1001 Albums Summary

Classic R&B and the blueprint for rock n roll.

A brilliant point in Bowie's career when you can actually hear the transition between what went before and where he was heading.

Classic Blues (Howlin Wolf, Muddy Waters, Kings Albert & BB) mixed with strong Malian influence. A break from the norm for me and highly enjoyable.

Overblown, outrageously theatrical, powerful, fun, classic, karaoke-able.

Easy to dismiss as 'easy-listening' Euro-cheese but it's well-crafted electro-pop that has found a way into western consciousness through air-play (pun intended) and the background music in movies, series and adverts.

Much the blueprint of what became 'Punk' for bands such as The Sex Pistols and others in speeding up and amplifying the classic 50s rock n roll formula with a stripped-down approach and sense of humour. However, it's important not to forget that The Stooges, The New York Dolls and more were already paving the way.

Not quite as good as Wings Greatest Hits but some great tracks proving Paul McCartney was still a viable talent post-Beatles. Although, I don't subscribe to the 'all killer, no filler' opinions, I do understand how this quietened many post-Beatles detractors. Solid effort by Macca & co.

An accessible East Coast debut. Decent story-telling, but I found the beats repetitive and I don't feel that it was breaking new ground considering Dre's The Chronic and Wu Tang's 36 Chambers preceded this.

That voice! Tracks I thought were Joplin solo works and very cool instrumentation. Amazing stuff, especially for the time.

Vulnerable, plaintive, fragile, intimate, hopeful.

The sound of Christmas - second only to Vince Guaraldi Trio's 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' for me.

The album that brought Metallica into the mainstream and saw their popularity explode. Massive singles, more commercial production, less-complicated songwriting but still a great 'tallica album 🤘🤘

Ignoring the 'is this punk or not' arguments this album seems to have it all: social commentary (much of it still relevant), reggae, rockabilly, rock and, of course, punk attitude. As an album of its age it still stands the test of time.

Sandy & co arguably at the height of their powers mixing US and British folk to create a timeless classic.

As essential as Marvin Gaye's 'What's Going On?' for social commentary? I think so.

Overlooked by many but one of my faves.

Didn't really grab me and I bailed before the end.

A few great tracks and some filler; not her strongest in my opinion but it was a debut that promised more great things to come.

Tinged with Joy Division and Killing Joke with hints of early Sisters of Mercy, Skinny Puppy, and Ministry. This early industrial rock album still stands the test of time.

Between this and Breakfast in America it's hard to escape Supertramp at hifi shows. That said, it's for good reason that these albums are used to show off audio equipment. Superb musicianship and songwriting and these album just seems to flow.

Definitely one to chill out to. Sci-fi stories and psychedelia, rock and rockets.

Loving the vibe but could do without the chat between tracks. Some excellent guests and classic references.

Still a strong whiff of blues, but an album that's above 50% genius held together by some amazing musicians and Planty's pipes. Good effort, reckon they might have a few more albums in them yet.

While only just over 30mins long, this album is why Aretha is the Queen of Soul.

A beguiling album but one I don't see as becoming a regular listen for me, even with the post-Peppers production elements. Still, it held my attention as it drew me in.

The musical journey through the album's themes makes total sense to me. Even though getting close to my limit for modal/hard bop/post bop this is a wonderful piece of work.

Stream of consciousness lyrics and a first person POV of schizophrenia (Dark Globe). The album feels like random thoughts put to tape, and therefore as intimate as it is confusing.