1001 Albums Summary

Had been a while since listening to this album, unquestionably one Hip Hop's earliest classics and had forgotten how little rapping there is. And yet the incredibly creative production show's the album to be a defining precursor to more rap centric hip hop rather than just another disco album. Every listen of the standout title track still reminds me why it is one of hip hop's most quintessential blue prints.

First full, front-to-back listen of a Talking Heads album, and immediately dug the sonic style and approach. My limited familiarity with Talking Heads was of them as a rock band but the blend of electronic (thanks, Brian Eno) and unique international sounds I couldn't immediately identify (a quick trip to Wikipedia revealed influence from African polyrhythms and specifically from Fela Kuti - all tracks in retrospect) kept me constantly engaged and intrigued. I didn't sit with the lyrics open as I listened, but I vaguely followed the somewhat stream-of-conscious vocals of David Byrne - reading through a few songs would be worthwhile at some point.

From what I've gathered the lyrics throughout this album are reflective of George Harrison's life at that point: a spectrum of one journey away from the Beatles and one journey deeper into his own spirituality. The writing felt generally resonant and certainly proved Harrison's capacity to song write independent of John and Paul. The instrumental work, while very Beatle-familiar, felt fresh and lively, aided by a series of noteworthy collaborators (Dylan and Clapton in the mix). 'Let It Down' and 'Hear Me Lord' stuck with me as earworms, and 'Run of the Mill' as a poignant, time-to-move-on love letter to his former group.

I enjoy a decent amount of "experimental" music, and Bjork is certainly that. Her creativity is undeniable. While I find her music sometimes hits and sometimes misses, Debut may be her most resonate album for me. Always a big trip hop fan, those influences both in the instrumentals and in her vocals are personal highlights. I listened to this somewhat casually and internalized some general themes of love and passion from her lyrics. I probably owe it to her and myself to sit down with the lyrics as I listen to develop a deeper reaction.

My knowledge and exposure to early rock is decently broad and not very deep, so I feel I'm lacking context in my listening experience. That said, solely on the listening experience, I found it very enjoyable. I did not sit down with the lyrics while listening but had a good time with the overall vibe of what I heard.

A classic album that ushered metal as we know it. I didn't used to have much of a taste for the genre but in the last 5 years it grew on me with exposure. The genre pushing sounds of this album are still fun today and no one does dark better than the prince of darkness himself. RIP Ozzy

Minimal exposure to R.E.M. prior to listening to this. First full R.E.M. album listen through. Very much enjoyed it

Even being very novice in the Latin music space, I could instantly pick up influences and references I recognized from across the musical landscape. I didn't need to check Wikipedia to understand the pivotal role this album has played, although some research on the album was helpful. I clearly need to expose myself more deeply to Latin music, but this was a very enjoyable listen.