1001 Albums Summary

Upbeat and fun at times but mostly giving melancholic vibes. It’s as if Glass, Eno and Fripp formed a chamber pop band obsessed with manic depression and suicide.

Tracks 1-8 really hit; masterfully produced, akin to old folk murder ballads the story-telling is shocking and raw, but similar to Greek tragedy; satirical and relatable. Slim’s hamartia is on full display. Track 9 feels like a forced cameo and 10 is a path back from the detour. On track 11 we, the demos, once again delve back into the beautifully violent and shocking catharsis of Mathers. 12-15 present more detours and cameos… and then we are faced with the deus ex machina; the full force of Mather’s violent psychosis on track 16. The emotion is palpable. Tracks 17 and 18 are similar to a choral ode.

On first listen it sounds like a fun pop album with enough quirkiness throughout to make it interesting… Rundgren’s dynamic production shines. However, some of the lyrics are cheesy and full of contrived rhymes; “the man who sailed around his soul, came back again to find a hole” or “fire they cried, so evil must die” “did you make disease and the diamond blue.” Overall I feel like I should be at some posh garden party, just outside of London, sipping G&Ts, surrounded by obnoxious people and revolting small talk.

Mojo-tastic!

Imagine if Van Halen was made up of castrated eunuchs.

Fan-fucking-tastic!!!! Sheer genius! Stewpot & company shine on this amazing recording!

How can such a talented artists make such a cheesy, disjointed, and pathetic album? No one can question his skill as a musician, composer, performer; all around artist, but Damn!, this album is just sad.

Rain Dogs is theatrical like indie films of yore, budding with freakish absurdity and vice. Waits transports us to the back alleys and the outskirts of town where depression mixes with longing and conflict is ripe; a nuanced beauty.

Memorable bars & crazy beats! Bringing anyone to their feet.

The creative genius of Ray Davies; Quay Street carpet-layers and more!

Great album, with some standout tracks, but it ultimately lives in the shadows of Smith’s lofi legacy.

This album has some great tracks but at time it feels like listening to rehearsal or demo recordings. Definitely not a high point for Zeppelin.

They got their name from a Motörhead song but this album is a far cry from Lemmy. Apparently it’s an album even hated by Metal heads for it’s simplicity and trendiness. I could have gone my whole life and my next life, and the one after that without ever hearing this garbage.

Amazing vocals, exquisite production. Spector may be a murdering asshole, but damn he was a musical mastermind!

90s Trip-Hop classic. Love the 007-vibe of Sour Times. Groovy Magic Mountain sample on Wandering Star. The repetitive slow tempo can get tiresome.

RESPECT the Queen of Soul!

Madonna trying to be a bit like Bjork….?

Honey es money

I Looked Away- strong start, vocals and melody tediously sing-songy, great guitar solo, great Hammond Organ finale Bell Bottom Blues- Excellent opening Lead Vocals seem forced Backing vocals match perfectly for a lovely harmony for the repeated chorus, another excellent guitar solo, lead vocals really sound better with background accompaniment… making it a strong track Keep On Growing- Nice opening guitar work, cheesy rhythm around 30 secs in, lead vocals again seem forced, vocals at 1:15 are awful and 2… horrible vocals and cheesy rhythm, another great guitar solo around 2:30 excellent playing around 3…then the vocals ruin it around 3:20 would love to hear a strong female vocalist like Linda Ronstadt do this song, dualing guitar work at end is phenomenal Nobody Knows You Were…. Opening seems contrived lyrically and musically… bad attempt at classic blues, perhaps Joe Cocker could have pulled this one off, this track is nauseatingly forced, except for the guitar solo around 3:30, even the ending seems contrived I Am Yours- WTF Is this shit… lobby music for Jimmy Buffet’s resort Any day- Opening music isn’t awful, but as soon as the vocals kick in the melody and tempo suck ass, picks up again… another semi-enjoyable chorus and another nice guitar solo, vocals around 4:30-5 are some of the strongest yet, strong ending… Key to The Highway- Another contrived-white-washed bluesy opening, guitar work picks up with another excellent solo around 1:40, but when the vocals kick in every thing good, is shit, the vocals even fade in out like the individual recording/mixing understands it’s a detriment to the guitar work, track continues with this equation Tell The Truth- Cheesy opening, picks up around a minute in, want to like this track, amazingly raw guitar jams, but again the limp vocals take away, especially around 5:30… very tedious Why Does Love Got- The sped up tempo just makes this even more of a hot mess, now the bad vocals are straining to keep up, but again the guitar work around 1:40 is sensational, fun blusey ending, reminds me a little of the Dead Have You Ever- opening is blusey, but lacks the soul and sincerity and authenticity of a traditional blues man… vocals are again tedious, 4:50 guitar again shines, fun ending Little Wing- Enjoy the opening… tuning is cool… not contrived, but again the vocals take away, would love to hear an instrumental version, excellent guitar playing It’s Too Late- Contrived and vocally inept, Playing seemed rushed Layla- Definitely produced to be a single, guitar riffs start strong but vocals and melodies become cheesy and repetitive, like what happens around 4:00 but rarely here this with the single version, and starts to again become tedious around 5:30, cool ending Thorn Tree- a sappy version of Nick Drake, with cheesy vocals, and obnoxiously tedious strumming Overall view… amazing guitar work can’t make up for contrived blues and poor vocals

Unfortunately this album has not aged like fine wine or imported cheese. The late 80s and early 90s cheesy production and over indulgences smack the listener bluntly in the face, and it stings! I’m not going to lie, when the mood fits, one can rock hard to this album, but there is always a grungy-camp-factor to that dynamic. I have respect for Vedder and company, but not their strongest work by far.

I remember eagerly anticipating the release of this album; knowing the band was composed of former members Nirvana and Sunny Day Real Estate. I remember having loved my important single of Nirvana’s ‘Heart Shaped Box’, which B-side was ‘Marygold’ an amazing track… where you can hear Grohl and Cobain switch spots, Grohl on lead vocals and guitar. Upon first listen, years ago, I did not like the direction Grohl was going, upon re-listening I find elements fun but some over-indulgent like the abrupt nods to metal and so-forth. Not my cup of tea.

High caliber musicianship matched with adolescent buffoonery. Even with the high cheese factor, Eddie and crew craft some of the best riffs to come out of the 80s!