1001 Albums Summary

Eminently listenable as background music, and wholly forgettable. It's strange to see an album from 2007 rank so highly as the pop-punk/alt-rock movement was already declining in popularity. It's fine, and the themes/lyrics are less cringe to an older listener than some of their earlier contemporaries, but as a result, the songs are too clean and white-washed to have any of the soul and earnestness that its predecessors had. Maybe it says a lot that I tabbed back over to check the name of an absolute banger...and it was the randomizer kicking with a Modest Mouse song after the album had ended.

Meh? Meh. Bob Dylan isn't really my jam, and Bob Dylan when the recording quality of the live show makes it difficult to make out anything in particular makes it a subpar listening experience. Sure, historically important and all, but as an album to be listened to, it was rough enough that I almost tapped out several times. Also the mixing on the harmonica was ear-piercingly shrill. Oof.

The distorted guitars and the experimentation and improvisation made this such a fun listen. I can see how this had a huge impact on the later punk and industrial movements, especially Sister Ray.

Soul and RnB meets soft rock, stolen and rebranded for blander palates. It's workman-like, which is to say it sounds polished but unremarkable. Oof.

Surprisingly complex instrumentation, mixing, and usage of space for such an old album, and IIRC the first album to bring orchestral recording/mixing techniques to pop music. Even by today's standards, it's still a technical masterpiece, though I think it's one of those albums that really wants good headphones to hear all of the details. Bonus points for being an album that's actually cohesive, as opposed to the 'a few bangers and a lot of filler' album formula that's still prevalent today.