Highly influential pop star turned crooner, david Bowie looked up to him. A world away from his avant garde concept song cycles in his later career. A really distinctive voice
Clearly a great rap album, but I couldn’t fully identify a clear concept lyrically despite its comic art work and intro track.
Their second of three 1969 albums, 29 minutes of economic rockabilly. It just feels right and this band could’ve been the next biggest band of them all. Fabulous music
An album supposedly dwarfed by a historic rock anthem in ‘freebird’, it confounds expectations of a dumb southern rock record with some varied approaches to playing and writing. Impressive band
Essentially a Chic album with a different set of vocalists. Rare for a late 70s pop album to have four top notch hit singles on it. You can hear the sound Diana Ross would develop with Nile and Bernard the following year. One of the best disco albums of the era.
Slightly groovier than I expected and clearly influential - just a little bit too long
Pop quality with a new wave touch. They’re still a better singles band.
The start of the California sound - a true supergroup - they just weren’t that prolific. Harmony singing of great invention
Never liked them, led zeppelin samples and a threat to VW cars…..
I feel this perfectly adequate debut album is dwarfed by a sublime cover of Hard to handle - the bastard child of Zep and the stones
Co written produced by David Bowie, during a remarkably productive Berlin period, and fracturing (future Tin Machine) rhythm section Tony and Hunt, this is a proto punk effort with 2 stonewall classics on it and a couple of tracks (tonight and Neigbourhood threat) that ended up on Bowie’s awful Tonight album 7 years later.
The origins of the who’s cover of ‘Summertime Blues’ and some pretty average psych/ stoner rock. Not a classic…..
A formative influence on the genre and it contains the first crossover with walk this way. Can live without it though……
Excellent album, continuing their upward trajectory as David Bowie’s favourite band in later life.Grammy winning, tuneful, conceptual.
One of the all time great rock albums - 8 tracks recorded in 74/5 that were too long for a single album and so we also have 7 extras from earlier albums. Just outstanding - a real journey into their world
A hugely well received debut album which was the definitive statement in the burgeoning indie folk scene. A lot of 60s/70s fans would’ve been taken by the Crosby stills, Nash harmonies. Sounds fresh now.
Produced by Ian Brodie with two significant hits on it, they were nip and tuck with U2 for the post punk alternative crown at the time. Not well reviewed at the time but it has aged well - sounds more of its time now
This is total bobbins - psychedelic nonsense!
Highly influential east coast rap album. Full of interesting jazz and funk samples. Not my area of comfort but it has clearly aged well.
A really varied hip hop album with elements of punk, funk and rock. They were now a long way from nicking VW badges.
One of the greatest rock albums of all time, takes you on a genuine journey into the stones’ world - rock, blues, country, gospel, boogie. The last in the run of four classic albums and considering their situation, a miracle it turned out like it did
Absolute banger from 1997, powerful, unsubtle, dance meets punk/metal crossover. Their biggest seller - Keith flint made a huge difference. Has Dance music ever been so mainstream since…..?
Much written about - birth of genre etc - but stands as a great rock album by a jazz drummer, guitarist with a hampered hand, a bass player who put horror fiction into lyrics and Aston’s village idiot turned most iconic star on vocals - what a combination. And they still put an acoustic number in there…..
Along with the pistols and the damned, one of the key UK punk albums, compact and concise and just waiting for Topper Headon to give them a more stylistic options.
Some of the only notable Christmas 60s recordings and arguably the defining seasonal album collection. Perfection of its kind
Brought them to a wider audience with Bob Rock’s slightly more ‘accessible’ production, with some hit singles in there. In some top audiophiles lists of best sounding albums.
U2 had a fab 80s, a 50/50 90s and this album kicked off a hugely successful 2000s with a no.1 hit single (impressive for 20 years into their career). It should be called ‘Elevation’ rather than from a line in ‘walk on’. This album has aged well.
Pretty sounding jangly indie pop from Australia. Sounds like the smiths accompanying the bastard child of Lou Reed and Bernard Sumner. Hardly a classic album but a very familiar sound to those of us of a certain generation. Prefab Sprout did it infinitely better…..
A mixture of jazz Melodys, gibberish improvising, changes of tempo and some R&B sounds with some Latin mixed in. ‘Jump,jive and wail’ and ‘Bueno sera’ are the standouts but it’s an entertaining period piece, 12 years before ‘king of the swingers’
Entertaining fare from two northerners channeling their inner Scott Walker with some French chic in there as well. Certainly an indicator as to the Arctic Monkeys direction on their recent two albums
This was a refreshing departure with the premier UK folk rock group along with Fairport Convention. The opening track was well known as the theme for TV show ‘take three girls’. The guitar playing of Bert Jancsh was hugely influential on the likes of Led Zeppelin and Danny Thompson’s double bass also played with John Martyn and Richard Thompson. A fine album from an important act of that time.
A member of Take That ‘doing Britpop’ ended up being a recipe for success, once Angels and let me entertain you prevailed after 3 misfiring singles. The real story really is Guy Chambers’ songwriting taking the best bits of pop/rock history with Robbie’s sometimes dodgy lyrics. Nice to hear it 28 years on - it’s aged better than I thought
Hard to write anything that hasn’t been written about this album. Occasionally I think a single album would’ve been better. Revolution 9 could’ve been replaced by Hey Jude! It’s John, Paul and George being more eclectic and grasping the rock revolution and more acoustic stuff than in ‘67. It’s a compendium of delights and some mad moments.
This fourth mercury Rev album is hard to pin down - a lovely brittleness in the early songs, arrangements going away from rock cliche. Levon Helm and Garth Hudson (the band) appear on drums and sax remarkably. Uncut magazine used to love them. I enjoyed it far more than I would’ve done back in 1998!
Playing on another level by the specialists in their respective fields. Excellently recorded live album.
Listened to it recently after Mani died and, aside from the unnecessary backwards track, it stands up incredibly well. A huge changing point for post Smiths alternative UK music which ended up with Britpop.
The first example of one of the rock/pop fraternity fusing with Africa - great to hear Tony Allen as well. The birth of afrobrat (for western ears). Goes on a bit but fela kuti is very charismatic and this lays down foundations for WOMAD and such like.
Another favourite of ‘uncut’ magazine. Americana singer songwriter that to my ears doesn’t really stand out from the rest.
This album is a horrendous cacophony, steering between punk, metal and post rock. I will not be searching out the rest of their catalogue…
Hard to separate this album from the 1988 Mandela concert, which helped make it a success. I like it now more than I did back then. It seems that some of the underground alternative music became mainstream in readiness for the 90s. A distinctive voice and writer
Their definitive album by common consensus. I really should like this band more than I do - ranges of moods and instruments, soaring vocals, northern, Guy Garvey is a great personality. However aside from mirrorball and the Olympic ceremony track, it’s not FULL of tunes. An ok band in my book.
One of the big albums to kickstart the grunge scene. It’s all very committed, full of energy and Eddie Vedder certainly has a distinctive voice. I just don’t buy into the idea that this helped to rescue rock from
van Halen, Bon Jovi and Aerosmith
The idea of hearing this for the first time would’ve been mind blowing. One of the greatest records of them all - less an influence on heavy metal, more on Queen, Bowie/ mick Ronson, Stevie ray Vaughan, stone roses and Prince. Can’t ignore the acid and psychedelic aspects of his music. Very few more impactful artists than this guy,not forgetting Noel and Mitch.
One of the finest recording of the 21st century, helped by the production of mark ronson and salaam remi. Retro meets modernism. Who knows what could’ve been had rehab not been necessary…..
A contender for best solo Beatle album and evidence of the sheer breadth and range of Lennon’s. Imagine, jealous guy and how do you sleep are now legendary songs, but gems like ‘oh my love’,and ‘how can I’ really sound like late Beatle songs. Gimme some truth has also gained a reputation. Excellent stuff - timeless
This album evokes a time, place and entire movie genre. The fact that it’s a film soundtrack but yet works as a studio album will have no doubt influenced Quentin Tarantino. Never has the underworld sounded so stylish and groovy……
Along with ‘get yer ya yas out’, kick started the trend of the live album. This capitalised on the success of Tommy and contains some great rock n roll covers which were updated for the rock audience. The band were one hell of a four piece - ramshackle and spectacular at the same time. A true classic of its time - heavy rock being born
The equivalent of a magic carpet ride over eastern parts with contemporary beats. The kind of mercury winning album of its time. Interesting but not hugely compelling
I’m not hearing much in the way of Brazilian influence, the nu metal screams permeate and, to my ears, sound horrendous. Obviously there are some useful riffs and some bite in the music, but I didn’t grow into this during my 20s……good of its type I guess.
Short, conceptual, varied and put them well and truly in the ‘big league’. Some would say their best album, and with America, Mrs Robinson, hazy shade, old friends and title track, they could be justified. Sonically interesting too. A cut above.
A curiosity from an oft overlooked folk musician. Nice to hear the original version of ‘everybody’s talking’ and ‘dolphins’ and the last Raga like track is very 1966….. clearly better known for songs he gave away.
Doesn’t get much better than this when it comes to traditional rock n roll. Not a bad live sound for ‘64. Short, snappy and the standard length of a gig I guess. The Beatles and stones would’ve considered themselves not worthy in his presence!
More britrock than Britpop, and they did have Kerrang’s support back in the day. I thought after track one it was going to be a horrid noise, but the elements of grunge and dynamic shifts made it more interesting. Ok overall
A modern classic I guess, these days. The album that put them into the big league with a superior set of songs to a Parachutes and some tracks that still dominate their sets today
Unless forcibly coerced I will
Never listen to this album again. It was horrendous, badly played, badly produced and, if it helped influence industrial rock I won’t be exploring that genre much….terrible.
Rare for a band to have an eponymous third album. Doug Yule replaced John Cale and we now have a more mellow set of less obtuse songs but they still have electric strum DIY sound that became so influential. A yes from me for a band I don’t rate THAT much.
Another conscience laden soul album in the wake of ‘What’s going on’ - consistent, funky and stylish. It was a great period for a defining voice of that era.
Clearly a very strong practitioner in this genre, just a shame I find it hard to love this stuff. Not something that gives me great joy
This kind of thing paved the way for the alt country and Americana boom in the 90s, along with unplugged on MTV. A family based group with a moody melancholia - I find it dreary but great numbers didn’t. Some original treatments of famous tracks as well.
