1001 Albums Summary

Extremely surreal listening experience. Not always a fan of Kate Bush’s excessive vocal theatrics but definitely worth a listen. Interesting to find that Kate Bush had a greater hand in producing on this record compared to her previous work. The production and instrumentation gave an incredibly dream-like feel and the eeyoring at the end felt like a deliberate nod to A Midsummer Night’s Dream

“I got no car and it’s breaking my heart. But I’ve got a driver and that’s a start.” Properly wonderful record. The album that first truly starts to separate The Beatles from their lovey dovey early work which, whilst brilliant, revisionists would have you think makes up their whole discography. An album with no weak points save for the unfortunate closing track which I would hope would have been considered tasteless even when it was written. To counter this the album contains In My Life which may be the single best pop song ever written and only grows more meaningful to me with every passing year. I have heard this album many times over the years and the individual songs therein even more so outside of the context of the album. Despite this it feels as fresh today as it did the first time I heard the opening lick of Drive My Car years ago. An album which sits alongside multiple other Beatles projects in a category of records I will never grow tired of.

“We come from the land of the ice and snow from the midnight sun where the hot springs flow” In my opinion the most underrated entry in Led-Zeppelin’s discography. Led-Zeppelin III has two distinct halves. The opening half contains the kind of rip-roaring electric British Invasion tracks that the band were more known for at the time of the album’s release (albeit with a hefty folk influence which sets the tracks apart from Led-Zeppelin and Led-Zeppelin II). The back end of the record is far softer and takes a more acoustic turn. III opens on arguably Led-Zeppelin’s most famous track, Immigrant Song. Which I would argue more would recognise on just hearing it than they would Stairway to Heaven. It is likely the best classic rock album opener ever if not the best album opener full stop. The two sides are reflected perfectly in my personal favourite track Gallows Pole. It opens with typically softly sung lyrics from Robert Plant accompanied by gentle guitar strummings from Jimmy Page. I’ve always found that Led-Zeppelin in particular had a stunning ability to conjure images in my brain through their lyrics. This quality is ever-present throughout III and Gallows Pole achieves that as effectively as any of their other songs. As the song progresses the tempo gradually increases. We hear the introduction of a banjo supporting the guitar at an increasing pace. This eventually gives rise to electric guitar lines guiding Gallows Pole through its crescendo, which sounds more like something you would hear on the first half of the album. Beyond Gallows Pole there is a clear shift in energy as Zeppelin wind down into the quieter folkier back half but the songwriting and musicianship remain just as captivating. Tangerine is a beautiful and relaxing tune whilst Bron-Y-Aur Stomp picks up the pace slightly before closing things out with Hats Off to (Roy) Harper. Led-Zeppelin III holds your attention firmly throughout, features some of Page’s best playing on Since I’ve Been Loving You, and was the first of their albums to put their folk influences at the forefront of the songwriting. It was a crucial step on the journey to the next album, which I consider to be their masterpiece. Without the artistic leap taken here we may have gone without some of the greatest rock music of the 1970s. Led-Zeppelin III should be considered one of the most important albums of all time if only for this.

“Doesn’t anyone stay in one place anymore? It would be so fine to see your face at my door” I was shocked to realise when this album was generated for me that it was not already on my long list of albums I needed to hear. With this in mind it is a tremendous stroke of luck that Tapestry was thrown out to me as it was a wonderful listening experience. Bookended by two absolute classics in “I Feel the Earth Move” and “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” Tapestry rarely falters. Despite feeling exquisitely gentle throughout, the first half in particular is given brilliant rhythmic momentum by King’s piano as well as the bass playing. The guitar and saxophone are tastefully interspersed throughout and work well to make the album feel more well rounded sonically. Lyrically the album is focused on feeling far from home and this homesickness is often framed through King being far from the people she loves (whether physically or emotionally). For me it did lose its edge slightly around the start of the second side with the tracks “You’ve Got a Friend” and “Where You Lead” which felt more simplistic and thematically not as interesting to me. There is a strong finish though and despite feeling quite out of place the fun bluesy tune “Smackwater Jack” provides a much welcome increase in pace before we wind down again into the title track and a strong vocal performance on “A Natural Woman”. It takes a special kind of confidence in your own ability to cover Aretha Franklin but King does enough to distinguish the song from the original and make it her own. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed and many of the songs here will without a doubt enter regular rotation for me.

Count Basie is, to my shame, one of the few famous jazz musicians I have never listened to despite being recommended him by my guitar teacher over ten years ago. I went into this album with wide-eyed optimism as a lover both of jazz piano and big band and wasn’t disappointed. The Atomic Mr Basie contains a combination of upbeat danceable swing tunes as well as some slower more pensive compositions which give more space for the rest of the band to shine. I found myself comparing much of the faster portion of the album to Thelonious Monk who often put his piano playing front and centre of his work to great effect. I will say though on one listen I do think Monk’s playing just clinches it (see “Monk’s Music”). All in all a fun and accessible big band jazz album that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to anyone looking to get into jazz for the first time.

“Breakfast in bed and a kiss or three. You don’t have to say you love me” Dusty Springfield is not an artist who I had any great desire to listen to a full length LP from and I likely won’t prioritise her discography after this. However, I did enjoy this album thoroughly for what it is; a smooth, syrupy, and relaxing pop record. Dusty In Memphis isn’t desperately challenging but I can see how it laid the groundwork for powerful female voices that followed and it put me into a happy, laidback headspace. Dusty Springfield has an incredible voice which is wonderfully complimented by the instrumentation here. I can seriously imagine myself waking up late on a Sunday morning, making a coffee, spinning this record and having the absolute best time.

This was the first album I’ve had generated for me that I wasn’t actively excited to listen to. It’s not something I would ever have considered listening to without it being semi-forced on me and I will almost certainly not revisit it. However, it is plainly obvious that Khan is a tremendously skilled singer. It is just a style of singing and a genre of music that I, perhaps through cultural predisposition, do not find terribly interesting or rewarding. Worth having heard it but as I say not something that will garner repeat listens from me.

“Abstract raps simple with a street format” Having only ever heard Lauryn Hill’s work from her universally loved solo album I had an extremely high opinion of her as a singer and RNB musician. However, given how heavily weighted towards RNB rather than rap that album is, I didn’t have a full understanding of why people hail her as such a gifted rapper. This album changed that completely. This will no doubt go down for me as one of my favourite 90s hip hop albums. I can feel the inspiration from (influence on?) so many other great hip hop collectives throughout from Wu Tang to OutKast. I’m sure more will become apparent on inevitable re-listens. The only track that left me feeling a little cold is the most successful single from the album “Killing Me Softly With His Song”. Although in total fairness I have never been a huge fan of it and on this listen I think that’s because compared to everything else on The Score it feels instrumentally a bit empty. That aside though it is easy to see why despite a limited discography Fugees have achieved legendary status and I am glad to have finally taken the time to give them a listen.

Audible excitement from me when I saw this had been generated for me. Quite possibly my favourite jazz album ever. I gave it this most recent listen on a bus journey through Thailand and despite the cramped and uncomfortable seats my mind could not be anywhere apart from with the music. Wonderfully orchestrated and beautifully performed every musician on this record bounces off each other perfectly. The tracks flow seamlessly into one another whilst sounding completely distinct and the number of disparate influences that come together here have no right to feel as cohesive as they do. A total work of genius from one of the greatest jazz musicians of all time.

“I don’t want to live to be 34. I don’t want to die in a nuclear war” Surprisingly witty and musically grew on me massively over the course of its short 15 minute runtime. Has a clear and unabashed mantra of anti-establishment anger which it expresses relentlessly both lyrically and through the instrumentation. An intense, angry, and funny quick listen which showcases some of the best of the at the time fledgling American Punk scene.

“I can feel the earth begin to move I hear my needle hit the groove And spiral through another day” If you were born in the UK between the 1960s and 1990s and have any semblance of pop culture awareness the first three tracks on this album will have been virtually unavoidable for you. It’s an astonishing three track run on a record which revolutionised the sound of English popular music and kickstarted a whole subculture. Having lived in Manchester between 2022-2025 it is plain to see the effect that the dance music scene bands like The Stone Roses, Joy Division, and The Happy Mondays created has had on the city. The Hacienda may be gone but we would not have events like Warehouse Project without it and this is the album that started it all. On an individual song by song basis it does lose me ever so slightly around the middle third. However, I Am The Resurrection and Fools Gold provide an ending almost as strong as the opening and the album is fully deserving of its mantle as one of the best and most important British albums of its era.

“I can’t believe the news today Oh, I can’t close my eyes and make it go away” I firmly believe we are up to the third generation of “Dad Rock” with U2 being part of the second sandwiched by Black Sabbath and Green Day. I had never really understood U2’s apparent huge success as one of the biggest stadium rock bands of the last 40 years. I think this is largely because by the time I was born Bono had planted himself firmly in the realm of pretentiousness and U2 along with him (*that* South Park episode didn’t help either). Within guitar purist circles The Edge had also garnered himself a reputation as a bit of a peddleboard merchant with little technical ability. These things combined meant that I largely steered clear aside from their big radio hits. That said I approached War with an open mind and was pleasantly surprised. The Edge knows he is not a technical player and instead uses his creative range of guitar effects to flesh out the songs and provide some really interesting sounds without ever having to flex any instrumental muscles. I think the lack of any real solos on the album speaks to his awareness of this. Bono’s vocal performance is over the top, emotional, and theatrical but you are left with a firm belief that he means every word he sings. It’s a wonderfully produced 80s rock guitar album but it never quite reaches the heights of the opening “Sunday Bloody Sunday” throughout the subsequent 9 songs. The closer “40” felt like a bit of a damp squib given the crescendo I felt I was heading for and that the album deserved. The highs on here are very high and the lows are still better than good. If nothing else I have left the album with a fuller understanding of why U2 has consistently sold out stadia since their inception and will continue to do so for a good while yet.

“Pounding the world Like a battering ram” Judas Priest are without a doubt one of the most talented and important British Heavy Metal bands of all time. Their longevity both in the studio and on stage is nothing short of staggering. Having formed in 1969 they released a genuinely brilliant record only last year in “Invincible Shield”. British Steel contains some of their biggest radio friendly tracks and although I am extremely familiar with almost all the material here I was shocked to find I had never listened to it front to back. It is a truly masterful piece of work that ushered in the New Wave of British Heavy Metal in the 1980s and stands up today as one of the best what I would call “gateway albums” into heavy music. You get the catchy and instantly recognisable “Breaking The Law” and “Living After Midnight” which are the two most commercially viable Priest tracks from any album. There’s also the slower and slightly ponderous “United” which holds a soft spot in my heart from when my beloved Sheffield United would walk out to it years ago at Bramall Lane. My only issue with British Steel is an odd one; it is that “Painkiller” and “Screaming For Vengeance” exist. Those two albums are damn near perfect and showcase Judas Priest at the absolute peak of their powers in terms of the pure visceral speed and excitement they are capable of producing. Whilst Rob Halford’s vocal performance is undeniably brilliant here it doesn’t utilise anything like the full range he shows on subsequent albums. There were so many moments while listening to this where I just wanted the whole band to put their foot to the floor and not lift it until my face was sufficiently melted. That sadly never happened and it left me longing for the blistering no holds barred sound that I know Judas Priest has in their locker. That said, I am by no means minimising the quality and importance of British Steel. But I will say, if this is your introduction to Judas Priest then brace yourself, it gets even better.

“A nation with their freezers full Are dancing in their seats While outside another nation Is sleeping in the streets” My dad grew up in a small mining town in Derbyshire the son of a miner who voted for Margaret Thatcher in 1979. I have a very distinct memory of him and my mum purchasing “Ding Dong the Witch Is Dead” on iTunes when Thatcher died in 2013. It is then unsurprising that my awareness of Billy Bragg comes almost entirely from him. Until listening to this album I had not actually listened to any Billy Bragg at all. However, I had oddly seen him live many years ago at a small Christian performing arts festival my parents would drag my siblings and I along to every year with our church. I remember little about the performance except that my dad was excited to see it and that even to my young ears it was extremely political. As I’ve got older my political views and my taste in music, and art in general, have often intertwined. I will always remember blasting Rage Against The Machine’s “Take the Power Back” in my first year university accommodation the morning I awoke to find Donald Trump had won the 2016 Presidential Election. However, when it comes to protest music my tastes have generally leaned towards songs that express anger at the establishment and discontent with the system. That is not what you get with Billy Bragg. Bragg comes across as a man with an astonishing optimism whose music largely serves not as a cathartic expression of rage but as a call to arms for the working classes. The songs feel like jubilant reassurances that en masse the people have the power and that if we are active, take to the streets, and make our voices heard then we can effect real change. Bragg has gone on record previously saying that as a country we can reclaim the concept of being proud of our Britishness from the far-right and you can feel that pride here. The lyrics are extremely intelligent and are backed up in their sincerity by Bragg’s well documented record of political activism. Delivered with his strong accent everything about his messaging feels authentic. Musically there is nothing out of this world going on. You can hear the folk influences of Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie that have not particularly been further developed. That does not necessarily matter though if you accept that the music is largely serving as a vehicle for the lyrics and more importantly the message. I am glad to have finally given Billy Bragg a proper listen and if my dad were here it is something I’m sure we would delight in sharing with each other.

“It was absurdly simple He would ship himself parcel post, special delivery” An eccentric and chaotic record which laid the foundations for art rock as we know it today. This was a really tough listen as someone who has never really responded brilliantly to the more avant-garde side of rock music. I enjoyed the narrative of “The Gift” and felt a palpable sense of dread as the story reached its grisly conclusion. I struggled with much of the rest of the album and really don’t think that the guitar playing is as exciting or interesting as others seem to. I have seen some online compare it with Hendrix which I think is borderline insulting. Still, the album has clearly had a profound impact and influence on a number of artists who would follow and it has its merits in places. Just not quite for me.

“In the pines, in the pines Where the sun don’t ever shine I would shiver the whole night through” MTV Unplugged was a really fun and interesting concept that gave us reimaginings of some all time classic tracks. Nirvana’s set became the standard to which all other bands were held and it’s easy to see why. Some of the songs here are actually my preferred versions. The opener “About A Girl” is a prime example of this. It works so well as a slow, gentler number and allows you to pick up on the subtler emotions that Kurt Cobain was so good at expressing when you strip Nirvana’s songs back. There’s also room on Unplugged for a good number of covers. The highlights are David Bowie’s “The Man Who Sold The World” and a truly haunting rendition of Lead Belly’s “Where Did You Sleep Last Night”. Both of these again demonstrate Cobain’s talent for making you feel a certain way without being vocally gifted on a technical level. There are some brilliant choices in terms of instrumentation which help boost certain moments. Having a live cellist in order to retain the strings on the choruses of “Dumb” and “Something In The Way” was definitely needed and works perfectly. There are a few moments of interaction between Cobain and the audience in between songs and he comes across as quite shy but charming. You certainly get the feeling that the crowd can tell they’re witnessing something special. They go completely quiet during each song but burst into rapturous applause as soon as they are certain they won’t be clapping over the music. Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged set feels like a snapshot in time. Even the staging and the clothing has gone down as iconic and it’s really hard not to get swept up in it as Cobain belts out the final lyrics of “Where Did You Sleep Last Night” to close the album. An incredible crescendo that gives the performance a well deserved and satisfying ending. This show will no doubt provide many with their abiding image of Kurt Cobain in his grey cardigan with an acoustic guitar resting on his lap. I know that is what I see in my head whenever I think of him. It is tragic that he would pass away so soon after this gig, the same age that I am as I sit here writing this. His performance here cements him as one of the all time greatest front men in rock music despite how short his career ended up being.

“You’re hungry cause you starve While holding back the tears Choking on your smile A fake behind the fear” Honestly, really not what I was expecting. I went into this album with little to no knowledge of Garbage but under the assumption they were some kind of post-punk group. In hindsight something of a foolish notion. What was in store for me felt much more akin to Portishead or Massive Attack. Slow and relaxing but pensive and lyrically interesting. I was transfixed from the opening bar to the last and upon finishing the album felt extremely likely to explore more of Garbage’s discography. The highlight of the album for me was Queer which contends with topics that would have been far before their time upon the album’s release in 1995.

“Here comes the daylight, here comes my job Uptown in the penthouse or downtown with the mob” It was going so well for the first three tracks. I did not have high hopes for Heaven 17. Whenever I have heard them spoken about it was usually in the context of them being from my home city. Even then this was usually uttered with a hint of embarrassment. In terms of their music I was only really familiar with “Temptation” which admittedly is pretty catchy. I certainly wasn’t expecting to hear such effective busy funky bass lines and to actually really enjoy the music. The first three songs have such a groove to them and are really enjoyable danceable tunes. I was starting to think of the people I could recommend the album to and even wrote in my initial notes that Heaven 17 felt at times like Sheffield’s answer to The Talking Heads. Then the bubble burst in truly disappointing fashion. The bass guitar I had loved up to that point disappeared completely and was not to reappear at any point. It was replaced by increasingly cheesy grating synths and the rest of the album was 80s synth pop that I wouldn’t ordinarily touch with a barge pole. The mild embarrassment of this lot being from Sheffield sadly makes complete sense now.

“Though I have a broken dream I’m too busy to be dreaming of you There’s a lot of things that I gotta do Lord, I have a broken dream” A really nice surprise this one. I’d heard the album mentioned in passing but it was not firmly on my radar. It feels like an amalgamation of a lot of the sounds coming out of British rock music at the time. The vocal delivery is at times very Britpop but has shades of Madchester on the slower chilled out tracks where the echo and reverb are employed. The structure of the tracks is in places more experimental but there are also some traditional ABAB type songs in here. The music becomes more chaotic as the album goes on and there are places where it is almost in free time with the horns doing their own thing over the top of the rest of the mix. We are occasionally treated to backing vocals from a choir which adds a warmth and depth to the songs where they feature. The strings on “Broken Heart” are wonderful and the lyrics devastating. The closing “Cop Shoot Cop…” is a 16-minute epic which exchanges bluesy guitar and piano-led choruses and verses with loud distorted guitar based interludes. The interludes crescendo around the middle of the track and you can hear audible strain in the bass playing before the band brings everything back to the main theme to finish. A really interesting psychedelic experimental rock album which brings together a lot of influences very well.

“Everything you say to me Takes me one step closer to the edge And I’m about to break” Linkin Park’s debut is for me the definitive Nu Metal album. No alpha posturing or toxic masculine lyrics just pure teen angst mixed with genuine anxieties and struggles conveyed through angry instrumentals and simple but effective raps. Linkin Park would never quite hit the highs of this album with a full length project again but that would admittedly seriously be going some. Songs like “One Step Closer”, “Crawling”, and “In The End” would go on to soundtrack the pain and strife of the noughties emo generation. The lyrics to the singles from “Hybrid Theory” have been memed to death and define the stereotype of the teenage emo. The second I pressed play on “Papercut” I felt 15 again. I can still feel the catharsis of allowing this album to wash over you all these years later. The ability for music to do that is a big part of why I listen and it is invaluable.

“You’re given a flower But I guess that there’s just no pleasing you Your lip tastes sour But you think that it’s just me teasing you” I have often been unconvinced by The White Stripes. Their hits are undeniably brilliant and when they are good they are great. The same can be said of Jack White’s playing. Stellar in places but some hail him as one of the all time greats and this leaves me slightly perplexed. This album did little to change my mind. The opener “Blue Orchid” is one of the certified moments of brilliance I’m talking about. A thumping riff backed by Meg White’s exemplary drumming, and over the top of this kind of instrumental Jack White’s voice sits perfectly. Unfortunately, the album immediately begins to go awry. The guitar gives way to a more relaxed piano backing which in my opinion suits neither Meg’s drumming nor Jack’s vocals. The piano playing itself also lacks character and makes me long for the return of the distorted guitar. There are flashes where the piano works such as on “The Denial Twist” which feels much heavier and more what you would expect from a White Stripes track where the guitar is swapped out for the piano. The keys are being slapped in a more Fiona Apple-esque way and this makes for much more energy. We get a nice taste of Jack’s playing on “Instinct Blues” which comes across as quite improvisational. I may be being overly critical but it does often seem like the heavy distortion masks a lack of soul and technical ability when it comes to Jack White. He has always seemed capable of writing excellent catchy riffs but falls down a tad when it comes to anything beyond that. I really really wanted to like “Take, Take, Take” but structurally it is just all over the place in a way that I found tremendously distracting rather than it enhancing the song. Despite my criticism of the piano earlier on the album I actually quite liked the closer “I’m Lonely (But I Ain’t That Lonely Yet)”. I can’t particularly explain this, it just seemed to round everything out nicely. This is not The White Stripes’ best album by any stretch of the imagination. I much prefer “Icky Thump” and from the songs I know are on “Elephant” I would expect to enjoy that far more as well. However, it was worth listening to it to get to hear the high points and “Blue Orchid” absolutely slaps.

“Yes it’s too late This life isn’t mine Lord hear me pray Can you ease my mind” Another in a recent string of albums that I didn’t know what to expect from. Dust by Screaming Trees was a great listen from a band that apparently pioneered Grunge music alongside the likes of Pearl Jam and Soundgarden but who I knew nothing about. The similarities between Screaming Trees and their contemporaries are immediately obvious and in my view they do it all just as well as the aforementioned big names of the genre. The one key difference being that there is a distinct lack of obvious radio hits that might have seen Screaming Trees get some air time. There is no “Even Flow” or “Spoonman”. However, “Dust” doesn’t suffer for this. It’s a cohesive, well written, and well performed selection of Grunge tracks that deserve to be more widely heard. I look forward to it popping up in my rotation in the future.

“Now I’m ready to close my eyes And now I’m ready to close my mind And now I’m ready to feel your hand And lose my heart under burning sands” This was really not what I wanted it to be. The production sounds empty and Iggy Pop sounds frankly uninterested for so much of it. Beyond the first two tracks I was not desperately excited and just kind of allowed the album to trundle on to its conclusion. I kept expecting something to happen and for the music to grab me and pull me back in but it just didn’t. The slower quieter songs were the real low points but the louder ones never gripped me the way I had expected them to. A bit of a shame really as I enjoy Iggy Pop’s solo hits and had expected to really enjoy this.

“Mother, do you think they’ll drop the bomb? Mother, do you think they’ll like this song?” It would be virtually impossible for me to say anything about “The Wall” that hasn’t already been said. It is a bit of a marmite album for some within the context of one of the greatest discographies ever pressed onto vinyl. It is therefore a little controversial for me to say that “The Wall” is my favourite Floyd record. As I’ve said there is little I can add to the discourse around the music itself so I will resign myself to writing the following: When I was a teenager I inherited a large amount of vinyl from my parents. Amongst them was my mum’s copy of “The Wall”. I span the first side as I fell asleep more times than I can count. It led to that collection of songs being imprinted on my brain, and to “Mother” being not just my favourite Floyd track but one of my favourite songs ever. This is a truly special album to me.

Despite being quite into Jazz music my only real experience with Bossa Nova rather embarrassingly comes from the Austin Powers theme tune. That said, I went into this excited for what I might hear. It’s all very palatable and easy to listen to. It certainly isn’t the most challenging Jazz album you’ll ever hear. However, it is also incredibly smooth, well played, and pleasant to the ear. The playing from both Byrd and Getz is right on the money if not taking many risks. The legato in Byrd’s guitar playing is like velvet and is something that can be incredibly difficult to produce with a plucked string instrument. A very chilled out and peaceful listening experience and an album that I would recommend to anyone interested in Jazz guitar or indeed Jazz music in general.

“Are teenage dreams so hard to beat? Every time she walks down the street” Fun simple punk songs filling out a run time which whilst short is the perfect length to avoid outstaying its welcome. It is clear on one full listen why the standout track which saw The Undertones become one hit wonders is “Teenage Kicks”. It’s catchy, fun, and an all around good time. There are other tracks on here which offer similar such as “Girls Don’t Like It” but they don’t quite hit the same highs. Solid from start to finish and easy enough to listen to but doesn’t quite offer the same edge or intrigue as other punk albums released around the same time (see “London Calling” also 1979).

“Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?” I feel incredibly grateful to be given an excuse to revisit this album. I can’t think of a set of songs that take me back to my childhood so readily as these. Brian May’s playing here was a huge factor in compelling me to learn the guitar and I don’t have the superlatives for Freddie Mercury. Roger Taylor and John Deacon are both more than pulling their weight. They are wonderful at their instruments and offering strong vocal performances. They are also both flexing their songwriting muscles on “I’m In Love With My Car” and “You’re My Best Friend” respectively. The songs all flow beautifully into each other and given how familiar I am with the album I can feel each song before it has started. I have always loved the transition from “The Prophet’s Song” into “Love Of My Life” and it is a prime example of this. “A Night At The Opera” has its cheesier moments courtesy of “Seaside Rendezvous”, “Good Company”, and “Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon” but if you buy into the over the top campiness you find yourself tuning into the musicality that underpins them. “Bohemian Rhapsody” needs no introduction. I have never met anyone who doesn’t know the words. Its popularity almost serves to distract from how brilliant a song it is and how much it deserves its reputation. I am massively biased in favour of this album and I make no apologies for that. I grew up with these songs and they formed the basis for my love of music as an adult. That being said I truly believe that this record is essential listening for any music fan.

Of all the albums to go into completely blind it’s the one that feels as though it could have left me deaf. This is the hardest time I’ve ever had listening to an album. Genuinely terrifying at times and psychologically exhausting. I can say with absolute certainty I will never revisit this. If anyone ever asks me again what my peak “scaring the hoes” album is it will without a doubt be this. I have to respect the vision and effort that must have gone into creating something that can illicit such a visceral reaction in the listener but ultimately I was just so happy when this was over.

“We gon’ be alright” Lauded as one of the greatest hiphop albums ever made “To Pimp A Butterfly”, often shortened to TPAB, cemented Kendrick Lamar as the voice of a generation for many. This title was so pervasive that Kendrick would end up releasing a whole album with the intention of dispelling the idea and lamenting on the thorniness of his crown (he’s not the messiah he’s just a very talented rapper). The astonishing thing is TPAB absolutely lives up to the hype. It is a masterpiece from start to finish and the layers peel back further with every listen. It contains some of my favourite Kendrick songs but when listened to as a complete experience the tracks elevate each other to a level far greater than the sum of their parts. The depth, anger, and importance of the racial commentary contained within these bars will go down in history as some of the best in the history of rap music. The cultural importance of TPAB is already apparent just ten years later. “Alright” was chanted at Black Lives Matter protests in the wake of George Floyd’s murder and Kendrick’s performance of “The Blacker The Berry” at The Grammy’s hits just as hard now as it did then. The album also grapples with Kendrick’s personal struggles with his new found fame as well as childhood traumas and how these two things intertwine. This culminates in a conversation between Kendrick and Tupac which was created by splicing together audio from a genuine interview with Kendrick’s late idol. Musically the album is an astonishing departure from its predecessor “good kid, m.A.A.d city”. Kendrick brought aboard some of the most talented musicians in the world to realise his vision and the result is a collection of lush and captivating jazz-inspired instrumentals which back the lyrics perfectly. “To Pimp A Butterfly” is for me the pinnacle of Conscious Hiphop and I can’t see anything toppling it for a very long time.

“I loved you in the morning, our kisses deep and warm Your hair upon the pillow like a sleepy golden storm Yes, many loved before us, I know that we are not new In city and in forest they smiled like me and you” I knew Leonard Cohen almost exclusively as the man who wrote “Hallelujah” (also my mum really likes him). This left me with a bit of an idea what I was in store for which I think was helpful for being in the right headspace for the album. I can imagine Cohen being a serious marmite artist for many. His delivery is completely monotone and emotionless and I would completely understand anybody telling me that they find listening to him a slog. However, I think the beauty in this record is in the profundity of Cohen’s lyrics juxtaposed with the simplicity of both the music and his vocal delivery. Leonard Cohen is first and foremost a poet and what you get with this album is a wonderfully basic conduit for his poetry.

“You think that you’re strong when you’re only straining You think that you have when you’re only claiming” It is immediately obvious how this is a foundational album for Psychedelic Rock music. The album title itself was the first time the word “psychedelic” was used in that way and throughout the run time we get all the hallmarks of the late 60s movement. I enjoyed almost all the tracks well enough but my main issue is this: Psychedelic Rock would become so much better within the years following the album’s release. “Electric Ladyland” came out in 1968 and if I had not heard that before listening to this I think The 13th Floor Elevators would have impressed me more. It’s also worth noting that “Revolver” came out in August 1966 and laid the foundations for Psychedelic Rock in a far more imaginative way. I can’t knock the album at all it is perfectly good at doing what it does. The issue is that others would do it better than them within a matter of months.

“Life’s both sweet and sour!” I got an embarrassingly long way through this before I realised the lead singer was Björk. Once I did my instinct that I much preferred the female vocals to the male ones made total sense. The instrumentation is a little hit and miss at times but the songs I enjoyed were very fun. The less enjoyable parts were largely courtesy of the over the top vocal theatrics which is just a personal preference on my part and not necessarily a blanket indicator of quality. A mostly fun and interesting set of songs that made me intrigued to explore Björk’s solo catalogue.

“Wonder when I’ll find paradise Somewhere there’s a home sweet and nice Wonder if I’ll find happiness Never give it up now I guess” A really fun listen. Funky and danceable in places but lots of room for freeform improvisation which showcases the chops of the individual players. The underpinning themes of the songs that contain lyrics are well thought out and don’t tread on the feet of the music at all. An album that wasn’t particularly on my radar that I’m very glad to have heard.

“Rainy day, dream away Ah let the sun take a holiday Flowers bathe an’ ah see the children play Lay back and groove on a rainy day” Any excuse to revisit this absolute masterpiece. Jimi Hendrix has been my favourite guitar player since long before I ever picked up my first guitar and for me “Electric Ladyland” is his magnum opus. It is one of those records that I cannot do justice with words. It just bears plugging in and devoting your whole attention to because it not only perfected Psychedelic Rock music but also permanently changed the way everyone played the electric guitar. Some of the sounds Jimi achieves here are still jaw dropping nearly sixty years later. I can’t even begin to imagine what seeing him perform these songs live must have been like. If that wasn’t enough then the album closes with two of the greatest rock songs ever recorded. Jimi is also playing every instrument on the final cut of “All Along The Watchtower”, such was his insistence on perfection. When I first got hold of a copy of this I must have only been eleven or twelve years old. MP3s and iPods were becoming more popular but my parents were only in a position to hand me down a Sony Walkman portable CD player. This meant me bringing 2-3 CDs to school in my bag every day. Electric Ladyland was always in there. I got ridiculed by my peers every time I pulled that Walkman out on the school bus but I never let it bother me. Because I knew that having that Walkman meant I got to tune them out and replace their mockery with Jimi Hendrix the whole ride home. The word genius does not do this record or Jimi Hendrix justice and it is an album that I will always hold close to my heart.

“You don’t think of them as human You don’t think of them at all You keep your mind on the money Keeping your eyes on the wall” Fun, groovy, and a voice that lives up to the legendary status her name carries. “What’s Love Got To Do With It?” is the track that caught the imagination of the public and has stood the test of time, but there is plenty more to enjoy than just that. The title track is a powerful ballad that gives us the inner monologue of an exotic dancer rationalising her motivation for her work. Tina Turner’s voice is tremendously powerful and the song is captivating. Her reimagining of Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together” is entertaining and entirely unique from the original. The cover of “Help” is a little strange but intriguing enough to be worth listening to. A great listen front to back and happy to have finally heard a full length album from one of the best (no pun intended).

“There is this old woman She lives down the road You can often find her kneelin’ inside of her hole” I don’t know if it’s just that there are fewer standout hits on this than on “Doolittle” but I sadly found “Bossanova” passing me by even as I was listening to it. I dialled into the occasional song such as “Is She Weird” and “Dig For Fire” which offered more like what I expected from Pixies but I was just not gripped by it the album at all. Much of it felt like a precursor to Shoegaze which I will confess I find a little contrived and boring anyway. This may explain my lack of interest in this. With all that being said I did enjoy a few songs here and there across the album.

“I wish we’d get away Drink wine and screw I knew someone else before Looked a lot like you” I am stunned by how much I enjoyed this. I went into this album with extremely low expectations having heard “Songs For The Deaf” many years ago and being extremely underwhelmed. My first brush with Queens of the Stone Age came via Guitar Hero III which had “3s & 7s” on it. I absolutely adored that track particularly the opening riff. This led to immense disappointment when 14-year-old me saw QotSA at Download Festival in 2012 and they didn’t play it. I feel this incident is where my anti-QotSA bias is borne from. But I digress, this self-titled debut is loud, heavy, full of depth and extremely well produced. The momentum never really slows and I felt captivated throughout. The drums at the end of “Spiders and Vinegaroons” are thumping and menacing in an almost tribal way. The only comparison I can really conjure is to Led-Zeppelin’s “When The Levee Breaks”. I’m not sure compliments come much higher than that as a Rock drummer. I will have to make a point of revisiting “Songs For The Deaf” as if I have shaken my grudge against QotSA after all these years, and this album is any indication, then I may well fall in love with it.

“My building has every convenience It’s gonna make life easy for me It’s gonna be easy to get things done I will relax along with my loved ones” Talking Heads’ debut is raw and unfocused compared to their later more critically well regarded albums. You can feel all the pieces here that the band would eventually put together to produce the undisputed high point in their discography “Remain In Light”. The themes of every day mundanity on “Don’t Worry About the Government” actually feel like a direct precursor to “Once In A Lifetime”. David Byrne is as theatrical and quirky as ever and we are gifted one of the band’s biggest hits in “Psycho Killer”. ‘77 does lose me in places around the halfway mark where some stuff feels a bit too much like filler and you can tell Talking Heads were still trying to figure themselves out. Still though a very good album that puts the rest of their career into context.

“Turn me on, take me for a hard ride Burn me out, leave me on the otherside” Red Hot Chili Peppers are a band who I have only really thoroughly explored through their hits and singles (all though I have heard and enjoyed “Blood Sugar Sex Magik”). I have a tremendous respect for John Frusciante, Flea, and Chad Smith as musicians but find it immensely frustrating that they chose to make Anthony Kiedis (who is deplorable as a person anyway) their lead singer. Whilst he is unique in his delivery he may be the most pompous and posturing front man in rock music. That said, thanks in the most part to the three actual musicians in the band, I do really enjoy this record. The Chili Peppers really captured a moment with the Funk Rock sound they pioneered in the 90s and no one has ever really done it better than them whilst achieving such mainstream success. The guitar playing from Frusciante is particularly good and anchors the whole album. The riffs are fantastic and the whole thing whilst sounding a bit old hat now was groundbreaking in its day. I will die on the hill that the title track is extremely overlong and could easily have seen a minute and a half hit the cutting room floor.

“So I’m sorry that you turned to driftwood But you’ve been drifting for a long long time” “The Man Who” is a sper easy listening chilled out post-Britpop album. There isn’t a huge amount of thematic depth or musicality to sink your teeth into but I didn’t really dislike any of it. It is a tad dreary and morose throughout but if that’s the vibe you want to sit in for 40 minutes or so without thinking too hard about it then this does the job nicely. “Why Does It Always Rain On Me?” is a pretty great pop song but is also the only thing that really hooked me in any meaningful way. Can’t knock it particularly but I’m unlikely to revisit the album as a whole.

“My-my Someone fetch a priest You can’t say no to The Beauty And The Beast” Few artists can boast a discography that morphs so effortlessly through genres whilst simultaneously pioneering every style they attempt. David Bowie is one such artist and this record feels like the perfect next phase following on from “Low” which precedes “Heroes” by less than a year. The instrumentals here feel much more electronic heavy and there are a couple of instrumental tracks on the back end of the album that wouldn’t have sounded out of place on “Low”. The title track actually stands out not just as the biggest hit from the album but certainly as the most distinct and conventional of all the songs. If you go into the album familiar only with the title track then you will find yourself (hopefully pleasantly) surprised. “Heroes” is just one chapter in a career that defined how pop music sounded for decades. Bowie constantly had his finger on the pulse and this record is a fantastic example of that.

“Stay, that’s what I meant to say, or do something But what I never say is stay this time I really meant to so bad this time ‘Cause you can never really tell when somebody Wants something you want too” In my experience the vast majority of people only become obnoxious and low functioning when under the influence of the volumes of cocaine David Bowie was using when he recorded this album. The fact that Bowie could even stand up never mind record one of the greatest and most progressive albums in his discography during these sessions speaks to the theory that he may have actually been an alien. The depth of the themes on “Station to Station” are too vast to sink in on one or two listens, however, the tightness of the instrumentation hits you immediately. The layers are apparent from the opening track which reveals the guitar and drum parts gradually over the course of its ten minute runtime. The album marks David Bowie’s first under his “Thin White Duke” persona. A moniker that infamously consumed him and led him to some extremely dark places. To characterise the songs this persona produced as love songs would not do justice to their complexity. However, the best description I have seen is that they are “the kind of love songs you write when you have no romance in your life”. The result is pensive, morose, and despondent. But, throughout a beautiful masterpiece from one of the only musicians from the last 60 years who I think you can truly call a genius.

“Caught in a trap No turnin’ back We’re lost in music” Upbeat, joyful, and relentlessly fun “We Are Family” was a pleasure to listen to. It contains Sister Sledge’s three most famous tracks “He’s the Greatest Dancer”, “Lost In Music”, and of course “We Are Family”. It is easy to see why these three are the big hits but almost all of the rest of the songs are just as good at getting you moving. I listened to this while strapped into an incredibly small airplane seat and even that couldn’t stop me from moving my whole body to the rhythm. The only real low point for me was the slower “Somebody Loves Me” which, while not a bad song, fades into mild obscurity in comparison to the rest of the album. An essential listen for any fans of Funk, Disco, or Soul and one that I’m sure will yield tremendous replay value.

“Well, she’s faster than most And she lives on the coast, ah, ah, ah” A pioneer of Boogie and Glam Rock what Marc Bolan managed to achieve in such a short space of time with T. Rex is pretty spectacular. “Electric Warrior” contains some incredibly forward thinking and groovy pop rock songs that sound very distinct from anything else being released at the time. An absolute staple of rock music in the emerging post-hippy era that stands the test of time and had a huge influence on modern rock music.

“So you think I’m alone? But being alone’s the only way to be When you step outside You spend life fighting for your sanity” An impressively eclectic mish mash of genres showcasing the full breadth of Janelle Monáe’s vocal chops and creativity (as well as the musicianship of Nate Wonder who is credited with playing every instrument on the album). “The ArchAndroid” is funky and danceable whilst having its slower, more chilled and pensive moments. The guitar tone Wonder achieves across the whole album is fantastic and the mix is near enough perfect. The underlying narrative works really well and the music fits the theme perfectly. Monáe is clearly an incredibly complex person who pieces everything together exceptionally well here to convey that complexity in a meaningful unpretentious way. I will almost certainly make an effort to listen to the remainder of her catalogue and am really pleased to have given this a chance.

“Oh, take your time, don’t live too fast Troubles will come and they will pass You’ll find a woman, yeah, and you’ll find love And don’t forget, son, there is someone up above” This is without a doubt the quintessential Country Rock album. The balance between slow ballad and upbeat riffs and solos combined with simple lyrics telling simple stories is perfect. In an era of poppy paint by numbers Country music dominating the genre it is great to revisit Lynyrd Skynyrd. They are so utterly authentic in their roots and blend their white Southern Country sound with elements of the Blues without ever feeling like they are in the mould of the white Blues plagiarists. The ballads on this record are largely my favourites. “Tuesday’s Gone” is an all time classic but “Simple Man” might be Skynyrd’s best song (I know for sure it is my mum’s favourite). Then you have “Free Bird” which is nothing short of iconic. Even today we have reached a point where the pre-solo and solo can be found soundtracking thousands of videos on Instagram and TikTok of people achieving some incredible feat. There is an obvious case to be made that it is the best guitar solo ever recorded and it is the embodiment of the stereotype of the obnoxiously long guitar solo. Skynyrd’s follow up “Second Helping” is also exceptional and contains their biggest radio hit in “Sweet Home Alabama”. However, this debut is another album which I inherited on vinyl from my parents and so it is that bit more special to me and just clinches it.