I have this album. Some great tracks but some haven't aged so well...
What a conundrum. If I was assessing this on how good some of the songs are I'd give it four stars. But I'm not. It's an album, which should stand as a body of work. And this is a frankenstinian body of disjointed styles and uneven tempo that I can't get into as a result. Now feeling I marked Pentangle really harshly when I at least wanted to listen to that one again.
Day 4 and finally a stone cold banger. Great contrast to the REM album. Hangs together as a piece. Genius tracks. Only one or two less than stellar tracks so marked to 4 (unless I can give a half?)
I know I'm supposed to love AF. I know they've won awards, I know they're very clever, and I know the critics love them. But. I. Just. Can't. Don't know if it's that irritating shuffle beat they love to use. Or a complete absence of emotion in the music. But there we go. Next.
Another failed attempt to like this album. Two (three if you're generous and include Sloop John B) decent tracks. The rest sounds like an Andy Williams Christmas special. Maybe that's the point. It influenced a lot of music and production at the time. But sadly we've all moved on.
It's the tracks that weren't hits that make you realise the depth of songwriting quality on this album. Apart from an excess of (obligatory in the mid 80s) Fairlight synths it's barely aged. Banger.
It's got Neil on it. Always worth at least 4*
Love the energy and venomous lyrics. Still has it even after all these years. Just a lack of variety on the album (where are the ballads ;-)) stops it getting the full 5*.
Really enjoyed the mix of blues and African roots music. Shouldn't really be surprised how well that works. Cooder's guitar work is amazing.
Some great bits. Some less so. Could be a grower.
Wasn't initially going to rate this as a protest against the content. But felt I should express my disgust at the material, whatever the quality of the music. Not an ok topic for an album. And what on earth was Jane Birkin thinking when she posed for that cover? Shouldn't be gracing the list.
Listened to Enter Sandman and actually quite enjoyed it. Briefly worried I might have missed out on 30 years' enjoyment. Further listening reassured me that wasn't the case. Relieved.
Had forgotten how many great tracks there are on this album. The creativity is amazing. Would sell a kidney for the Comfortably Numb solo alone. If it didn't tail-off quite so badly it would have got 5*
Sadly doesn't live up to memories from my youth. Three good tracks, one of which was a (albeit impressively arranged) cover anyway. The rest is just a soup of 80's musical tropes. Shame.
Starts as it means to go on and doesn't relent. Even the drum solo is tolerable.
Where's this one been hiding? Not often you come across an album you've never heard of, by a band you've never heard of, and quite like it. Some great musicianship and very listenable tracks. Definitely going on the metaphorical turntable again.
I love Bob Dylan, love Neil Young, love Joni Mitchell. Non of them can be described as having conventional voices. But Billie Holliday's voice leaves me cold. Would like it to be different. It is what it is.
Difficult one this. Possibly my least favourite album by one of the bands I most enjoy and admire.But it took me 20 years to realise how good Kid A is (despite loving Amnesiac from the get go) so wouldn't rule out an upward revision when I've had more time.
Beautiful and hard hitting by turns. Proof of how much great lyrics can add to a song. There's a reason this guy won a Nobel...
Hard to deliver a bad album when you open with Respect. But every song here is killer. What a voice (and props to the backing band who generate the excitement Aretha feeds off).
Some interesting songs and might be a grower. But docked a star for the most criminal cover of a rock classic other than the Scissor Sisters' Comfortably Numb. What were they thinking?
I love the tracks it inspired (The Who, ELO?) . But somehow I don't love the album. Maybe it's a grower and I'll definitely listen to it again. But I'm going for a cautious 2* until it's proven its worth.
Enjoyed this. Compared to Green the REM sound is coming into focus. A much more sophisticated blend of musical genres and more interesting lyrics from Stype.
A good album that could have been great if it was 2/3 the length. Maybe the instrumental noodlng can be justified as a necessary pré cursor to Songs for the Deaf. But it gets boring quickly.
Appreciate the artistry. Not for me though.
A grudging 2* for Dancing Queen. Nothing else to see here. Next.
Quite enjoyable. Would need to be in the mood to play it again. But if I was in the mood I might just put Santana on...
Surprised at how much I enjoyed this. Great grooves. Powerful message. Would recommend.
Not as good as I remember. But an amazing album nonetheless.
Have wanted to listen to this for ages, being a massive fan of Jeff Buckley's work. Some great parts on the album, but some of it feels leaden and contrived. Maybe that's just the songs dating a little It's gone on the Listen Later list for review though.
There's a choice here between banging songs with frivolous lyrics, or plodding songs with clichéd words. The former are great. The latter means this just gets 3*.
OK but didn't move me in any way. Basically all stuff that Kanye did, and did better. And that's before we discuss the Outro...
Starts as it means to go on. Sadly, that's with plodding, clichéd, rock seemingly written with stadiums in mind - even though this was just their second album. Such a shame that the talent on display on Parachutes morphed into such formula-based music. So inoffensive that it's offensive.
Compound adjectives are rarely harbingers of something good. And jazz-fusion is no exception. I quite like a bit of jazz. So it must be the fusion bit that leaves me utterly disengaged.
Is this the best debut album ever ? So many genres of music represented. Or should I say invented? Only docked a star because European Star is just a bit too experimental.
Really enjoyed this. Dense and guitar driven but still manages to weave melody into the songs.
Thirty years on it's still got it.
Had never heard of this band or album. What a find. Foot tapping beats and excellent lyrics that go from serious to funny in a heartbeat. Nothing not to like.
Surprised to enjoy so many songs beyond Without You. Self-written songs are beautifully crafted and original. The covers are amazingly performed.
Timeless. Neil not only gifted us a hat full of classics here, he inspired another in the shape of Sweet Home Alabama. And not even his best body of work...
Thoroughly enjoyed this even though I wasnt familiar with it. Strikes. A great balance between easily accessible songs and those that take a bit of effort to really enjoy. And Stype's lyrics are as opaque and intriguing as ever.
Genius at work. Although you do need a cumfy pair of slippers and a cup of cocoa to enjoy it at its best.
Another unexpected bit of genius. So many influences combined to make a unique sound. Great, ironic, lyrics. Getting something more from it each time I listen. Will defo be back on the decks..
A brilliant synthesis of so much that's gone before. Which is why it's 4* rather than 5...
So much variety here in brilliantly - executed jazz, rock and classical. And individually some of the songs are quite enjoyable. But, just like fish and sugar, it doesn't work very well when it's put together.
Just... beautiful. A 10* album if it was possible.
Occasionally more Pet Sounds than Pet Sounds. And almost more CSNY than CSNY. I should love this album but it somehow doesn't quite make an emotional connneection. So as it stands it's notable mainly for those pub quizzes where you have to name 3 drummers who can sing and write songs...
An album I'd love to love. But no tracks grab me. Perhaps next time.
A classic. Amazing songs.
A joy to have an album whose experimental focus is rhythm. Despite the innovations the tracks never lack engagement or popular appeal. And let's take a minute to ask why production from 1959 sounds better than most albums today... Amazing.
This is one of those albums that will take a lot longer than a day to take a view on. Some super-nice ideas, and great vocals, but judgement needs to be reserved until I've had time to get to know it. A cautious 3.
Loving the rap introduction the 1001 is giving me. But this album isn't landing. Pretty much downhill after the Mussorsky quote at the start.
Was feeling proud of myself for enduring the monotonous repetition of that awful stars on 45 drumbeat from the 80s. But after the opening 90 seconds of kick drum sample on Rollin' & Scratchin' I couldn't take any more. Life is too short.
Apart from Jon Lord's fannying around with proggy keyboard runs this is a stand out piece of rock.
Gary's Got a Boner merits 3* by itself.
I've enjoyed the introduction to rap that 1001 is giving me. But this album isn't working for me. Not offensive, but not engaging either.
Some nice tunes. Would recommend.
If you want pop this is the bollocks. Great tunes. Great harmonies. Foot tapping beats. Can't want for more.
Dum-da-di-dum-dum-da. Dum-da-di-dum-dum-da. Dum-da-di-dum-dum-da. Dum-da-di-dum-dum-da. Dum-da-di-dum-dum-da. Dum-da-di-dum-dum-da. Dum-da-di-dum-dum-da
If punk and rock had a bastard child...
Musical ketamine. And not in a good way.
Impossible to not move to this. Foot tapping, body-saying excellence.
Amazing combination of musical styles from baroque to jazz. Some of the lyrics seem a little dated but the melodies are mostly stunning. Time of the Season is well worth waiting for, but doesn't overshadow it's album-mates.
Albums done by individual Beatles are always proof that the creative power of that band was in the group, not the individuals. And John Lennon proves that best of all of them. Un-restrained by McCartney his worst is on full display here.
To be fair, the lyrics are often great. But Lennon is at his best when he directs his venom at himself. At least this avoids the criticism of hypocrisy that applies whenever he directs lyrics anywhere else, which is most of the time. The lack of self-awareness is breathtaking.
Melodically though it's an equally difficult listen and if it was anyone other than Lennon I might not have got to the end of the album. Imagine is a plodding dirge. Crippled Inside is the worst song by a Beatle since Don't Pass Me By (which to put in context was written and sung by Ringo). How Do You Sleep is a better attempt but the lyrical content (from a wife beater, adulterer and waitress-glasser) just drags it down too much.
2 from 5. Only Jealous Guy saves it from a 1.
I'm so sorry Dave. It's not you, it's me.
I used to love hanging out with your ex before he died so tragically young. Given that you're so similar I really thought this might work.
I mean, I love the tunes. And the guitar is my favourite instrument. But something about this gives me the ick. Hard to say why, but maybe it's the gnawing idea that you might be scraping your ex's stuff?
Don't be sad. I'm sure we'll see each other occasionally. We have lots of friends in common. And we might even enjoy the odd moment together. But for now we need time apart.
After all the gangster rap I really enjoyed the lighter vibe on this album. Some great tunes, but some I can't quite connect with. One to come back to.
Getting the impression that 1001 thinks Rap was the only thing of value in the 90s. I'm here to be educated but not at all sure that's the case.
Proof in point with this album. Some nice tunes. But with the exception of Killing me Softly, which stands out as an insult to the original, it just leaves me cold. Hoping for a but more variety of genre in the next few days.
Nirvana were great. A shot in the arm for rock music when it was starting to sound like the musical equivalent of deja vu all over again. But copyists, who were always going to come along, needed to be especially talented to make this style of music anything other than a tribute.
And serial star fucker supreme, Courtney Love, was always going to struggle on that front. Could have been made by Nirvana with a female singer. Apart from the fact that it's rubbish. Next.
Pleasant. But didnt grab me by the short and curlies.
Sit down. Crack a beer. And get schooled in songwriting by Alex Turner. Is there anyone else in indie (or even outside the songer/songwriter genre) who can engage you so totally in the lyrics that the music, as good as it is, is almost forgotten. Genius.
Infectious beats. Impressive work from Ginger Baker to hold his own in that company, whether or not he was planted for marketing purposes.
Musical sweetcorn. Goes through you with hardly any interaction.
Where do you start. Can't think of another album that's so varied and so consistently brilliant from start to finish. Sadly there are only 5 stars available.
I'd not listened to this album for about 40 years and it's a bit of a revelation. In my callow youth I was obviously distracted by the bangers on Side 1 (in old money). And Cloudbusting is still the stand out for me.
But all these years later it's Side 2 that's the revelation. I had no idea it was so good. It's like nothing I've heard in pop, apart from the brief helicopter quote from The Wall (can that really be right?) It carries you more like a good piece of classical music. Maybe I was just too busy doing student stuff to bother turning the record over...
My only downer would be that over use of the Fairlight mars the production somewhat (a curse of many mid-80s albums).
A very solid 4*.
The only time I'm expecting to hear a digeridoo on the 1001 (though I live in hope, obviously). I bought this album back in the day, even though jazz funk isn't really my thing. So 3* is a very good score in a very tough market.
So this is why I'm here. No idea why I missed this in 2006 but it's a gem. Properly groundbreaking music (at least as far as my musical knowledge is concerned) in its combination of roots and classical influences. I can absolutely see why it makes the 1001.
And the music provides a perfect platform for the fascinating lyrics. Which connect you more deeply with the music. Which makes you listen more carefully to the lyrics. Maybe it just caught me in the right mood, and maybe I won't want to listen to it again, but I've played it several times and enjoyed each listening more than the last one. Feels like a slow-burner to me.
Outstanding. But slightly too weird for a perfect score.
Possibly my favourite Dylan album. Something that needs to be properly listened to so that it can be really appreciated. Only Joni and Lana del Ray are in the same ballpark when it comes to songwriting about the human condition. Gloriously emotional.
Where do you start? The album that first got me into jazz. And made me determined to understand modes before I shuffle-off my mortal coil. Still sounds as good as it did first time I heard it, 40-odd years ago.
And beyond Miles' obvious brilliance, what a band. Listen to any album by anyone else on the credits and chances are you're in for 40 minutes of pure joy.
An easy 5*
A struggle. Really don't understand Moore and Gordon's God-like status at all. I clearly have to try harder.
Very unsure about this. Gut feeling is the performance (deeply personal and heartfelt and moving) compensates for a series of fairly mediocre songs. Occasionally enjoyable. And possibly the only album I know where the cover is such an integral and powerful part of the story. 3*
Went to see Maiden when they toured the year after this was released. Hated the gig. When the 1001 assigned it to me 45 years later I listened hoping that time had lessened my loathing of metal. It hasn't. Next.
Hadn't heard this for a while. Lyrics are still great and pull you through the album. Music not so much to my taste though.
Love the laid back funky groove.
If you can overlook the dodgy, not to mention criminal, background of the producer (but hey, which of us is perfect) it's a great Xmas listen. 4*
Genius cross of hard rock and rap, especially when the rock being sampled is Zep. Bit of a health warning on other tracks though. 3*
Occasionally rises above pleasant to be really quite nice. There's a better album buried in all this. But as it is, it's a bang average 3*.
OK, so the lyrics jarr. But they're 65 years old and (thank god) we've moved on. This is otherwise classy pop at a time when the rulebook was still being written. 3*
À handful of classic songs and the quality of writing is amazing. Ultimately though just not quite my thing.
Tricky one. Not sure I like it. But I appreciate it for stretching the idea of popular music as far as I can imagine before it becomes completely unlistenable. An unusually generous 3*.
Lots to like. But a bit disjointed. 3*
Great to get back to this album after such a long time. Back in the day I quite liked it. And the tracks I quite liked I now think are really very good. But boy are there some stinkers. Especially around what we used to call the start of Side B and we now call the bit where we might drift off if the material isn't good enough. I'm still at a loss to understand why Welller would invest in this project overall, but on balance I'm glad he did if only for the gift of the better songs here. 3* as a package (though a slack handful of 4* and 5* individual outings
Much more sophisticated than Licensed to III. Some great beats and much more interesting musically. Still some lemons though so 3*
When this album came out 15yo me had no idea how innovative the combination of African rhythms and 50s American guitar work was. Several decades later I suspect Mr Ant is still a bit under-appreciated and seen mainly as a teen phenomenon. All that said, the album didn't grab me, but a solid 3* for innovation and moving the pop genre forward.
Self indulgent prog nonsense. Honestly relieved when we got to the end. Mussorgsky must be turning in his grave. 1*
Not my favourite Fab 4 album by a long chalk. And I would only play it occasionally. But there isn't a weak track on the album. Although some of the best songs on the album are written elsewhere, Lennon and McCartney's songwriting is starting to shine and they hold their own in some illustrious company.
Tasteful jazz-tinged soul. Just runs out of steam at the end.
Some great ideas. For me though they don't come together in any coherent way, both within songs and across the album as a whole. Maybe a day isn't enough time to get to grips with the ambition and I'll come back to it. Who knows. But for now it's a solid 2*
