A swampy-style rock n roll album rooted in the blues and R&B concepts. The sounds that CCR was renowned for. Some of their best songs came off this album, making it not only an all-time classic of CCR's, but for the rock n roll genre too. It's a must-listen if you like swamp rock and the early rock n roll sound.

I mean, I can't say I hated it. Although if this isn't your wheelhouse, a 20-minute never-ending electronic saga of sound to start the album could feel a bit overbearing. The start of Side B with Jeremy Bender was slightly refreshing. A fun little number about a man finally deciding to become a nun (?). Bitches Crystal was also a cool song with an awesome title. I know ELP has some legendary songs and albums but not sure if this is one of those for me. But overall, it was a fun one-time listen (with Jeremy Bender earning its way into my personal music library).

Pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this album. I didn't know a whole lot about Gene Clark other than being an original member of the Byrds. And man, can you hear it right out the shoot in the opening track 'Life's Greatest Fool'. It sounds like it's straight off of Sweetheart of the Rodeo which is pretty odd given Clark had left the Byrds years before Sweetheart was released (listen to You Ain't Goin Nowhere from that album - a Dylan original). But I digress. You can tell Gene had some really strong writing and arrangement chops (his Byrds bandmates' jealousy over this and the benefits he reaped from it actually contributed to his departure from the band). I found myself enjoying this more and more as it went on, and it's an album I'd absolutely snag at the record store if I came across it. Suffice to say, this is what this challenge is all about, boys. Top tracks: Life's Greatest Fool, Silver Raven, No Other, True One Skips: In my opinion, none. There wasn't a bad track.

The sound and vibes coming off this album are at their peak when you listen to it while drinking a coffee in your home on a cold, rainy day. And that's exactly how I took this one in. At first, it was giving me a "weather channel music" vibe which I guess is fitting given the name of the band and album (primarily 'A Remark You Made'). However, it's a pretty smooth listen throughout and is the type of music I'd put on as I work on something else. It doesn't require a whole lot of thought or attention from the listener, and sometimes that's just as enjoyable as an album that sucks you in for 45 minutes straight. Top tracks: Birdland, The Juggler Skips: Rumba Mamba - it just sticks out like a sore thumb to me

We've got a live one, boys! Straight rock taking you back to the glory days of the late 1970's. A fun fact I learned when reading up on the album is that its recordings came from 3 stops between '76 and '77: London '76, Toronto '77, and Philadelphia '77. Thin Lizzy has such a unique sound only they can produce. On top of it being a live album, you get blessed with live versions of some of their biggest hits. Nothing beats Jailbreak and that opening riff to open a show (or at least I hope that was the case). It's not a traditional album, so it's not really worth getting caught up in its cohesion, messaging, or lack thereof. Rather, this one is best served up on a stereo system with the volume up. So, turn that SOB up, rip the knob off, and start head-bangin'. Bonafide Bangers: Jailbreak, Boys Are Back in Town Top Tracks: Southbound, Dancing in the Moonlight, Johnny the Fox meets Jimmy the Weed

Really cool stuff. BB King is the godfather of American blues and if not for him, music as we know it today wouldn’t exist. The branches upon branches of bands, artists, and entire genres are rooted off of music like his which really makes me appreciate it. An enjoyable listen while I was getting my ass kicked in chess, but at least it felt like I was doing so in a dim-lit night club in 1965 New York City.

That was......interesting. I'm not sure if that's what Tom Waits sounds like all the time, but it wasn't what I was expecting. However, his word play and storytelling is quite impressive. As a listener, you feel like you've been dropped into a sleezy, smoky, after-dark piano/jazz bar taking in the live entertainment that evening. Albums that make you feel like you're in their environment and a part of its unfolding are always some of my favorites to listen to, but parts of this one felt like they dragged on a little too long for me. With all that said, the "Intro to" and "Better Off Without a Wife" had me locked into its melody and lyrics. I thoroughly enjoyed that one. That track alone moves this from a 2 to a 3 for me.

That's some smoooth jazz, man. We've been on a roll with the live/jazz albums we've been getting lately. But that's just the luck of draw. I actually listened to this one twice: once at work and again at dinner time. It's exactly the type of stuff I'm looking for on vinyl. Perfect for dinner music, or when you're sipping a cocktail beside the fire.

To be honest, the album is just not my jam. Therefore, I'm not going to write a whole review where I'm subconsciously trying to convince myself I liked it. It's psychedelic as hell and it's definitely the first time I've ever heard something like this from a country other than the US and Europe. In that respect, it was unique and interesting. When I was passively listening, the harmonies, keys, guitars, horns sometimes made me think of Magical Mystery Tour and the Stones' psychedelic records at times. But sticking to my gut here, sorry Os Mutantes.

I haven't had a lot of Radiohead experience before this. A solid piece of work.....though I thought there would be a some more teeth to it. But after reading more about the band and its typical sound and influences, this is right on par for them. There's certainly a time and place when this album would hit the spot. For example - taking a long walk in the pouring rain as you contemplate all your poor life choices. I think there may be other Radiohead albums that would suit my ears more than this one. I'm sure this won't be the last we hear of them in this challenge. Top tracks: Airbag, Karma Police

Quick thoughts here since I need to catch up on a few of these: 1) A unique blend of late 70s punk and on the precipice of 80's synth rock. 2) The heavy, pulsating basslines are the driver behind many of the tracks, and with what I assume is drop-D tuning, giving this album the deep, dark, and droning elements that the listener locked in. 3) Pretty heavy at times, but that's Joy Division for ya Top Tracks: Shadowplay, Insight, Interzone

A little too perky and superficial for my taste, but Our House will always be a fun tune that gets the foot tapping.

This exceeded by expectations and indeed had a little special sauce to it. Although it may have got a little redundant at times, I thought the album had a pretty cool vibe to it; a mixture of blues, funk, and early hip-hop. Top tracks: Garbage Man, Baby's Got Sauce, Cold Beverage

Man, does Little Richard love 12-bar blues. There's no doubt that early rock n' roll was incredibly formulaic, with often the only way for your ears to distinguish one song from the next being the name of the girl (Tutti Frutti, Long Tall Sally, Jenny Jenny, Miss Ann). However, in effort to remain consistent, it's hard not to have a deep sense of appreciation for it knowing the influence it had on the next generation, which took everything to a whole different stratosphere. All those bands/artists adored Little Richard and Elvis and knowing that pre-teen Bob Dylan and Paul McCartney were losing their minds over an album like this must mean there's something special about Little Richard and his music.

I knew nothing about John Cale but was pleasantly surprised to learn he was a founding member of the Velvet Underground. I'm sure he had a few wild Lou Reed stories to tell. I liked this album. Apparently, this was Cale's first album to take on the contemporary singer-songwriter sound that aligned with the popular rock-pop of the early 70's. The electric guitar on Child's Christmas in Wales immediately caught my attention, so I looked up who played on the album. Turns out it was Lowell George from Little Feat! John Cale isn't exactly Elton John. But hell, I thought it was a solid LP. Top tracks: Child's Christmas in Wales, Macbeth, Paris 1919, and hell, throw Hanky Panky Knowhow on there too!

I had high hopes for this one, but it definitely fell short of my expectations. It has a strong start with the opening track, Kate Bush's most popular song by a mile. Jig of Life was kind of cool too. But in the end, I think it lacks cohesion and found myself tuning out for a good number of songs. A bit of a bummer.

Color me naive, I've heard of Jack White but I never realized he was one of the White Stripes (duh). He's actually a Beatles superfan too and I saw something one time where he's able to identify any Beatles song based on a one-second snippet from any point in the song. The album is a tremendous piece of contemporary rock that makes me yearn for the days when music like this was still popular. It has a great mix of arrangements ranging from upbeat rockers to more mellow acoustic ones but always keeping those raw vocals and tone that I seem to like a lot. Top Tracks: Missing Pieces, Love Interruption, Blunderbuss, I'm Shakin, Trash Tongue Talker

Eminem is at the peak of his powers in this period. His lyrical genius and flow never cease to impress me. Just downright silly at times. This album would absolutely get him cancelled by today’s standards but barring some pretty outrageous songs, it’s a classic for a reason. Definitely deserving of being included in the 1,001 but there are other Eminem albums I enjoy more from start to finish.

Off the Wall starts off red hot with two of my favorite tracks in the whole MJ catalogue. The rest of side 1 is strong too and in general makes you want to groove your ass off. Some tracks on side 2 are a little too slow and did not pique my interest, but that doesn't significantly alter my view of the album. While Off the Wall was not MJ's very first solo album, it was the first produced by Quincy Jones. It laid a solid foundation for what was to come

Interesting.....to say the least. The album is kind of wacky because it's truly all over the place, spanning from classical symphony instrumentals to country-western and everything in between. Given this is from their early years, the Bee Gees sound like a group still finding their way, throwing a ton at the wall in the process to see what would stick. Thankfully, they found the niche that ascended them to global stardom and one of the most recognizable acts in history; a stark contrast to what they were doing in 1969. Along those same lines, it is pretty fascinating to hear the Bee Gees as something totally different from their later days of "Saturday Night Fever", stadium tours, etc.

I'm self-admittedly not a big country music guy, but I definitely enjoy the old school stuff way more than contemporary country music which has shape-shifted a half dozen times in the last 10 years to fit what's popular on the radio. Willie represents the old guard, and I like that. Red Headed Stranger is a real easy listen full of country twang. I also like how most of the album is just Willie, his guitar, and limited arrangement. Its relatively quiet nature makes it feel like a private performance for you. Top tracks: Red Headed Stranger, Time of the Preacher, Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain

There's just something about ZZ Top that gets me going. Those dudes are masters of the Texas Blues and red hot guitar riffs. Waiting for the Bus is one of my favorites in the ZZ Top catalogue. The riff and driving bassline are packed into that 12-bar blues is next level, not to mention the seamless segue into Jesus Just Left Chicago (keeping with the bus theme) is such a great start to the album. And of course, La Grange which turns me up. If you ever find yourself in Texas, you got to make it a requirement to bump this album. Top Tracks: Waiting for the Bus, Jesus Just Left Chicago, La Grange

Just some damn good soul music by the Queen of Soul, and that's really the only way to put it. No notes for Aretha.....the best to ever do it. I really need to get this album on vinyl (cue the pic of the copy Alex already owns).

Pretty solid album. I loved the saxophone.....something that doesn't show up in punk music very often, if ever. This was a fun punk rock album Top tracks: Warrior Woolworths, Let's Submerge, Highly Inflammable

I really enjoy this album even, after removing the radio hits from consideration. Liam Gallagher's voice is so perfect in its own way. It's the perfect blend of Manchester dialect, cigs and attitude that blends it into something beautiful that couldn't fit the Oasis's sound any better. Some might say Wonderwall is because of radio fatigue, but I don't think there's a single skip on the album. They may have tried a little too hard to be the Beatles of the 21st Century, as a result may have flown a little too close to the sun, but Oasis has some serious chops. Find me a jump suit and a bucket hat to rock ASAP. Top tracks: Some Might Say, She's Electric, Don't Look Back in Anger (s/o Noel), Champagne Supernova

Gloria kicked ass