirable, but this achievement is perhaps more significant for her than for her listeners. The songs are gentle and light, mostly country-pop ballads, but none of them really grabbed me. I know (and like) the recording on which she and Mark Knopfler play “Red Dirt Girl” and a few other songs live, but that's not part of this review. So for me, this remains an album that could have been so much more, but sounds very mediocre in the context of this list. Nice, but nothing special.
Antony and the Johnsons
2/5
“I Am A Bird Now” by Antony and The Johnsons is a collage of exaggeratedly melodramatic songs that at first glance sound like singer/songwriter pieces from the 1950s. The singer's broad vibrato makes the album, recorded in 2005, seem even more anachronistic. I generally like it when artists play with historical set pieces and mix different styles. However, the result is often a matter of taste, and for me, “I Am A Bird Now” seems rather uninspired and difficult to access in this regard. Perhaps it is too quiet on the one hand and too theatrical on the other.
I can well imagine that there is a market and a scene for this kind of music, but it's definitely not my thing.
The Who
5/5
Man, Roger Daltrey had an amazing voice! From the softest falsetto to the roughest belting—that must have been unique at the time!
Due to the synthesizer-heavy and unnecessarily shallow intro, which in my opinion pretty much obscures the band's real qualities, the record takes a while to unfold its true effect. It was only later that I realized that the songs are actually just as catchy as those of other 60s greats I've heard more recently (e.g., The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Doors), but in a completely different way. Drums, bass, and guitar are given equal prominence alongside the vocals, making it fitting to describe The Who as the pioneers of hard rock.
I find it significant that the strongest song on the album, “Won't Get Fooled Again,” comes at the very end—here, I think I can already hear a blueprint for the classic Van Halen sound in the guitar riffs and vocals—as if this album was planned as an introduction to a new chapter in music history.
Ray Charles
5/5
First of all, for me, “Modern Sounds...” is THE popular jazz album par excellence, laying the foundation for pretty much everything that came after it. This is due both to the great song selection and the high-quality performance and production, which easily meets today's standards even without most of the technology available today. Furthermore, this album is rightly considered a milestone in all the musical styles that Ray Charles incorporates during the recordings. Together with Ray Charles' power of integration and the associated social significance for the civil rights movement of the 1960s, “Modern Sounds...” is one of the few albums whose importance cannot be overestimated – legendary++ or 12/10.
Charles Mingus
2/5
That was a difficult task! I was somewhat familiar with Charles Mingus and knew that there was “The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady,” but as far as I can remember, I hadn't heard that album yet. It only contains four tracks, which are arranged similarly to a ballet suite, which I find an interesting approach. I also like the instrumentation and production, but what really bothers me are the constantly overloaded arrangements. It's too exciting for easy listening, but also too inconsistent to be able to concentrate on. It was probably fun live (with a dancing squad?), but I really can't see any context in which I would appreciate this record.
Radiohead
4/5
It's been a while... Radiohead was always that band that “other people” listened to, while I was interested in something more sophisticated. But honestly, they've always been masters of subtle, surprising chord changes and multi-layered lyrics. I've always preferred a more direct approach, but “The Bends” is a very serious alternative rock album from the 90s and, yes, a must-know for any music fan. Personally, I prefer the more in-your-faace tracks like "PLate Telex" or ""My Iron Lung".
Michael Jackson
5/5
When I see this cover, I have to immediately think of "Weird Al" Yankovic's "Even Worse". While this is certainly funny, it already proves how iconic "Bad" actually is.
As Michael Jackson had already been a superstar at that time, it's no surprise that everything about the production is flawless and easily meets also today's standards. And likewise it's no surprise that "Dirty Diana" (with Steve Stevens' incredible guitar work) and "Smooth Criminal" remain the best among the 11 songs on "Bad". Yes, this is one of the most iconic albums of all time!
Norah Jones
3/5
“Come Away With Me” by Norah Jones is easy listening par excellence—the question is whether that's a good or a bad thing. Personally, I prefer easy listening music that rewards closer listening with subtle surprises that remain hidden to the casual listener. Maybe I'm wrong (because I haven't listened to every second of this record closely), but I don't think Norah Jones delivers these exciting details. On the other hand, she manages not to become boring in the background. So I might even keep this album as background music that doesn't require attention, but it will most likely go unnoticed there. Still not sure what to call this. Calm music without any further properties?
Simply Red
4/5
Picture Book is Simply Red's remarkably mature debut album. Opinions about the style may be divided, and the soft pop excursions are not to everyone's taste, but everything sounds really well thought out and produced – well, mature, as mentioned at the beginning. The new wave influence in Red's sophisty pop is (unfortunately) clearly audible, but so are the additional influences from soul, jazz, and blues. Add to that Mick Hucknall's truly great and unique voice. If it weren't for the pop numbers, which are a little too shallow and soft for my taste, I could definitely listen to this album over and over again for quite a while!
Frank Sinatra
4/5
“Songs For Swingin' Lovers” was undoubtedly a milestone for both Frank Sinatra and music history, as it was with this album that he began singing and recording standards - for which, to my knowledge, he is still best known today. While his unique voice immediately makes every song his own, I'm not entirely sure that the arrangements and orchestrations, which of course no longer sound contemporary today, live up to this claim. Although I like swing and standards, I feel that this record is at the historical limit of what can still be fairly reviewed today – accordingly, it is also one of the oldest albums on this list. “Songs for Swingin' Lovers” is certainly a very good album, but it doesn't contain any of Sinatra's really big hits, and to me it just sounds too "standard" to give it five stars.
Crowded House
4/5
That was really nostalgic! The songs from “Wood Face” are pretty much exactly what I remember hearing when I turned on the radio as a teenager. Of course, I despised all the music on the radio back then, but to be honest, some of it - including Crowded House - wasn't that bad. Even after 30 years, “Weather With You” and “Four Seasons In One Day” stuck in my head, while I liked “Chocolate Cake” and “It's Only Natural” without being able to remember ever hearing them before. Yes, “Wood Face” is a fairly typical pop album of its time, but in my opinion, it sounds so generic precisely because it is one of the best of its kind and thus helped define the typical sound of that era.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
5/5
Similar to Ray Charles (whose “Modern Sounds...” I recently had the opportunity to listen to and review), CCR had a formative influence on styles as diverse as country, blues, and hard rock, inspiring countless bands far beyond these genres. Ultimately, I can't say whether “Green River” was their strongest album, but it is an extremely tasteful piece of rock history. In my opinion, it makes little sense to highlight individual songs, as I would then have to list at least eight of the eleven tracks included. A must for anyone interested in music and a special recommendation for anyone who has even the slightest interest in blues rock!
Nirvana
4/5
In my memory, there was the Nirvana album (Nevermind), the album before the album (Bleach), and a series of rather mediocre attempts by Geffen Records to keep the band in the spotlight after Nevermind (Incesticide, In Utero, MTV Unplugged). At least as far as In Utero is concerned, however, I have to correct this impression: "Serve The Servants", "Heart-Shaped Box", "Rape Me", and "All Apologies" are really good songs, but of course they no longer had the same innovative power as the similarly good but even better-produced tracks two years earlier. To me, “Rape Me” even sounds a bit like a parody of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” today and, in retrospect, seems like Kurt Cobain's declaration of surrender to the expectations of the public, but also to life, the universe, and everything. For me, “In Utero” thus marks the public beginning of the tragic self-destruction of this talented band.
Fairport Convention
2/5
Many great recordings were made in the 1960s, and I have already had the opportunity to listen to quite a few of them as part of this project. Sometimes I wonder whether there was also boring, uninspired, and insignificant music back then. The answer is yes! “Unhalfbricking” by Fairport Convention meets all these criteria—from the boring songs to the band that isn't 100% tight rhythmically and Sandy Daniels' falsetto whining to the stuffy, eccentric cover, this album contains none of the highlights of its decade. Is it bad enough for one star? No, it's not actually annoying enough for that.
King Crimson
5/5
For me, King Crimson are masters of atmosphere and mood, first and foremost because of their sensational timing and also because of their diverse repertoire of harmonic and melodic approaches. For me, these qualities actually come before their undoubtedly excellent rhythmic and polyrhythmic ideas, making King Crimson one of the very few bands that really come into their own in their quieter moments. That's why I could listen to the tracks “Epitaph” and “Moonchild” from this album all day long, while I find the other three tracks quite good. 40% absolute killer material, plus one of the most iconic covers—is that enough for five stars? In direct comparison to the same year's "Unhalfbricking" by Fairport Convention (that I reviewed yesterday): certainly yes!
Adam & The Ants
3/5
“Kings of the Wild Frontier” by Adam and the Ants is... well, wild. In my opinion, it's not really worth going into individual songs, as the overall style seems exciting but also somehow cute from today's perspective. The grooves seem very open (maybe it's the Burundi drums?) and lively, but not really tight, the bass is produced very cool for my taste (but maybe I just like the typical early-80s new wave bass sound), and Adam Ant's vocals give the impression that he was very eccentric on stage. I consider the entire album to be an interesting historical document and therefore rate it neutral.
Janis Joplin
5/5
“Pearl” is Janis Joplin's posthumously released final album and a deeply moving masterpiece. That expressive voice—and the singer who uses it uninhibitedly to make every song unique! The tasteful arrangements and the great work of the Full Tilt Boogie Band fade completely into the background. I had only sporadically explored Janis Joplin's work before and really enjoyed this album.
Iron Maiden
4/5
Iron Maiden are such an institution and brand that I sometimes forget that (unlike Black Sabbath or Judas Priest, for example) they have “only” released slightly more than a handful of truly outstanding albums—simply because this band “only” appeared on the scene in 1980. I must also admit that I am a big Bruce Dickinson fan on the one hand and appreciate professional productions on the other. As a result, I actually consider the first two albums, “Iron Maiden” and “Killers,” to be better demos...
Be that as it may, from a music history perspective, "Iron Maiden" was downright disruptive because it offered a way out of the early stagnation of punk rock and an alternative to the synthesizer-heavy mainstream. Along the way, Maiden created important trademarks of heavy metal—note, for example, the parallel lines of bass and guitars in “Phantom of the Opera.” Other important milestones on this album are “Running Free” (as far as I know, still an integral part of every Maiden set to this day) and the story of “Charlotte the Harlot,” which begins with the song of the same name;) Oh, and I was pleasantly surprised by "Strange World" which I had remembered as being lengthy but turned out to be quite atmospheric.
I'd still replace this album with "Powerslave" on the 1001-list...
The Afghan Whigs
3/5
Another alternative rock band from the early 90s that I've never heard of. So how good can they be? Let's take a closer look:
After the boring first track comes “Gentlemen,” which has a good main groove for its time. Greg Dulli also has a great voice, which comes into its own here. This is followed by a series of nice songs, but each of them has all the characteristics of the 90s that I've heard too many times before: that rhythm pattern that never really grooves, abrupt but pointless shifts between whispering and screaming, accompanied by guitars that aren't really clean and guitars that aren't really distorted, uninspired drums, and a bass that's so muddy you can barely hear it. Back then, most rock bands avoided the clarity and sharp contrasts of the 80s, but that's exactly what made many talented bands annoying after the fifth song—then and now.
Aretha Franklin
5/5
“Lady Soul” is another outstanding album by Aretha, about which there isn't really much to say. Everyone probably knows “Chain of Fools” (which, more than 50 years after its release, is in itself a sign of quality), and writing any more good things about Aretha's voice doesn't seem particularly useful to me. That leaves a brief comparison with her album “I Never Loved a Man...”, released a year earlier, which is absolutely comparable in quality and which I already had the pleasure of reviewing: Here, too, the strongest song is right at the beginning (was that common practice back then?), Aretha's style no longer seems quite as groundbreaking, and this time the album title is short enough to write out in full. That's it!
Lucinda Williams
2/5
It's probably in the nature of things that not all songwriters are brilliant singers. In my opinion, however, that's no reason for so many singer-songwriters to ruin their songs with extremely restrained, thin, and whiny vocals—especially when they subsequently show that they're actually quite good singers. As a result, the opening track “Right in Time” starts off rather off-putting for my taste—it sounds a bit like Soul Asylum, but without any edge. Since Lucinda Williams definitely doesn't lack talent, she's probably just striving for a sound ideal that I don't share. “Car Wheels On A Gravel Road” is therefore actually a good album, but one that I don't particularly like.
Astor Piazzolla
2/5
Astor Piazzolla certainly made a great contribution to the development of world music, but his music was never really my cup of tea: it's not straightforward enough for dancing (and, according to him, that was never the intention), too restless for easy listening, but then again too monotonous for concentrated listening. Basically, he's one of those artists who are only really good live. In that sense, it's only natural that a concert recording appears on this list and not a studio album. I've listened to some good to very good live albums in this context (by B.B. King or Keith Jarrett, for example), but “The New Tango” doesn't really spark my interest. For me, it's on the same level as Charles Mingus—actually cool, but just not for me.
David Bowie
3/5
David Bowie's “Heroes” consists of five pop-rock tracks dominated by Robert Fripp's guitar and five more or less pure ambient tracks, most of which are attributable to Brian Eno. Even more daring than the huge influence of these two outstanding musicians, I find it remarkable that David Bowie doesn't sing at all on the last four tracks—after all, this is nominally a solo album by the singer. Of course, he was involved as a composer and producer (and on several instruments), but for me this gives the impression of an EP with a very long outro. In addition, the album starts off strong with “Beauty and the Beast,” but then really loses momentum with each song and ends up just coasting along. It's a shame—this could have been a really good album.
Coldplay
4/5
In my opinion, “Parachutes” is not Coldplay's best album (and therefore not really a must for this list), but at least it is their debut with a major label. Of course, Coldplay were very talented musicians from the start, but as I recall, the band's most innovative phase was after 2005.
Back to Parachutes: “Don't Panic” and “Yellow” are reasonably strong songs—the rest are OK, but overall I find the album a little too quiet and monotonous. Still worth a listen, though.
Johnny Cash
4/5
I've always thought Johnny Cash was cool, but most of his life's work comes from a time before I was born. Of course, that doesn't apply to “American IV: The Man Comes Around,” and I remember being surprised by this release at the time. His cover versions of ‘Hurt’ and “Personal Jesus” were played everywhere and were considered the ultimate versions of these songs—and rightly so, by the way. The rest falls a little short in comparison, but the album has lost none of its quality over the last 20 years and is, of course, still a worthy entry on this list.
Deee-Lite
1/5
In an earlier review I asked how bad an album that Bootsy Collins contributed to could possibly be. I have to admit that this question is no longer rhetorical and the answer is 'far worse than I thought'. "World Clique" may have been innovative in its day but from today's view it is the cheesy starting point for one of the worst music genres ever - 90s dance floor. Not everything on this album is disgusting but if for some reason you get the chance to travel back in time to prevent it - go for it.
Massive Attack
2/5
After giving a seemingly appealing album a poor rating yesterday after listening to it, I was in a bad mood when I read the Wikipedia article on Massive Attack and “Blue Lines” (I was on the train and didn't have my headphones with me). Fortunately, the opening track on this album, “Safe From Harm,” surprised me in a positive way. Unfortunately, there wasn't much else worth listening to after that, except for a few nice basslines here and there—but of course, those are always much cooler when they're played by a good, real musician and varied accordingly—and then three more songs with Shara Nelson's voice further back in the album. Of course, guests on an album are there for the highlights, and the host artists naturally try to offer the best tracks for collaborations, but in this case, there are four songs that are quite nice and easy listening (with Shara Nelson), while all the others fall short. Is that necessary?
The Smashing Pumpkins
3/5
As for the Smashing Pumpkins, I had a kind of déjà vu experience today: based on everything I've read, I should love this band. The first song, “Cherub Rock”, starts playing, and I immediately have my first doubts—somehow it sounds very familiar, like Nirvana and the like, but without that special vibe. The next songs offer little variety—sure, the sound is good and “Siamese Dreams” is easy to listen to. But somehow you're always waiting for the moment when it really takes off, and that moment just doesn't come.
So let's listen more closely: From my own studio experience, I know the effect (perhaps typical for guitarists) that I can think of about 25 different ways to interpret and accompany a song, but only 2–3 tracks are available. Lucky are those who have a virtually unlimited budget (like the Smashing Pumpkins in 1993 ;) – we'll just record every track imaginable! Now, it's no surprise that despite some nice ideas, everything sounds very similar – of course, certain ideas just fit every song, and if you record them all and don't make any selections during mixing... Well, I think the principle is clear.
At least this gloomy music finally stopped my children from dreaming of a future I can't possibly provide. Homer Simpson, smiling politely.
Gotan Project
1/5
“La Revancha Del Tango” can't quite decide whether it wants to offer the dance music that gives it its name or more relaxed electro beats. Ultimately, it fails to do either really well, and the result is simply inconsequential. This sets it apart from the similar attempts by Astor Piazzolla, which I “had the pleasure” of listening to a few days ago—I didn't like those either, but at least they were exciting and inspiring.
Two of the songs are part of film soundtracks, and in fact, the Gotan Project's compositions are best imagined as background music for blurry camera shots through Paris at night. But I have no idea who needs an album's worth of “horizontal elevator music.”
Frank Sinatra
4/5
Francis Albert Sinatra and Antonio Carlos Jobim recorded an album together that is quite enjoyable to listen to. It is essentially a Frank Sinatra album with bossa nova songs, which works well, but in my opinion is no improvement on his standard/swing recordings.
The recording of “Girl From Ipanema” is, of course, extremely well known, but after that there is not much else that deserves special mention. As I said, it's not bad, but in my opinion, any other Sinatra album could have been included here.
Yes
4/5
I had already written that I like Yes, and that hasn't changed. As with some other artists (so far Frank Sinatra, Coldplay, Iron Maiden), however, I can't quite understand the exact selection of albums for the 1001 list. To my knowledge, “The Yes Album” represents the band's breakthrough and therefore, in my opinion, deserves to be on the list, although from today's perspective I would describe it as still a little immature:
- Many typical Yes elements—especially the vocals—are already clearly recognizable here, but
- the rhythm work is not yet as extremely tight as I remember it from later recordings, and
- “Clap” is nice and somehow impressive, but doesn't really fit in with the other songs.
All in all, it was a nice listening experience.
The Allman Brothers Band
5/5
For me, the Allman Brothers' album “At Filmore East” is the ultimate blues rock album. Everything fits together perfectly, the band just grooves, and the jam parts are great. Unfortunately, this fantastic live recording is not only the Allman Brothers' first live album, but also the last album recorded together by the eponymous brothers Duane and Greg. That makes it all the more important to listen to it—simply because there is almost nothing else like it.
The Darkness
5/5
What a pleasant surprise! I wasn't really expecting to find The Darkness here, but I'm really glad I did and happy that it gave me a reason to listen to “Permission To Land” again after so long. When I first heard about The Darkness in 2003, I wasn't sure if it was a parody—their appearance was so at odds with the zeitgeist at the time. I also remember them being described as the gay AC/DC or the straight Queen. What they present on their debut album is all three of those things and much more: a mature production of songs reminiscent of AC/DC, Queen, and similar bands, but with a modern sound (the equipment of the aforementioned bands was already outdated in the 1980s) and a self-deprecating coolness that I still admire today. My only criticism is that The Darkness' later releases never quite reached the level of “Permission To Land.”
The Prodigy
3/5
If it has to be electronic music (which I don't really like), then I'm happy to go with The Prodigy. “The Fat of the Land” is the relevant album here, and I can still remember hearing “Firestarter” everywhere for a while. Of course, this album is also quite monotonous, but at least Keith Flint brings a certain punk attitude to it, and you have to give The Prodigy credit for the fact that their beats are instantly recognizable. At the time, “The Fat of the Land” could even be described as innovative—no one else was so consistently sitting on the fence back then. Conclusion: never my favorite album, but a respectable milestone in music history.
The Clash
5/5
“London Calling” by The Clash is one of those iconic albums that pretty much everyone knows at least part of. I'm no different, and I had already consciously listened to it in its entirety about a year ago. I definitely enjoyed it, but at the time I had no intention of reviewing it. So here we go again.
Even the title track “London Calling” isn't classic punk rock (but it's definitely very punk-heavy), and the rest of the album follows suit. There's a bit of blues and rockabilly here, ska and new wave influences there, turnarounds, saxophone solos... But despite all that, every song is unmistakably The Clash, with their familiar attitude evident throughout. “Clampdown” – of course you know it, as well as “Stand by Me”... but my highlights today were “Lost in the Supermarket” and “Guns of Brixton.”
I often find it difficult to compare albums from different eras, but in terms of both approach and result, there are some parallels to an album that was released 25 years later. Unfortunately, I didn't notice it at the time, so now and here, let's reverse the comparison: “London Calling” is the “American Idiot” of the generation before me.
Love
3/5
Hmm, what can I say? “Forever Changes” is a fairly ordinary 60s folk rock album—it sounds as you'd expect, it's not annoying, but it also has few moments that make you sit up and take notice. The first thing that really struck me was that on “A House Is Not a Motel,” someone made the guitar solo really loud. In a live situation, that would be remarkable in a positive sense; on the album it's... surprising.
Otherwise... Yes, Love was obviously a pretty good band, tight and clean without technical support (which basically didn't exist in 1967, so that's actually a sign of quality – unfortunately, there are enough negative examples on this list). Since it lacks really exciting ideas, I still consider it mediocre.
David Bowie
4/5
David Bowie is one of those artists who defies description. That's why I think it makes the most sense to consider his albums in this list separately from the others. In that sense, “Young Americans” is a good, but not outstanding, R&B album.
The fact is, however, that this is not the music for which David Bowie was primarily known. Of course, “Young Americans” is therefore also an experimental excursion by a singer who simply likes to try things out.
According to Wikipedia, this album represents something of a commercial breakthrough for him in the US. That surprised me, but it highlights its historical significance.
As I mentioned at the beginning, I don't yet have a complete overview of Bowie's work. But I hope to gain one in the course of this challenge and that this isn't the peak yet.
Public Enemy
2/5
Very early in my life—I must have been about 10 or 11—there was a phase when I voluntarily listened to hip hop. That was ages ago, but I can still remember Public Enemy fairly well. I don't like the music anymore, but I recognize that “It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back” in particular had a significant influence on the development of both this genre and various crossover styles.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
“Bridge Over Troubled Water” is one of those albums that I've simply heard too many times—whether at my father's house or in music class. But since that was several decades ago, I was able to listen to it without any problems. The title track still annoys me a little, I still find the Simon & Garfunkel version of “El Condor Pass” random, and then there are the two songs that don't really sound like S&G... And finally, “The Boxer,” which in my opinion is the strongest song on this album. Maybe it's just less worn out for me than the ones mentioned above—I guess my parents just played side B less often.
Yes, it's one you should know, but for me, it's definitely not five stars.
The Kinks
4/5
I knew The Kinks as the guys who wrote “You Really Got Me” for Van Halen, but I had never listened to a complete album. I would describe their sound as somewhere between The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, with influences from Simon and Garfunkel—but without the clear and well-rounded overall picture of the aforementioned, and only occasionally reaching their level.
“David Watts” is fun, “Death of a Clown” is actually not bad, but after that the level unfortunately drops and reaches its first low point with “No Return,” which combines the worst aspects of the Beatles and S&G. After that, it gets better again, but I won't describe it in detail—I think the principle is clear.
I guess you could call it light and shadow—though there's more light than shadow.
3.5 for me.
Adele
4/5
I had never listened to Adele's “21” in its entirety before. While her voice is known to be outstanding, I had previously been of the opinion that this did not apply to her songwriting. Listening to the album confirmed this impression: “21” contains 2-4 really strong songs and a whole lot of filler material. At least this gives me the opportunity to highlight a few songs. Here we go:
In my opinion, “Rolling in the Deep” is already the best song on the album—Aretha always started her albums this way, so Adele is in good company here. Next, I like the rhythmically accentuated “He Won't Go”—especially after the rather monotonous songs that precede it. Adele's voice also comes into its own on “I'll Be Waiting” and “Someone Like You.”
All in all, a pretty good second album from an up-and-coming artist at the time—but with some room for improvement. Too bad she didn't make it beyond that until today!
Booker T. & The MG's
3/5
Until now, I was only familiar with Booker T. & the M.G.s by name. I had probably heard them before without realizing it—at least some of it sounded familiar.
Green Onions is easy to listen to, but I spent the first three songs waiting for a singer or at least a distinctive lead instrument to come in. This is exactly what the album lacks, despite all the beautiful patterns and riffs—it never really takes off. In my opinion, it's possible to record a purely instrumental album, and there are many outstanding examples of this, but then you need clear melodic ideas, complex arrangements, or brilliant soloists—ideally all three. Booker has all of this at best in rudimentary form, and the result is an easy listening album that doesn't really sound so easy in the long run.
If you like blues-oriented music and play it yourself (like me), the result is still OK.
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
Wow, “There's A Riot Goin' On” sounds different from “Stand!”, which was released two years earlier and which I already had the pleasure of reviewing. It's funkier, edgier, and somehow more grown-up, which is both good and bad news, because the flower power-esque naivety was definitely one of the qualities that made “Stand!” so great. While I like the stronger funk influence, I don't like the totally flat sound of the drum machines at all. Together with the (by funk standards) extremely soft bass sound, the whole groove becomes blurred unless you use sufficiently powerful speakers—I was able to correct this here, but it's actually a weakness of the production, especially since the monotonous drum patterns also annoy me after a while.
Since there are no real earcatchers either, I consider “Riot” a clear step backward compared to “Stand!”.
Various Artists
1/5
I find Christmas albums generally somewhat dubious, as few of them achieve any relevant creative depth. “A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector” is not one of these commendable exceptions, but rather, in my opinion, one of those arbitrary releases for the Christmas season. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but I don't see why this particular album should be any better than any other Christmas album from the last 60 years. It's fine to do that, but not within the scope of this project.
Elvis Presley
5/5
It seems as if every single rock ‘n’ roll album from the 1950s is legendary—at least the ones on this list.
Against this backdrop, I find it really difficult to give a meaningful review. Yes, this is Elvis' debut and it starts off great with “Blue Suede Shoes.” Then there are other songs, but does anyone want to know about them? I don't think so.
Did I mention the iconic cover artwork?
The Verve
3/5
“Urban Hits” by The Verve is one of those albums that there are far too many of: one big hit – “Bittersweet Symphony” – and otherwise insignificant. Of course, what is insignificant is in the eye of the beholder. In this case, it refers to Britpop of the most average kind – and Britpop is not the most exciting genre of music in itself.
Not bad but boring.
Sonic Youth
3/5
“Goo" by Sonic Youth actually starts promisingly with “Dirty Boots.” As it progresses, however, the usual weaknesses of 90s alternative rock come to the fore: the same riffs over and over again (because they're afraid of real hooks), the hectic drums (because, for some inexplicable reason, the eighth notes stay on the hi-hat even in uptempo songs), undefined bass (so that it doesn't sound like new wave) and whiny vocals (to avoid metal associations). You can do all that, but in the long run it just gets annoying.
There are some better tracks in between, e.g. “Kool Thing,” but overall it's just mediocre.
David Bowie
3/5
This is the third David Bowie album that has been suggested to me as part of this project, and the third that doesn't blow me away. I'm sure he has some great albums, but “The Next Day” isn't one of them. It sounds a bit like an aging rock star in his 60s recording a few more songs—and that's exactly what it is. It's not bad, but you're not missing much if you haven't heard this album.
The Specials
3/5
I find ska in general, and The Specials in particular, really exciting in terms of their background and cultural significance. However, most ska bands, and The Specials in particular, make a type of music that I just don't find exciting. Ultimately, Two Time is not much more than punk rock with a few extra instruments, but without the energy of the original.
Still, it's worth giving it a listen.
Tom Tom Club
1/5
The Tom Tom Club makes it easy for me to rate them this time. The very first song, “Wordy Rappinghood,” combines everything that's annoying about new wave: uninspired and monotonous sequencer drums? Check! Sequencer bass? Check (although I've heard worse)! Pointlessly affected, children's song-like vocals with falsetto? Check (even with totally annoying overemphasis on “1” & “3” – that was probably really intended to get on the listener's nerves).
This is followed by “Genius of Love,” which, according to Wikipedia, was also a big hit—but it also says that “Tom Tom Club” is a funk album.
Let me put it this way: after listening to this album, I understand better why so many people don't want to listen to 80s music anymore.
The Undertones
2/5
“Hypnotized” is a professional but otherwise unremarkable punk pop album. Feargal Sharkey is a pretty good singer, the band doesn't just strum chords, and the production is fine. But what The Undertones lack are good songs or truly inspiring ideas. It sounds like a music school band that is professionally coached but stands for nothing. Irrelevant.
Lorde
2/5
Yes, of course contemporary artists also belong on this list. In that sense, Lorde was probably inevitable. According to Wikipedia, she is a singer-songwriter, and as long as she sticks to that (e.g., in “Liability”), it's reasonably listenable and her unusual voice comes into its own. Unfortunately, most of the tracks are accompanied by random electronic beats, and Lorde sings in registers where she doesn't sound so good. Much of it reminds me of Björk—a respectable artist, but one whose music I don't usually like.
David Ackles
3/5
“American Gothic” is undoubtedly heavy stuff. David Ackles' songs are not that inaccessible, but they don't quite come together to form a coherent whole. One moment it sounds like Broadway and even briefly reminds us of Frank Sinatra with its vocal range, the next moment we find ourselves in musical theater à la Kurt Weill. Some lyrics are wonderfully dark, others lose themselves in naïve, explicit triviality.
This album could have been so much, but in the end it's just an astonishing experiment by Ackles and Bernie Taupin. It's actually impossible to evaluate it meaningfully. But it's impossible not to, so it gets 3 stars.
Emmylou Harris
3/5
What makes this project interesting is the fact that, despite all your musical training, you always come across albums you don't know yet. This is almost always the case in the country music sector, because this style is practically irrelevant here in Europe.
There are, of course, a few exceptions, and Emmylou Harris is possibly one of them - at least I was familiar with her name. “Pieces of the Sky” marks something of a breakthrough for her, and the album is actually not bad. Her voice is well showcased, and the arrangements of the songs (which are typically monotonous for country music) contain a few eye-catchers.
It's not a bad way to go.
Sigur Rós
4/5
“Ágætis Byrjun” is undoubtedly Sigur Rós' best-known work. This type of ambient rock bears witness to a time when rock music was seeking a path beyond retro trends, and in fact, a year later, I made very similar music with a Norwegian band I was friends with.
From today's perspective, it was a mediocre experiment, but at the time it felt interesting, at least. In that sense, “Ágætis Byrjun” is still enjoyable to listen to today, but mainly as easy listening music in the background. On the other hand, it's worth knowing because Sigur Rós' ideas were later taken up and developed further by bands like Coldplay and Muse.
How do you rate an influential but mediocre album? I guess it's 5 for influence and 3 for quality, so 4 in total.
Jazmine Sullivan
2/5
Wikipedia says “Heaux Tales” is R&B and hip-hop—basically everything I don't need. Fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised right at the beginning by a tasteful vocal arrangement. Unfortunately, this good impression is destroyed in most of the other songs by the pointlessly monotonous electro beats that were probably necessary for the hip-hop label. A pure vocal album by Jazmine Sullivan, on the other hand, could have been really good.
Still not quite my cup of tea, but it could have been much worse!
Can
4/5
Rather than a number of different songs, "Tago Mago" comprises a psychedelic and widely instrumental sound collection where more experimental parts mark the beginning and the end of each track. Although the middle parts are kind of similar (I guess they're all the same key but didn't check), to me it doesn't get boring.
Overall, I'd describe Can as in the ballpark of King Crimson but without the atmosphere (which makes KC truly stand out).
Big Brother & The Holding Company
5/5
Finally, the first great album of this year! Cheap Thrills is Janis Joplin's last album with Big Brother & The Holding Company and includes her signature song “Piece of My Heart.” It features a slightly overexcited Janis (during her solo career she developed an even stronger, somewhat clearer voice) and the well-known Hendrix-style band. This makes me think once again that it would have been only natural for Janis and Jimi to team up - if they had only lived through the 70s...
Ray Charles
4/5
Sometimes expectations influence one's assessment. I am very fond of Ray Charles and was therefore looking forward to this album. However, “The Genius of Ray Charles” is not particularly outstanding among Ray's recordings. The mediocre arrangements and poor production (for a Ray Charles album—still good for its time!) have been mentioned by critics, but I think the biggest weakness is the selection of songs, which resemble those of any Broadway singer. As a result, Ray Charles doesn't really come into his own. Two songs are noteworthy: “Am I Blue” and “Let The Good Times Roll.”
I expected to give a Ray Charles album 5 stars, but for me this one is “only” 4+.
Hanoi Rocks
5/5
I should have discovered this album much earlier! I had heard of Hanoi Rocks and remember seeing the cover a few times (I was even familiar with some of Michael Monroe's solo work), but I never felt the need to listen to the album.
“Malibu Beach Nightmare” and the first few songs sound like a European punk rock band from the early 80s with a touch of new wave (which Hanoi Rocks probably were at the time). But then, starting with “Until I Get You,” the band really finds its own style, and I recognize some ideas that are strongly reminiscent of the early works of Guns n' Roses. This is exactly the missing link between punk rock and glam rock that I've been missing until now—now it all makes sense!
It would have been a shame not to know this album before I die!
The Mamas & The Papas
4/5
The Mama's And The Papa's = more music that I've heard enough of in my life.
After listening to a lot of music from the 60s during this project (my Spotify profile already says I'm 74), I actually understand the folk rock hype of that era very well. Still, I find this sound a bit boring after a while. “Monday, Monday” and “Go Where You Wanna Go” are still good songs, but certainly not timeless. The latter, however, applies to “California Dreamin',” which is indeed brilliant.
Another album that should be heard, but not necessarily listened to repeatedly.
Dr. Dre
1/5
I knew Dr. Dre as Eminem's producer, but like all producers, he also wanted to be a good musician and therefore released something under his own name at some point. To cut to the chase: he would have been better off not doing that. It's not for nothing that Dre is known for his beats, but not for his lyrics or his “singing.” Yes, I realize that in the early 90s there was a market for lyrics on the level of pubescent teenagers—but I won't go into that further. What you could expect even back then, however, was a somewhat finished album with some noteworthy output besides the rhythm tracks. What we have here, however, is 62 minutes of backing tracks with, for some inexplicable reason, unedited vulgar conversations between some rather immature guys.
This would be my starting point for a list of 1001 albums to avoid until you die.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
“Innervisions” is—well, simply a good Stevie Wonder album. His voice is great as always. I like the funk grooves as well as the harmonic structures of the songs, some of which (“Too High,” “Higher Ground”) are outstanding and the others are at least good. For me, he could step on the gas a bit more overall, but that's criticism at a pretty high level, of course. Besides, through the one album per day project, I'm learning that most listeners apparently like it quieter than I do.
Can't complain about that. For me, it's 4.5 stars.
The Jam
3/5
For me, “Sound Affects” by The Jam is an album that delivers exactly what the cover promises: a collage of different musical approaches of the time, connected by extensive jamming and... well, sonic escapades. The whole thing isn't badly produced, it's easy to listen to, but none of the eleven songs really stick in your mind. I can well imagine that The Jam were great fun live, but on record it's... OK.
Spacemen 3
2/5
My rating distribution demands more 2-star ratings. “Playing With Fire” by Spacemen 3 is a good opportunity to improve in this respect, as it's simply too boring to be bad. I played it in the bathroom this morning, and every time after I couldn't hear it, e.g., because of my electric toothbrush, it sounded exactly the same as before. Wikipedia classifies this record as psychedelic rock, which isn't technically wrong, but for me it's ambient, but created with real instruments. Much ado about nothing, so to speak.
The Specials
3/5
Just like "More Specials" that I already reviewed a few weeks ago, "The Specials" is a nice-ish ska/two tone album. In comparison, this first album is more naive and more on the ska side of things. And just like the later album, it is not too special. Anyway, I do not think you must have heard both.
The 13th Floor Elevators
4/5
“The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators” features a more or less classic four-piece band and an electric jug. This actually makes sense, as the band play their 60s psychedelic rock pretty well and Tommy Hall fills in his jug like a virtuoso - the middle part of "Roller Coaster" is a great example of this. Many of the songs - take e.g. "You're Gonna Miss Me", or "You Don't Know" would work without the jug but are indeed enhanced by its use.
Unfortunately, to my knowledge, Tommy Hall is the only person who has achieved world fame in this way, and so knowledge of the musical use of the electric jug has been largely lost today. However, the bubbling of my espresso maker, which is not yet quite synchronized, shows me that the potential is still there.
Let anyone say that reality is only for people who can't handle drugs!
Destiny's Child
2/5
I'm not really doing this...
Contemporary R&B is not my favorite but as Destiny's Child were the favorite of my then girlfriend, I know a bit about this band. Their strengths were their gospel choir like call and response singing - the best example here being "Nasty Girl", where they cite the slut shaming they had experienced as black girls growing up in Texas (kind of the"Money for Nothing" way) - and their innovation on the rythm side of things. Unfortunately, the latter is only slightly audible on "Survivor" - the good examples are on its predecessor "Writing's on the Wall".
That said, once more the wrong album made the list.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
4/5
I find it hard to rate Lynyrd Skynyrd as I like their style - e.g. the simple but non-standard harmonic structures as in "Simple Man", their overall groove as in "Poison Whiskey", their guitar playing as in "Free Bird" or the piano arrangements as in "Things Goin' On" - but there is not a single song that I distinctly like. I cannot even say why - maybe it's due to the country vibe that blurs every good idea through repetition before drowning it in clichees or due to their lyrics that I just cannot relate to.
Still a good album.
CHIC
3/5
CHIC created the baseline for "Another One Bites The Dust" - as can be heard in "Good Times", the first song on "Risqué. The rest of the album is not very remarkable, but OK to listen to. For me, this is more or less the definition of average in the given context.
The Divine Comedy
3/5
I think Chamber Pop is okay, just like “A Short Album About Love.” Of course, it has an old-fashioned—or revival—sound and offers no innovation whatsoever. But still, The Divine Comedy did a thoroughly professional job with the production, and the album never gets boring, even though it leans more toward easy listening. It's worth a listen. Whether it's a must-hear, I'm not so sure.
Public Enemy
2/5
Public Enemy again... Chuck D. claims that “Fear of a Black Planet” was "a deep, complex album". Objectively speaking, that's certainly an exaggeration, but it's certainly true when compared to its predecessor, “It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back,” which I reviewed recently. The “development” essentially consists of the fact that the samples typical of PE are no longer used only selectively, but actually continuously. I can't say for sure whether this is an improvement. To my ears, the sound has changed from empty to intrusive; the sweet spot would probably have been somewhere in between.
What I did notice, however, are the samples based on distorted guitars, which point the way to the monumental Judgement Night soundtrack (are there actually people who have seen the movie?) three years later.
Where was Public Enemy when that was recorded?
Back to the topic: “Fear of a Black Planet” isn't particularly annoying for hip hop. However, it provides little justification for why two Public Enemy albums are on the list.
Pulp
4/5
Wow, finally a band that incorporates art rock elements without sounding completely weird! Interestingly, I wasn't familiar with Pulp before, but I would have loved to listen to “Different Class” in the 90s, which I found rather disappointing musically. The Britpop-esque basic sound would probably have annoyed me at some point, but the album is really not bad and even reasonably varied. Two or three catchy songs would have done it good, but otherwise it's very decent.
I've always rounded up 3.5 stars, and I'll do that again now.
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
With this project, I am constantly struck by how many of the albums listed contain just one big hit and have little else of note to offer. I actually prefer to engage with entire albums, so I always find this somewhat disappointing.
In the case of “Bookends,” there's “Mrs. Robinson” and a little bit (the album isn't even 30 minutes long!) of folk pop of acceptable quality. But as I said, that's just the standard..
Kid Rock
2/5
How should this album be fairly evaluated? The problem with some nu metal was never really the music, but rather the attitude that accompanied it, namely the transfer of the victim narrative typical of rap to a group of people who were not marginalized at all. Even if it only falls under nu metal in the broadest sense, “Devil Without a Cause” is a good example of this: not a bad production, but so heavily conceived by white trash for white trash that a clear-thinking person simply cannot identify with it. Added to this is the fact that everything Kid Rock has done has aged extremely badly against the backdrop of political developments over the last 25 years.
All of this is a shame, because the people involved certainly did not lack musical talent. But I simply want nothing to do with this extreme combination of chauvinism and hostility toward education.
Muddy Waters
5/5
Muddy Waters is the grand master of Chicago blues, and his recording from Newport Jazz 1960 shows him at his best. Every track is strong, the arrangements are mature, Mr. Waters is completely confident in his performance, and even the recording is technically good (for its time). An album can't really get much better than this, at least not from the mainstream perspective of this project. If you also like Chicago blues (like me), then this album leaves nothing to be desired.
Richard Thompson
3/5
“I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight” by Richard & Linda Thompson is practically the definition of cultivated boredom. Technically, everything is clean and neat, the production is absolutely professional... but nothing noteworthy happens. Wikipedia says it was “never commercially successful and critically ignored upon its release,” which is not surprising at all. From the perspective of the authors of “1001 Albums...”, it still seems to have a certain relevance, but the best I can say about this recording is that there is really nothing bad or annoying about it. Easiest listening, so to speak.
The The
2/5
The The sound like any other early 80s synth pop/new wave band. “Soul Mining” isn't really bad, but it doesn't contain much that is still worth mentioning 40 years later. By the fourth song (i.e. during “Uncertain Smile,” which at least contains a not entirely predictable piano solo), the repetitive straight groove starts to get on your nerves. The following “The Twilight Hour” and "Soul Mining" finally break with this and are probably meant to sound dramatic, but come across as rather cute due to the idiosyncratic keyboards.
I've heard worse, but in the end, “Soul Mining” is just another new wave album without a noteworthy hit single.
The Young Rascals
4/5
“Groovin'” by The Young Rascals is a standard 60s rock album, but it contains a few unusual elements, e.g.: “...A Girl Like You” swings, “I Don't Love You Anymore” is inspired by Latin rhythms, while “A Place In The Sun” exudes reggae vibes. None of this is particularly exciting, but for me, the aforementioned special features fit remarkably well into the Rascals' sound and songs—something that, in my opinion, often goes wrong with other bands. Since the other songs are anything but bad, the band is simply very musical and does its job very well, this album is thoroughly enjoyable. I knew The Young Rascals by name, but this was still a pleasant surprise.
Rush
5/5
“Moving Pictures” is high on my list of albums that you absolutely must hear. In my opinion, Rush is one of the greatest bands of all time, and this album is their most important work. The only thing better is seeing them live—Rush are also a trio on stage, and even more spectacular than Neil Pearts elaborate and ultra-precise drumming and Alex Lifeson's super-wide guitar sound is Geddy Lee, who actually manages to handle vocals, bass, and keyboards without missing a beat...
Back to the topic: Among the seven monumental songs, I would particularly like to highlight “Tom Sawyer” and “YYZ”. Oh, and don't forget "Limelight"! And did I mention “The Camera Eye” and “Vital Signs”? "Red Barchetta" is also worth a mention, of course, just like the brilliant "Witch Hunt".
I think you get the idea: literally every minute of “Moving Pictures” is rock history. Jack Black likes that.
Eurythmics
4/5
I already mentioned that I find the sheer number of synth pop/new wave albums from the early 80s on this list annoying. However, if an act from this genre is to be mentioned, then Eurythmics' “Sweet Dreams” is a good choice. Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart are simply great musicians and on this album, even the songs apart from the well known singles are worth a listen.
Still not exactly my cup of tea but this is as good as synth based new wave gets.
James Taylor
3/5
“Sweet Baby James” by James Taylor is just as sweetly naive as the title suggests. This album probably fulfills all the clichés associated with singer-songwriters: it consists of naive poems about the author himself—more specifically, about how he felt at certain moments—which he sings himself over predictable chord progressions. What perhaps sets it apart from many others is that James Taylor is a fairly talented singer and that, despite their simplicity, the songs were professionally produced and recorded. On a positive note, you can't tell how old “Sweet Baby James” is—apart from a few wobbles in “Anywhere like Heaven,” which would certainly have been corrected before release after the advent of hard disk recording. Oh, and the last two minutes of "Suite for 20G" are nice - that's the way to play these songs!
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
On “Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere,” Neil Young & Crazy Horse offer a healthy mix of early hard rock and country. The album's greatest strengths are the song-oriented arrangements and the band's tasteful interplay. In addition to one or two songs with hit potential, or at least catchy tunes, a slightly more mature production would have done it good. The sound is somewhat reminiscent of the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Now, there are certainly worse references, but Jimi was a force of nature that was difficult to tame. Neil Young is definitely not in that category. Nevertheless, this album is well worth a listen!
Lou Reed
3/5
I don't quite get Lou Reed's “Transformer”. It wants to be a dark album, but it doesn't really deliver. His biggest hit, “Walk on the Wild Side”, doesn't really grab me because, apart from the lyrics, there's not much to it. “Perfect Day” has potential, but it doesn't sound very depressing, just slightly melancholic, which lightens the mood compared to the other songs and therefore doesn't contribute to the gloom. Overall, it has something of Johnny Cash about it, but without his charisma—and since charisma was everything for Johnny Cash, that doesn't leave much.
Actually a two-star album but I give it a third one for detached coolness and the early glam rock vibes.
Giant Sand
3/5
Yesterday I reviewed Lou Reed, and Giant Sand strike a very similar note, at least musically. However, Lou Reed was around 30 years earlier and was therefore something of a pioneer of his style. Giant Sand, on the other hand, take a different approach to individual songs, which makes “Chore of Enchantment” reasonably varied. Nevertheless, there are only a few moments that give an impression of inspiration, independent creativity, or even innovation. Overall, it's an unremarkable album.
Badly Drawn Boy
2/5
Badly Drawn Boy play... well... poorly composed music. If “The Hour Of Bewilderbeast” had been released in the early 90s, it could have been described as “just another alternative rock band.” But with its release in 2000, it's more like the last gasp of a style that was never meant to last. On top of that, the album has a poorly produced sound that 10 years earlier could have been seen as a protest against the overproduced 80s. This way it's really just a sign of incompetence that the drums don't sound properly integrated because the bass is poorly mixed. It's all a bit sad, because Badly Drawn Boy aren't actually a bad band. Their music is just boring.
Green Day
4/5
I must admit that I massively underestimated this album when it was released. Suddenly, everyone at school liked punk rock, and that was solely because they had heard “Basket Case”. I remember thinking that the song was only so-so at the time. But what really irritated me was that everyone had completely changed their taste in music overnight.
Looking back, these sudden breaks—of which there were several in the 90s—were necessary for the further development of contemporary music. On the other hand, the constant style changes naturally led to very few mature albums being released during that decade. In my opinion, “Dookie” is also extremely important in music history—alongside the punk rock revival, the whole emo wave was ultimately based on it—but it is not a consistently outstanding work.
Long preamble, here are a few notes on the songs: The aforementioned “Basket Case” is based on Johann Pachelbel's Canon in D and was a must for all musicians in the late 90s. I also remember the second real hit, “When I Come Around”, very well. At the time, I missed the “Norwegian Wood” references in “In The End”. Today, the strongest song for me was “Welcome To Paradise”. Otherwise, “Dookie” has its longueurs, apart from a few nice bass breaks. But that's okay, Green Day delivered their masterpiece ten (!) years later—they deserve the development time.
3/5
I had never heard of Spirit before, and it wouldn't have been a disaster if it had stayed that way. “Twelve Dreams Of Dr. Sardonicus” starts promisingly with “Nothin' To Hide” and “Nature's Way", but then loses its way in more experimental passages and falls apart over time. It's not really bad, but ultimately Spirit is just another psychedelic rock band from the 70s. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with that. It's just that I can easily think of 25 better albums in this ballpark that didn't make the list.
Buffalo Springfield
2/5
Buffalo Springfield is a 60s beat band of which there must have been a number by 1967. Their album "... Again" is well produced but lacks anything special to stand out and give it a right to play in this list.
Actually, this is another example of this list not being curated carefully. There already are a lot of 60s albums included and most of them are great. And then they added some random stuff, I guess? If it's to fill up the 1001, there's a bunch of more obvious choices.
Elvis Costello
2/5
Wow, the third boring album in a row!
Before I joined this project, I had only known Elvis Costello by name - so he must be kind of famous. Earlier on this journey, I reviewed an album of his from the 90s which didn't convince me either. However, the reasons are totally different, so he was probably great in the 80s...
Before "My Aim Is True", Costello did his thing as a Singer-Songwriter and on this album he was equipped with a backing band - which as such is a good idea as he has an interesting voice but poor guitar playing skills (the latter I remember from his other record). Still, his voice is not at all times well embedded in the music, leaving the impression of a partnership of convenience. On the other hand, there are a few songs ("Alison", "...Red Shoes") where singer and band align better and give a glimpse of an actually promising and rising artist. As stated in the beginning: Elvis Costello might have been great in the 80s. If so, this still doesn't answer the question why they put his weaker albums on the list.
Kelela
1/5
I don't even know what to write about this album—I'm so shocked that such shallow mainstream pop made it onto the list. Music like this is usually hyped up for a few weeks and then, after a year at most, no one remembers it anymore. I gave up after four songs because it's just annoying, but apparently there's at least one music journalist who voluntarily subjected himself to it a second time...
Anyway, tomorrow there's bound to be another album worth listening to.
Screaming Trees
3/5
I was only vaguely familiar with Screaming Trees and had somehow expected to come across them during this project. "Dust" delivers decent, well-produced 90s alternative rock without standing out in any way. That's okay, I can listen to this kind of music quite well from time to time. I'm not really familiar with their back catalogue, but from what I've read, this could be another case of "the wrong album made it onto the list".
Anyway, this album is OK.
Fleetwood Mac
4/5
While Fleetwood Mac are clearly a legend, including their aldum "Tusk" on this list is debatable. Wikipedia says this was a more experimental album (which is not wrong) but my main impression when listening to it was inconsistence. Some of the songs follow very different approaches and not all of them suit Fleetwood Mac well. On the other hand, there are some great songs here, including "Sisters of the Moon" and large parts of disk two. All together, this record leaves me mith some nice ideas and mixed feelings - similar to the Beatles' White Album and thus rated accordingly.
Van Halen
5/5
MCMLXXXIV is probably Van Halen's most famous (though not their best IMHO) and surely their most iconic album. Best know for the great but odd "Jump", the party actually starts after that. So I recommend skipping straight to “Panama,” especially since you already know the beginning. The remaining six songs are also great, with “Hot For Teacher” (basically "La Grange" on speed) standing out a bit.
This album definitely plays in the league of legends, but I may have listened to it a little too often.
The Youngbloods
4/5
This is an exciting album, and it took me a few minutes to realize that. “Darkness, Darkness” sounds like typical 60s folk rock with a strikingly high voice. But in fact, The Youngbloods are much more than that, as they move with remarkable ease across the entire spectrum from rock to jazz on “Elephant Mountain.” Thanks to Young's voice and Banana's virtuosity, my impression is that there are no real breaks, but rather a relaxed meandering that doesn't pay too much attention to stylistic boundaries. This is probably not everyone's cup of tea, but I enjoyed it and I think this is how easy listening should be.