1001 Albums Summary

I listened to this album while playing SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide, and I finished the final frustrating task needed to get the Platinum just as The End was finishing up. The Beatles really are that good, huh? And weird as hell too. Despite having heard these things for years, I never really internalized or understood it; I just kind of assumed people oversold them a little bit on account of nostalgia, but this album is really damn good, most especially within the deep cuts and the weirder moments that flow together like one continuous suite. And their vocal harmonies really are impeccable, my word. What a hell of a start to this project. Highlights: Come Together, Maxwell's Silver Hammer, Oh! Darling, I Want You (She's So Heavy), Here Comes The Sun, You Never Give Me Your Money, She Came In Through The Bathroom Window, Golden Slumbers, Carry That Weight, Her Majesty

I first listened to this album driving around the suburbs of Glendale, and I scarfed down an entire Sonic Double Smasher in the parking lot of a Fry's in the time it took me to listen to Watermelon Man. The second time, I was driving around at night. As is usually the experience with jazz, clicking with the music is all about falling into the right groove with it. That second listen is where it really started to fall into place for me. I had an incredible amount of respect for the composition right off the bat, but I grew to connect with the individual songs over time (except Sly, that one immediately hooked me). The strange production on Watermelon Man in particular is a standout, and while I'm not always in the mood for it, nothing hits quite like it when I am. Just some truly incredible and funky jazz here, and a strong showcase for a genre which I am still relatively unfamiliar with. Highlights: Chameleon, Watermelon Man, Sly

I listened to this album while patrolling around GRPSTC, a training center for firefighters and police officers, and while driving around the desert roads surrounding it. I looked at pictures of firefighters on the walls and I thought about my father. While I don't have enough experience with metal to make any declarative statement on my feelings towards it, I can at least feel pretty comfortable saying that this Metallica album just represents a version of metal which doesn't do much for me personally. There are of course some incredible songs here, and I can respect and appreciate the power and atmosphere of this entire album, but I still find myself feeling a little left out by metal as a genre. We'll see how that relationship changes throughout this list. It also seems to be a coin flip as to whether or not I'll find the lyrics of any given song endearing and catchy or kinda hokey, and while that doesn't completely make or break songs for me, it definitely doesn't help. Though with all that said, Enter Sandman is still an all-time song. Highlights: Enter Sandman, Sad But True, The Unforgiven, Wherever I May Roam, Of Wolf And Man

I started listened to this album driving in the early morning before the Sun was up, and I finished it sitting at my desk watching the sky turn blue. I tried to watch the Sun come up, but I couldn't see it from where I was. Well this was not the vibe I was expecting from this album; I suppose it makes sense in hindsight if I really stop and think about Message In A Bottle, but the heavy Caribbean and reggae influences were not even remotely on my radar this morning. The Police's version of "white reggae" hits my ears in a way that just doesn't click or feel comfortable most of the time, and on average, the further away the vocals get from their imitation of Caribbean accents, the more I like the songs. With that said, when the songs hit for me, they really hit: On Any Other Day has the sarcastic energy I love in bands like Viagra Boys, and Does Everyone Stare is is some overly vulnerable anxious sadboy music a la Geordie Greep (these are both compliments). I would have loved more of that on this album, and if The Police show up again on the list, I hope it leans more into some different sounds like these songs or their other major singles. Highlights: Message In A Bottle, It's Alright For You, On Any Other Day, Does Everyone Stare

When I first looked over the tracklist, I was convinced I had heard this album at least once before and it just hadn't stuck with me; when I began listening to it on my morning drive, however, I realized I was very wrong. If I had heard this album before, I damn sure would have remembered it. This album rocks. I recently saw The White Stripes mentioned as an example of this rare yet classic band format: one person who plays drums, and one person who does everything else (this is not meant to be disparaging, Meg White contribute more than enough on the the drums to prove her significance to the band). Within this esteemed subgenre, The White Stripes may very well be the best of the bunch, and this albums represents a raw and rough-aroumd-the-edges version of their sound which I absolutely vibe with. Highlights: Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground, Hotel Yorba, I'm Finding It Harder To Be a Gentleman, Fell In Love With a Girl, Little Room, The Union Forever, The Same Boy You've Always Known, We're Going To Be Friends, This Protector

I had a slight headache every time I listened to this album, and I couldn't tell if focusing on the music was alleviating or making it worse. This is a significantly more interesting project than I was anticipating from a 70's band just called Yes. There are quite a few parts of this album that I enjoy a lot, especially the third section of the title track; I would listen to that particular section a lot more often if it was its own track rather than packed into the middle of one 18-minute long recording. With that being said, that 18-minute journey is very well-structured for such an epic undertaking, flowing together as one compelling buildup to a satisfying payoff that feels earned and justifies the length, even if it's a hurdle to replayability or easier listening. The lyrics feel compelling if a little esoteric and heady; they're clearly getting at something a lot more detailed than I can fully wrap my head around on first go. I really like what's here, but this is one of the first times in music where I feel like I'm not enough drugs to enjoy this to its fullest potential. Highlights: Close To The Edge (I. The Solid Time of Change, III. I Get up I Get Down, IV. Seasons of Man), And You And I

I listened to this album while I was organizing my books; I got into a flow state and couldn't stop bobbing my head. Immigrant Song was way shorter than I was anticipating, I expected it to be the kind of classic rock song that goes on for ages, but it was short and to the point. This album was also way more varied than I had been expecting, with a lot of weird production moments I admired; the strange artificial percussion to start Immigrant Song caught me completely off-guard, and I love how roughly Hats off To (Roy) Harper is mixed. I'm staring to realize that my perceptions of many of these classic bands are solely shaped by their big hits which pervade pop culture, and thus I keep getting surprised when their deeper cuts display a lot more variety and new ideas than I thought they would. Even just the cover of this album threw off my expectations of Led Zeppelin, but it perfectly captured the bright energy throughout this album. A fantastic bit of classic country-tinged rock; turns out there's a reason why so many of these classic bands are so acclaimed, who woulda thunk it? Highlights: Immigrant Song, Celebration Day, Since I've Been Loving You, Out on the Tiles, Gallows Pole, Tangerine, Bron-Y-Aur Stomp, Hats Off to (Roy) Harper

My first listen of this album soundtracked the cleaning of my bathroom, I occasionally interrupted my tasks to dance in the mirror. Between this album and my continued playthrough of Clair Obscur, it was a very French day for me today. This is the first proper pop album on the list so far, and it's a relatively surprising pick! Seeing Christine and the Queens here reframes my idea of this post and what kind of albums can make it on here, which excited me. After so many rock-leaning albums, it took a second to get acclimated to this sound, but once I was in, it was a vibe. Both the English and French versions of this album have their charms, and the exclusive songs on each side are wonderful. Rahim's voice is distinctively powerful, and I'm glad to be hearing him in his natural habitat (as opposed to the various Charli XCX features which have been my exposure to him so far). The English lyrics occasionally feel a little stilted in their delivery, which can interfere in my connection with them from time to time, but looking into them deeper, they're beautifully poetic. Alongside Rahim, the drum machine is absolutely the star of this album, with so many of these beats packing incredibly funky grooves that I can't help but bob my head to. Highlights: Comme si, The walker, Doesn't matter, Damn (what must a woman do), Feel so good, Make some sense, Le G

I zoned out getting groceries while listening to this album; between this and Percy's review, apparently Jamiroquai makes some damn good music for being productive. So far it's been Big Seth Hours on this list, and that trend has not died here; yet another Certified Seth Classic. Comparison was the their of joy on my first listen; while this album was a hell of a continuous vibe, I didn't find it to have any highs as high as the big Jamiroquai hits I've been exposed to over the last few years (Canned Heat, Virtual Insanity, Automaton). But once I got over that unfair standard, I found a lot of joy here. The instrumentation is reliably funky and incredible, with some of the best (and only) didgeridoo implementation I've ever heard in contemporary music. Some of the lyrics felt very on-the-nose and obvious, with calls for peace and unity and other such messages, which wound up sounding a little preachy to me on first listen; while I did get used to them eventually, it's just not a style of lyric-writing I'm typically drawn to. Yhis album feels like the first step towards Jamiroquai becoming the version of themselves that I'm imagining in my head... which still makes it an incredible listen. Highlights: When You Gonna Learn?, Too Young to Die, Hooked Up, Blow Your Mind, Revolution 1993

I listened to this album off-and-on with Hunter and Isaiah crashing out over Marble Hornets Season 3 on CreepCast. Another group I've been familiar with before this list, but hadn't done a proper deep dive on. Talking Heads were batting 1000 for me in terms of full projects so far, having previously watched Stop Making Sense and listened to Speaking in Tongues (as well as a handful of other singles). The pressure was on for this album to deliver... And it absolutely did. There is a manic energy to Talking Heads that I can not get enough of, and it will always set them apart in a way that scratches an itch in my brain. Their bland of rock and dance is so singularly "them" that I can never get enough of them doing the sound they do best. I only knew Take Me to the River going in, and unlike other albums where the single I knew prior is easily the best song here, most of the record is fighting for first place here. I only gain more and more respect for David Byrne and the rest of the band the more of them I intake, and I hope that pattern continues into future. Highlights: Thank You for Sending Me an Angel, The Good Thing, Warning Sign, Found a Job, Artists Only, I'm Not in Love, Take Me to the River, The Big Country

I put this album on right as I was about to start building a bookshelf. I immediately realized it was actually a dresser, and not a bookshelf, which makes it useless. I respect the craft on display here, and the music is very pretty; it just also doesn't do a whole lot for me. Strictly instrumental ambient electronic music can be a mixed bag for me sometimes, and this album just sits in a bit of a difficult space for me personally: it sounds like if someone puts Animusic on .25 speed (this is not really a critique, Animusic is rad). I appreciate it as a bit of dramatic ambient music, and it certainly is a really compelling and ethereal vibe, but there are simply other albums in a similar realm to this one which I latch onto more than Oxygène. Certain bits of this album click for me really well, when more instrumentation kicks in and the songs progress a bit more, but certain parts just go on a bit longer than I would like. I'm sure I will like this more the familiar I get with it, but for now it's a pretty solid vibe. Highlights: Oxygène Pt. 2, Oxygène Pt. 4

It was dark when I started listening to this album. The sunrise was burnt orange, and by the end of it the morning was a pale blue. Before this album, all I knew of Leonard Cohen were the song Hallelujah and the album You Want It Darker; from these two impressions, I had preconceived notions of an album with a dark tone, and those expectations were handedly met. Cohen has a knack for writing lyrics balanced between poetic flourish and brutal sincerity that cuts right through to your heart, and his unique voice sells that writing incredibly well. The instrumentation, while often simple, fills the space with a deep and guttural sound lying just beneath Cohen's guitar, feeling almost like his acoustic performances are haunted by their subjects. The more I went about my day, the more verses from this album I found myself absent-mindedly singing, which is usually a pretty dang good stamp of approval from me. This is an incredibly well-written album, and it makes me want to check out so much more of Leonard Cohen's work. Highlights: Bird on the Wire, Story of Isaac, Seems So Long Ago, Nancy, The Old Revolution, The Butcher, You Know Who I Am, Lady Midnight, Tonight Will Be Fine

I listened to Behind the Wall on my way to guard a police training facility. Of everything on the list, this album has given me the most difficulty so far in terms of trying to summarize my thoughts or justify a rating, and I eventually just had to talk and process my thoughts out loud until I worked my way back to a conclusion that felt right. I have an incredible amount of respect for Tracy Chapman, whose songwriting and musicianship are both beautiful. Her voice is unmistakable with restrained power, and she has a knack for lyrics that touch on societal issues with a specificity that keeps them grounded. There are many songs on here which are absolutely incredible to me, most notably the simple acapella track Behind the Wall (I am always a sucker for a good spoken word / acapella piece). However, there were a couple which just didn't grab me as much; usually these were songs where the instrumentals had a little less power and energy to them, or where the lyrics leant a little more general. These songs weren't bad by any means, and they had all the ingredients of the great Tracy Chapman songs I loved, they just got the formula out-of-balance for my personal tastes. These songs happened to come at just the wrong moments in the flow of the album, or at least in the flow of my first interrupted listening experience, to really throw off my perception of the album in a way that didn't feel right. But with another listen or two for everything to settle in, I came back around. This list is going to be a very illuminating experience in terms of how I form thoughts and opinions on art, trying to balance subjectivity with my own sense that I've given something a fair shot; and for my troubles today in grappling with my own perceptions, I was able to appreciate the work of a truly powerful artist. Highlights: Talkin' Bout a Revolution, Fast Car, Behind the Wall, Baby Can I Hold You, For My Lover, For You

I listened to this album while building a shelf, hammer and drill in hand. I wore a Jane Remover crewneck covered in bones. My only exposure to The Cure before this album were the songs Boys Don't Cry and Friday I'm In Love, both of which are very different vibes from Pornography; I had this described to me as "the goth album", and I now understand what that meant. The vibe and aesthetic curated by this album is unrelenting, a total commitment to this anguished sound, mixed super rough and heavy with layers upon layers of reverbed sound. Picking out individual songs was hard on a first listen, not because the transitions are particularly hard to notice, but rather because this album hits you with an unrelenting and all-encompassing atmosphere that completely washes over you. Even if this album is not necessarily a vibe I am always seeking out in my music, I can absolutely appreciate the maximal effort on display here, achieving this gothic rock sound at its furthest possible extents. If ever I find myself in search of something goth and heavy, then this is the album I will come back to. Highlights: One Hundred Years, A Short Term Effect, The Hanging Garden, Pornography

I listened to this album lounging around the living room playing Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds. I knew going on that this album was going to be a lot less ambitious than The Rolling Stones' later projects; they're an early British rock band, that's just the arc those groups followed. But even with those expectations, this album underwhelmed. I spent most of the runtime feeling some underlying inauthenticity from the songs, and while the knowledge that most early rock is built on the music of black people is always on my mind when listening to music from this time, that uneasiness was uniquely strong for this album and I couldn't quite place why... until I looked into the album and realized it was quite literally almost exclusively cover songs. I love a good cover, especially when a musician can really make a song their own, but if I can tell something is off in a song without even knowing it's a cover, that's not a good sign to me. There's also a little bit of a creepy and gross vibe to some of the performances here that feels uneasy; something about these love songs coming out of Mick Jagger's mouth makes them feel skeevy, like a drunk guy who keeps trying to hit on you at a bar. The Rolling Stones will go on to write a lot of interesting music, I'm sure a lot of which will appear on this list and I will love, but their great writing did not start here; for a list designed to highlight notable songwriters, it feels strange to include an album on which the artists didn't do a whole lot of original songwriting. Highlights: Route 66, Now I've Got A Witness, Carol

I spent this entire album trying and failing over and over again to get an S Rank on Mystic Jungle at Super Sonic Speed. Having some reservations and thoughts about the bosses which may be present throughout this lost, it was a relief to encounter a third woman within the first 15 albums (following on from Tracy Chapman and Meg White). Joni Mitchell is a name I have long heard good things about without every listening myself, and I am kicking myself for that now, as this album is absolutely incredible for me. Her songwriting is relatable and vulnerable in a way that reminds me of Fiona Apple, but the instrumentation behind her blends these energetic blues and jazz sounds into this incredibly captivating singer-songwriter aesthetic. So much of this album revolves around love and romance, but Mitchell tackles the topic from different angles with so much layered and nuanced lyricism that it paints vivid vignettes in my mind of these situations. There is a creativity to her lyricism that I find compelling, finding these unique new ways and metaphors through which to examine the various topics she tackles. Everything about this album clicks for me, from the vocal melodies to the rhythm of the vocals to the percussive groove of so many of these songs: I'm getting the familiar gut feeling that I may have just discovered a new favorite artist of mine. Highlights: Court and Spark, Help Me, People's Parties, The Same Situation, Down To You, Just Like This Train, Raised On Robbery, Twisted

My coworker didn't show up for work today; I found out partway through this album that her father is close to passing and she took the week off to be with him. The second time I was listening to this album, one of my best friends was existentially contemplating the mortality of his mother. My first proper Bear Trap of the list; just a day or two before, I had predicted this album's presence on this list, and here it is! I had heard Helplessness Blues before, but I don't remember it much, and most of my knowledge of Fleet Foxes can unfortunately be boiled down to "the band that Father John Misty played drums for once." Listening to this album, I think Fleet Foxes are one of many bands which end up becoming victims of that which came after them; the twangy indie folk sound Fleet Foxes are doing so well on this album has been ground down by countless bands in the near-two decades since. This is not to discount the band, however; their nature-focused poetry combined with these near-choral folk instrumentals make me feel like I'm standing in the middle of a meadow. The album is beautiful from top-to-bottom, with a lot of memorable songs that stick with me; it just takes a second for me to get back into the vibe this album is dealing in. But if I'm ever walking through a forest with sunlight filtering in through the leaves, this is the album I'm playing. Highlights: White Winter Hymnal, Ragged Wood, Tiger Mountain Peasant Song, He Doesn't Know Why, Your Protector, Meadowlarks, Oliver James

I spent this album feeling sick to my stomach, on the verge of a nervous breakdown over the state of the country. This might be the quickest the lyrics to an album have ever made me viscerally cringe; hearing Robert Plant sing about making a child burn and sting for the way they "shake that thing" made me physically recoil from my car speaker. I also kept wanting to hear one of the riffs in Black Dog as the build-up intro The End by The Beatles; altogether a very weird experience with that song. Excepting that intro, however, this album has a generally pretty good groove to it, though I don't find it as compelling as Led Zeppelin III. That album just seemed more varied and adventurous to me, whereas this one just doesn't excite me all that much. The notable exception is Going to California, which is an incredible song and stands head-and-shoulders above the rest of this album; I also find When the Levee Breaks to be a very groovy and worthwhile cover, which is refreshing to hear after my experience with The Rolling Stones' self-titled debut a few days ago. The familiar hits like Rock and Roll and Stairway to Heaven are obviously quite good, and I completely understand their acclaim, even if the entire experience doesn't come together as more than the sum of it's parts for me. Highlights: Rock and Roll, Stairway to Heaven, Going to California, When the Levee Breaks

I listened to this album first thing in the morning at my desk, struggling not to doze off. To put my thoughts bluntly, this is the least exciting album I've encountered so far on this list. My only knowledge of Van Morrison prior to this was Brown Eyed Girl, and I found myself craving some of that higher energy throughout this album. While I can appreciate that this project is more contemplative, the instrumentation tends to feel a little toothless and flat. A lot of the songs tend to flow together in a way that feels a little repetitive and hard to parse; there are some songs and moments which stick out, but much of this album becomes difficult to distinguish for me. I also don't know how much I feel like Van Morrison's voice fits this slower, more ethereal pace; there's definitely a groove here with this album, but it's not one I particularly feel that strongly. Highlights: Beside You, Slim Slow Slider

While listening to this album, I started doing full morning stretches again for the first time since high school. It's fun to see what patterns are already emerging this early into this; this is my 20th album, and it's already the third prominent instance of the French language. Aside from that observation though, I went into this album a little skeptical; a 60s English folk band was not an immediately exciting followup to the somewhat low-key albums I've listened to recently, and my initial surface-level research into the album gave me the impression that I was in for another album of mostly covers, the principle of which would annoy me on a list such as this. However, once I actually listened to the album, I found myself very pleasantly surprised. More of the work was original material than I had mistakenly assumed, and Fairport Convention takes the few unreleased Bon Dylan songs present here and really makes them their own; they even performed one of them in French! Sandy Denny's vocals seamlessly fit over both the quiet and loud moments throughout this album, and there is a lot of good variety in the energy and sound throughout this album. Considering this is one of only two artists at this point in the list who I had never heard of prior, Unhalfbricking easily takes the cake as my most pleasantly surprising album thus far. Highlights: Genesis Hall, Si tu dois partir, Autopsy, A Sailor's Life, Cajun Woman, Percy's Song, Million Dollar Bash

I listened to this album on my way to and back from a dentist appointment. My teeth ached for half an hour afterwards. The first of many Beatles side projects which will inevitably appear on this list, I knew very little of Wings going on, only being familiar with the song Arrow. However, I have a lot of respect for McCartney as a songwriter, and I was excited to see what his work would sound like without the rest of The Beatles around him. As this list familiarizes me more and more with The Beatles as both a unit and as individuals, I'm curious to see how much the band in totality represents a coming-together of their respective voices; I can hear traces of Abbey Road in Band On The Run, especially in the use of repeating refrains between different songs on the album (a simple musical trick which I am always a sucker for). While I generally don't find this individual album quite as compelling as the sum of parts represented by The Beatles, Wings is still a talented and enjoyable band in their own right. My favorite moments here are the songs which embrace a higher energy and catchier lyricism, something which McCartney can clearly deliver in spades, and I can not wait to become even more appreciative of his talents as this list carries on. Highlights: Band On The Run, Jet, Mrs. Vandebilt, Mamunia, Picasso's Last Words (Drink to Me), Nineteen Hundred And Eighthy Five

The first time I listened to this album, I was grinding out an A-Rank on Colorful Mall; the second time, I was walking around the mall in a leather jacket. The presence of this album was a big surprise to me: I'm a big fan of Don't You Want Me, but I never would have assumed The Human League to have been a band with the notoriety or acclaim to appear on this list. The surprise was a pleasant one, however; this brand of deep-voiced alternative electropop a la The Dare is exactly up my alley. I know most of this list is gonna be more rock- or folk-leaning, so any album that represents a break from that status quo is always a welcome breath of fresh air. I imagine this is an album which I am in the minority for liking as much as I do, but all of its strengths play right into sounds and genres I have a deep love for. I still can't get a gauge on how serious Don't You Want Me is, though; I think it's deliberately creepy, but it could also just sound like that, in the same way that many "romance" songs of this era do. Highlights: The Things That Dreams Are Made Of, The Sound Of The Crowd, Get Carter, I Am The Law, Seconds, Don't You Want Me

I listened to this album while cleaning up a few trophies in A Little To The Left. Jazz has always been a bit of a blind spot for me as a genre; I have always loved what bits of jazz I have heard, especially when other genres take influence from it, but my exposure to the genre by itself has been lacking. Thus, I am very glad that this list has already gotten me to listen to two great jazz albums. Where Head Hunters was more experimental, this is just some nice, classic jazz! This is the kind of album which feels designed to be pressed on a vinyl record and played during a dinner party, and I mean in that in the most complimentary of ways. I don't yet have enough experience with jazz to start differentiating between projects much, but I know that I vibe with this album a lot and I shall keep it in my rotation. Highlights: Desafinado, Samba Dees Days, Samba Triste, Samba De Uma Nota So

I listened to this album while sitting in a series of different parking lots. I've heard features and verses from many of the members of Wu-Tang over the years, but this album is my first major exposure to Ol' Dirty Bastard, and damn is his energy and charisma immediately evident. His verse on Da Mystery of Chessboxin' might be my single most-listened-to section of any album on the list so far. The production across the entire project, courtesy of RZA, is also incredible; there's a grimy simplicity to it that keeps it feeling raw and mean, buoying the variety of different flows and tones that each member of Wu-Tang brings to the group. I also love the skits and intermissions throughout the album; they manage to maintain and enhance the energy of the album while being both funny and genuinely cool, which can be a difficult bar to clear. I hear the influences of this group in many of the rap artists I know and love; I get why this group has the notoriety and acclaim that they do, they absolutely deserve it. Highlights: Shame On a N***a, Wu-Tang: 7th Chamber, Can It Be All So Simple / Intermission, Da Mystery of Chessboxin', Method Man, Protect Ya Neck, Wu-Tang: 7th Chamber - Part II - Conclusion

While listening to this album, I sorted through hundreds of security profiles in a freezing cold room, and then I took a long walk in the warming sunlight. I had pretty solid expectations going into this album, based solely on the varied vibe of the tracklist and my familiarity with Losing My Religion, and I was not disappointed! There is a very tongue-in-cheek energy to this album which I absolutely love. There is an almost-punk sensibility in its sarcasm, with many of these songs playing up their sincerity to the same ironic degree which I find captivating in plenty of my favorite modern bands. Much of this time might also be atttinited to the voice of the lead singer Michael Stipe, which is nasally and warbly in the best possible way. There will always be a place in my heart for whimsical rock bands with silly and surprisingly resonant lyrics on top of catchy grooves, and R.E.M. is joining that lineup. Highlights: Pop Song 89, You Are The Everything, Stand, World Leader Pretend, The Wrong Child, Hairshirt, I Remember California

I listened to this album while enjoying a chicken Caesar salad and a frozen strawberry lemonade. I was already and intimidated by this album before I even started listening to it: 42 songs, over two hours of music, is just too damn long. But I'll be, this album came about as close to being a 5 as a project this long can physically come. I have enough highlights here to fill out multiple albums worth of music, but there are a few runs of songs that don't click for me as much. But this album reminded he just how much I love bluegrass; it's a genre which I have never really sought out and merely find myself stumbling across (shout-out to The Bedquilt Ramblers, the fictional band from Kentucky Route Zero), but every time I hear it I become obsessed. Something about the bluegrass formula itches exactly the right part of my brain, with simple, meaningful, and percussively satisfying lyrics on top of instrumentals full of forward momentum and grooves that I have to stomp along with. The cherry on top of this album is just how simply lovely it is; the discussions between the band and the various legends working with them give each song even more personality, and the fact that the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band organized all these collaborators as a love letter to a genre which the zeitgeist was leaving behind is incredibly heartwarming. Few albums on the list have made me feel as much genuine joy as this album has, and it says a lot that I will happily listen to this album again and again despite its formidable length. Highlights: Grand Ole Opry Song, Keep On The Sunny Side, The Precious Jewel, Dark As A Dungeon, Tennessee Stud, Wreck On The Highway, Sunny Side Of The Mountain, Nine Pound Hammer, Losin' You (Might Be The Best Thing Yet), You Don't Know My Mind, My Walkin' Shoes, Lonesome Fiddle Blues, Lost Highway, Way Downtown, Down Yonder, Pins And Needles (In My Heart), Honky Tonk Blues, I'm Thinking Tonight Of My Blue Eyes, I Am A Pilgrim, Will The Circle Be Unbroken, Warming Up For "The Opry", Sunny Side Talk, Remember Me (When The Candle Lights Are Gleaming)

I tried to take a warm walk in the sun while listening to this album, but it was too early in the morning and the weather was still cold. Despite knowing and liking a handful of Kings Of Leon songs prior to this album, this album was a trepidatious listen for me. I love singers with distinctive, unmistakable voices, but the often unintelligible twang of the lead singer's voice here just left me with a frustrated listening experience most of the time. A little ways into the album, a couple songs suddenly clicked for me, where the loose vocals now felt like they were focused and playing with the instrumentals in an engaging way. I figured that I had adjusted to their sound, and would now like the earlier songs on a relisten, but as I carried on even further into the album, I found myself at odds with it again. This is one of the strangest album experiences I've ever had, where every new song was a coin flip as to whether or not I would enjoy it, despite the general soundscape not changing significantly from track to track. The instrumentals are almost always pleasant and powerful, delivering a sound typical of folk-adjacent rock bands like Rainbow Kitten Surprise (who it would not surprise me if they were inspired by Kings Of Leon). I think it just comes down to how understandable the words are to me on each individual song, and what side of the grating-to-distinctive fence they fall on each time. Highlights: Slow Night, So Long, Milk, The Bucket, Soft, Razz, Rememo, Where Nobody Knows

I listened to the first half of this album as I was folding laundry, and the second half as I was resting on the couch, in a suburban apartment in the United States of America in the year 2026. This is one of the first albums I inherently knew would be on this list without a doubt; it is THE rock opera concept album, it was a almost guaranteed. I had seen glimpses of the performances which accompanies this album, and was under the impression it was strictly about fascism and/or rebellion against authoritarianism (hearing lyrics about somebody running for president and insisting they need to "build a wall" set off a lot of unfortunate alarm bells in my head), only to be pleasantly surprised by the incredibly personal and introspective reality of the project. The Wall wound up being right up alley, as an analysis of the struggles and turmoil of a performer in the public eye, which is a topic I often find to be incredibly compelling in any form of art. Capturing this idea through a very compelling metaphor, catchy hooks and lyrics, and instrumentation that gets stuck in your head and smoothly moves from one track to the next, The Wall has me completely bought in; if disc one were its own album, I'd give it a 5. However, the final quarter of the album does lose me; from Run Like Hell on, I feel like the songwriting loses a lot of the personal emotion and introspection which I found so compelling, and The Trial leans a little too theatrical for it to feel like a fitting conclusion to me. While the ending does feel a little dull, the highs here are still incredibly high, and I completely agree that The Wall deserves all of the acclaim that it receives. Highlights: In The Flesh?, The Thin Ice, Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 1, Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2, Mother, Goodbye Blue Sky, Young Lust, One of My Turns, Don't Leave Me Now, Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 3, Goodbye Cruel World, Hey You, Is There Anybody Out There?, Nobody Home, Vera, Comfortably Numb, The Show Must Go On, In the Flesh

I listened to this album standing on a street corner and monitoring a traffic light. A quick glance at Simply Red's discography prior to starting this album has me expecting another Van Morrison-style singer-songwriter album, so imagine my amazed surprise at the immediately funky groove of Come to My Aid. This album just kept catching me off-guard in the best ways, with surprisingly layered lyrics like on Jericho, powerful message songs like Money's Too Tight, and weird artistic swings like Sad Old Red (adding crowd cheers to an introspective song about depression is an inspired choice which makes it that much more effective). I still know next to nothing about Simply Red, and while I will look more into them, it doesn't even feel like I need to; this album feels like it said everything which needed to be said in their favor. When I can't stop grimacing at just how funky a groove is, you're doing something right. Highlights: Come to My Aid, Sad Old Red, Heaven, Jericho, Money's Too Tight (To Mention), Red Book, Picture Book

I listened to this album with Percy while chilling on the couch of my apartment. This album was a pleasant listening experience, though not one which I found particularly engaging all the way through. The instrumentation is good, and the album mostly serves to highlight the guitar-playing throughout, but there is not much in the way of hooks which actively keep my attention. A handful of songs do cut through the flow of the album and stick out to me more than the others, with the 13-minute Calvary being a surprising highlight, but for the most part this album breezes on by. Which is not to say it was an unpleasant experience, of course, just one that doesn't particularly stick with me. Highlights: Who Do You Love - Pt. 2, Mona, Calvary, Happy Trails

I listened to this album while taking a slow walk around the campus where I work, losing track of time. I listened again while laying on the couch, waiting to go out for the night with friends. Yet another artist I had absolutely no familiarity with, I was surprised when Seth not only knew Norah Jones quite well, but in fact knew this album very well. I went in expecting the slow, guitar-or-piano driven pop music of the early 2000s, and I was mostly correct, though Nora sounds far jazzier than I expected. The slow and sparse instrumentation took me some time to appreciate; on a first listen, I kept thinking I was closer to the end of the album than I actually was, feeling like it was taking a long time to get there. But even then, I was appreciating Jones' smoky voice, which complimented and accentuated the gruffer bits of the instrumentals, grounding them in jazz sounds and preventimg them from feeling as weightless as a lot of other pop girls sounded in the 2000s. By the second listen I was on board, fully appreciating the beauty and sensuality of this album and the ease of Jones' performance, making such a laser-focused and and precise album sound effortless in execution. Highlights: Don't Know Why, Feelin' The Same Way, Come Away With Me, Turn Me On, I've Got To See You Again, One Flight Down, The Nearness Of You

I listened to this album in a few different sittings throughout my workday, from walking the facility with a skip in my step to swaying my chair back and forth in my chair at my desk. Now this is the kind of energy I wanted from Van Morrison when I was getting ready to listen to Astral Weeks! I hadn't considered whether or not any live albums would make their way onto this list; I would have assumed not, seeing as such albums tend to be excluded from such conversations, but I am pleasantly surprised to see that these projects are still up for consideration on a list such as this one, as I believe there are many different live albums which could warrant a placement (At Folsom Prison, Stop Making Sense, and Alive 2007 as examples). This album does give me the same hesitance I have with most live albums though, as I wonder whether I would be getting more out of the experience if I knew more of Van Morrison's songs going in. Don't get me wrong, this album is still incredible; Van Morrison's skill and charisma as a showman is clear as day, and I'm always a sucker for full-band instrumentation with a horn section. The cover songs here all work incredibly well too, in exactly the ways which The Rolling Stones' self-titled album did not; both albums even feature covers of the same exact song (I Just Want to Make Love to You), and Vam Morrison makes it his own in a way that the Stones just didn't manage to. While I absolutely loved listening to this album, I wish I got to experience it with enough knowledge of his work to allow me to hear the variations in performance which he brought to these live versions of his songs. One day I'll come back to this album when I've finally taken a deeper dive into Van the Man, and I can only imagine how gratifying that experience will be. Highlights: Ain't Nothin' You Can Do, Into the Mystic, I Believe to My Soul, I've Been Working, Help Me, I Just Want to Make Love to You, Bring It on Home to Me, Saint Dominic's Preview, Take Your Hand Out of My Pocket, Here Comes the Night, Caravan, Cyprus Avenue

While listening to this album, I kept overhearing other noises through my headphones: birdsong, construction equipment, and what sounded like a helicopter, though I could not see one. This album is evil. I'm tempted to leave my review at that one sentence. When I say it's evil, I mean it as a high compliment: Gentlemen explored a toxic, abusive relationship powered by manipulative behavior and substance abuse, from the point of view of the abusive partner. Listening to the state of mind expressed in the lyrics is uncomfortable and off-putting in an artistically perfect way, and the instrumentation itself is dark and aggressive to match. I have a particular fondness for art which explores the worst inner thoughts and impulses of people; in terms of musicians, one of my favorite artists of the sort is Alex Cameron, but where he uses these caricatures with a satirical, tongue-in-cheek tone, The Afghan Whigs push it to a raw and painful place which is so viscerally upsetting I felt obliged to give my fellow listeners a trigger warning just in case. This is a compelling artistic statement with ear-catching hooks on every song, with a seamless flow of narrative and energy from beginning to end; I went into this album completely blind, and I came out a huge fan. What an emotionally potent piece of art. Highlights: If I Were Going, Gentlemen, Be Sweet, Debonair, When We Two Parted, Fountain and Fairfax, What Jail Is Like, My Curse, Now You Know, I Keep Coming Back, Brother Woodrow / Closing Prayer

I spent this album doing stretches on a walk around my work and standing at my desk. While I had heard many good things about Sinéad O'Connor going into this project, the only song I knew was Nothing Compares 2 U, and as luck would have it, that song is present on this album! While I already knew I would love that song, the rest of the album was a nice surprise! A handful of the slower, sparser songs don't grab me as much, but the more energetic songs consistently caught me off-guard in a great way with just how hard the drums went. Every time the percussion kicked in, I couldn't help but nod my head along the entire time. Sinéad's songwriting consists of artful, eloquent prose, which manages to be elegant without feeling pretentious or losing impact. This album is beautiful and captivating, and the final song falls into my favorite niche of songs: simple spoken word / slam poetry acapella vocals in the midst of otherwise conventional albums. I'm glad O'Connor has so much more music for me to dive into later on, because this album was lovely. Highlights: I Am Stretched on Your Grave, The Emperor's New Clothes, Nothing Compares 2 U, You Cause as Much Sorrow, Last Day of Our Acquaintance, I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got

This album was the soundtrack to me struggling my way through a series of frustratingly obtuse puzzles in A Little To The Left. I'd previously listened to a later Queens of the Stone Age album, ...Like Clockwork, for a different album-listening project, and despite the constant praise I see for this band, I found that album to be only alright. This was a second chance for me to connect with Queens of the Stone Age, but once again, I found myself coming away pretty neutral. I can appreciate the groove here, and nothing on this album actively throws me off or turns me away; it just doesn't particularly grab me, and I find a lot of the songs to be a little indistinguishable, morphing into one big wall of noise and distorted guitars. Honestly, even without my prior experience with Queens of the Stone Age, this album has an uphill battle from the cover art alone. Highlights: Regular John, If Only, You Would Know, How to Handle a Rope (A Lesson in the Lariat), You Can't Quit Me Baby, Spiders and Vinegaroons, I Was a Teenage Hand Model