Extraordinary. Groundbreaking, challenging.
I had this on CD when it was first released. Tried very hard to like it, but it never grabbed me in the same way as Radiohead's earlier albums.
Over the years I've listened again a few times, wondering what I've been missing. It's still never clicked with me and, honestly, I can't stand the thought of playing it again today.
It's technically very interesting but I can't find any emotional appeal. Thom's singing and lyrics are unrelentingly gloomy, morbid and (dare I say) self-indulgent.
Sorry!
I just couldn't enjoy this. I'm sure it was very ground-breaking and influential at the time, but it's not my thing.
Superstition is an amazing song but most of the others are too cloyingly sentimental. Musically, there are lots of weird modulations that feel disjointed to me.
I really couldn't enjoy this.
Loved this album when it was first released.
I understand the criticisms, it's basically the same song repeated with minor variations.
It's inventive, and it's nice to listen back with hindsight and spot the Afrobeat influences behind this album and those emanating forward from it.
'Once in a Lifetime' is the one standout track to me, extraordinary and stirring.
I'd give it a solid 3 stars but Adrian Belew's spellbinding bat-mess-crazy guitar solos take it up to a 5.
This is music for people who don't like music.
Just horrible. I made it through two tracks then had to stop.
Peak hippy music. Beautiful harmonies, inventive guitar playing, idealistic sentiment, perfect!
Hearing this again, I was surprised by how 'modern' some of the instrumentation was for 1970.
A lovely time capsule from another age.
Three great songs but the rest is dull, sentimental filler.
The highlight is Eddie Van Halen's absolutely incredible guitar solo on Beat It.
Lost it's lustre over time.
The plagiarism and dubious behaviour don't help.
When this was released it changed everything. I remember the first time I heard Smells Like Teen Spirit on the radio, it sounded like nothing before.
Listening again over 30 years later it still sounds fresh, original and energetic.
I never noticed at the time, but the drumming is incredible.
10/10 a generational record.
The spoken-word passages are powerful and moving.
The songs are horribly dull.
At this point they weren't very good.
After 17 albums this is the first I've never heard, and never even heard of!
I was absolutely blown away.
Inventive, varied, and funky as fuck. I fell in love with this album straight away and will probably play it on repeat for quite a while.
If I was at the UFO Club in 1967 I might have enjoyed this. Also if I'd taken enough drugs.
Listening now, with sound and sober mind, this album achieved the remarkable feat of being simultaneously pretentious, portentously serious, and cringe-makingly whimsical.
By the time I reached the last track, Bike, I was actually angry at how stupid it was.
Fabulous, energetic music and expert musicianship. Every track is an upbeat gem that makes you smile and want to dance.
Eddie Van Halen's guitar technique is amazing. The songs are okay but didn't grab my attention.
The Darkness clearly drew inspiration from this album, and for that we should be grateful!
Great record. More like a piece of 'important art' than something I'd want to play over and over.
I've always loved this album, it's been a friend and comfort for about 40 years. Wise, sad, beautiful, enigmatic.
This was completely new to me, and I was intrigued by the high polarisation of the reviews. They seem to be mainly either 5 stars or 1 so I was prepared to either loathe or love Bonnie Prince Billy.
I loved it. Yes the songs have sad themes but the lyrics are complex and beautiful. Glorious, top-quality modern folk music.
My heart sank when this album came up. At first I wasn't going to listen to it, but I'm a few albums on now and didn't want to spoil my streak.
It's such a shame Jonny Marr started a band with Morrissey and not... literally anybody else. His guitar playing is sublime. The bass playing is pretty awesome too.
But Morrissey's singing is just horribly bad. Why did he ever think it was okay to just sing the SAME THREE NOTES, all the time.
Rotten.
This album has a special place in my life and I can't review it objectively.
I was aware of James Taylor but never listened to one of his albums before.
Now I agree with all those 1-star reviewers. I especially liked the one who said (to paraphrase) "this is the kind of music you play to old people to keep them quiet".
One-word review:
Anodyne.
I had no idea this music existed until this morning. When I read the description I thought "oh, a whole album of shouty punk noise and scary lyrics".
But I persevered bravely and played it on the Big Hifi while my partner and I enjoyed a chilled Sunday brunch.
Oh yeah, it grabbed me from the start and didn't let up until the end. It seemed to fly by in a few minutes.
Not only is there a highly agreeable quotient of shouty punk noise and scary lyrics, but it's well put together and really listen-able.
Thank you 1001albumsgen for enhancing my Sunday!
Will definitely listen again.
Vapid and uninspiring.
This is the music Boomers listened to, that turned them into racist old people.
Horrible.
Okay, but uninspiring, slick 80s pop.
My standout track was New Gold Dream which had a bit of a psychedelic vibe going on. The rest was quite forgettable.
This was a surprise, and a refreshing change of mood.
Very interesting, if incongruous, blend of metal and indigenous music.
The singing style is challenging to listen to, but overall a great album.
Odd, in a challenging way.
People seem to write extremely long reviews about how great this album is, so I feel a little pressured to like it too.
It is good, but as a double album it felt like work.
I would feel mean giving it less than 5 stars.
Was prepared to be underwhelmed but actually enjoyed it a lot.
'We're Going Wrong' is an extraordinary song. Listen for the drumming.
Way outside my comfort zone, which is a good thing.
I really tried to find some way to appreciate this.
It's just a bit shit. Pub rock.
I've always been aware of The Jesus and Mary Chain through their singles on the radio, and I even saw them live once back in the 80s. But I've never listened to their albums until today.
I absolutely loved Darklands. Brooding Scottish Goth-Pop! Perfect.
Brothers Jim and William Reid literally invented shoegaze, for which we should be eternally grateful.
I enjoyed it so much that I listened to some more of their albums afterwards. 'Honey's Dead' is fantastic.
4 stars for this one, not because it's not great but because I get more out of some of their other albums.
I know this album so well, I played it endlessly when it was released.
Eclectic, varied, irrepressibly creative, and utterly deranged.
Just wonderful.
Very much of its time.
The Stone Roses sounded new and fresh, and promised great things to come.
Sadly, as with Oasis, it fizzled out.
"Great" I thought, "something out of the ordinary, that's what the generator is all about".
I was coping with Khaled okay until I got to Imagine. Dreadful cover of a dreadful song.
I loved this album when it was first released, and it's been really interesting to listen again now.
Absolutely agree with it's inclusion in the list.
Recorded by a 17-year old in his bedroom, released by embryonic Virgin Records, used on the soundtrack of a hit movie, sold millions.
The music sounds dated to me now, and some parts are naive and silly (caveman grunting?!) but overall it's unique, inventive and a nice listening experience.
A classic.
Beautiful protest songs.
It's just sad to think that things didn't get better after these songs were released in 1988.
The poor didn't rise up. Women are not safer in their own homes.
The album where John Doherty really found his way.
Completely inauthentic of course, but that doesn't really matter. Great songs delivered with full-on energy.
I love every second of this album. Amazing.
I still listen to this album from time to time, and it always has something to offer.
My ex-wife liked Sparks.
I'm really sorry but this means I can't listen to this with any kind of objectivity.
She had bad taste in music. 1 star. Couldn't bear to listen.
It's a nice enough album, but I'm not sure why it's on this list.
I suppose I can understand why this album was included on the list, it was ground-breaking in the UK at the time.
But McLaren's rapping is awful, the mixing is ragged, it's a dumb mess.
Worst was the use of African musicians without giving them due credit. That's basically stealing, isn't it?
I've always been aware of this album and have listened to it from time to time, knowing how great people seem to think it is.
After listening again now with fresh ears... yeah this is a truly great album.
Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and the rest of Led Zeppelin might have learned a lot from this album, I heard a LOT of influences back and forth for the first time when hearing this again for the first time now.
Yes he's a whiney narcissistic guy. But he has a beautiful voice, and a tight-as-fuck backing band.
Radiohead - take it from here!!!
Please excuse my language....
This album is fucking glorious.
I tried to imagine what it would have been like to be a teenager in the 1950s and hear this music for the first time.
Wow!
He's hornier than Robert Plant and I didn't know that could be possible.
I tried to be open-minded about this, but really couldn't stand it at all.
Not for me. Sorry Randy!
Q-Tip has amazing flow, he's the best.
This album is fine, it has some interesting tracks.
I can't give it 5 because it doesn't blow my mind. A solid 3 though.
It's okay, but not as good as their previous album (Pills, Thrills).
Still a great thing to put on LOUD on a Saturday afternoon.