1001 Albums Summary

Very kitsch, but more because it is a product of its time than anything else. As a house album it suffers for this fact, because the experimental inputs disrupt the rhythm. Standout track was Groove is in the Heart (as expected), as it seemed to balance the quirky elements against the musical fundamentals better than other tracks.

Fundamentally solid vibes music. However, makes me feel like an insane person when I see the numbers still pulled on streaming, etc. It’s nice and emotional, but it is nothing particularly special and most tracks fail to resonate the way this kind of music needs to in order to have any meaningful impact at all, in the absence of varied or technical performance.

A very solid album, but I recognise is in no small part influenced by my pre-existing fondness for this time period and genre. It can be a bit experimental, but it has an Oresteian feeling to it; unlike the earlier Deee-lite album which relies on cheap gimmicks, this album maintains strong fundamentals which carry it through its less rhythmic moments. While there is some experimentation with stereo sound I feel this was under-utilised, and broader deployment across tracks would have added depth.

Absolute classic, but heavy nostalgia factor influencing again. An almost perfect album, barely let down by some more camp songs and their features (Rick Ross???). Strong contender for best Kanye, against Graduation. Four and a half stars would be the fairest rating, but here we are.

Solid rock album, and after reading some other reviews I have a fuller appreciation for what it is and the time that it came from. It would have been a heavy sound at the time, and still is now, paired with some slower and more introspective tracks.

Despite the rating (I am trying to be a more discerning critic, somewhat unsuccessfully) I found the album really fascinating. It has a bit of Jonathan Richman to it, but with a more country flair. I thoroughly enjoyed the music, even if I don’t think it has the technical or historical chops to award a higher rating.

Not unlistenable, but damn close. The instrumentals are fine, but the superficial angst sure does take the listener out of it. If I was thirteen years old I’m sure I’d be moved.

Elevator music, essentially. Nothing particularly exciting.

A solid dad rock album. Like sinking tins on a summer day, entertaining and (musically) unchallenging. Not one for the history books IMO, but after a bit of background reading I can appreciate the politics that informed the album.