1001 Albums Summary

Very bluesy jazz. Full orchestra (?) -- certainly more than a standard jazz trio + horn player(s). Double-O has a great intro. Also liked the intro and piano on Fantail. Fantail also has some short but good drum solos. Lil darlin has an unusual stringed instrument for jazz. Sounds like it might be a harp.

It's a real mishmash of songs I like and songs I can't stand. Mostly the latter. I'm feeling a light 2. Songs are very repetitive. La femme d'argent must be in movies. I've totally heard this before. Very thematic. Sexy boy is a little cringe. Still very thematic. I'm sure this has also been used in films. All I need is pretty sick. Not a fan of Kelly watch the stars. Instant repulsion from "remember." It has some nice strings, but the chorus (?) is ear poison to me. You make it easy is some real lounge music. Ce matin-la continues that trend into borderline elevator music.

I hate to do this to The Clash, but the songs on this album are thoroughly forgettable for me. There's nothing offensively bad, just aggressively mid. Solid 3.

Prior to this, the only Scissors Sisters song I had heard was Take Your Mama, and based on that, I expected the vocals would ruin this album for me. That prediction wasn't miles off, but I have to say, I didn't hate it as much as I thought I would. Not groundbreaking for 2004 by any stretch, but it's got some catchy tracks and good musicianship. Solid 3.

I was a Radiohead fan in my teens. I still appreciate them, but they don't hit for me like they used to. Furthermore, Amnesiac is not one of their stronger albums. They'd just come off one of the band's creative peaks in Kid A, and frankly, it seems like they didn't really know where to go from there. It's telling that the most I found myself enjoying the album was during Morning Bell, and my only listening note was, "What the fuck is Pulk/Pure revolving doors? Self-indulgent rubbish." I don't really know why this is occupying a spot on this list. Strong 2 / Light 3.

When I saw Superunknown come up today, I thought it might be my first five on here. I love most of the singles on this album (I would have said all, until learned My Wave was a single). Chris Cornell and Matt Cameron deliver standout performances throughout. Unfortunately, I found the songs to be a little hit or miss. Nothing was terrible but I found myself getting bored several times. Given there are several grunge albums on this list that I think might be "no skips" for me, I don't think I can hand out the five to this one. Very strong 4.

I know some consider this a classic, and I'm sure it was quite an achievement using equipment available in the 90s, but to me, this is background music. Very vibey background music, but background music nonetheless. I didn't hate any tracks but nothing stood out either. I'm fully aware I might just lack the context to understand the genius behind this album, but if that's that's how it is, that's how it is. Solid 3.

I wouldn't say I'm a big System of a Down fan, and I'm certainly not immersed in their discography, but I do like their singles. When I got this album and saw Toxicity didn't make the list, I thought I must be in for a treat. After listening, however, all I can wonder is... why not Toxicity? This is perfectly serviceable alt-metal from a band that I don't think had quite hit their stride. Solid 3.

It's definitely Christmas music. 5 star Easter egg. 5 star Christmas album? 1 star album any other day of the year. Bah! Humbug!

It's dark. It's moody. It's brooding. The percussion often sounds like trash cans and power tools, and I'm kind of into it, but it gets a bit samey. Going in, I knew I liked the singles (Closer and Hurt). I can't say I remember any of the other songs (for good or bad reasons). Strong 3.

According to Wikipedia, this album is "folktronica," a genre I'd never heard of, and didn't really make sense in context apart from the tracks Stars Seem to Weep, and Central Reservation (then again version). For the most part, it was fairly unremarkable pop-rock -- a collection of songs that would have been right at home on a Starbucks playlist from the early 00s. Borderline offensively inoffensive from start to finish. Beth's beautiful voice is a highlight throughout, but unfortunately, that's not enough to save the album for me. Solid 2.

I enjoyed this album. Looking at it in context, though, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel, and other artists in similar lanes had already released multiple legendary albums (that I personally prefer) by 1969. I even tried to give it the benefit of the doubt on maybe pioneering folk rock, but I double checked, and Dylan was already well into his electric era when this album dropped. It would have had to blow me away to get a very high rating, and unfortunately, it did not. So although I enjoyed my first listen, it's no surprise that I hadn't been turned onto it sooner, and I probably won't be revisiting it anytime soon. Sorry CSN fans, but they were kind of sitting on the laps of giants here. Strong 3.

Yes, there are parts of this album that are very hard to listen to, but it shouldn't simply be dismissed as hateful and/or juvenile. It's a very candid and raw snapshot of Eminem as he struggles to process his abrupt ascent to ultra-fame and all that came with it. From overzealous fans, to industry haters, to reactionary media blaming musicians like him for all of the ills in American society. In response to the latter, he has dialed up the edgelord content to 11 throughout. Much of it is tongue in cheek. The trouble is that it's not always obvious and the literal interpretation of some of these lyrics is, frankly, irredeemable. Eminem earned his reputation as one of the most talented lyricists in rap with this album. The rhyme schemes are dense and his delivery is adept. The singles are all obvious highlights. Unfortunately, this being an album from the early 00s, it was required by law to have terrible skits throughout. The latter half also is noticeably less strong than the former. Light 4.

I've loved the title track for years, but I had never listened to the entire album. The musicianship is impressive throughout, particularly the bassist and lead guitarist. Lyrics can be corny. The lead singer is talented, but his vocal style is very dated. Composition is good. My problem with rating this album right now is that I'm very much a metal dilettante. I know it's not a five because it doesn't stand up to Paranoid, Master of Puppets, or maybe even the Black Album, but I have no idea where it ranks against the full albums of metal bands I think I might like (e.g., Slayer, Megadeth, Pantera, Judas Priest, Motorhead), or metal bands I suspect I won't like (e.g., Def Leppard, Poison, Motley Crue). I just haven't listened to a ton of metal albums in full. I'm going to play it safe and say... Strong 3.

I didn't really like most of this, but it's interesting to hear what passed for experimental in early aughts pop. The lyrics are pretty consistently awful. Music and Don't Tell Me are both undeniable bangers, particularly the latter. Strong 2.

This is a rare album that despite being very adventurous and experimental, is still digestible and even catchy at times. Amber and Angel's vocals are frequently almost too good -- They outshine some truly outstanding guitar work and composition. The vocal harmonies are gorgeous and entrancing. The hocketing (a technique I learned from this album) sounds otherworldly. It's not perfect. The last song drags a bit for me. I'm conflicted, but I think I've been a bit stingy recently, so I'm going to go with... Light 5.

The title track is one of my favorite songs of all time. My problem with the album is that apart from that track and a couple others, it is a bit bland and derivative (notably of earlier blues tunes). The exception is Keith Moon's drumming, which is phenomenal and original as always, but not enough to save the album. I'm left wishing that The Who had leaned more into proto-punk aesthetics for more than just the title track. Strong 3.

There was a period in the late aughts / early tens where millennial hipsters decided they had EDM fomo despite being too cool for it. To my ear, this is very much riding the end of that wave. Although I enjoyed the first half or so, I wasn't blown away, and nothing really stuck. Moreover, it really started dragging after that point. In cases like these, I try figure out if the album makes up for lack of raw enjoyability with novelty. Although I am admittedly out of my element, I don't really understand what this adds to the conversation that hadn't already been by Animal collective, MGMT, M83, etc... Not to mention earlier waves of electronic synth-pop that influenced those bands. Strong 2

I'm not familiar with Joni Mitchell's discography, but from what I've read, this album was from an era where she departed from vanilla folk, and it shows. This is a collection of songs that lie somewhere at the intersection of jazz fusion and folk. I mostly enjoyed it, perhaps mainly for the novelty, but also for instrumental performances (shout out to the session bass player(s) on this -- so many great bass lines), and Joni's singing. I can see why this particular combination of genres didn't take off... It can veer into territory that sounds reminiscent of lounge / elevator music. I can hear some parts that easily could have influenced music I love that came much later, though. Harry's House was a high point. Strong 3

I have uncharacteristic little to say about this album. It was fine. Nothing stuck out. I expected to like it more because I like some prog rock a lot (including Bill Bruford's work with King Crimson)... But nah. Just fine. Light 3

Despite being alive and conscious when this album was big, I wasn't familiar with any of the tracks. I tried to keep an open mind after seeing that it was a singer-songwriter album from the 90s on Dave Matthews' record label. I really tried. Unfortunately, my fears were confirmed almost immediately. The lyrics are painfully trite. The music is unbearably bland. David's vocals are just about listenable when he isn't doing a bad Dylan impression. A purer expression of unoriginality would be difficult to find. This is music for an open mic night, not an essential album list. Dreadful. Simply dreadful. Solid 1

This was the palate cleanser I needed after yesterday's album. I don't even like country very much, but at least this album has personality. Truthfully, I don't have much to say about it. It's very easy listening. There's something about Willie's voice that speaks to me. Strong 3

Pretty much all the songs were really repetitive, and therefore, boring to me. The flute on Bob's your uncle belonged in a bit on a sketch comedy show. There were cringe inducing lyrics throughout. I really didn't like anything about this one. Solid 1

I enjoyed this album but I can't say I remember a single song next day. Admittedly, I had it on in the background while working so that might be my own fault. Strong 3

The worst part of this album is the horrendous cover art, but that sets the bar very low. It's pretty standard indie rock of this era with sometimes subtle, sometimes not so subtle, Latin American flair. I think Sufjan Stevens might have been listening to Across the Wire when he wrote Casimir Pulaski Day, so we can give them some influence points. I didn't hate it. I didn't love it. Light 3

It's a good album with a few legendary songs, one that overstays its welcome. Strong 3