1001 Albums Summary

Album review 001 Highly Evolved by The Vines (2002) Rating 2/5. I remember being underwhelmed by this album back when it was first released, especially so with all the UK music press hype that was surrounding the band. Still not impressed 20+ years later; a couple of the slower tracks are ok but there’s very little on this album that makes me think I’ll be listening again in the coming 20 years.

Album review 002 Dirt by Alice In Chains (1992) Rating: 1.5/5 This is the first time I’ve listen to this album in its entirety and, knowing some of the tracks already, it didn’t bring anything I didn’t expect - essentially, a very one-dimensional set of songs with pretty much every one being an angst-ridden whinge about the singer/band slowly killing themselves with their drug addictions. What should be a powerful and emotional album ultimately becomes everything it shouldn’t be: boring. I doubt I’ll ever feel the need to listen to Dirt, or Alice In Chains for that matter, again.

Album review 003 Lady Soul by Aretha Franklin (1968) Rating 4/5 I looked forward to re-listening to this album and was not disappointed at all - so much so that one listen turned into four in a row over the space of two very short hours. Not just amazing vocals, with one of the all time greats at the very top of her game, but great musicianship and some fine songwriting too.

Album review 004 Catch a Fire by Bob Marley and the Wailers (1973) Rating: 4.5/5 If you’d asked me to write a list of my favourite albums at any point in the last couple of decades, Catch a Fire would be consistently somewhere in the top 20 or 30. Two versions of this album have been released; the original which some claim is over-produced, and the 2001 stripped-back “Jamaican Version” that doesn’t have the original mixes’ overdubs which some claim is under-produced. I love them both (but find the original a more enjoyable listen). The Wailers are on top form and tight as they’ve ever been, bringing us songs that mean Something.

Album review 005 Three Feet High and Rising by De La Soul (1989) Rating 3.5/5 Everyone remembers the first album I ever bought(?) and Three Feet High and Rising was mine. It’s been years since I last spun this but sat with a big smile on my face when listening to it again. First thoughts were how refreshing it was to hear a rap album from late 80s-90’s that’s fun and isn’t “gansta”. I expect I’ll be listening to De La Soul and other artists from this period (a Tribe Called Quest, Statsasonic, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Jungle Brothers, etc., etc….) a lot in the next few days.

Album review 006 Signing Off by UB40 (1980) Rating 3/5 It’s the first time I’ve listened to this album and reading the tracklist beforehand, was glad to see that Signing Off was free of any of the cod reggae covers I mostly know UB40 for. The message the album brings is unfortunately becoming relevant again as, in late 2025 when I write this, we’re seeing an increase in everything UB40 are voicing against; discrimination, division in society, and lack of opportunity. Mostly enjoyed Signing Off and feel I owe another listen for me to fully appreciate it, although if I wasn’t making an effort to listen closely I expect it’d be the type of album that would just blend into the background.

Album review 007 The New Tango (recorded live at the Montreux Festival) by Astor Piazzolla & Gary Burton (1987) Rating 3.5/5 So, it’s not often that I can say that I spent an hour listening to a live recording of a virtuoso bandoneonist playing nuevo tango with a renowned vibraphonist. Quite enjoyed it. (Interestingly, a quick read of the review on AllMusic mentions how the pair only had three rehearsals together before playing this set. I didn’t expect that at all, sounds like they’ve been playing together for years and their styles/instruments/playing combine really well).

Album review 007 Fullfillingness’ First Finale by Stevie Wonder (1974) Rating 3/5 Most reviews of this album will talk about how Stevie Wonder’s run of five albums between 1972’s Music of My Mind and 1976’s Songs in the Key of Life is one of the greatest purple patches of any artist, and Fullfillingness’… is the oft overlooked and neglected sibling to the other albums in this run. Listening to this objectively though, I don’t find it to be a truly great album with great songs; it’s more of a ok album with some good songs, and doesn’t stand up to the quality of Stevie Wonder’s other albums of this period.

Album review 008 It Takes a Nation of Millions… by Public Enemy (1988) Rating 3/5 I get why people love this album and can see how relevant it was back when it was first released. Almost 40 years on and Chuck D’s delivery remains as powerful as ever but It takes a Nation… is an album that just doesn’t do it for me.

Album review 010 Rage Against the Machine by Rage Against the Machine (1992) Rating 3.5/5 The 1001 Album Generator dealt me It Takes a Nation of Millions… by Public Enemy for my 9th album and followed it up with RATM for #10, I mention this as found so much similarity between them despite the difference in style. A call to arms for social justice over heavy riffs, Rage Against the Machine does exactly what it promises. (Got this on cassette when I was 13 and leant it to a mate, never got it back)

Album review 011 Face To Face by The Kinks (1966) Rating 2/5 1966 was the year we saw Pet Sounds, Revolver, and Blonde on Blonde released. I can’t help but compare Face To Face with these, which maybe a bit unfair, and feel this isn’t a truly great album. If we were still in the 60’s (or even in the 90’s for that matter) I’d likely rate this much higher but almost 60-years on, Face To Face now sounds very much a product of its time and has little to excite or interest me.

Album review 012 Live at the Star Club, Hamburg by Jerry Lee Lewis (1964) Rating 1/5 When the 1001 Album Generator dealt me this album, my first thoughts were about separating art from the artist. Is it ok to listen to Morrissey since he outed himself as a racist/fascist, or Phil Spector’s work despite the domestic abuse and murder conviction, or Michael Jackson after he morphed from the abused to the abuser??? With his history of domestic abuse, incest, paedophillia, racism, two dead wives and the associated murder “allegations”, etc, etc… it’s pretty clear in my conscience: No matter how good the performance might be, F*ck Jerry Lee Lewis and Live at the Hamburg. 1/5.

Album review 013 I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight by Richard and Linda Thompson (1974) Rating 2/5 It’s been a long time since I last listened to this album and despite regular appearances on best ever lists, I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight has never clicked for me. Two songs into this most recent listen I thought “yeah, this actually may be an album that I might really grow to like”. By track 11, I realised I was wrong - folk rock just isn’t a type of music I enjoy (although there are a couple of notable exceptions which we’ll get to over the next 1,000 or so reviews). It’s a perfectly ok record, but not one I think I’ll ever appreciate.

Album review 014 Exodus by Bob Marley & The Wailer (1977) Rating 5/5 I’ve listened to Exodus more time than I’d care to guess. No lengthy review or detail needed beyond saying this is a 5/5 album and one of the best ever recorded.

Album review 015 Nebraska by Bruce Springsteen (1982) Rating 4/5 I’ve never given this album much time in the past and my previous (attempted) listens didn’t give the attention that’s needed. I knew what to expect this time round, stripped back, minimal and fairly bleak songs but, sitting without distraction and giving Nebraska my full focus, I found that I really enjoyed it.

Album review 016 The Atomic Mr Basie by Count Basie & His Orchestra (1958) Rating 3/5 I can see why some think this is a great album, and I’m sure The Atomic Mr Basie a fine example of the best big band swing music of the time. It’s just not particularly interesting.

Album review 017 Country Life by Roxy Music (1974) Rating 3/5 Roxy Music’s fourth album (and my fourth favourite so far) starts as strong as any album of this era with The Thrill Of It All, it’s just a shame that there’s nothing as good over the remaining nine tracks. Not to say that this is a bad album as there are some high points, including Phil Manzanera’s guitar work, but most of Country Life is just mediocre.

Album review 018 A Love Supreme by John Coltrane (1965) Rating 4/5 Viewed by many as one of the greatest works of music ever recorded, but I’ve never managed understand A Love Supreme. Sure, the musicianship is exceptional and it’s unlike anything recorded up to that point (according to my limited understanding of all things Jazz), but the dissonance of Coltrane’s playing is something I struggle to appreciate. I know I’ll listen to this many more times and gradually come to learn how and why the music and instruments work together (or against one another??) on a technical level but right now, this is an album I respect rather than love.

Album review 019 Melodrama by Lorde (2017) Rating 1.5/5 The album title, Melodrama, is apt but the album itself sounds like it was written by a focus group with the objective: “write an album that appeals to 14-year old girls (or boys) who are feeling sorry for themselves after seeing the boy (or girl) they fancy ask another girl (or boy) out”. One-dimensional tedium, without a single memorable song.

Album review 020 Let’s Get It On by Marvin Gaye (1973) Rating 4/5 Marvin’s here and he’s all about the get-down, wooo-baaaaby. He’s gonna love you… and he’s gonna make sweeet, sweeet love wit’ you, yeahhh. It’s time to turn the lights down low, and, and, and, and… ooh-wooo-oooooh…

Album review 021 Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake by The Small Faces (1968) Rating 4/5 It must be at least 20 years since I last took time to listen to Ogdens’ Nut gone Flake and, sitting down to give it a whirl, I expected some dated 60’s whimsy with annoying interludes and had a 3/5 rating ready to go. Thankfully, my pre-conceptions were only half-right; certainly it’s late-60’s Brit whimsy and may be an acquired taste, but there is some really good stuff here. Side one is a pretty straightforward set, whereas side two is built around the non-sensical story of Happiness Stan going on a quest to find out where half of the moon has disappeared to and is assisted on his journey by a hungry little fly. With the partial exception of the first half of Rene and HappyDaysToyTown, Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake is a delight, thoroughly enjoyed it and certainly won’t be waiting another two decades to listen again.

Album review 022 The World Is A Ghetto by War (1972) Rating 4/5 Only 6-tracks long but those tracks all pull together so well to paint a dark and almost mournful-sounding picture. Slow, funky and soulful, The World Is A Ghetto still sounds good more than 50 years after its release.

Album review 023 Locust Abortion Technician by Butthole Surfers (1987) Rating 4/5 I’ll admit that when the 1001AlbumGenerator dealt me Locust Abortion Technician, I thought this would be an album that I’d instantly dislike and end up giving a 1/5. I expected a puerile, limpbizkit-like half-hour of disappointment and distaste, with crappy songs aimed at frat boys. I’m pleased to say how wrong I was, so don’t let the band’s or album’s name give you any pre-conceived ideas like I did! Without wanting to sound too reductive, this is heavy, sludgy, proto-grunge and it’s made me want to take the day off and spend it digging into their back-catalogue.

Album review 024 Aqualung by Jethro Tull (1971) Rating 2/5 Before listening to Aqualung, if you’d have asked me what I knew about Jethro Tull, I’d have answered that I don’t know much beyond them being named after Mr Seed Drill and their singer stands on one leg whilst playing flute. After listening to Aqualung, if you were to ask me what I know about Jethro Tull, I would answer that they’re named after Mr Seed Drill, their singer stands on one leg whilst playing flute, and I don’t like their music. Not a truly awful album, but not one I particularly enjoyed.

Album review 025 Thriller by Michael Jackson (1982) Rating 1/5 Ignoring context and taking this album for the music only, Thriller is exceptional. However, and it’s a pretty big however… Michael Jackson was “allegedly” abusing young boys from the late-70’s and, at the time of this recording, there were already several reports of him having regular unsupervised “sleep-overs” with children at both his home and in hotel rooms. As good as this album is, Michael Jackson was a predatory paedophile and I can’t separate him and his behaviour from his music.

Album review 026 The Visitors by ABBA (1981) Rating 2.5/5 I find ABBA to be a band that are almost universally liked, but that most who like them never move beyond ABBA Gold (similar to Bob Marley with Legend, or Queen’s Greatest Hits, etc., etc.). Whilst this is in no way a criticism of others and how they “consume” music, I do feel that having The Best Of as the only go-to means, at the very least, the listener is missing out on so many excellent songs tucked away in studio albums. I mention this especially in regards ABBA as each of their studio albums generally has some nuggets that are on par with most of what’s on their BIG compilation. Unfortunately these nuggets are few and far between on The Visitors. Here, ABBA are sounding tired and regretful, and largely out of ideas and with Agnetha/Bjorn now divorced and Frida/Benny mid-divorce, it’s no surprise in retrospect that this was their final album (until their return 40-years later with 2021’s Voyage).

Album review 027 The Undertones by The Undertones (1979) Rating 2.5/5 It’s too easy to compare The Undertones against releases by other punk bands of the time but in doing so it’s clear that the album isn’t anything special. It lacks the attitude of Ramones, or the anger of The Clash, or the energy of the Pistols, or the charisma of Buzzcocks, etc…. Despite a few good-ish songs, there’s very little of interest on The Undertones.

Album review 026 Very by Pet Shop Boys (1993) Rating 3/5 Pet Shop Boys made some of the finest pop songs of the 1980’s and Very sees them evolve towards the euro-pop sound of the early-90’s whilst keeping it instantly recognisable as Pet Shop Boys. Very is a fairly good and consistent album but doesn’t come near to matching their earlier work. One high point of note is their cover of the Village People’s Go West, which still sounds great more than 30-years later.

Album review 027 Eliminator by ZZ Top (1983) Rating 1.5/5 Whilst I wasn’t expecting Eliminator to be an album I’d particularly enjoy, I had no idea it would be so bad. It’s the same song played 10 times over about how women only exist for ZZ Top to “do love to” (yes, that is a lyric), and one song about tv dinners - which is presumably a metaphor for ZZ Top doing love to women. If Eliminator was a person, he’d be on a register, wouldn’t be allowed to see his kids, and probably not allowed within 500 metres of his ex-wives or schools. This is music for the middle-aged lech, day drinking on his own in a Hard Rock Cafe and hitting on girls half his age. Awful paint-by-numbers MTV rock.

Album review 030 Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) by Wu-Tang Clan (1993) Rating 2/5 It’s the early 90’s and from one of the worst areas of New York come a dozen or so teenagers who are creating something that we needed to hear. The Wu-Tang Clan pulled no punches and delivered a game-changing album for rap, with samples from obscure soul tracks and kung-fu movies and lines delivered without mercy. or something, I dunno. Anyway, 30-odd years later a couple tracks still sound good, but there’s nothing on this album that I really want to go back and hear again. I loved this record as a kid when it first came out, but it’s a product of its time that doesn’t say much to me today (apart from “F***” many, many times).

Album review 031 São Paulo Confessions by Suba (1999) Rating 3/5 I’d never heard of this album or the artist before being dealt it by the 1001 generator. I felt São Paulo Confessions deserved to be more than just background music but I really had to try to stop myself losing concentration in places.