Mis favoritas en primera escucha son Untitled, Memories Are Made Of This, A Minor Aversion, Know Your Product
I like it. I understand the cultural significance and I'd probably have fun playing these songs on the guitar. Simple songs can be great and these might be, but the record feels too repetitive for me.
I was definitely excited in the morning when I got this as today's album. Knowing how critically acclaimed it is, I went into this with high expectations, which were definitely met. I feel like listening to this album was long overdue for me.
I'm not a big fan of country music and I've barely listened to Johnny Cash's music before, but this was so fun. The idea of singing this particular selection of songs in a prison; the stage banter, the engagement of the audience especially during funny moments... this is a very special live album.
I wasn't sure whether to rate it 3 or 4. Might edit it in the future.
I didn't know any of the songs before. My favorites on first listen were King Harvest (Has Surely Come), The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, The Unfaithful Servant and Across The Great Divide
I acknowledge that it can be a bit unfair to rate an ambient album when it's up against the other genres in this list. I don't think it's necessarily a bad album and it probably has its place in the ambient music genre. That said, I didn't really care about it.
Maybe I need more exposure to hip hop to really enjoy this.
Had to go listen more Simon & Garfunkel to decide if I wanted to rate this a 4 or a 5, so I guess I spoiled their next albums on this list. I really liked this but they've made even better music in my opinion.
Edit: after a couple more listens I changed it to a 5.
My favourite was Car Song
In my opinion the guitars were the best component in this album. The string and brass arrangements, and of course the vocals were great too. I don't like the stereo mix (or at least the one on Spotify), but I guess back then they were mostly focused on mono.
I loved this folk rock sound.
Live and Let Live was my favourite.
Even Flow, Black and Alive were standouts on first listen, so I'm not surprised they're the most popular on Spotify right now. I really liked Deep too. Great Album.
My favourite on first listen was Magic Hollow. Also The Wolf of Velvet Fortune and Only Dreaming Now.
I'm not sure why the ratings on this web page are so low. There are probably many better albums on the list, but this is not bad at all. I'd probably rate it a 3.5
3.5
I liked it.
However, he can shove his fish and chips
Highlights: Lonesome Tears, The Golden Age, Round The Bend
I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with this album. It just doesn't work for me, for some reason. This is still one of my first albums, so I know that this page is going to say that I hate reggae for a long time (which is not true). But this is the first on the list that I actively disliked.
I think this is the kind of 80's music I dislike the most...
I'd never heard about this band before, but this album was definitely a pleasant surprise; especially the production, which is remarkable. The mix of acoustic instruments, electronic textures and layered vocals is impeccable.
Wor and Default were standout tracks for me.
This is my fourth Hip Hop album on the list, and I'm someone who knows basically nothing about the genre. Although two of the other three have high ratings on this page (and I didn't give them bad ratings), I feel like Stankonia was the introduction I needed to Hip Hop.
Ms. Jackson is amazing, no wonder it was such a huge success.
As a side note, this morning I bought a different album and I also randomly picked up a free music magazine in the store. There was a whole section dedicated to this album, celebrating its 25th anniversary. I didn't know Stankonia or OutKast previously, so it was a nice coincidence.
I can't say I'm a big fan of metal, but this was good. I enjoyed it more than I expected.
The production is great. However, this was very hard to rate, as what really caught my attention was the very interesting electronic production, but not the songs by themselves.
My favourites on first listen: Frontlines, Enough, LMK
My second Nick Cave album on this list, just two weeks after the first.
This album sounds like grief, it's devastating. The songwriting is exceptional, especially in the closing song, Hollywood. Sonically it's mostly ambient music, but emotionally, it is very, very heavy. It's ironic that, for being ambient music, it kept drawing my attention whenever I tried to do anything else while listening.
My first Beatles album on the list. A classic.
I haven't heard it before, but I know it's very popular.
I don't know, most of the songs sound kind of the same to me. Maybe punk is not really my thing. It is fun, though, and maybe I'll like the album better if I listen more to it.
I liked Welcome To Paradise
After the first listen, I read a review that said "God bless the second listen", so I decided to give it another chance.
I'm glad I did.
First Listen: 4.5
I already knew The Killing Moon quite well, so I was excited to hear the whole album. It could likely become a 5 with a few more listens.
On second listen: yeah, this is a 5. I'd say this is more of a night album
2.5
Nothing wrong with it, but it did not catch my attention either. I liked the guitar parts towards the end, especially in The Treasure. I might raise the rating up to three someday if I'm feeling less harsh.
A good modern pop album, containing some of Adele's biggest hits. She demonstrates her exceptional voice here.
I have to admit I'm sick of Someone Like You, which is not a bad song, but it's overplayed. Rolling In The Deep definetly deserves the hype. My favourite songs that I didn't previously know were One And Only and Lovesong.
Finally one that I have in my (tiny) physical collection and that I didn't borrow or stream! It's kind of overkill that Mike Oldfield has published 2 million versions of Tubular Bells, but this is a great prog-rock album; very original and very special. As most people, I've heard way more the first half than the second.
Best song: Tubular Bells
2.5
I wasn't particularly entertained, but I do think that I should give this album another chance someday, so there's a possibility I will bump the rating up in the future. The vocalists are great, for sure.
I haven't listened to Paul McCartney solo in a while! This really takes me back (even if it hasn't been that long, but I'm young), as McCartney was my first ever concert as a kid. I remember I took my binoculars to the show, as I was seated in the nosebleeds. Great show, and a few of the songs on this album were in the setlist, which were Band On The Run, Let Me Roll It, Nineteen Hundred And Eighty Five. We recorded the latter and I've watched so many times over the years, which might be half the reason that it was the song I found most enjoyable while listening to the album this time. I do think it's the best song on the album regardless of the memories. The title track is not far behind.
Not a perfect album, but there are some amazing songs in here.
Surprisingly good as background music for studying, as it is pleasant although extremely repetitive. Other than for that use, I have no desire to listen to it again, even if I don't actively dislike it.
"And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make".
Always a masterpiece. What a great way to end a career as a band (well, ignoring the fact that Let It Be was released later). This is a rare perfect album, no wonder it is at the very top in the global highest rated albums in this page, tied with Rumours. Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End is such a perfect ending, with Her Majesty as a nice little epilogue. I'm so glad to have heard the mash up of the three songs live as a closing for the Paul McCartney show I attended as a kid. But really, every song on here is perfect. I also love George Harrison's contributions to this record, both as a songwriter and guitar player.
Been getting a lot of Beatles recently here. Revolver a couple weeks ago; McCartney's Band On The Run two days ago.
"Everyday I wake up and it's Sunday". Good thing I'm listening on a Sunday.
My favourites were Writing To Reach You and Why Does It Always Rain On Me? The hidden track was one of the best ones for me, too.
Also, what's up with these guys and Wonderwall? It was mentioned three times during the album.
I really got into this album a few years ago, so there would be no need to re-listen to rate this a 5. However, it is fun to revisit albums with this list that I haven't listened in a while, and find how my perspective has changed over the years. Or simply enjoy it once again.
Very creative, dark and elegant. Sour Times, Wandering Star and Glory Box are still the highlights for me; and this time I've also really liked Numb. But really, the whole album is perfect; and gloomy in a very cool way. Beth Gibbon's beautifully chilling vocals mix perfectly with the groovy electronic textures and samples; along with the additional instruments. Genious production and work in general from Geoff Barrow.
Good thing to remember why love this. 5/5
I have to admit I'm not the biggest fan of 80's synth-pop, because the synths and effects make music very much dated and could become annoying over time; but this was a good album. Great songs, and the 80s synth textures are mostly chosen with good taste. "Don't You Want Me" was easily the best song and leaves you with a good aftertaste at the end of the album. "The Things That Dreams Are Made Of" was one of my favourites, too.
All in all, a good inclusion in this list, and I can see it being a very influential album in pop music.
I'm not the Grinch. This probably doesn't deserve a low rating, but I simply don't like Christmas music. Huge respect to the artists who participated in the album, though. The production is good too.
I fell asleep in the first listen and woke up during Aumgn. I almost felt like I was dying. So I had to start all over again to really listen to this.
I can't say I fully understand this album, but part of the reason I went into this journey is to be more open minded, including for experimental music. I do like prog-rock, so it's not like an album like this was painful to listen or even that strange.
The first half is more conventional and accessible. I like the jamming, especially the more guitar-driven parts in Halleluwah, which is arguably the best track. I didn't realize until later that it was 18 minutes long, as it felt much shorter.
Then comes the second half (second LP), starting with Aumgn, which still makes me feel like I'm dying. Maybe the psychedelics are necessary for the listener too to get this. Very weird, but if it's said that this was a very influential album, then I believe that. Bring Me Coffee Or Tee is more in line with what we heard in the first half, so it was refreshing after listening to Peking O.
All in all, I think it's more necessary to give an attentive listen to this album compared to others on the list to really appreciate it. The second half won't sound like anything more than background noise otherwise.
This time I'm more or less sitting on the fence by rating a three. I didn't actively dislike it (except maybe Mushroom), but I didn't understand or enjoy it enough to rate it any higher.
I'm very confused. I don't think I've ever liked and hated an album so much at the same time.
The repetition, which I know is intentional, irritates me. The singing makes me extremely uncomfortable at times (listening to Girl was torture for me, and all the screaming in Frankie Teardrop was kind of painful too). At the same time, dare I say I really like the overall minimalistic electronic sound and the discomfort some of the songs bring me? I wasn't around when this was released, but I can imagine this being very creative and original for 1977.
I didn't "like" this album. I even want to rate it a 1 or 2 because of how much I hated at times, as most people in this page, whose reactions I understand. However, I think it perfectly accomplished what it was meant to, which I'm pretty sure included making the listener weirdly uncomfortable. Maybe that was part of the punk spirit in here. And I'm generally not a big fan of punk music.
I'm glad I wasn't lead by my gut reaction and actually tried to get through this with an open mind, because the more I think about it, the more I believe this is a great album. Not all music has to be made to be enjoyed the same way; this should be true especially for more experimental albums like this, that aim to cause different reactions.
I don't think I'll want to listen to the Suicide debut album again in a while, but it definetly belongs on the list of "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".
It's a shame that I'm someone who usually doesn't focus on lyrics while listening to music (partly because 99 % of what I listen is not in my native language), as it seems from other reviews that they are the most important component of this album. Not that it's not musically good too. I should listen to more Hip Hop as I know next to nothing about it beyond the 6 or 7 albums I got so far in this list.
Maybe for a future re-listen (and I take note that this is one of the albums that I must listen to again) I should search up the lyrics and read them while listening to really appreciate this, as It Takes A Nation To Hold Us Back seems to be widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential albums in music, particularly in the Hip Hop genre.
3.5/5, with a chance to bump up the rating in the future.
Great 80's pop music. No wonder half the tracks on She's So Unusual were hits. Lauper is a phenomenal vocalist and the whole album is so fun. I hadn't been born when this album came out, so without even knowing which songs in Lauper's debut album were the singles (beyond Girls Just Want To Have Fun, which is still insanely popular), I could imagine any of them being a hit.
Right now this is probably my favourite Pink Floyd album.
The masterpiece that is Shine On You Crazy Diamond of course takes the prize for the best song. All 9 parts are magnificent, and the fact that they're divided into two tracks —first and last in the album— really gives the album a full circle feeling. What I love most about Shine On You Crazy Diamond is probably that one four note phrase in Part II diamond is so simple, but at the same time so magical. I love the sax solo at the end of the first half. The glass harp at the beginning is fully engraved in my mind with the many times I've listened to it. But most of all, it's David Gilmour's guitar work throughout the whole Shine On You Crazy Diamond that makes it so great. He's truly a master of his craft; definetly one of the best guitar players I've ever heard.
It's also interesting to just listen Shine On You Crazy Diamond from beginning to end, all 9 parts without the other songs in between, as a way to appreciate the piece in full.
The title track is obviously a classic, but I like Welcome To The Machine even more. Again, I love Gilmour's guitars in this, but the synth solos in this song are exceptional and so powerful.
Roger Waters did a phenomenal job in the writing and composition in this album, but for me it's Gilmour's guitars that really make this whole album a masterpiece.
The fact that my least favourite track in Wish You Were Here is Have A Cigar, which is still great, says a lot about not only the overall quality of the album, but throughout every second of it.
I didn't know what to expect but this was a pleasant surprise. I was somewhat familiar with the name of the band, but I couldn't name any songs. Turns out I had definetly heard the singles before.
All the singles were highlights, along with other songs like Of Moons, Birds & Monsters. But really, all the songs are quite good, even though I'm not a huge fan of the lead vocals on some of them.
I like how this is kind of pop music, but it still sounds so different from mainstream pop. I'm sure this has influenced a lot of newer music.
I'm torn on whether to rate a 4 or 5, so I'll go for a 4, but I see this as a 4.5/5.
The mix of Hip Hip with other genres like jazz and soul in To Pimp A Butterfly is insane. This album sounds so creative and is filled with subtleties. It feels so varied, but at the same time it's cohesive. The production is on point too. I haven't listened to much Hip Hop in my life, but it's plain to see that To Pimp A Butterfly is spectacular. No wonder it's so critically acclaimed.
"Wesley's Theory" is an incredible opening. I also really liked "u", "Momma", "How Much A Dollar Cost" and "The Blacker The Berry".
It's a shame I got this during one my busiest weeks of the year, as I don't have time for a second listen right now to pay more attention to the lyrics. This is surely going to my list of albums I have to re-listen (hopefully soon).
I don't want to hate it because I liked the ideas I can hear in the album. However, this is my first noise rock album, and I guess I expected something more extreme, something that would prompt a stronger reaction. But I was simply bored. With other challenging albums in this list I've been able to see the greatness in them despite not having a completely pleasant reaction; but this came out in 2004, so there's no way there haven't been more revolutionary, influential and insteresting noise rock albums.
Or maybe I'll eat my words in the future if I ever give this a chance with a different mindset. But for now, I'm giving this a 1/5.
I might sound pretentious, but the opening track, Chivalry, was a bad first impression. It sounds like the singer is fighting with the instruments to see who gets to dictate the beat. Trouble Down South was better, but Hard To Be Human Again makes it hard to be interested again. Darkness And Doubt and other tracks like Country have some of the most obnoxious violin playing I've ever heard, which has to be intentional, but after the previous tracks I wasn't in the mood to appreciate that. On a side note, the screams in Flitcraft reminded me of the YouTube video of that one goat (or sheep?) screaming, which almost made me chuckle.
I've seen many cases where the vocalists' shortcomings add to the music, but this is not one of them for me. And add to that this irritating violin playing. I'm not necessarily a hater of country music, but I despised the country influence in this particular instance. I think the album is listenable, but I didn't enjoy it.
I hate to be right now one of those people who say certain music is bad; so I don't know, maybe I'm missing something. This is labeled as post-punk in the generator, so it's upsetting to give a low score to an album of the genre that has been my favourite so far in this journey.
This is amazing. Again reminding me why post punk has been one of my favourite genres so far in my 1001 album journey. I feel like with a couple more listens to this I could really get into Siouxsie And The Banshees, which I already expected to like as I'm a fan of other artists that drew inspiration from them.
Siouxsie's vocals in Juju are not just technically good, they're angsty, haunting, dark and powerful. There's something hypnotizing in the mix of Siouxsie's singing and the, at times, almost chaotic guitar. The guitar in this album has a huge impact too.
For now I'm rating this a 4, but it could perfectly turn into a 5 with a re-listen.
I am a Taylor Swift fan, so that obviously means I'm biased; and also because Folklore and Evermore were the albums that made me a fan in the first place. But this is a great record. One of, if not her best album regarding songwriting. Of course, we cannot overlook Aaron Desserner's huge contribution towards production and composition. I'd say he's been her best collaborator so far.
Although it's not among my favourites anymore, "willow" was the first song that got me hooked on Taylor Swift. The second track, "champagne problems" is probably one of the greatest gems in Swift's discography, containing arguably one of the best bridges she's ever written (and any fan will tell you that bridges are her strong suit).
Over the years, I think "'tis the damn season" is the song from Evermore that has grown on me the most. I love how the guitar sounds almost cold, as it's setting the tone for the winter season when the narrator spends the holidays with her old flame. "tolerate it" has to be another one of the undeniable gems in the album. The 5/4 meter allows for unusually long lines within the lyrics. The instrumentation and songwriting make for a beautiful use of the odd meter.
"marjorie" might not stand out on a not very attentive listen, but it has another great bridge and it's one of those songs that really tug at your heartstrings, written about Swift's grandmother.
"closure" is another track composed in 5/4. I know this song is not well-liked inside the fandom, which I've always found crazy as it's one of the best in Evermore for me.
Finally, "evermore" is easily one of the most underrated Taylor Swift songs. A hopeful ending after all the pain and reflection. Bon Iver and Taylor Swift's voice fit together so well, and he elevates the song to another level.
To be honest, although "evermore" is an amazing closer, I've always seen the standard edition of the album as a shortened version of the album, while the deluxe edition actually feels complete. There are two extra tracks. "right where you left me" almost sounds almost cheerful, but is probably one of the saddest songs she's ever written. Swift cheekily decided to end Evermore with a song called "it's time to go", which is about moving on from the hardships of life.
I'm surprised that Evermore was the album chosen for this list instead of Folklore. Not that I believe that Evermore is not up to Folklore (although I do prefer Folklore), but the latter was much more commercially successful, popular, and I'd say more critically acclaimed. So Evermore has always lived in the shadow of Folklore, considering it came out roughly 5 months later, and Folklore had already been the "big surprise" during the pandemic. That alone makes me happy that they chose Evermore for this list instead.
I was in the toilet while listening to Wars of Armageddon —as I listen with headphones— and then the fart sounds started. I thought I was trippin'.
I've really taken a liking to Simon & Garfunkel since I got Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme in this generator, so I'm looking forward to listening to one of Paul Simon's most critically acclaimed solo albums.
Having only heard Simon & Garfunkel before, and not having noticed that Graceland came out in 1986, I was dumbfounded when I started and heard all the 80's music elements in this. But there's an elegance to the mix of Paul Simon's impeccable songwriting, African music and 80's music elements.
I love Simon & Garfunkel. A few months ago I got Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme in this generator, which was the first time I listened to an album by this duo. I really enjoyed it, so since then I've listened to their whole discography (I actually binge listened to it on one sitting when I got a pack with the five albums on CD, as it's not really that long).
Admittedly, I've really liked Bookends, but it hasn't been my favourite record made by Simon & Garfunkel. I really loved hearing it between Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme, and Bridge Over Troubled Water, but I liked those two albums better. That said, I'd say Bookends gets even better on the second listen. Paul Simon is such an amazing songwriter.
The highlights for me were Overs, Old Friends, Fakin' It, Mrs. Robinson, A Hazy Shade Of Winter; which I now realize is about half of the album so maybe for me Bookends falls between a 4/5 and a 5/5 rating. I might bump the rating up on the future with more re-listens.
On a side note, I really have the urge to play Mrs. Robinson on guitar now after hearing it again!
I don't know what to make of this. I like the dark atmosphere, the variety in time signatures, the frequent dissonance, and the instrumentals in general. The dynamics are surprisingly crazy; not because it's loud all the time, but because it's fairly quiet most of the time, and that makes the higher points even more impactful. Beyond the harmony and rythym, this album relies upon the subtleties created as a consequence of the huge dynamic range. I was listening with nice headphones (connected through Bluetooth and streaming, admittedly) and I still needed to turn up the volume a few times to hear all elements well (and avoid turning it down when it got a bit loud). Good thing I always have volume normalisation turned off; this must be the kind of music that gets ruined with that setting.
It might be the spoken —almost whispered— vocals that put me off of this album to some degree. Maybe that's why Washer was the song I liked best.
It's surprising how I for the first couple of songs I thought I wasn't going to dig this, but after paying closer attention and some reflection I started to get more into it.
I'm pretty sure this has to be one of those that grows on you with a few listens, and might be more appreciated when you're in a particular, maybe darker, headspace. As with many others on this journey, this will go to my list of albums to re-listen.
EDIT: Some of my thoughts changed after listening to this album a bit more. Here is my original review after the first listen:
The opening track, "I Hang Suspended" was amazing. It marked a great start for the album so I started with a good predisposition for the rest of the album. However, I feel that Giant Steps didn't keep up the quality as I started to lose interest by the second track. I definetly like the overall sound; the compositions and interpretations are good, and the singer has a very nice voice, but I couldn't feel very invested in it. As always, this might be a matter of just needing one or two more listens to really get into it, especially considering this album is labeled as a few styles I usually like (including Britpop, which I apparently like much better than most people in this web page).
I wasn't too disengaged, though. I still found the album likeable and discovered other highlights in it beyond the first track, like "If You Want It, Take It", "Lazarus"; and especially "I've Lost the Reason", which was easily my favourite. I also liked in particular the noisier parts like "Run My Way Runaway".
As a final note to self, I actually quite enjoyed the second half. Maybe if I listen to the first half again soon I'll appreciate the album much more.
EDIT: After listening a bit more to it I regret saying previously that this wasn't very engaging. I was right with my final note and I just needed to give it another chance. "Wish I Was Skinny", "Leaves and Sand" and "Barney (...and Me)" are great songs too. In the latter, I love the contrast between the noisier and the brighter sections.
I was originally going to rate this a 3/5, but after giving it a second chance I'm rating Giant Steps a 4/5.
To me this sounds... bland? There's nothing wrong in particular, but it sounds all the same. I find that a lot of the time punk and punk-adjacent albums can be repetitive and not very varied, but still they're not too wearying because the artists know how to be concise. The guitars, which are louder than any other element in the songs (enough to drown out the vocals even considering this is a studio album), sound almost the same throughout. Did this album really need to be 20 songs/69 minutes long? On top of that, it was released in 1987, so I doubt it was even particularly innovative either; at least not enough to justify such a self-indulgent record.
The only song that stood out for me was "Ice Cold Ice".
I wouldn't have expected to be into an album of this type of energetic electronic music. I know basically nothing of the context for this genre but this is great. Very fun, varied, heavy, punchy and high-energy. This is one of those albums that I probably would have never listened to had it not been for having embarked on this journey as I've never really thought to listen to this kind o music. Amazing production, which I assume is to be expected from electronica.
4/5
P.S.: like with many other people in this page, my very first thought when I first saw the cover of the album was the crab rave video. This cover picture is honestly amazing.
Starting off with one of the greatest and most popular guitar songs of all time, the title track of Hotel California; which I know by heart as I've listened to it many times (like most people here, I assume) and I played it on guitar at some point. Beyond that, I hadn't listened to any of the other songs before. I'd say all the tracks are pretty solid, even if they're not up to the level of the first one (which obviously sets the bar pretty high). It's evident that the opening track is the best, but there are other highlights like "New Kid In Town", "Victim Of Love" or "Wasted Time". Personally, it was the more guitar-driven songs that I enjoyed the most.
Apart from "Hotel California" and "Victim Of Love", one of my favorites was the reprise for "Wasted Time". A lot of the time a reprise or interlude is not even discussed as a possible highlight or even as a proper song or track. However, in this case it was such as outstanding string composition.
Overall, a 4/5 for me.
When I got this album generated I saw this very punk album cover with an atomic bomb explosion, so I was amazed when I read a second later that the record was actually released in 1958. The jazz guys were truly ahead of their time with making original album covers!
A Big Band album where brass is the predominant sound, The Atomic Mr Basie is a very fun listen and a joyous album all around. My young ears hadn't even realised until I read other reviews that this is the kind of music people used to dance to 70 years ago, but this must be some amazing album for that.
4/5
So I see that this is a very acclaimed album, but I don't see the vision for now. I did like the production, the sampling, the loops... This must be one of those that's probably a really good album, and I just don't understand it. Maybe I just need to get more into Hip Hop and I might end up really liking it in the future.
I'm starting to really like Beck with this 1001 album journey. This is the second of his albums that I get to rate, and Sea Change was already a 5/5 album for me.
Odelay is such and elegant blend of so many genres and styles. While Sea Change is mostly (modern) folk, I was very surprised to hear in Odelay all the elements like sampling, winds, synths, and the very significant Hip Hop influence (Beck even raps here!). Still, there's a lot of rock, a lot of guitar, some folk and even some psychedelic music.
Some of my favourite songs were "The New Pollution", "Derelict" and "Where It's At".
On a side note, I found it funny that "Derelict" (and a few other songs to some degree) really sounded like Little Big Planet music for me. Probably because of the mix of Indian instruments with electronic percussion and synthesisers.
I think I still prefer Sea Change, but I see the brilliance in Odelay. I'd say this is probably one of those albums that takes a few listens to really get into it. I listened to it twice today and for now I'm rating Odelay a 4/5 (actually a 4.5/5). Maybe in time I'll change it to 5/5.
Very grandiose album. The Wall was the first Pink Floyd album I ever listened. Watching the The Wall film was my introduction to Pink Floyd, actually. It really helped to understand the storyline —although it's relatively easy to follow compared to other concept albums out there—. David Gilmour's guitars are usually my favourite part in the band's albums, and this is not the exception, but the way Roger Waters constructs the story of Pink in The Wall is brilliant, from his childhood, to how he builds his metaphorical wall, to finally tearing down the wall.
I've seen some criticism to the composition and singing in some songs that don't really sound that "good" as standalone tracks. However, all tracks (and those in particular) are meants to be listened inside the album, as the context really matters. Not every element and every vocal is meant to sound pleasant as The Wall is obviously not that kind of album. It all serves the narrative of a man going mad and isolating himself from the world.
I've played a few of the songs on guitar over the years. Some of my favourite tracks are (in tracklist order) "Goodbye Blue Sky", "Young Lust", "Hey You", "Is There Anybody Out There?", "Comfortably Numb" (with one of the best guitar solos ever played), "Run Like Hell" and "The Trial". The judge part in "The Trial" always gives me goosebumps.
I also love the main leitmotif in the album, so simple, yet so iconic and impactful.
As a whole, the second LP is truly outstanding, especially side 3 (starting with "Hey You" and ending in the most epic way, "Comfortably Numb". All 6 songs are amazing).
Lastly, it's worth mentioning that "Another Brick In The Wall, Pt. 2" is of course amazing, but sometimes it gets a bit harder to appreciate as it is vastly overplayed. The solo is amazing, though.
Undoubtedly, The Wall is a 5/5 album.
Music From The Penguin Cafe is the kind of album that makes me the most glad of having embarked on the 1001 album journey. Even if I do generally enjoy this kind of music (or more like, the genres and styles that are present in this), I probably would have never thought to listen to this album, let alone even knowing of its existence.
This record sits nicely between folk and classical music, mostly. The artists are not afraid to explore with full freedom the line between modern folk/rock with acoustic and electric guitar and bass, and more classical sensibilities with other instruments like the violin, cello or spinet. The compositions are very original and the music sounds timeless. This is one of those that requires you to sit and listen intently.
By the way, I have no idea what the album cover means, but I like it. I also like the consistency with the band's different album covers (check them out, the penguins and the naked people with penguin heads are a recurring theme).
This was very hard to rate. It's not exactly what I would listen usually, but the creativity in Music From The Penguin Cafe had me marvelled in a way that rarely happens. So I think this deserves the 5 starts even if it's not going to enter my regular rotation and I've rated lower other albums that I like "more".
The compositions are good and I think this could eventually grow on me.
3.5/5
The instrumentals are good, but I feel like the music is ruined by the hoarse, monotone vocals. It may have its place in history, but I don't really hear what makes this album particularity interesting or essential. It probably didn't even come early enough to be revolutionary, unlike other albums in the list that also might not have been particularly appealing. On top of the singing, I hated the vocal production.
I have no interest in listening to this again.
1.5/5
I wasn't expecting anything great when I first saw the average rating on this site. Turns out people just hate pop music. It's actually a good album, with a lot of variety. Probably not something too revolutionary considering it is fairly "recent", but even giving it a 3 seems a bit low. Maybe a 3.5/5.
It feels too overdone for me. Admittedly, I think my opinion improved a bit when I read that this was developed from a musical, as that explains the direction of this to some degree. The songs are well composed. I might like them more presented in a different way, but I really wasn't into this particular hard rock production on some of the songs. I did like the second half much better than the first.
The standouts for me were "Heaven Can Wait" and "For Crying Out Loud".
3/5 because I actually liked it towards the end.
The lead guitar in this album is definetly some of the best guitar soloing I've ever heard. All songs were good, but I'd say the bass and drums didn't really get my attention, especially considering that the foundation of some tracks just sounds like a blues-rock standard. But again, what really takes the focus during many parts is the lead guitar, which is out of this world. That alone guarantees at least a 4/5 rating.
And beyond the incredible guitars, it was overall a great album, so a 4.5/5 for now. Could become a 5/5 with future re-listens.
Highlights: every single guitar part. And no, I won't shut up about it.
Very nice pop music. Great compositions, catchy songs, amazing vocals and some extremely popular songs that, although a bit overplayed, are still among the very best that pop music has to offer (which is impressive, as there are so so many amazing pop songs out there). Very obvious why Arrival is considered essential enough to make it to this list, as some of the tracks in here have had a huge impact, as well as many other ABBA songs.
4/5, and I'm not rating it 5/5 purely because of personal preference, as it is consistently great and cohesive.
I've been meaning to listen to this album for a while as I was curious and never really got around to it, but it seems like today is the day!
The music is beautiful and I can see it fitting a variety of moods; day, night, busy, relaxation, going to sleep... Never a distraction, and always a choice to actually pay attention.
However, it's very hard to rate ambient music, especially in a project like this. Yes, it's quite pleasant, so I think I can rule out giving this a bad rating. But at the same time, it's not really captivating. Not because it's not good music; on the contrary, it's because it's good ambient music, and ambient music is not meant to be distracting. It shouldn't catch your attention and take your focus away from something else unless you actively choose to focus on the music.
In the words of Brian Eno himself, "ambient music must be able to accommodate many levels of listening attention without enforcing one in particular; it must be as ignorable as it is interesting."
How can you compare it then to most other albums on the list? Usually they try to catch your attention or demand an attentive listen to be fully appreciated. Still, the ambient genre is music that must exist. Not just for artistic expression, but also because ignorable music is necessary in the world. I often think that the most important qualities in a piece of music are originality, quality and purpose. The purpose is tied to the context and the reaction/use that the creator wants or expects for their piece. I'd say purpose is the aspect in which ambient music shines most. So even if it's hardly comparable with basically most other genres, ambient music can still be labeled as "good".
What I do know for sure is that this album deserves to be on the list, as it's one of the most important ones (if not THE most important) in history of ambient music, and a truly innovative idea. Maybe not the first ambient record, but I bet it had its huge roll in laying the foundation of what ambient music should be.
I can say, though, that I will be adding this album to my regular rotation of music for studying/work.
This is some amazing pop music. Great, catchy songs. Good compositions and production, even though 80's pop is not exactly my favourite. But most of all, Michael Jackson's vocals are unbelievable.
Obviously some of the songs are extremely popular, like "Thriller", "Beat It" and "Billie Jean" (amazing song run, by the way). This record has the formula for an excellent pop album, so I'm not surprised it's the best selling of all time even if it's not exactly to my taste.
By the way, every time I hear "the kid is not my son" in "Billie Jean", that one meme in Spanish comes into mind. "¿Tú quieres una manzana?"
4/5 for personal preference, but I think it's a fantastic pop record.
I got The Rolling Stones' debut album (the UK one) just two days ago, and although I know of course some of the most popular songs by the band, it was my first time listening to a Rolling Stones album in full. It was okay, but I didn't find it very special. This album though, it's miles better. "Sympathy For The Devil" (which is the only song here that I knew before) is an incredible opener; no wonder it's so popular.
"Stray Cat Blues" was another highlight for me.
I feel like Beggar's Banquet would have been a much better first impression of the band. Recording quality is also much better in this; although the four years in between probably did make a difference in technology. I'm glad for the coincidence of getting both albums so close together as I get a bit more context (with just a couple of days difference) as to what were The Rolling Stones in 1964 and what they were going to be just a few years later.
I gave the debut album a 3/5 rating.
I'm rating Beggar's Banquet 4/5.
Honestly, the problem with this is not the noise. There are other albums that weren't particularly pleasing but that I still rated a 4/5 because I thought maybe they were revolting and original enough to actually be quite good. But that's the thing, I don't like this album not because of the noise —I actually think the most obnoxious parts were the best—, but because I simply didn't hear the spark that ties it all together. So it doesn't compensate for the annoyance.
Too much of the first side was a bit boring to me. The second side, though, is much more interesting and saves this a bit.
2/5
This sounds like such a fun live show. Besides being a phenomenal singer, Sam Cooke has a talent for interacting with the crowd and making them feel included in the performance. Unbelievable stage presence.
Encountering live albums like this make me really happy.
I'm rating it 4.5/5, although giving a 4/5 feels a bit low. At least that gives me a reason to revisit this and consider bumping it up to a 5/5.
I honestly didn't see anything particularly special about this. Definitely nothing bad, but I found it a bit inoffensive. Maybe I'll appreciate it more if I listen to other Queens Of The Stone Age albums in the future, but for now I don't really care much about it.
3/5 because I don't really see anything wrong in particular, but it didn't stand out either.
By the way, this is very random but why are the sounds at the end of the last track so loud? I had to lower the volume and it wasn't even high before.
Jarvis Cocker is a strange character. I like it; I think that gives these songs even more personality. Songs like "I Spy" are offensive enough to be brilliant. That's probably my favourite in the album too.
I listened to this a couple times before rating, and I liked Different Class even more the second time. Not only that, but I really want to listen to this again soon.
5/5
It's good. I liked the second half better than the first, I think. I was really surprised when it got to Maps, as I did know the song, but I didn't know it was by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. At this point I don't think I can listen to Maps and not think about a video online of a VR lemon lady singing the song in italian.
If I'm being honest I didn't enjoy this nearly as much as It's Blitz!, which I really liked, but I think this is the kind of album and band that will really grow on me (because I difinetly plan to listen to more music by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs in the future). It has already happened with other artists/bands before. That's why this album will be going on my re-listen list, to give it another chance eventually.
3.5/5
