1001 Albums Summary

Well I didn't like Elton John before this and I still don't. Never so pleased as when it finished and Thunder Road by Bruuuce came on. 2 out of 5

Think I'm in agreement with many reviews I've seen that this marks the start of their run of really great albums but unlike others I feel that it's not quite top tier like Sgt Pepper, Abbey Road and Revolver. Still any album with songs like Norwegian Wood and In My Life can't be too bad. 4 out of 5

A short album at under 40 minutes and only 6 songs long but a joy to listen to. Side 1 in particular with album title track and golden years is great. A taste of what was to come from the Duke with Low and his later albums. 4 out of 5

What is there to say about Bob that hasn't already been said. I'm a massive Dylan fan, so clearly biased but much as I love Freewheelin, for me, it's not in his top 5 or maybe even 10 albums. But still taking a step back and wow, tracks like A Hard Rain, Masters of War, Girl from the North Country, Don't Think Twice and of course Blowing in the wind (despite being so well known) really do stand the test of time. Coincidentally I came to this album just a day after belatedly watching 'A Complete Unknown' which featured the same early era Dylan. Right now, at this stage in my life I'm more of a Rough & Rowdy Ways era Dylan nerd. But still this one is 5 out of 5 for me

Wasn't sure what to expect with this and not really a big jazz fan. But this was fun to listen to, good melodies and tunes. Don't want to damn it with faint praise but good background music that was wasy on the ears. Recommended and probably 3 out of 5 for me.

Really enjoyed this album and as I got it to listen to on Friday, with no new albums on the weekend it got a second listen on Saturday. Stand and Orange Crush in particular I think are amongst REM's best songs

Dark, moody and atmospheric. Classic album that to me stands the test of time. As a non teenage goth, but now Joy Division fan I appreciate this greatly but understand why others mightn't like it. The first one the list for me that had a second playback straightaway, although I'm still under 10 albums in. 4 out of 5 stars

A really good fun listen. I like Bryan Ferry as a vocalist. Seems like a hybrid cross between Beatles and Bowie to me in parts and one song, the last track I think, reminded me of The Monster Mash as it had the same riff and tune somwhere in there. I think they must have influenced Talking Heads as it reminded me of that in parts. Reckon this is somewhere between 3 and 4 but can't do half scores. Will go for 3 as somehow a bit less than the sum of its parts seeing as it has both Eno and Ferry, two of music's great names

Wasn't a big fan of this. I know Pet shop Boys and New Order have toured together, and I am a big New Order fan. But this to me sounds like New Order crossed with Bros, the 80s boy band and presumably not in 1001 albums. Worst parts of pop and dance combined but with none of the class or style of New Order.2 out of 5

Judas Priest is familiar to me only through one of my favourite Dylan tracks, the Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest off John Wesley Harding. British Steel was in the news recently when re-nationalised by the UK Government. That's probably the best way to have it. This album is just dull, I thought that every song sounded the same with no variation to be seen.

Thought this would be American R&B like Boyz to Men. Never judge a book or cd by its cover, anyway. Really enjoyed this, an unexpected pleasure of African modern blues. Fela Kuti meets Orchestra Baobob. The fact that one of the songs is named Nick, my name, is a bonus. This is the reason I'm doing 1001 albums to discover new music I like, that otherwise would never have crossed my path. Probably 3.5 out of 5, but Friday and feeling generous so rounding up to 4 out of 5

My second album by REM and I'm only about 12 albums into this. Fine album, pleasant to listen to but nothing special I thought. Not quite sure why it's raved about so much. Listened through somewhat inattentively but the only song, the best song was Harbourcoat which made me sit up and think I really like this. I then realised that track is off Reckoning as Spotify had gone on to play that afterwards. Somewhat disappointing and 3 out of 5

Very pleasant to listen to. Beautiful cover versions of some well known songs like Unchained Melody, On the Sunny Side of the Street and Georgia on my Mind. Willie Nelson not doing his normal thing here I think. 3 out of 5

It's one of the albums that I own and do like a lot. On listening again, I'm not sure about the song Thorn of Crows. The yelping/hollering doesn't do it for me. However, this is more than made up for by the incredible double punch straight after of Killing Moon and Seven Seas. 4 out of 5 stars for this.

A gem of an album. Really interesting reading about his troubles and hospitalisation before the album was recorded. Maybe my own ignorance but had never heard of him. One of those albums where the beautiful melodies and almost whispered vocals belies the tortured lyrics. Broken Heart and Weighted Socks really stood out. Brilliant lyrics about his wife darning another man's (and his friend) socks while he is in prison and now he's waiting by the river with a gun for him. Incredible - 4 out of 5 stars from me

An artist who has somehow passed me by over the years, even though I like her style of music, this album reminded me of a slightly mellowed out less punky Sleatter Kinney. And what about 'The Whores Hustle and the Hustlers Whore' as a song title, fantastic. I also enjoyed the good combos with Thom Yorke on backing vocals. Enjoyed this 3 out of 5

My first soundtrack on the list. My favourite soundtracks tend to be more like compilation albums where the songs all work in particular places - High Fidelity or soundtracks to various Tarrantino movies. But this was grand and a nice listen - the artists would probably hate that description though. 3 out of 5

Started out with a bang and was loving the old school 80s hip hop - my favourite era of hip hop, I think before it got a so misogynistic - bitch this and ho that. The fact that Queen Latifah was one of the first female rappers added to this. Dance with Me was a banger of an opening track, and this was followed up with a nice track with De La Soul. Latifa's Law and Ladies First I also really enjoyed. But after about a half an hour it was dragging a bit and, bonus tracks included, the album clocked in at just over an hour. A slight disappointment after the great start - 3 out of 5

First song clocking in at under a minute- check; 16 songs in about 38 minutes at an average length of 2 minutes each - check; loud, hard, aggressive punk- check. This checked a lot of boxes. Listening to this as I did while sweeping my driveway is possibly the most unpunk thing ever though. 3 out of 5 for this

So is this too obvious or, am I reading too much into it, but the cover is some kind of nod to both Andy Warhol and the Beatles, Let it Be. Anyway, then the album sounds a bit like the Beatles as written by Andy Warhol in a full on pop art style. But there's also Afro beat, funk, rap, rock and pop music as well as pop art. But with many bands, it could all be too much but not here. Works perfectly to me. Fantastic album, 5 out of 5 for me.

Couldn't play this on Spotify, which annoyed me initially, but actually was a good thing in the end. The deluxe edition is 22 songs and 1 hour 40 mins and probably the one that Spotify would have pushed. Found the original album on YouTube, which is 13 songs and just under an hour. Album mixed the very good and the very forgettable I think. But the makings of a superb EP is buried in there with the hit that everyone knows (Fisherman's Blues), a superb cover of Van Morrisson's Sweetest Thing and a haunting version of the Yeats poem, The Stolen Child, where the verses are spoken and the refrain is sung. I've spent a lot of time in Sligo, Yeats country, so all the places named are familiar to me and I may be biased. Throw in a minute long snatch covered from Woody Guthrie, This land is Your Land, and it would be 5 stars as a 20 minute EP. But, for the album as a whole, I'd give it 3 stars.

Is this post hard-core, post punk, hard-core or hard indie? I'm not sure. I like a lot of music on the louder end of the spectrum but this didn't do it for me I'm afraid. Forgettable and same same every song I felt. 2 out of 5 only.

Phsycedlic folk rock. British invasion era Beatles, Dylan and Simon and Garfunkle somehow mashed together but less than the sum of its parts. Not sure I'd listen again but think I've a few other Byrds albums to go. 3 out of 5

A bit disappointing, this wasn't as good as I remember.

Ohh definitely a case of separating the art from the artist. Clearly Kanye/ye is a very disturbed person and not well, but wow this album, which I remember had all the plaudits at the time but I kind of ignored, is 21st century hip hop at its peak. The abomination of Obamas nation has produced this dark and twisted fantasy classic. Not sure I like Blame Game,needlessly gratuitous but Who Will Survive in America is 21st century Gill Scott Hetron 5 out of 5 for me.

Wasn't especially looking forward to this but the album as a whole was a very pleasant surprise, nice melodies and tunes and less hard rock/metal than I'd anticipated. It's essentially a short concept album about leaving school, as the name and title track indeed suggest, but I'd somehow not twigged beforehand. But it should have ended with the penultimate track, Alma Mater, a wistful look back at school years and Goodbye/ I hope you don't forget me . Last song Grand Finale, added nothing. Four out of five stars.

Like a McDonalds meal: You know exactly what you're getting, consumed and enjoyed but soon forgotten. 3 out of 5

What is this shit?

After a couple of dull days, Metallica and Deep Purple, this was a joy to listen to. Arguably a more complete album than the breakthrough, Nevermind. Steve Albini is a great producer so not sure why some songs were remixed. Heart Shaped Box, All Apologies, Pennyroyal Tea and Dumb some standout tracks. Easy 4 out of 5

Never actually listened to this album as a whole before, despite knowing and loving songs like Thunder Road, Born, 10th Avenue Freeze Out and Jungleland. I've been missing out, an 8 song album at about 40 minutes which is absolutely top notch from start to finish. 5 out of 5 for me.

What an amazing opening 3 tracks: Just a Little Lovin', extolling the virtues of morning sex, So Much Love and Son of a Preacher Man. Breakfast in Bed and Windmills of Your Mind great songs too. Dusty's voice is sublime and super sexy. Never knew she was from London, assumed it was deep Southern soul!

Bjork's band - interesting but only ok. 3 out-of 5 stars.

There's shades of Berlin era Bowie in here, Roxy Music, New Order too. I like all of those ingredients but somehow it doesn't gel together too well. 3 out of 5 stars for me.

Is Paul Simon a shortarse or is Art Garfunkle a giant with his giant blonde Afro. Why did I go the efforts of Googling to see which was which, I don't care. Are those fucking pan pipes on El Condor Pasa? Why is this album raved about so much? My algothorim tells me folk rock is my favourite genre but I don't like this much. Why is that ? Honourable exception for The Only Living Boy in New York. 2 out of 5 stars

Well the day after Simon & Garfunkle, I get Napalm Death. That's what I love about this project. Anyway this is a bit shit - I listened so you don't have to. But I only half listened to it, so listened to parts again and they deserve some credit for 28 songs in 33 minutes. And their drummer can drum very fast. Still only enough credit to give them 1 star 🌟

Meh

Listening to this was a blast from the past as I hadn't listened in so long. The album came out when I was in college and while I never owned a proper copy, I think I had a copy on cassette tape (Piracy is theft so I don't condone this behaviour :) ) A year or so after it came out I visited Cuba for a month, so I associate this album with good times, good vibes, mojitos, Cuba libres and good tunes. And this album is full of good tunes. Recommended 4 out of 5 stars.

Just 4 days after Simon & Garfunkle this pops up. Convinced the hood of his coat on the album cover is some kind of passive aggressive dig at Garfunkle's hairdo. Me & Julio isn't a bad song but most of the album is twee shit and bland middle of the road 60s/70s folk pop with a few nods to reggae, blues and other music genres. 2 out of 5 stars only.

Sorry, I want to be open to new music, the alternative and the avant-garde, the off-kilter and the bizarre. But this just hurt my ears.

This is lush sounding ethereal shoe-gaze music. Comparing to other bands of the genre using Lord of the Rings analogy, My Bloody Valentine are the orcs and Uruk Hai, Bjork is a hobbit and Cocteau Twins are Galadriel, the elf queen. Hovering around 3 stars, I enjoyed this but didn't absolutely love this

Reminded me of the line from Visions of Johanna 'The country music station played soft' in some way. Not in terms of being one of the greatest pieces of music ever, but in terms of the music being soft rock. Their musicianship is of a high standard but the album left me a bit cold overall. Shout out to 'Reeling in the Years' which soundtracks a great Irish TV programme of the same time, taking a year at a time and covering the main news sports and cultural events.

I think large amounts of drugs may have been involved. With an album called If only I could remember my name and songs like Tamalpais High, Laughing, What are their names, I'd swear there was somebody here, it's hard not to think otherwise. Great cast of musicians involved - Neil, Joni, Grateful Dead etc but one of the reviews I read here describing it as cast off Neil Young b-sides summed it up well for me 3 out of 5 stars.

This isn't an album you need to hear before you die. But the last song, I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will be Forever) is a song you should listen to. The only standout on the album, with the rest being true to the progressive soul, funk rock jazz genre. Would be 2 put of 5 stars but that song brings it up to 3 stars.

Shades of Fleet Foxes, Vampire Weekend and nods to Jeff Buckley. So far, so early 21st century Brooklyn off kilter hipster indie darling music. I feel like I should like this more than I do. Two weeks is obviously used in a million ads as it feels like I know it way more than the rest of the album which is kind of forgettable to me. 3 out of 5 stars

Grizzly Bear was the band I had the previous day and there's something about the Band that speaks to Grizzly bears and the old time American west The Godfathers of Americana. Standout tracks for me - The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down. Probably 3.5 out of 5 for me but rounding up today

Begrudgery is a national sport in Ireland so I have to slag my compatriots a bit. So imagine the Beach Boys if they were from Bray or Bundoran (shit Irish seaside towns) and not California. Or a bunch of Irish music students from college on their J1 visa to the US - this is a rite of passage amongst Irish college students to spend a summer working in the US. Actually seems the band did decamp there to record album. Band is quite derivative with shades of 70s country rock Big Star, Byrds, Steely Dan etc and more contemporary music like the Shins, Teenage Fanclub and a tiny dose of Elliot Smith (but not nearly enough) And the split is 75/25 Weighted towards the older stuff. Singer's falsetto is annoying and some songs seem like that they are all chorus (looking at you Santa Cruz) That said some nice melodies and hooks and couldn't help but do some toe-tapping along to the music. 3 out of 5 stars

Was quite daunted by this. A double LP - 4 sides and only 1 song per side, each song at about 18-20 minutes long. And mostly instrumental prog rock jazz fusion. Didn't get to listen in one go but had a song at a time with gaps in-between. Hard to associate Robert Wyatt, who I know as a singer songwriter mostly through his haunting version of Shipbuilding. But this rightly deserves a place on this list - there are few things I've listened to before that sound like this. It's bold, brave and experimental unlike some of the indie filler I've had to listen to. 4 out of 5 stars

I have to disagree with all those who say there's too much Neil Young in these parts. I'm a big fan and own all 7 of his albums that grace the list, plus a few more. Still, while this mightn't be my go-to album of his, stand out tracks like Alalbama, Needle & Damage Done, Heart of Gold & Out on the Weekend make this an incredible album and a perfect introduction to the man's music I think. Listening earlier, I wondered whether the big brass bed from Weekend was the same as the one from Dylan's Lay Lady Lay? A reminder that I've not listened to Neil much recently and need to rectify that. 5 stars.

A more gothic and baroque version of Echo & the Bunnymen or Joy Division. Enjoyed more than I expected 3 out of 5

Listening in the car as I drove down Donovan Lane towards the start seemed appropriate to me. Another singer songwriter, here we go. But then the album evolved and changed with a bit with more experimental jazz, blues and rock and more normal folk stuff. Great stuff altogether, 4 out of 5 stars.

Kind of one of those albums with lots of songs you know that you don't know you know. So I thought that these were all cover versions in a fine kind of 60s folk pop way but maybe not as good as the more well-known versions like Spanish Harlem. But it turns out these are some of the originals like Monday, Monday... and California Dreaming. So definitely some pretty serious song writing chops going on. But didn't warm to it massively. 3 out of 5 stars because of California Dreaming.

Foot stomping, blues driven, hard rockin'. Very enjoyable. Possibly 3 out of 5, but those ZZ Top beards bring it up to 4 out of 5.

This is a hauntingly beautiful, tormented and fragile album. Incredible songs including 'I see a Darkness' as famously covered by Johnny Cash on the American man series of albums. I have a love-hate relationship with Spotify. While it's brilliant to listen to so much new music from the list, it can make it too easy to find things. However, this wasn't there and YouTube music interrupted with ads between most songs, which unfortunately took away from the atmosphere. I would love to sit down with a physical copy of the album sometime to appreciate it more fully. And this is the quality of album that is worth purchasing. 4 out of 5 stars.

Give me some Johnny Cash or modern alt. Country/Americana instead of this please. Mid 60s - 1965, Beatles with 'Rubber Soul', Dylan's 'Bringing It All Back Home',Johnny Cash has 'Orange Blossom Special' and yet Buck Owens is singing about swinging a tiger by the tail. Mediocre country. 2 out of 5 stars only.

Wow, this was a blast from the past. Can't believe this is nearly 30 years old. Came out when I was a 20 year old college student and soundtracked many parties and nights out. Electronic big beats, and some great tracks - Gangsta Trippin', Praise You, Rockafella Skank, Right Here Right Now. 4 out of 5 stars but admittedly that is probably a bit tinged with nostalgia.

Was really looking forward to this. Obviously I know the Rolling Stones but think I have never really sat down and listened to a full album of theirs. It was fine, good blues inspired late 60s/early 70s rock, but have to admit I'm a bit bewildered by the awe with which they are held based on this album anyway. 3 out of 5 stars.

Classic album from start to finish. Two different but great sides. Religious and political (Natural Mystic and Exodus) and sensual and personal (One Love, Three Little Birds, Jsmming)

Whimsical ethereal modern folk. I quite liked it but can see how others might hate it. 3 out of 5 stars for me

A grand album but eminently forgettable, nothing so good or so bad that makes it particularly memorable. Somewhat odd inclusion on this list I feel. 3 out of 5 stars.

Beautiful, melodic guitar driven post-punk fused with pop. Really stands the test of time and an album you can go back to again and again and hear new fresh things. Bubbling just under 5 stars for me, but an excellent 4 out of 5 stars.

Choosing a favourite Dylan album is like choosing your favourite child. The diplomatic answer is that you don't have one but the real answer is that it varies week to week or month to month. This is one of my favourite Dylan albums. Lyrical, musical, caustic, mysterious . Stone cold classic, 5 out of 5 stars.

I was surprised to find out this was English as it seems to me to have inspired a lot of Americana indie & alt country like Bonnie Prince Billy and Dwight Yoakham. Beautiful, melodic and enchanting. Opening side in particular the first 2 songs, When I Get To The Border and Calvary Cross and the title track are classics. Somewhere between 3 and 4 stars from me but rounding up today.

A band that I only really know from Chronicles, an incredible collection of their greatest hits. Tellingly, of that album's 20 songs, only 1, Proud Mary, comes from this Bayou Country album. I'm all for exploring bands through albums as opposed to hits collections, but this album could do with a few more top tier songs. 3 out of 5 stars.

Not great

Pictures on the wall is a great song about middle aged marital regret. The 7 plus minutes of Shadow of the Sun fly by. But, sadly much of the album and songs like Moon on Your Pajamas are middle of the road rock from the 'Mod father' Easy to listen to but forgettable. 2.5 out of 5 stars but rounding up today.

Yes this is prog rock, No I didn't need to listen to this before I die.

Brave naming this album Destroy Rock & Roll. More like idle threats to Rock & Roll or Mild shoving and pushing Rock & Roll. I'm not a big dance music fan but this is mid tier dance music. 2 out of 5 stars

Folk is supposed to be my favourite category. And I have massive respect for Joan Baez and everything that she has achieved in a stellar career. This has a great version of House of the Rising Sun and I like Man of Constant Sorrow turned into Girl of Constant Sorrow. But I'm afraid the high pitched voice for about an hour was just a bit much. 3 out of 5 stars

Found it hard to reconcile that she was struggling with a heroin addiction at this time with her voice on this record. She sounds great to me. Majestic, soulful, honest, refreshing, beautiful, sparse and bare. Really liked this, 4 out of 5 stars.

Country & Western Soul Style. This must have really pissed off all the Confederate rednecks in 1962. Tempted to give it 5 stars for that alone. As it is though a solid 3 stars.

Hadn't listened to this in quite a while but it's a stone cold classic, well deserving of its place on this list. Still don't know the song names or the words but the sound, texture and noise from this album are just beautiful. 5 out of 5 stars.

The much derided Britpop that lots of people seem to have issues with. At the time I was more of an Oasis fan than Blur, but have since come to recognise that Blur are the better band. Not sold on this album though, some great tracks but a fair bit of filler too. 3 out of 5 stars

The first side of this is brilliant crisp, sharp, angular punk/post-punk. Brass in Pocket the standout song on the second side. Combined this adds up to a very enjoyable album altogether. Reminds me of Blondie somewhat although is that just because of an iconic female lead singer and songwriter shining through? 4 out of 5 stars.

I love this band and this album although I came to Pavement after their breakthrough in the 90s. As others have said if this sounds derivative of other indie 90s music it's because those bands took that from Pavement. Lovely melodies, quirky lyrics and crushing loud guitars combined to perfection..

One of those albums I'd been meaning to listen to for a long time and finally did about a month ago before it popped up here. Tremendous album of proto punk with an avant/art twist. Gloria kicks it off with a bang, reggae vibes off Redondo beach are lovely and side one ends with the fabulous Free Money -rocking out but precise drumming, so that while it feels like it might break down somewhere but never does. Side two continues in a similar vein, the 7 minutes of Land ebb and flow fantasticly. Who knew punk songs could be 7 minutes? The version I listened to with a bonus live track, My Generation, was the icing on the cake. Loved this album and definitely one that everyone should listen to before they shuffle off this mortal coil. 5 stars

Fiona Apple bemoans that the Drumset is gone and asks why did you take it away on that eponymous song. Can whoever stole Fiona's drumset please give it back so we don't have to endure more low-fi improvised percussion from her? 1 out of 5 stars only for this.

As my daughter would say Janelle Monae is a di-va, It's all in the pronunciation and meant as a massive compliment. The cover hints at diva tendencies from the start but then in the course of about an hour and ten minutes, which never drags, this masterfully combined soul, pop, r&b, classical and more. Great listening 4 out of 5 stars.

Wow, I couldn't decide whether the awful off-kilter piano on the first track was worse than the terrible singing or not. Much of the album continues in this vein. At least the album was relatively short. 1 star album.

Another funny album where it turns out you know more than you thought: The Coconut song, Without you, the one from Goodfellas and Gotta Get Up. Can see why the Beatles liked him so much. Combines the musical and whimsical in a similar way to some of their stuff. Enjoyed this more than I expected: 4 out of 5 stars

The Bends is still my favourite and my go-to Radiohead album - I do like my loud guitar rock and maybe not quite as into my electronica. But this is a really interesting album - always seems to give different things to the listener on return listens. Find the first half slightly stronger than the second. Probably somewhere around 4.5 stars for me and I always seem to round up, so it's up to 5 stars. It's better than some of my 4 star albums too.

Does what is says on the tin. Hair rock/ light metal. Jump clearly the best known song on the album but the fact that I thought Panama was Animal (by Def Leppard) as the tune and metre were so similar shows how interchangeable these bands are. 3 out of 5 stars.

The bastard love child of Phil Collins and Peter Gabriel and as musically tepid as you'd expect. 2 stars.

Fantastic album by a great band approaching their peak. The less said about Moz the better.

No, my second Yes album in under a month. Too much prog rock for me again who needs a nearly 11 minute prog version of Simon & Garfunkle's America? Not me. 2 stars

Recorded by Steve Albini and mixed by Jim O'Rourke guves a lot of street cred right off the mark. Add that to an orchestra, harp, incredible lyrics and vocals and this is a joy; confounds expectations. 4 stars

Side one is riff heavy, classic heavy metal, and very enjoyable. War Pigs, Iron Man, and title track Paranoid all stand out for me. The second side drags a little, over 7 mins for Hand of Doom followed by Rat Salad instrumental. Although Fairies Wear Boots a great closing track. 4 out of 5 stars.

Wow, what an opening four tracks - all killer no filler as the kids would say - with Peter Piper, It's Tricky, My Adidas, and Walk this Way. Album can't help but drag a bit after that and mid 80's hip hop, while ahead of it's time then, does sound a little bit dated. Still worth 4 out of 5 stars for that start.

Vulgar Display of Power is a searing critique of US & Israeli hegemony and foreign policy in Iran and the Middle East and their respective war mongering leaders. Oh wait no, it's more early 90s heavy metal. 2 stars

Acid jazz, white funk, didgeridoo solos. Why am I doing this to myself - fuck my life. Genuinely baffled how this is rated so highly at over 3. One star only from me.

Pleasant enough album. The Queen and the Soldier and Knight Moves the two stand out tracks for me here. 3 out of 5 stars..

This is a hard one to rank. I feel like this hasn't stood the test of time very well. Didn't like it quite as much as I thought I remembered it. But, on the other hand it's the Beastie Boys who I have a very soft spot for, even if they have better albums. And they were quite pioneering - fusing rock, punk and rap. Especially for 3 young white Jewish guys from New York. Think real credit here goes to Rick Rubin, that man is a genius. About 3.5 stars going up to 4 stars.

But even the President of the United States sometimes must have to stand naked .... apologies if you're now thinking of Donald Trump in his birthday suit. Just one lyric amongst many on this album that can be profound, absurd, poetic or throwaway. One of my favourites is from Love Minus Zero 'In the dime stores and bus stations, people talk of situations, read books, repeat quotations and draw conclusions on the wall.' The start of his famous trilogy, I think this is the first Dylan album I owned having come to him in the 90s around aged 20. Listened to my copy again about two days before popping up here to discover it's scatched and skipping. I'll have to replace that. A stone cold classic, deserves all the plaudits and a desert island disc for me. 5 out of 5 stars.

Jailbait - teenage baby, you look so fine ... Jesus, that's a little bit sick. And musically apart from the title track, it's fairly shite anyway. 2 out of 5 stars because of Ace of Spades.

New Order meets Daft Punk at a Talking Hesds concert as the band walk out to Television. 4 stars

Exactly the kind of album I would never have listened to if it weren't for this. I love Sgt. Pepper's album, is it OK to also to quite like the absurb satirical pastiche of it too? There's some pretty funny lyrics about hippies going to San Fran, loving the police who'll beat up any protestors. Some marvellous song titles, Idiot Bastard Son was a particular stand out title. Probably a 3 but going to give it 4 stars.

Nice enough album. Woke up early in a cold cottage in the West of Ireland and laid in bed and listened on my headphones. Good to hear the original version of Everybody's Talking but otherwise fairly forgettable. 3 stars

Outstanding album - the album tracks as well as the big hits are great songs, beautiful arrangements and obviously those vocals are incredible. 5 stars

The best songs on this are brilliant, playful, tuneful classics like The Magic Number, Eye Know, Buddy and Me, Myself and I. But it's around an hour long and the skits between some of the songs don't work for me that brings it down from around 3.5 to a 3 star album. Listen to the highlights here, not the whole slightly bloated thing.

Pretty forgettable middle of the road hard Rock. Not feeling it much. 2 out of 5 stars.

Blah blah blah ... don't get the love for Steely Dan. Forgettable 70s soft dad rock jazz pop, very hard to love it or loathe it. 3 stars

One of those albums I've been listening to for more than 30 years. Never grows old or tiresome, a classic from the opening chords of I Wanna Be Adored right through to the end of the full length version of I am the Resurrection. (Fools Gold is a great track but doesn't belong on the album) Full of charm, charisma, bravado and swagger.

Even though this isn't my kind of music, I listened with an open mind, but it's just forgettable, weak, and derivative sounding. The algorithm suggested some decent tunes of a broadly similar genre after the album finished, such as Outkast, TLC, and No Diggity, all of which are far superior to anything on this album. Rounded down from 1.5 to 1 stars as he's a twat.

Beautiful album with great production by Daniel Lanois. Mad that it's now nearly 30 years old seeing as it has been much talked about as an album about an older Dylan and his mortality with songs like It's Not Dark Yet and Trying to Get to Heaven. As the review stickers on my cd copy proclaim '73 minutes of genius', 'The Original is Back' and 'Dylan at his creative peak'. All bang on the money. Another Dylan album, another 5 stars from me.

She has an incredible voice and was pleasantly surprised by the playfulness of the album having read about her anti-apartheid views and reputation as a protest singer. Also nice to have 'world music' for a change.

Sympathy for the Devil kicks this album off to a great start and the rest is very enjoyable Rolling Stones blues rock. 4 stars

Fine for what it is - mid 00s hip hop, somewhat forgettable

In typical KLF fashion this album has various versions and was hard to find. And of course the version I listened to ended with Justified & Ancient but not the famous version with Tammy Wynette. But then this band was as much about an art concept as the music itself. Drummond & Cauty well ahead of their time, sample heavy euro trance dance beat done to perfection.

I fuckin love this album, somehow it's both seductive and slightly unsettling or menacing at the same time. A trip hop noir masterclass. To me it just works perfectly with Beth Gibbon's beautiful sparse vocals, scratches and samples from Geoff Barrow and minimalist guitar from Adrian Utley. They really captured something special with this album, which their other albums didn't quite reach. 5 stars !

While musically I was not particularly a big fan of this I dig the fact that as per the wiki entry .... "The central storyline on the album revolved around ......... a populist demagogue who is driven solely by resentment, misanthropy, and despair, he uses his newfound position to destroy the world. The record can be seen as a social critique, utilizing this premise as a metaphor for the perceived fascist elements of the conservative political movement and the Christian right in North America." Sadly this is as pertinent today as when this album came out 30 years ago. For this reason alone I'll bump it up from 2 to 3 stars.

Is this grunge? Is this goth? Is this metal? I'm not sure. Is this somewhere between 2 and 3 stars? Yes

This was one of those pretty cool discoveries from this epic list. Something I wouldn't have ordinarily listened to and not my usual go-to music. But something about it was hypnotic and haunting and it's been played a few times. 4 stars 🌟

Hadn't listened in a long time and was not disappointed. While this album mightn't sound as incendiary as when it came out first nearly 50 years ago, it rattles along at breakneck speed with the original punk attitude and some great songs. Those 4 singles Anarchy in the UK, Holidays in the Sun, God Save the Queen and Pretty Vacant are all bangers. 4 stars.

Bland and inoffensive but certainly not an album you have to hear. Why this album instead of Cast, Dodgy or the Bluetones or any other mid-tier Brit-pop band, and I say that as someone who was a fan of those other bands at the time. Shack totally passed me by at the time. 3 stars

Early 90s student bedsit singer songwriter music. She does have a fantastic voice and is a good songwriter as shown by the fact that 'Baby Can I Hold You Tonight' was a hit for one of the big boy bands. But less than the sum of its parts and doesn't do much for me. 3.5 stars but rounding down to 3 stars.

4 songs only and about 45 mins long. Not gonna lie ... while this could be daunting to some I was looking forward to this as 'Walk on By' is a stellar track and Isaac Hayes' voice is so smooooth. The first 3 tracks are majestic and beautiful and two of them are long, but they never meander. This was heading for 5 stars but I'm afraid that last track @ 18 minutes long wasn't for me and pulls this back down to 4 stars.

The first of many Elvis Costello albums to come. Fine, nothing much to write (home) about. 3 stars

Fine pleasant sounds of 1960s psychedelia. But my second album in 3 days with an 18 minute closing track. No need for that. 3 stars.

Gin and Juice from this album as covered by The Gourds might just be the best song ever. Please listen to it. That's really all I have to say. Moving this from 2 to 3 stars because of said song.

Amazing voice on Dusty. I enjoyed this quite a bit, maybe not as much as Dusty in Memphis, though. 3 stars

Quite a long meandering double country rock album at around an hour and a quarter long. No real standout tracks for me, it was fine but don't think I'll be rushing back to listen again.

The album gets off to quite a slow start nice ambient noodling but nothing special. But there's a 20-25 minute section in the middle with Planet D, Wilmot, Tow Truck and Theme which really sounds great and then we're back to nice ambient chill sounds until the last song which is nice like a haunted dancehall. I guess this is like a night on E - coming up, buzzing and then coming back down. Ahh I miss E and weed. 3.5 stars for the middle section but rounding down.

Fairly forgettable cock rock except for a foot stomping, toe tapping cover version of the Kinks 'You Really Got Me'.

A week of mediocre 3 star albums and this is annoying me. Probably this album isn't objectively any worse but it's so meh and bland it's getting 2 stars.

This album was grand. Not too long and a few good songs to nod one's head to. But nothing I'll remember or that you HAVE TO HEAR. 12 of my last 13 albums including this, have been 3 stars. Is this what I am destined to - a lifetime of mediocre rock, pop and hip hop? Testing my patience, this list is.

Disclaimer: I'm not very familiar with Pink Floyd. Part of the reason I'm doing this project is to try and get over those big gaps in my musical knowledge. So I don't know if they were any better before or after Syd Barrett left the band. But piecing together the bits and pieces I do know from a brief look at Wikipedia together with the Television Personalities song 'I know where Syd Barrett lives' and you quickly realise his difficulties and years as a reclusive musical genius. Look at the list of great musicians who say he's influenced them. While the album may be a bit of an incoherent mess at times, it's whimsical and beautiful in parts too. It's definitely interesting and worth listening too. It may be exploitative too? It's hard to rank this but I'm going 4 stars. I've had so much filler but this was a different beast altogether.

An album I remember from listening to not long after it came out, but I haven't heard it a while. Enjoyed this modern folk with its beautiful, timeless melodies. White Winter Hymnal is a gorgeous track. And with the Bruegel painting this is a beautiful album cover Bringing it up to 4 stars from 3.5 for those 2 things.

A Day in the Life has always been my favourite Beatles song to the extent that I even read a biography of Tara Browne, swinging 60s London socialite, heir to a Guinness family fortune and the subject of that one line 'He blew his mind out in a car, didn't notice that the lights had changed' about his death in a car crash. To me, that song perfectly encapsulated the Beatles at their creative peak. 5 star

Music for people who don't like music.

This is the Pixies so I do really like this. Quite - loud- quiet. They have by this stage ( their third album?) found their groove. But to me, while their other earlier albums on the list Doolittle and Surfer Rosa, are standout 5 star albums, this is more in the 4 star category.

Wow this really is free jazz meets hard core. Interesting to see one of Napalm Death, one of my one star albums, listed on the wiki page as thanked in the credit. It's a tough listen no doubt and not necessarily one I'm adding to my playlist. Dischordant, chaotic, noisy, uncomfortable. 2 drums!! But this is what I'm here for. 4 stars.

Somewhat interesting- Eurotrash meets DJ Shadow and Jurassic 5 in a doctors surgery waiting room. 3 stars

Cock rock hair metal. Two stars

Another album that I hadn't listened to in a long time. Has somewhat stood the test of time. Relaxing and enjoyable low-fi indie dance rock. Drags a little in the middle but worth a listen. 3 stars

Starts very strongly. 21st Century Schizoid Man is to me, the Beatles crossed with Led Zepellin. And the last song The Court of the Crimson King finished the album very well. But in between too much long meandering prog for me. In particular Moonchild's 12 minutes of prog noodling can get to fuck.

I really enjoyed this. Punk in the style of the Undertones or Buzzcocks, more tuneful and poppy maybe than classic punk. 12 or 13 songs, none of them overstay their welcome clocking in at a maximum 3 and a half minutes or so. John Leckie producer also produced Stone Roses and Radiohead and many others in later years so this is very well produced compared to much of the punk era.

Widely recognised as the first heavy metal album. I don't really like heavy metal so do I mark it down for that? It probably is worth hearing but, one and done, for me I'm afraid. 3.5 stars and we'll see whether that goes up or down.

I'm not sure I get the Rolling Stones. This album is a fine album of mostly blues rock cover versions. Nothing in here, their debut album, to indicate they'd become such superstars. As I write this review, having listened to the album earlier in the day, and given a re-listen to their 2 albums which previously appeared on the list for me, Sticky Fingers & Beggars Banquet to see if I'm judging them unfairly (I'm not) a new Rolling Stones song is playing on the radio, around 60 years later! It's quite hard to fathom. But this album is where it all began, 3 stars from me.

Everybody Loves Me, Baby was the surprise track on this for me. A three and a bit minute enjoyable romp with very funny lyrics. I heard it as a homage to Dylan Obviously the title track everyone knows and loves but the rest is beige folk rock like Vincent.

What's Going On? A masterclass in soul and a masterpiece of a concept album is What's Going On. A 5 star album is What's Going On.

I enjoyed this, great length of an album, good pop and punk energy and it rattles along without dipping in quality. I know he gets a lot of hate in these parts, due to his ubiquitousness. But this was worth listening to and I'd happily listen again. 4 stars.

Budget Walmart version of Gillian Welch or Emylou Harris with a Madonna pop twist. Not great

Debut album from the Chemical Brothers was another enjoyable album I hadn't listened to in a long time. Combined good beats and dancy numbers like Leave Home and Chemical Beats with some chilled numbers like Chicos Groove and One Too Many Mornings. 4 stars

Sopranos season 5 Finale, 'All Due Respect', and Glad Tidings is playing in the background as Tony Blundetto pulls his car into the barn of a farmhouse in somewhere like rural upstate New York. .... ' And they'll send you Glad tidings from New York' seconds later Tony Soprano comes around the corner and blasts his namesake and cousin's head off with a shotgun on behalf of the New York mob. Anytime I hear this song I think of this scene, I know it says more about the TV show than the song but still. Classic Van Morrison song off a great album. 5 stars.

Famously part of Neil's Doom trilogy. Raw and emotional, recorded just after the deaths from heroin of Crazy Horse's Danny Whitten and roadie (working man) Bruce Berry, two close friends. However I hear the album a bit like a wake, sad but also full of stories and tales of the deceased and fun too. This is a fantastic album, one of his very best.

Mental but interesting. Enjoyed this more than I expected based on some of the reviews here.

Parts of this reminded me of Richard & Linda Thompson 'I want to see the Bright Lights Tonight' and sure enough I then see that he was in Fairport Convention. Enjoyable folk rock from England. Probably 3 stars only though.

Coming to the conclusion that I don't really like Simon & Garfunkle, although I must have Stockholm syndrome with some of their songs like 'Homeward Bound' off this album and 'the Boxer' off another one. '59th Street Bridge Song' sums up these dudes for me ... feeling groovy bada bada dada dah .... grrr gets on my tits. However, I will agree that 'A simple desultory phillipic' is quite a clever pastiche of one Robert Zimmerman and 'Silent Night/7 o'clock news' is pretty good too. I'll give it 3 stars.

New York Dolls crossed with the Replacements crossed with Def Leppard. Kind of fun and enjoyable if inconsequential. 3 stars

Country music legend has around 80 albums and was married to Tammy Wynette at one stage. But I'd never heard of him. That said, it's pretty standard country fare - wife left me, truck broke down and dog died. But as the album is only 28 minutes long and I've had to endure longer prog songs, it's getting an extra star from 3 to 4.

Welcome to Jazz club. Nice improv jazz. 3.5 stars

A bit of a sprawling mess of a concept album, doesn't hang together too well for me though. Were it not for the Wiki page the concept might have passed me by.

Brilliant short live album from the Godfather of Soul with really tight backing band. This was a joy to listen to. 4 stars

I enjoyed the title track to this album a lot but the rest of this album was a bit meh. 2 stars only.

Strange album. Parts of it sound like Iggy Pop meets Jimi Hendrix, otherwise parts sound like small children let loose on musical instruments for the first time. Then another part reminded me of that Tribe Called Quest song that sampled Lou Reed's 'Walk on the Wild Side.'

For some reason I had thought Scritti Politti were a punk band and went into this without reading any reviews or the wiki page. Couldn't have been any further from punk if it tried. Bland 80s synth pop, Wham without George Michael and a whiff of Michael Jackson instead. Awful shite altogether. 1 star

Late 60s physcedelic guitar rock. Bit boring, 3 stars.

I like Eddie Vedder, just look at some of the mental clips on YouTube of him climbing stage rigging and hanging out way over the stage. And he does a great cover version of Masters of War and a beautiful soundtrack to Into the Wild. So he's much more than just a grunge & hard Rock front man. This album, while a bit long, was really enjoyed. Will likely listen again. 4 stars 🌟

So Scott Walker's early albums are Scott, Scott 2,Scott 3 and this imaginatively titled Scott 4. This level of creative ingenuity follows through to the album as a whole.

Another Neil Young album, another 5 stars. Album combines slower numbers like After the Gold Rush and Only Love Can Break Your Heart with classic rockers like Southern Man that so pissed off Lynyrd Skynyrd. Great album

Bass heavy beats, clever lyrics and great tunes. This is a brilliant album that paved the way for Tricky & Portishead, and I don't think Massive Attack ever topped it. Stand out tracks include Safe from Harm and Unfinished Sympathy but Five Man Army and Hymn of the Big Wheel are great songs too. Was great to listen to this again after a long time. 5 stars

So so hard to judge this one objectively. Oasis were the first band I really got into aged 16 or 17 in the mid 90s and starting to get into listening to music. I really thought that they were true rock stars and barring the Beatles the best band that there had ever been. Lucky enough to see them in concert in 95 or 96 at a mid sized venue before they started selling out mega outdoor gigs like Knebworth. My kids now like listening to some of the big Oasis hits. But even bearing all the nostalgia and bias in mind, this is a great rock debut. Snarling and aggressive but musical too. That opening trio of songs Rock n Roll Star, Shakermaker and Live Forever is stellar. Further songs like Columbia and Supersonic aren't too far behind. Yes they found a formula that worked and some of the simple rhyming lyrics don't really stand the test of time and the second side is a bit weaker with Digsy's Dinner and Married with Children arguably better off as b-sides. But maybe the album needs a break from the intensity of all the aforementioned songs. Either way this has to be a somewhat nostalgia tinted 5 stars from me.

Is Aretha the Queen of Soul or the Godmother of Soul, given that James Brown is the Godfather of Soul? Anyway this is a magnificent album that shows Aretha at her best. Although I may prefer the original Otis Redding version of Respect, I understand this is a minority view and her version is still awesome. Her version of A Change is Gonna Come to close the album is great too and in between them both the album is sprinkled with classics like Do Right Woman, Do Right Man and Dr Feelgood. 4.5 stars and rounding up today.

Cheesy listening

I'm hearing little bits of the Silver Jews, Low, Wilco, Lambchop and Beck all mixed up here in a lovely downbeat low-fi Americana style. But rather than being derivative, as this was released around 2000, I think that Giant Sand have influenced those artists that I love. I'm surprised by the low ratings for this. Not quite 5 stars but a very strong 4 stars.

Boring moody 80s snyth pop. Forgettable and 2 stars only.

Masterclass from Johnny Cash in the last album he released before he died and beautifully produced by Rick Rubin. Although best known as mostly a covers album, the opener The Man Comes Around is amongst the best Cash songs. Hurt, In My Life and Personal Jesus are bittersweet and full of a sense of mortality and the fact that the end is nearly there for him and when he'll meet June again. Bridge Over Troubled Water and Danny Boy miss the mark a bit for me so the album, much like Cash himself isn't flawless. However it is most definitely worthy of 5 stars.

So so very long, and, so so very dull. Really can't think why this album is here. Best thing I can think of is the cover which looked to me like a cool Soul Jazz complication and which would have been much much more enjoyable. 1 star only.

Interesting noise rock album here, liked this more than I thought I would. And arguably it is an album you should listen to because the chances are you mightn't have listened to this type of music before. Very loud, very fast but melodic in some parts and unsettling in others. 4 stars from me.

Really wasn't sure about this to start. Bland album cover to match the mood and heading for 2 or 3 stars. But 'A Sailor's Life' is a top notch song at 11 minutes, droning country folk meets German bauhaus done acoustically. And I'm a sucker for any Bob Dylan covers so I enjoyed Percy's Song and Million Dollar Bash. So 4 stars, albeit at the lower end of that.

Quite enjoyed this, somewhere between 3 and 4 stars but rounding down.

Too long and that annoyed me along with the interlude pieces. 3 stars

I love the Pixies but going to have to say I think this sounds like some random collection of Pixies b-sides or demos that didn't quite make the cut. It's far too long at about 22 songs over 70 odd minutes and a bit of a mess. I'd have included Frank Black's double album instead, one disc is early acoustic Pixies demos and one is Pixies' classics radically reinterpreted. That's an album to listen to but thus one is 3 stars.

Very enjoyable album of country soul from Elvis. In the Ghetto, last song on the album, is the standout track, and of course Suspicious Minds, which seems to feature on some versions but not others is a beautiful but devastating song. Going 4 stars here, probably a bit of rounding up going on coz it's Elvis.

Bland meandering 80s synth pop/rock. Saw a song entitled Hallelujah and got quite excited - would it be Leonard Cohen, John Cage or Jeff Buckley style. But no, a different song altogether. 2 stars

Loretta Lynn's opening song and title 'Don't Come Home A Drinking with Loving On Your Mind' is early feminist punk rock delivered in a country twang whose easy delivery masks the stark message. Bad ass. Added to that, all songs around 2 minute mark and album clocks in under half an hour. Country punk starts here, 3 stars.

Interesting slightly oddball experimental world fused with Krautrock fused with electronica. Can't decide between 3 and 4 stars.

The Smiths are usually talked about in terms of Morrisey's lyrics, performance, and vocals and of Marr's excellence on lead guitar. However, this album again reminded me of the brilliant rhythm section with Andy Rourke (RIP) on bass and Mike Joyce on drums. That holds it all together so well. Flashes of post punk on here added to the jangly indie guitar rock. This is a possible desert island top 10 album for me. 10 perfect songs combining humour, despair, absurdity, violence and everything in between here coming in at the ideal album length of around 37 minutes. 5 stars.

Had not listened to this album in a long time but remember being a fan of it from when it came out in the mid 90s. But this album has aged much better than its contemporaries. This was a really fun enjoyable album that bounces along at breakneck speed. You can see influences like Buzzcocks, Kinks, Beatles and others but it's given a fresh vibrant feel, quite am achievement for 3 young teens from Oxford. I was glad to listen again, it put a smile on my face this morning. 4 stars.

Was prepared to give this the benefit of the doubt as I'm not a big heavy metal fan. But it's nearly an hour and a quarter long of ear-bleeding dull heavy metal and then with a final hidden instrumental track,Canyon Jam, that just meanders and goes nowhere for 13 minutes. Glad this one is now one (star) and done.

Sadly, I have only come to fully appreciate the Pogues since Shane McGowan's passing a couple of years ago. This was an enjoyable romp that blends Irish folk with punk as the Pogues do so well. However, there are Turkish influences on Turkish Song of the Damned and political (autocorrect aptly suggesting polka to me) songs about the Birmingham Six injustice on here too. It's not all drunken revelry and dancing jigs. 4 stars.

Ahh lost my review and can't be bothered re-writing. Influential power pop band with lush harmonies and good tunes. If you like Teenage Fanclub you'll like these guys.

Fine 1950s country music. The main thing that struck to me listening to this was an early version of 'In the Pines' which I'd only really know from Nirvana Unplugged. Other than that the album was the perfect length to soundtrack my bus trip to work this morning. 3 stars.

Quite enjoyed this. At first I thought this was a generic Middle Eastern or Turkish pop, but it seemed to blend other North African genres too, and one part was almost a drum and bass intro to one song. As there's so little non-Western music on the list, it'll get an extra star, so 4 stars.

Brilliant, although I often get it mixed up with its brother Kid A. 5 stars 🌟

Enjoyable honky tonk country album. 3 stars.

Metallica crossed with Dead Kennedys but not as good as it should be. Loud, hard but a bit repetitive. 3 stars.

Perfect length album for a short album. She had a fantastic voice of course and album was quite varied in style. Enjoyed more than I expected to, 4 stars.

Parking the bigamy, marrying an underage cousin, abuse and attempted murder allegations and so on ..... it's a lot to park I know ... but this is a great early rock and roll live album. Found a 22 minute version on Spotify which I really enjoyed. But I've had shits that take longer and we've established already that Jerry Lee Lewis is a shit. Then realised the actual album is about 37 minutes. Found that on YouTube and listened to the whole thing. Ignoring the context of the shit I parked earlier this is a 4 star album.

That trio of songs at the end of side 1 and start of side 2, Wrote a Song For Everyone, Bad Moon Rising and Lodi, has to be up there with the best run of 3 songs on any album I think. Incredible beautiful and really tuneful songs and shows CCR at their very best. 10 songs on the album about 30 mins or 45 mins for a version with a few extra songs including some live songs. Both versions work really well and I think I may have to give this 5 stars.

EDM crossed with RnB. Not a particular fan of either genre but listened earlier with an open mind and ear. Very forgettable stuff altogether. Like I only listened this morning, but nothing has stood out, and I couldn't tell you anything about it, good or bad. Can't justify 3 stars as those generally have a few memorable songs. So, 2 stars it is.

Magnificent

Musically, that was really quite enjoyable bluegrass and I like the coming together of old and new styles. Except for the fact that it was 42 songs and 2 hours and 9 minutes long!! That's a marathon. I started, paused, did something else, started again and had a nap while listening, paused, had dinner, then listened again while washing the dishes and still only about half way through the second disc. Finally, at the end of a long day, I sat down and listened to the end. But I think the day just felt so long coz of all that banjo picking and fiddle. 3 stars but a highlights version could easily be higher.

Not familiar with many or any Bollywood soundtracks so hard to say if this is a good example or not. But it was a fun listen and welcome difference to the normal UK & US centric nature of this list. Even the album itself seemed a nice mix of styles and genres sometimes. Parts of songs sounded quite familiar and as this is an older album I think various nuggets from there have been sampled in other songs. Rounding this up to 4 stars as it's nice diverse album.

Ignoring the very bloated re-issue/ special edition and listening to the original version at about 38 mins long, and I was reminded of what a great rock band The Who were. 6 great songs and 4 stars.

For those who've watched British cult comedy classic, Peep Show, this reminded me of the scene where Mark and Jez were on a double date at the theatre but wished they could have been at home watching television. Their play was some abstract avant garde production (Tank Battles' cabaret music about inter war Germany) but they wanted to watch Heat (Any great rock album from this list whether Radiohead, Beatles, Smiths, New Order, Dylan, Stone Roses etc) In Peep Show they left the play at the interval. You'll be glad to know I stayed to the end in the interest of an honest fair review. 2 stars.

Quite enjoyable bossa nova jazz samba album. 3 stars.

I've had cock rock albums by Def Leppard and Pantera. Hadn't realised till now that the cock pop genre existed.

Amy Winehouse takes the jazz female singer songwriters heroines of hers and filters them through a dull hip hop and dance lense of lo-fi beats. I'm not sure it works too well.

Exciting debut album from the B52s, a really fun listen. While there was no monster hit song like Love Shack on this album I enjoyed the guitars, vocals and slightly off kilter songs. Reminds me of Talking Heads crossed with the Slits. 4 stars.