1001 Albums Summary

Glam rock at its finest. Cosmic Dancer and Planet Queen are my personal highlights, though the well-known single isn’t bad. One of a couple T-Rex records I’ve played a lot and the only one to make my top 100.

The well-known tracks are the good ones, and the only ones I’d return to. Every song felt much longer than it needed to be or actually was. Turn Blue was especially long and cringeworthy, but everything else was listenable and enjoyable to a point.

The production is rightly designed to let the music take a backseat to the vocals, but it leaves the whole thing feeling a little soulless to me — like expensive karaoke. I found it a little exhausting to listen to at first because I felt like she was singing everything at a nonstop 10/10. I did start to enjoy it more as it progressed and found “I’ll Be Waiting” to be the most enjoyable track. She’s got a supreme talent but it’s not my thing.

Astoundingly good vocals and incredible storytelling on this record. The well-known hit was my favorite. At just over 27 minutes, it doesn’t overstay its welcome. Also included a few lyrical themes that surprised me for a 50+ year old record. I’m not a country fan at all, but I enjoyed spending a little time with this one.

Not much of a Christmas Music appreciator. I can tolerate it on Christmas Day. Had to end a few of these before listening fully once I’d gotten the idea. Ending with the message from Phil Spector just left a bad taste in my mouth. Generous extra star for getting this on the 25th of December.

Felt like a night at a jazz club. I enjoyed the music but prefer to listen to something like this as a live performance. I was only familiar with the later hits, which I have never been a fan of. A pleasant surprise, but still not something I’d likely revisit.

Very good rock record. Seven Nation Army is a memorable classic for a reason. However, I was reminded of why I never really listened to this album much. It definitely tails off in the second half. All of my favorite White Stripes songs are elsewhere.

I’ve never delved into R.E.M. completely although I like several albums and hits. I’d only heard “Stand” and “Orange Crush” before, but “ Pop Song 89” was another standout. I generally enjoyed the whole thing, except “The Wrong Child,” which immediately made me Google “worst REM song.” First album on the list I’ve played for the first time that I think might get added to my rotation/collection.

I’m certain I was in the wrong headspace to hear this album, but I also don’t want to be in the right one. I don’t feel like this album was created for the purpose of enjoyment, and I found myself getting irritated with artist for inflicting it on me. I wasn’t too surprised to find initial reviews echoed my feelings. Other thoughts: Is sad song supposed to be sad? Just saying sad song over and over again doesn’t make it sad. Dear every artist - I hate your song with the crying baby sample. I can see how this would be a moving and effective album for some, but it’s not for me.

I was grateful for the educational aspect of this album. It would not have been nearly as interesting without it. That said, my sensibilities are probably too closely tuned to “western music” to find this engaging for very long. I can’t help but think that if it weren’t for The Beatles, I’d have no idea who this was and probably would not be listening to his album now.

This is the kind of listening experience that I hoped for when I started this challenge. Moondance isn’t something I ever would have played, but I immediately connected with it. There’s something so nostalgic about the sound that tapped into an unexpected emotional response. Side 2 isn’t nearly as memorable as side 1, but the first 5 tracks will be enough to keep me coming back to this one.

Literally groundbreaking, Rock & Roll stands on the shoulders of giants like Little Richard. I listened to a lot of music like this when I was younger, before I developed my own taste. These days, it’s tough to listen to this and not yearn for something a little more interesting. I feel like I could have just listened to Tutti Frutti 12 times and come away with a very similar experience. Listening to a record also means you miss the physicality of Little Richard’s performance. At this point, it’s really only interesting as a marker to show how far music has come.

I’ve heard this once before and remembered it was very different overall than the single, “Drive,” which was one of my favorite popular songs from a year I didn’t like very much radio music. The album starts off pretty engaging but starts to sag in the middle until Drive, which still sounds good a quarter century later. The only terrible part of the album was the last two songs. Pardon Me has an irritating delivery, and Out From Under an incredibly stupid lyric they felt the need to repeat. I probably won’t go too long without playing Drive, but I might never play the rest again.

What’s big and dumb and not my idea of fun? This album. It’s the sort of record that makes you wonder if music was a mistake. I suppose I was able to sit through the whole thing, but the first three tracks were genuinely the worst time I’ve had during this challenge so far. The best thing I can say about it is that it was short.

I admit I wasn’t looking forward to listening to this, not being a metal fan and having a vague idea of what to expect. I won’t say I was blown away, but I actually kind of taken with the tunefulness and musicianship here — even if I could have used a couple more moments to catch my breath! Where I was most wrong: I expected an AC/DC-like screechiness to the vocals, but the singing was a real strength here. I still don’t like metal very much, but I’ve always respected it. I understand why this might be someone’s favorite band.

I’ve tried and tried to get into Led Zeppelin and I just can’t do it. The songs that do have interesting hooks wear them out and then continue for several more minutes. Kashmir might actually be a good 4-minute song… at 8 1/2 it gets tedious. Really can’t stand the way Robert Plant sings. So many songs start out fine, and then he goes into screech mode and I hate it. Enjoyed some parts of “disc 2,” notably In the Light. Ten Years Gone was okay. Whenever I listen to a double album I’m mentally editing it into a single. In this case, Kashmir would be the only song from the first half I’d take… but I’d struggle to even get to a full album from the 2nd because I really can’t stand anything about the last two songs. Harmonicas should generally be confiscated.

This was such a welcome sound after several days of hard rock and metal. It starts off so confidently with Billy Jack, When Seasons Change, and the best track, So In Love. Things get derailed with a 6-minute song about Jesus that really doesn’t go anywhere. The band never does anything that interesting for the rest of the record and I ended up a little disappointed. I’d probably return to tracks 1 and 3 again, but the rest didn’t leave me feeling like this was a great album. It did make me interested to hear more music I like in the same vein, so that’s a win overall.

It’s a raw emission from the underworld, chugging toward you like a runaway train. Its mission statement is clear: be loud, be Satanic, be the thing that makes people clutch their pearls. I respect metal music and this album for being committed to the bit… though Teacher’s Pet was an unwelcome addition to the record’s themes. It’s so unabashedly up front about it, that it feels like a parody… and parody doesn’t hold up well to repeated listening. I guess I can see why this makes the list, but once is enough.

While I’d definitely heard this before and know the first three tracks very well, my musical taste moved on from bands like U2 before I ever really delved deeper into this one. There’s something about it that feels a little safer… a little less vital than some of their earlier records (or indeed Achtung Baby after it). That said, “Streets” is a soaring track, and easily my highlight, while “Still Haven’t Found” isn’t far behind. I’m certain “Trip Through Your Wires” made me switch this off every other time I’d made it that far. It’s two steps down in quality from everything else on the album. If you make it past the harmonicas, “Exit” and “Mothers of the Disappeared” are nice rewards that end the album with some real depth. I’ve long felt I should have given this album a fair shake, and I found it an enjoyable experience that I could see improving with further listening.

A rare album on the list that I’d not only never heard before, but didn’t know existed. I really enjoyed the sonic textures that get layered on as each song progresses. It felt a little like Jesus and Mary Chain if they weren’t as tied to the traditional pop/rock song structure. I felt like this was headed for a solid 4, but the length did start to get to me a little. Not every track justifies its runtime. That said, I enjoyed my time with Spiritualized and am interested to check out their more-successful work that followed this one. Still a light 4!

A landmark album, so I’m told, and I will say it definitely sounds newer than it is. 21st Century Schizoid Man is a little too chaotic - could have used a consistent bass line. It feels more meandering than schizophrenic. I Talk to the Wind and Epitaph are much better… moving and swelling in ways that feel beautiful and purposeful. And then there’s Moonchild. Never have I ever heard a longer stretch of directionless messing around on a record. The musical equivalent of doodling. It’s fine as background noise, but it’s not good. Finally, the Court of the Crimson King is the highlight of the record. Everything comes together (although there is a minute more of pointless noodling near the end that keeps it from being a perfect song). This record has some 5/5 moments and some 1/5 moments… but the good parts are so strong I still think it’s a light 4, and an album that I think could grow on me with repeated listenings.

I’m mostly familiar with Talking Heads through a hits collection I liked but never loved so I never felt the pull to delve into their albums. I’ve been enjoying a few of their songs anew again so I was happy to get this one, even though it doesn’t have any of the hits that resonated with me before. I think I like the general sound and feel of Fear of Music more than I like the individual songs, although Life During Wartime was a standout from the first half. The album starts to drag a little toward the end… especially with the song about nothing much happening in Heaven where nothing much happens. I also found Animals to be kinda annoying. Surprisingly, it saved the best for last — Drugs has some great instrumentation and atmosphere, with a synth line that sounded familiar (perhaps subconsciously lifted by Gary Numan for This Image Is)? At any rate, this was a pretty brisk listen. I wouldn’t mind hearing it again and I’ll be looking forward to getting another album by the Heads.

I was only familiar with the first three tracks but I must have been in the mood for this because the rest of it hit just as hard. All of these mundane observations, semi-detached vocals, and WAY ahead of its time indie rock sensibilities came together so cohesively as to make this collection of demos sound instead like a greatest hits. I can hear the influence of these songs retroactively in some of my favorite records, by the likes of Violent Femmes, Pixies, and even Parquet Courts. I don’t really want to follow where Jonathan Richman leads after this, but I’m glad others followed in this record’s spiritual footsteps.

It’s a good indie rock record with some hints of Tweedy’s alt-country roots. It’s got the usual double-album problem of being too long. The cuts are less obvious to me though, because I just let it wash over me. There was nothing about it that made me want to let it in.

I’m not very familiar with Billy Joel’s music, so the only one from this that sounded familiar was Only the Good Die Young and that’s never been a song that’s made me want to explore further. Fortunately, I enjoyed songs like The Stranger, Just the Way You Are, and especially Vienna a lot more. Scenes from an Italian Restaurant compares both favorably and unfavorably to Paradise by the Dashboard Lights — unfavorably because it reminds me of it in style and scope, favorably because at least it’s a better song! The album kinda loses me in the last two tracks though the reprise of the whistling from The Stranger was a welcome coda. I’ll definitely come back to Vienna and I won’t be upset about drawing another Billy Joel album, but I’m not converted either.

I had played this album a few times before, focusing on the Harold & Maude connection, but this time through I found the whole thing to be something special. The music has a comfortable familiarity about it, but it also has an ache and a longing for something just out of reach… particularly in songs like Sad Lisa and Into White, which were standouts for me. I still love Where Do the Children Play and On the Road to Find Out. Cat Stevens really did have one of the best voices in music. I knew I was going to like this one, but I kinda loved it.

After experimenting with the Complete version, I decided the original LP was probably more my speed, as I’m not overly familiar with jazz. I enjoyed hearing the repeated motifs in Blues to Be There, and the tempo of Newport Up. Diminuendo and Crescendo In Blue is clearly the centerpiece of the album, but what parts of that crowd reaction are genuine? Maybe it doesn’t matter. I’m glad I heard this, but I’m probably missing too much context to understand why this is such an important album. But hey, you’ve got to start somewhere.

I knew very little about the sad history of Tim Buckley and his son before playing this. Some pretty astounding vocals throughout this record. No Man Can Find the War starts it off with a real statement, but it’s Pleasant Street and I Never Asked to Be Your Mountain that are the highlights of side 1. I felt like I enjoyed it more as it went along, which is always a good recipe for repeated listening. I’m surprised given what I’ve read about which Buckley records are included in the list, but I’m glad I heard this one and am definitely curious to hear more.

I’ve been looking forward to this one as it’s always been on my list to give a proper listen to and I never seem to get around to it. Radio Free Europe is one of my favorite songs — the only one I’d heard more than once or twice before. It was still my favorite by the end of the album, but had a lot more competition. Each of the first three songs, plus Perfect Circle and Catapult stood out on first listen… and held up on the 2nd. I think I could see this being one of those records where nearly every song takes a turn as a favorite with more listens — a great sign for becoming an all-time favorite. You can hear seeds of avenues REM would take on future songs, but it is expertly distilled to a mission statement here. I came to REM through their 90s output, but I think this will end up being my favorite era. Wish I hadn’t taken so long but better late than never!

Has some pleasant easy-listening sounds as long as you don’t pay attention to the lyrics. I’m honestly not a fan of the explicit themes, and nearly every song overstays its welcome. “Alright” and “Smooth” were the highlights. The singing is accomplished but not my style. I feel like I heard enough stuff like this on 90s pop radio.

I’m not sure why I’ve been so resistant to giving Parachutes a proper listen. The songs I heard a lot — Don’t Panic and Yellow — I always thought were pretty good. This time through, I was really struck by Trouble, which I recognized but had never appreciated before. The whole album has a nice flow. Yes, it’s the equivalent of “Indie Easy Listening” but I find that description far more welcoming than I did in 2000. This feels like Coldplay at their most honest, and I found that refreshing.

The opening track is an undeniable classic, but all the “baby,” “man,” “woman,” lyrics in everything make the album start to feel like a word salad with few ingredients. It’s surprising to see how many different writers there are. Another case of a talented singer and uninspiring material. The music sounds too old to be 1967.

I’m a big fan of how music was developing in the early 80s, but most of this feels a little dated and out of step with the time. The first three tracks don’t do much for me, and some of the keyboards sound like Steve is squeaking out a tuneful fart. The music gets a little better starting with track 4, where we get some more traditional instruments he sounds more comfortable with. I figured I was headed for a 2/5 here, but Spanish Dancer was a huge surprise — the first time I’m hearing something really interesting and good. Solid groove, much better keyboard sounds. Actually makes me think of stuff from Robert Palmer’s “Clues.” This track alone makes me feel a lot better about Arc of A Diver, even though it might be the only track I return to.

This definitely passed me by on original release. It sounds a lot like a noisier Blur with less-clever lyrics and too much screaming. The single, Get Free, was probably the worst thing here, but the album is consistently enjoyable in its more-tuneful moments. Sunshinin strikes a nice balance — rocking out without resorting to pointless noise. I’m struggling to find anything here to be too excited about — it all seems to have been done better by some of their contemporaries. The good moments just remind me of other bands I’d rather listen to. A light 3.

I know this had been played for me before by someone who hoped I’d like it. I kinda remembered White Winter Hymnal. In general, it sounds pleasant but unmemorable… like it’s trying to stir up an emotional response but doesn’t tap into anything real. Perhaps a live performance would make these songs feel right and memorable… for now, I find them aptly fleeting.

It was exciting in 2013 to finally have a new David Bowie album, but I remember that excitement fading as I was underwhelmed and put off by the first single and the album cover. I got the CD anyway and I’m not sure if I ever made it to the end back then. Now, determined to finish, I find the record lacks cohesion… and I wonder if it’s by design. It feels like a rejection of image. It’s leaving all the old personas behind, but doesn’t really replace them with anything. Taking the songs individually, I still enjoyed The Next Day, I’d Rather Be High, Boss Of Me, and Heat (I really think this was the first time I’d made it to the last track). There’s a sort of general loudness to this album that I find sort of exhausting. The songs don’t have space to breathe and many of them end before they feel fully explored. Being able to listen to this again AFTER absorbing the masterful “Blackstar” puts those problems into clearer focus. As a collection of 14 songs by David Bowie, this is at least a 3/5, but that’s pretty disappointing for David Bowie’s first album in 10 years.

I was excited to revisit this one as it’s been in my collection since it was released but I got stuck on a couple of songs. “Zero” might just be one of the best songs of all time… and following that up with “Heads Will Roll” is a nearly-unrivaled one-two punch. However, the album has so much more to offer. Karen O’s variety of vocal deliveries help keep every song interesting, and the increased use of synthesizers over YYY’s previous albums add welcome texture. Soft Shock, Dull Life, and Runaway have great hooks I’d remembered — but forgotten they all came from the same album. I was newly impressed by the groove on Dragon Queen, a new favorite after two plays. In returning to “It’s Blitz!” I found an album that seems to have grown on me without even listening to it. I’ll be coming back for more, and delving a little more seriously into the rest of YYY’s stuff that I’ve missed over the years. Fantastic.

I feel like this is the point where the challenge fails to be a useful exploration of music discovery. I’m not overly familiar with rap/hip-hop, and the few places I’ve connected to it share a lot of DNA with Jazz. I lack the knowledge and the bridges necessary to come to Stankonia from a place of understanding. In fact, it feels more like I’ve been dropped in the middle of an alien planet and asked to survive. I did not. I tried to find some positives. Ms. Jackson is listenable, and Spaghetti Junction has some nice beats. Musically, it’s often too chaotic (BOB). Lyrically it’s frequently too profane and just plain gross. For every song with a nice flow (Humble Mumble), there’s one that’s just irritating (Stankonia). It’s not the worst thing I’ve ever heard. The people who made it are clearly too talented for me to call this bad. It’s just entirely not for me.

As a fan of synthpop I’m kinda surprised I never bumped into music by this band at all, which makes claims of their supreme influence on the genre feel dubious to me. I can definitely hear elements that might have rubbed off on the likes of Fad Gadget or Cabaret Voltaire, but what we actually get here is mostly distorted takes on 50s pop. When it veers further from that it starts to get less background and more irritating. It’s like the band playing in the corner of the bar mumbling and yelping over homemade instruments who’s before the ones you’re actually there to see. The longer and weirder it goes the angrier you become — and all the while you get the sense that’s actually the band’s goal. Girl and Frankie Teardrop are things I hope to never hear again. By 1977, Kraftwerk were already well-established… Ultravox had a minor hit with My Sex. Synthesizer duos would have happened without Suicide. I can just award this an extra star for being an influence for genres and bands I love dearly. I’m glad I heard this context, so I suppose it belongs on the list, but I don’t need to hear it again.

Sea Change has been one of my favorite albums for more than 20 years, but I realized it’s been a long time since I really listened through the whole thing. The experience was like visiting an old friend and realizing you’d actually grown together, in parallel. What an emotionally complete experience this is! I found myself profoundly moved by tracks that hadn’t even been favorites before like End of the Day and It’s All In Your Mind. The opening and closing tracks are perfect bookends to enjoying this on a long drive and just letting your mind wander. Special shout to the bass playing on Paper Tiger too. Nigel Godrich and Beck are a match made in heaven. The Information is a stellar follow-up for the partnership, but Sea Change is the pinnacle. Perfection.