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
I've always heard about this album and how it was this mythical long-lost Beach Boys album that was shelved for years, unable to be released. Psychedelic doesn't feel like the right word to describe it, nor trippy. However, there's something about it where it made me feel like it was made for 10-year-olds that are high on laughing gas in the dentist chair. I think the right word here is quirky, and even though Brian Wilson is one of the most influential composers of modern times (up there with Beethoven, Bach, and Macca), he definitely was a quirky guy. Smile was recorded near the peak of 60's drug culture and right at the edge of Wilson's eventual tipping point. While his rapid mental decline is a damn shame, this album feels like a peek behind the curtain at all the chaos going on in and around him in the mid-60's. For that alone, I liked it. Also, his version of Good Vibrations is way cooler now that I've heard it.
Talking Heads are the perfect mix of wackiness and undeniable musical genius. And by Talking Heads I mean David Byrne. I've always dug their sound because no two Talking Heads songs sound the same, so naturally I enjoyed the variety on this album.
Top tracks: I Zimbra (banger), Mind, Life During Wartime, Drugs
A number of songs start out sounding exactly like Tainted Love but suddenly pivot into their own song, which is pretty neat. There are some pretty cool tracks though. Classic 80's music....very representative of the times.
Top tracks: Tainted Love, Where Did Our Love Go, Seedy Films
No notes. Crazy good album.
There are probably stronger Bob Marley albums in this list, but it's hard to be in a bad mood when his music is playing. Killer album name too.
Top tracks: No Woman No Cry, Am-A-Do, Them Belly Full (But We Hungry)
One of the top-to-bottom best albums ever, in my opinion. The lore behind album is so interesting in itself. How they were ever to put aside their internal issues and come together to produce such an iconic album is incredible.
Top tracks: All of them, but top are: Secondhand News, Don't Stop (bop), The Chain, Gold Dust Woman
1984 has always been a favorite of mine because of its sentimental value. It contains tracks that introduced me to Classic Rock at an early age. I can remember hearing Hot For Teacher for the first time and being struck by the drum solo; it was nothing like I'd ever heard before....and it was most likely either with Jim or in Jim's dad's car on the way to baseball or basketball practice. Jump and, of course, Panama are the other classics on this one. I always think back to the scene in SuperBad where McLovin is doing donuts in Bill Hader's and Seth Rogan's cop car with Panama blasting.
Even though I'm not this huge Van Halen fan, they were one of the first rock bands (alongside AC/DC) that really caught my attention.
This was a long album, but it has some pretty dope tracks.
Top tracks: Whip You With a Strap, Underwater, Kilo, Shakey Dog
I like Pavement's sound a lot. This was a solid album typical of the 90's.
Talking Heads strike again. I liked this album slightly more than Fear of Music. Like Fear of Music, it has a very strong opening track (Uh Oh Love Comes to Town and that steel drum is perfect).
Top tracks: Uh-Oh Love Comes to Town, New Feeling, Psycho Killer, Pulled Up
Pleasantly surprised by the album. Didn't know what to expect beyond Take On Me, but it was pretty good actually.
This kind of music takes me back to a certain time and place that just feels right. I'm no Kings of Leon stan, but I've always enjoyed their music and sound. This one gets a thumbs up from me.
Never listened to any Love before, but I enjoyed the folk-esque vibes of this album. It's a very easy listen that just feels like 1967.
Top tracks: Alone Again Or, Bummer in the Summer, The Daily Planet
This was a nice palate cleanser of hard rock compared to some of the albums we've gotten lately. Pump includes some classic Aerosmith songs; "Janie's Got a Gun" is such a cool track in my eyes and who doesn't love "Love in an Elevator". Other than "What it Takes", nothing about the rest of the tracks really stand out to me but it's definitely a solid enough album to earn a 3.
Top tracks: Janie's Got a Gun, Love in an Elevator, What it Takes
A little too chaotic for my taste.....guess I'm just not cut out for that prog-rock lifestyle.
I remember thinking this album was so cool the first time I listened to it in college....and I still think it's pretty damn cool. Doggystyle is similar to the Marshall Mathers LP in the sense that it's filled with tons of satire and sexual innuendos, but milder. One of the better end-to-end 90's rap albums I've heard. It's a no-doubt classic in my eyes.
Top tracks: Gin and Juice, the Shiznit, Who Am I, Ain't No Fun
Kinda liked this one. Smooth Operator is a banger
It's hard to not be down with Stevie Wonder and the incredible melodies found on this album.
While it may go on for a little bit too long, Maybe Your Baby puts you into this funk/soul trance. Other songs on here feel more like ballads than funk, but Stevie's voice effortlessly fits both. And Superstition of course is in a class of its own. That riff never gets old.
Motown Christmas is my favorite Christmas subgenre. I can't help but feel a bit nostalgic when I hear these songs. I'd be hard pressed to find a better true Christmas album than this one. If I can find this on vinyl I'd play it constantly during the Christmas season. I'm not measuring this one on the same grading scale on the others, but rather how much it makes me feel the Christmas spirit.
loved the country-western B-side.
Top tracks: Brown Sugar, Wild Horses, Can't You Hear Me Knockin, Bitch, Sister Morphine
I know Michael will enjoy this one if/when he ever reaches this point in the challenge
It's Tricky instantly takes me to Christmas Day 2002/2003 when I got a PS2 and the SSX Tricky Snowboarding video game, where this was the game's main soundtrack. But putting that aside, this album slaps. The beats, drum kicks, flows, everything suits my ear. I appreciate and respect NWA, Eminem, and Snoop, but this Run DMC album doesn't contain the same level of vulgarity and slurring those albums, making it a little more palatable.
Peak 60's Kinks. This one is right in my wheelhouse - mid-60's rock and roll that's starting to dip their toe into new waters like psychedelic and concept. It gave me similar feels to a Rubber Soul.
Definitely an album that I'll be visiting again.
Led Zeppelin debut album....c'mon now.
Top tracks: Good Times Bad Times, Communication Breakdown, Your Time is Gonna Come, Dazed and Confused
Interesting that this is in the 1001 best albums list. Great musicianship of course, but this is just a one-time listen for me.
I enjoyed Exodus more than Natty Dread and also think it's wholistically stronger. Therefore, my rating for this one is higher as well.
Top tracks: Natural Mystic, Jamming, Three Little Birds
I'm a fan of Lou Reed and his approach to lyricism and songwriting. If you listened to the Velvet Underground's songs as instrumentals only, I think most of the time you might think of them as this bright and sunny pop band with beautiful melodies founded in the major scale (the major scale is almost always bright and makes you feel "nice" or "good" when you listen to it as opposed to the minor scales that normally contain more gloomy notes). On the flip side, if you read their lyrics as poetry and separate from its instrumentation, the lyrics can be surreal or twisted. Not dark, per say, but they don't always match their backing tracks. I don't know if that makes any sense, but that's the best way I can describe how I interpret the Velvet Underground.
Boy, do I love a good rock opera. I imagine that Tommy is one of the earlier examples of a rock opera or even a concept album. Albums that tell a story throughout are some of my favorites, because the artist made a concerted effort to make a cohesive piece of music/art rather than a collection of individual songs pieced together around a few chart-topping singles. I've never been a huge Who fan, but Tommy is something of theirs that I can get behind. Certainly an enjoyable listening experience.
Top Tracks: Eyesight for the Blind, Pinball Wizard, The Acid Queen, Christmas
Some good ol' honky tonk country music. Early country western music > modern day country all day long. And that steel guitar is swwwweeet.
What was this thing? A quadruple album? My goodness.
Putting that aside, though, the album exceeded by expectations. It got a little weird at times and was definitely too long. But there are some undeniably great tracks that felt like a blend of some of the genres I enjoy the most.
White Light didn't stand out to me quite like No Other did, as it lacked the same teeth. However, there's something about Gene Clark's music that I really appreciate and enjoy; its intimate. The harmonics, acoustics, occasional slide guitar, the Byrds-esque vocal tones, the country-western twang. I could go on and on, but the music just has the perfect amount of everything. Nothing forced, nothing overdone.
Top tracks: The Virgin, Because of You, Tears of Rage
A fun little country album. Dolly's voice is beautiful; making it an enjoyable listening experience.
I'd consider this my first experience with Trip-Hop. I dig the underground sound it has, but it didn't really hit home for me. It was easy for me to fade in and out when listening. Probably just not my thing, but definitely not terrible.
I think I liked Celebrity Skin more than Live Through This, but Hole is a pretty damn good grunge band that embodies that angst that's so often evident in 90's rock.
Do I like Brazilian bossa nova now? I guess I kinda do. A significant upgrade from my first experience with Brazilian music (Os Mutantes).
Yeah.....not too sure I can wrap my head around this one or why it would be considered for the Top 1001 list. Utopia was probably the best track of them all to me, but I might even consider that a stretch.
It also feels like quintessential 90's pop. I get some Cher vibes from Madonna on this album too, but that's just me.
I found a lot of tracks to be a little boring, but there are some good tracks on this album that are saving itself from a 2 rating.
Top tracks: Ray of Light, Swim, Frozen
Solid album. Doesn't include a ton of U2 hits, but it's well-rounded and can hit the spot if I'm in the mood for it.
The title is VERY fitting for this album. Billy Corgan probably gave himself a bundle of stomach ulcers during the making of this album (if he didn't already have them). There's some serious angst and consternation happening here. If you're pissed at the world or want to break some shit, throw Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness and you'll be good to go. 1979 is a great song of course, but I think Siamese Dream is more my speed.
I know the Doors get some flack for being overrated when compared with their contemporaries. But I tend to heavily disagree. Sure, they weren't doing anything groundbreaking in the studio or writing songs that were changing how generations saw the world. On the other hand, I think they their sound was incredibly unique for the times. A perfect blend of swamp, R&B, psychadelic with a charismatic front man. They're one of my favorite bands from the 60's.
As for Morrison Hotel, it's one of my favorites that's up there with LA Woman. The song Roadhouse Blues kicks absolute ass that. It's difficult to picture anything other than yourself holed up in the corner of some saloon in the Southwest slamming beers when all of a sudden, a bar brawl breaks out. A close second is Peace Frog (the Door's psychedelic prowess on full display). A tremendous album with more than just a few hit singles.
Top tracks: Roadhouse Blues, Waiting for the Sun, Peace Frog, Queen of the Highway, Maggie M'Gill
I was kind of digging this at first, but then it sort of petered out for me. I like the little mariachi flavor in some of the tracks....that was different. Good, not great.
This gets a thumbs up. I seem to enjoy the new wave sound from the 80's that incorporates some of that of 60/70's guitar work.
Top tracks: I Wanna Be Adored, She Bangs the Drums, Waterfall, (Song for My Sugar Spun Sister)
It's so easy to bump to the Beastie Boys. The beats are hard, lyrics whimsical and rhymes sick. There are lots of classics on Licensed to Ill which solidifies it as an album worthy of this list.
My wife listens to SZA occasionally. It's sort of a guilty pleasure for me. She's not a rough listen because she has a great voice. There are also lots of strong artist features on this record which helps increase my recognition of songs. Like I said, it was a pretty easy listen and a nice change-up from some of the oldies we've gotten on the list to this point
There are Beatles albums that I have higher in personal rankings, but let's not kid ourselves; this is one of their many masterpieces. If you're a Beatles nerd, then you already know.... but there is so much lore behind the inception, development, and actual creation of this album that make it all the more interesting to learn and understand. A few tidbits:
1) More than half the album's songs were written while on their meditation retreat in Rikikesh, India with the Maharishi (a real poser, btw) on acoustic guitars. If you ever want to hear the earliest iterations of the White Album, I highly recommend listening to the Beatles' Esher Demos.
2) Tensions boiled over during the making of this album that led Ringo to actually quit the band for two weeks. As a result, there are several tracks where Paul plays the drums (Back in the USSR, Dear Prudence, Birthday, maybe others too).
3) This was when Yoko really started to become an overreaching presence in the group's safe space that was the studio which obviously ticked off the band.
4) The first Beatles album to include individually penned songs from all 4 Beatles. Ringo wrote Don't Pass Me By all by himself :)
5) The WMGGW solo played by Eric Clapton; a move made by George, who at the time was struggling with his confidence on guitar given that he largely ignored it for 2 years in favor of the sitar during his deep dive into Eastern music and philosophy in the mid 60's.
The decision to make this a double album was not a popular one with those outside the 4 Beatles given that they were essentially selling two albums for the price of one at a time when they were the most powerful band on the planet. And to this day, the criticism of the White Album is that it's jam packed with tracks, and not all of them very good (even some of the Beatles have agreed with this notion).
But to hell with that. The variety on the White Album is what makes it so special. For those out there that ignorantly claim all the Beatles did was write a bunch of superficial pop songs, they should listen to this album (and also get a slap across the face). We're talking Blues, Rock n' Roll, Ska, Vaudeville Hall, Satire, Folk, Country Western, and more all wrapped up in a single project. The Beatles were in their musical primes here and they held no punches and left no stone unturned for the creation a mammoth album for their fans.
As Macca once said when challenged by a reporter on the White Album: "What do you mean? It was great. It sold. It's the bloody Beatles' White Album, shut up!"
Top tracks: Back in the USSR, Ob-La-Di, Ob-la-Da, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Happiness is a Warm Gun, Blackbird, Rock Raccoon, Mother Nature's Son, Helter Skelter, Revolution 1
