1001 Albums Summary

Interesting and ahead of its time for sure but not very listenable

Opener is pretty nice, but basic and weird. Singing seems a bit forced at times, drums are mixed almost like they're separate to the song, it's a bit repetitive, and the "heavy" parts seem kind of disjointed, and due to the mixing really don't hit that hard. Catchy though, nice guitar playing. Nice closing overdriven guitar riff, really reminiscent of their later stuff. 6/10 Next track is immediately much better. Starts with a pretty simple drum intro, but when the guitar comes in is elevated a lot. Overall much nicer singing, nicer instrumentation, and the mixing isn't much different but fits the tone of the song MUCH better. The soft parts kind of take me out of it as a whole, but it could be worse overall. The use of riffing more than basic chord progressions is definitely the main reason this song is much better than the opener. 8/10 Big me is pretty much just everything that made the first song bad, with none of what made it good. Drums sound fake, guitar is INSUFFERABLY basic, singing sounds forced, repetitive etc. 3/10 Next song opens like a mix between 70's rock and roll, and Nirvana's In Utero, which is what makes the song sound so much more authentic than the others. After it comes out of the intro, it sounds even more like In Utero, even incorporating some bleach elements. The mixing on this song is definitely the best so far, as is the singing. The only problem is that, while each part sounds good individually, the drums fail to act as a blend between each element, so it ends up sounding kind of like a cheap replica. It's still enjoyable to listen to, but had so much wasted potential. The "harsh" vocals used on track 2 really could've done wonders on this song. It is refreshing after the train wreck that is the last song, and is another 8/10 (could be 7, but then again with better drumming could be a 9 so being generous). This next track opens exactly how I'd want it to. Finally a decent drum part, followed by fast, distorted guitar under an actually fitting clean singing section. Song order could be called into question really, but the "hey there" section followed by that guitar lead (or solo, whatever you want to call it) is very nice. Only complaint really is it doesn't sound like it fits in this album, at least not in this place, as alluded to earlier. Also a bit basic, but the mixing for the heavier parts really hits well like nowhere else in the album, and the drummer finally wakes up. To really make the mixing ideal, tightening the snare, hitting the kit harder, adding gain and compression and then simply lowering the output level would've fit well. The drums sound cleaner than the guitar, which is kind of annoying, and again, takes you out of it, but it is the best track so far. 9/10. Floaty opens with acoustic guitar, and initially sounds like it'll be a "Big Me" repeat but actually features some very interesting twists, the only big drawback really being the effects on the vocals being taken a step too far. The drums are on a consistent upturn throughout the album, and it's a bit repetitive but not bad. The song definitely meshes the soft and heavy parts better than any other song so far, but they don't have enough quality or originality to make the song better than songs like good grief or I'll stick around. 7/10, close to 8/10. The next track tries to open like good grief, but the riff is weak and the drums don't fit. The harsh vocals in use here are nice to hear, but would've been better in a million other places on the album. It's much too repetitive for my tastes. There's a cool riff about a minute before the end of the song, but it goes nowhere again. This is definitely a filler track, but the last minute isn't terrible I guess. 6/10 (closer to 5 than 7 though) Next track uses some interesting melodies, very refreshing after whatever the last track was. Drums, again, aren't really right for the song. Singing is much improved over the last track, and although it's much calmer, it sounds much more emotional and real than the last one. A bit repetitive, but not in a bad way. Nice guitar solo, the last minute and a half is definitely the better half, not that the first part is bad either. 7/10 Next track brings some originality back to the album. The drums here sound like they were actually written and played by a human, finally. The swing and the sudden stop after the swung note while the singing continues meshes really nicely, and then the heavy part actually sounds good, nothing sounds forced. This is the first song where the heavy and light parts not only sound good, but mesh together perfectly, despite being so different. Not as good as good grief, but still definitely the second best so far. 8/10 but very close to 9. Next track is decent, but just somewhat boring. Not particularly much to say about it. Drums are again mixed a bit weirdly but the playing itself is improved from a few others on the album. Also a bit repetitive but not numbingly so. 6/10 The intro on the next track is VERY exciting and energetic. The transition from clean to overdriven version of that riff with everything coming in sounds SO nice. Drums help supply the intensity perfectly, the "harsher" vocals really fit the vibe. This track is definitely the one of the best at being heavy on this album, but it does get a bit repetitive. Nice chord progression choices, but it felt like when they found something that worked they just ran with it and didn't bother to build on it much. I still like the track, but with that intro, it could've gone so much better and even been the first 10. Alas, 8/10. Exhausted opens with a slow, fuzzy guitar riff which definitely fits the name of the song. Drums do fit pretty well here, as do vocals. Not as exciting as the last track but it does its job just fine. It's a good closer, and it makes sense that this comes after the last song, the most abrasive one. (Not counting weeenie beenie because that one just isn't great). It feels somewhat like the closer of In Utero with respect to the rest of the album, which I'm just now realising as I wrote this is likely because of Dave Grohl. Overall 7/10 track. Album rating 7.1/10 (average rating excluding best and worst tracks)

Opener's decent. Good singing, mixing, riffs, playing, sounds kinda like Arctic Monkeys at the start and Franz Ferdinand at the end. 7/10 Next track is a considerable downgrade. Boring and repetitive, badly mixed. The guitar solo really was not necessary, or good. Vocals seem kinda just emotionless, and the outro on a major just is kinda a bad choice. 4/10 Same problems as the first track, but is still a step up. Not really much to say about it musically, as with all the other songs. 5/10. This album is really just unlistenable so I'm cutting this short. 5/10.