My 1001 Albums Journey

Albums Rated

3.41

Average Rating

Complete

994 albums remaining

Rating Distribution

Rating Timeline

Taste Profile

2010

Favorite Decade

Metal

Favorite Genre

Top Origin

Wordsmith

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5-Star Albums

1-Star Albums

Breakdown

By Genre

Top Styles

By Decade

By Origin

Albums

You Love More Than Most

Album	You	Global	Diff
Pink Flag Wire	5	3.21	+1.79
#1 Record Big Star	5	3.26	+1.74
Lost In The Dream The War On Drugs	5	3.38	+1.62
Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols Sex Pistols	5	3.44	+1.56
James Brown Live At The Apollo James Brown	5	3.44	+1.56
Strangeways, Here We Come The Smiths	5	3.44	+1.56
3 Feet High and Rising De La Soul	5	3.45	+1.55
Illmatic Nas	5	3.6	+1.4
After The Gold Rush Neil Young	5	3.62	+1.38
With The Beatles Beatles	5	3.65	+1.35

You Love Less Than Most

Album	You	Global	Diff
Black Holes and Revelations Muse	1	3.59	-2.59
Rapture Anita Baker	1	2.94	-1.94
Strange Cargo III William Orbit	1	2.77	-1.77
It's Blitz! Yeah Yeah Yeahs	2	3.48	-1.48
Debut Björk	2	3.38	-1.38
Haunted Dancehall The Sabres Of Paradise	1	2.38	-1.38
Juju Siouxsie And The Banshees	2	3.33	-1.33
You've Come a Long Way Baby Fatboy Slim	2	3.33	-1.33
Achtung Baby U2	2	3.3	-1.3
Private Dancer Tina Turner	2	3.29	-1.29

Artists

Favorites

Artist	Albums	Average
Neil Young	2	5
David Bowie	2	5

5-Star Albums (18)

View Album Wall

Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols

Popular Reviews

I Should Coco

Supergrass · 1 likes

4/5

Surprised by this, not what I expected. One of the better ‘britpop’ records I’ve heard. Cardiacsy in places!

Haunted Dancehall

The Sabres Of Paradise · 1 likes

1/5

Sounds like he left his 808 on demo mode and then added a bunch of sound effects from a record library stock sounds compilation. When is the appropriate time to listen to this? You can’t dance to it and it’s too annoying to have on in the background

1-Star Albums (4)

All Ratings

Moondance

Van Morrison

5/5

Into the mystic 10/10. The rest easy 7/8 out of 10. Great record

Live At Leeds

The Who

4/5

Classic record, great guitar tones. Couldn’t listen to actual released version from 1970, listened to deluxe version on vinyl. This version is probably too long. Overall, solid live classic rock record. 3.5/5

Jagged Little Pill

Alanis Morissette

3/5

Decent record, singles are good and the songwriting is strong. Maybe slightly dated production but doesn’t detract too much

KIWANUKA

Michael Kiwanuka

4/5

Lovely retro vibes, I don’t think he knows how to make a bad record.

Debut

Björk

2/5

Some good moments, but didn’t work for me. I can appreciate its inventiveness though, and Bjork has a genuinely unique voice and style

Harvest

Neil Young

5/5

Stone cold classic. Basically no bad songs here.

Faust IV

Faust

2/5

Not really for me. Almost like a demo tape. Can get that experimental sound, not terrible

Only By The Night

Kings of Leon

2/5

Dull. Sex on Fire is overplayed but still a great song and you can see why it was such a hit. Opening track is also cool, but the rest of the album is just bland and hasn’t aged well

Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness

The Smashing Pumpkins

4/5

Sadly too long, but some great tracks in here. Epic scope and lots of variety, and they know how to blend catchy riffs with melody without becoming cheesy.

Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols

Sex Pistols

5/5

Great album, classic riffs and tunes. Still not a huge Johnny rotten fan but it works with the music

Vanishing Point

Primal Scream

2/5

Boring. I can see the appeal maybe after a night out. Maybe come down music, but most tracks seem kind of aimless. Not unpleasant to listen to in the background

Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs

Marty Robbins

4/5

Really enjoyed this, great voice somewhat reminiscent of Johnny Cash. Also love a story song so very fun.

Something Else By The Kinks

The Kinks

4/5

Great, quirky songs. Love his voice. Waterloo Sunset obviously one of the GOATs, perfect song.

The Genius Of Ray Charles

Ray Charles

3/5

Obviously it’s Ray Charles. The man could sing. Prefer the second ballads side to the big band stuff. Overall good but there are better Ray albums I think

Dirt

Alice In Chains

4/5

Love the vocals, nasty riffs. More metal vibes than other ‘grunge’ bands, further showing that label isn’t very useful. Like the solos as well, vibey

Phaedra

Tangerine Dream

4/5

Creepy, weird, retro futuristic electronic ambient. Sounds organic despite being electronic, which I love.

Buffalo Springfield Again

Buffalo Springfield

3/5

Nice vibes, not particularly strong songs imo. Always nice to hear Neil and Stills together though.

Everything Must Go

Manic Street Preachers

3/5

Big choruses, loud guitars. Bit like a if you had a less catchy Oasis and the lyricist had read a book or two. Rock music for middle aged dads. Not bad by all means, I can see the appeal.

Ramones

3/5

Classic punk, with more of a 50s rock n roll influence than the pistols. Production is poor but who cares.

Led Zeppelin

5/5

Classic. Pretty much every track would be on a Led Zep best of. More psychedelic than I remembered, lots of echoplex and phase/flange effects. Some days this is my favourite zep record

I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You

Aretha Franklin

5/5

Fantastic. One of my favourite vocalists and the songs are classics. Like this soul period better than her earlier stuff.

The Scream

Siouxsie And The Banshees

2/5

I can see the influence but not really my thing

The Infotainment Scan

The Fall

3/5

Liked it better than other Fall albums I’ve heard

Live At The Harlem Square Club

Sam Cooke

4/5

A perfect voice, top 5 all time fave. Great to hear in a different context, more upbeat and looser. Reminded me of the James Brown live album.

War

3/5

Liked this more than I expected, being a U2 disliker previously. Reminded me of the waterboys, mainly in a Celtic influence I enjoyed, it has a great sense of atmosphere and is enjoyably dark. Not a fan of Bono’s voice particularly but overall not bad

Legalize It

Peter Tosh

3/5

It’s reggae, it’s fine. Not all that memorable

Green Onions

Booker T. & The MG's

3/5

Title track is goated. The rest is a bit underwhelming but love the vibes and the whole thing grooves

Closer

Joy Division

2/5

Found this dull. Not even depressing or moody, just a bit plodding. Prefer the debut.

I Should Coco

Supergrass

4/5

Surprised by this, not what I expected. One of the better ‘britpop’ records I’ve heard. Cardiacsy in places!

The Score

Fugees

3/5

Classic 90s hip hop, with more soul vibes than others of the era. Great samples and a laid back feel.

Chocolate Starfish And The Hot Dog Flavored Water

Limp Bizkit

2/5

2 stars for My Way and Wrestlemania X7. Durst’s vocals are annoying after a while

Strange Cargo III

William Orbit

1/5

Could not get into this at all. Sounds like a soundtrack to a dated 90s banking drama

Me Against The World

2Pac

3/5

Enjoyed this. Flows nicely and some great sampling. Like Tupacs vocal style as well

Van Halen

4/5

Classic. The guitar playing still hasn’t really been topped almost 50 years later.

Odessey And Oracle

The Zombies

3/5

Didn’t fully click with me but I enjoyed the vibes

Achtung Baby

2/5

Didn’t enjoy this much, prefer War

The Blueprint

JAY Z

3/5

Decent sampling, hard hitting beats and good flow. Enjoyed it

Toys In The Attic

Aerosmith

3/5

Not bad, not really the 80s Aerosmith but a more classic 70s rock record.

Doolittle

Pixies

4/5

Great mix of catchy alt rock with weird angry proto grunge. Great songwriting and production. Classic.

Aja

Steely Dan

4/5

Classic Dan. Not my fave of theirs but it’s still great, probably one of the cleanest best sounding albums ever as well

Fisherman's Blues

The Waterboys

4/5

Love this change from the Waterboys. Maybe slightly prefer ‘this is the sea’, but the Irish folk direction here is a real original sound.

Night Life

Ray Price

2/5

Not bad, but didn’t grab me like other country I’ve had on here. Love Buddy Emons on the steel

After The Gold Rush

Neil Young

5/5

Classic. May be my favourite Neil Young album.

Hunky Dory

David Bowie

5/5

Top 5 maybe top 3 Bowie for me. Whimsical but weird in places, great stuff

Music for the Masses

Depeche Mode

3/5

I like the harmonic choices, and the vocals. The overall style isn’t really my bag but I didn’t hate it.

You're Living All Over Me

Dinosaur Jr.

3/5

I would have loved this as a 15 year old. It’s noisy and aggressive but still reasonably melodic. Vocals are weak but work with the material.

Giant Steps

The Boo Radleys

2/5

Odd choice for this list. Not sure if any of the songs really were a hit for me. Liked the vocals though

The Last Broadcast

Doves

3/5

Not bad, this was a band that passed me by despite being around a lot in my youth. FIFA main menu vibes, not a bad thing. Enjoyed it a fair bit but would need to listen more to get into the songs

James Brown Live At The Apollo

James Brown

5/5

Stone cold classic. Not heard for a while but reminded of how soul influenced it is, pre-funk

1984

Van Halen

3/5

Not as good as the debut, but still a fun hard rock album

Haunted Dancehall

The Sabres Of Paradise

1/5

Dirty

Sonic Youth

3/5

There are some great moments on here, but also a lot of stuff which is a chore to get through. I can defo see the influence on bands even today.

Stephen Stills

3/5

Love the vibe and this kind of music is right up my alley. Songs are a bit below those in CSNY, but I still enjoyed it. Love the Hendrix track and the guitar playing in general.

Bat Out Of Hell

Meat Loaf

3/5

I can see why some love it. I can see why people hate it. It’s very of its time, lyrics are pretty bad in general, but I think the album achieves what it set out to, so who am I to criticise

Heaven Or Las Vegas

Cocteau Twins

4/5

Would like to listen again but I enjoyed the vibes on this one. Ethereal, dreamy, otherworldly.

When I Was Born For The 7th Time

Cornershop

4/5

This was a nice surprise. Bit 90s and dated in places, but I loved the mix of styles and really wasn’t just about ‘the hit’.

Pink Flag

Wire

5/5

This is what punk should be. Uncompromising, primal, messy. Some songs could be longer for my tastes, so there’s more time to develop ideas, but this would undermine the whole ethos of the band. Essential.

All Directions

The Temptations

3/5

The Joshua Tree

3/5

First three tracks are good, but it disappears up its own arse slightly after that

Blue Lines

Massive Attack

4/5

Classic, love this genre and this is in the top 5 from it along with Tricky and Portishead

Time Out

The Dave Brubeck Quartet

5/5

A true classic. I think even without the unusual time signatures this would have a unique sound and atmosphere. Desmond’s playing is so good, really creates a sound all of its own. One of those records that everyone should hear.

#1 Record

Big Star

5/5

Wonderful album. Truly sounds both perfectly of its time and ahead of its time. Brilliant songs and shimmery production, the voices of Alex and Chris also fit perfectly. Ballad of El Goodo is one of the best songs of all time, and this album is essential for anyone. Easiest 5 stars yet.

The Gershwin Songbook

Ella Fitzgerald

4/5

Obviously too long blah blah, I’ll ignore that. Indisputably great songs, with witty original lyrics and elegiac melodies. Ella has one of the great voices, and is perfectly matched to these songs of which she creates arguably definitive versions. Vocal jazz is not typically my style but this is pretty great

Music in Exile

Songhoy Blues

4/5

Love this. Album flew by, took me to a place and I love the rhythms.

Nilsson Schmilsson

Harry Nilsson

4/5

Classic of 1970s singer songwriter soft rock. Can see why he was so successful, but he seems to have disappeared from the collective consciousness somehow. Great tunes though and great singing.

Daydream Nation

Sonic Youth

3/5

Similar to the other sonic youth I had. Noisy and messy, with occasional moments of clarity. Definitely an influential band for sure.

Whatever

Aimee Mann

2/5

A bit boring frankly. Doesn’t have the excitement of other early 90s singer songwriters and her voice isn’t as distinctive as her peers. A couple of good tracks in there, and I like Jon Brion’s contributions on anything.

Close To You

Carpenters

2/5

A ham sandwich, ready salted packet of crisps and a bottle of water

The Köln Concert

Keith Jarrett

4/5

A unique album in many ways, and it’s one of the more incongruous big sellers in the world of jazz.

It's Blitz!

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

2/5

The first two tracks aren’t bad, but it didn’t hold me for the rest of the album.

Rust In Peace

Megadeth

4/5

Classic thrash. Yes it’s all slightly silly but the riffs can’t be denied, and along with Metallica this music feels like a final great hurrah for the 80s era of heavy metal, which would obviously decline into irrelevance for a time in the 90s. But this was among its high points, great stuff.

With The Beatles

Beatles

5/5

Probably the weakest Beatles album, but that’s hardly much of a criticism for the greatest band of all time. All My Loving is the standout, but several other early Beatles classics on here, and the covers are probably the strongest of any of their early run.

Talking Timbuktu

Ali Farka Touré

4/5

Love Ali Farke Toure, so this is right in my lane. First half of the album is stronger but it’s a great record to relax to and get lost in

Strangeways, Here We Come

The Smiths

5/5

Probably my favourite Smiths record. Definitely a move forward from their earlier sound, and there’s a great variety of songs here. Plus several absolute bangers. Johnny fucking Marr.

Brothers

The Black Keys

3/5

I can see the cynicism others have for this album, but i tried to put this aside. Decent blues influence rock, and the guitar tones are great and I like the soul/stax/motown influence on it. Production is overly loud though which undermines the old school aesthetic.

Songs Of Leonard Cohen

Leonard Cohen

3/5

I can hear poetry in the lyrics here, but the voice and arrangements are so sparse it’s almost cold. I suspect I’d like it more if I listened a few more times

Bug

Dinosaur Jr.

3/5

Noisy and abrasive, with out of tune vocals.

good kid, m.A.A.d city

Kendrick Lamar

4/5

I prefer Butterfly and some of the lyrics here are questionable to say the least, can’t help wondering if it will age badly or will be forgiven. But regardless I do love his flow and it’s an album that’s been crafted and is unusually serious for a rap album

Illmatic

Nas

5/5

Second rap album in a row here but a goodie, might be my favourite hip hop album ever. Timeless

Sticky Fingers

The Rolling Stones

5/5

Rapture

Anita Baker

1/5

Honestly don’t know why this is on the list. So bland, smooth and safe. There’s a gem of a good song here and there, and the melody’s are ok, but it’s buried beneath this schmaltz and chocolate box production

Sign 'O' The Times

Prince

4/5

Throwing Muses

3/5

Juju

Siouxsie And The Banshees

2/5

You've Come a Long Way Baby

Fatboy Slim

2/5

Praise you is decent, the rest feels like he’s hit the duplicate sample button on his DAW over and over again until it hits 5 minutes

Another Music In A Different Kitchen

Buzzcocks

3/5

Private Dancer

Tina Turner

2/5

Some decent enough songs utterly undermined by some unbelievably 80s production choices. Also the covers are terrible.

Sunshine Superman

Donovan

3/5

It’s fine, I like the 60s sound which bumps this up a notch maybe.

Oracular Spectacular

MGMT

4/5

Strong nostalgia with this one, and I remember vividly this coming out and the singles were played everywhere. Nevertheless it’s aged well, and those singles are still strong now. Best track is Kids.

Station To Station

David Bowie

5/5

This one has grown on me over the years, to the point where it’s probably top 5 Bowie. Funky, angular, weird, but very Bowie and arch, with a knowing wink to the audience in places. Only weakness is that it’s too few tracks.

Violator

Depeche Mode

4/5

Enjoyed this more than expected, and more than my previous foray into Depeche-land. Good melodies and the 80s production is slightly toned down.

3 Feet High and Rising

De La Soul

5/5

Love this, all the hip hop on this list have been bangers so far

Lost In The Dream

The War On Drugs

5/5

Nostalgic album for me. Reminds me of road trips through the Scottish highlands, driving past lochs and mountains. A hazy, smokey record of long summer days. He sounds like Dylan, writes like Springsteen, and the drumming is repetitive, but I don’t care. One of my favourites of the last 20 years.

Black Holes and Revelations

Muse

1/5

Shit holes and revelations

Cosmo's Factory

Creedence Clearwater Revival

4/5

Enjoyable late 60s early 70s rock. Great voice