1001 Albums Summary

50 long minutes of meandering, sauceless blues rock. I cannot think of one stand out moment in the entire album. At the very least it provides unobtrusive and not wholly unenjoyable background music. Why exactly must I listen to this before I die. Favourite Track: 14 - Never Gonna Give You Up Best Three Track Run: 13, 14, 15

A million curses to this album for the influence it had on the Glam Metal sound that plagued the 80s. However, Eddie Van Halen truly plays that thing like no other, and David Lee Roth brings a really enjoyable bravado to his vocal performance. It all comes together to a pretty fun record all round A couple stand out moments are of course Eruption, genuinely a piece of guitar playing art. Also the Doo-Wop breakdown in I'm The One was an insane choice and I lowkey loved it. Ice cream man is unlistenable. Fave track(s): 2 - Eruption / 9 - Little Dreamer Best Three Track Run: 3, 4, 5

It feels like almost an impossible task to properly digest and comprehend Bitches Brew in a single day. That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with it. Dense, experimental, and improvisational, this record really rewards you for focusing inward on the music. I really appreciated that there was almost always a driving rhythm line on percussion or the bass guitar that helped me to really lock in to the groove if I ever found myself lost. How are people rating this so low? Fav track: 3 - Spanish Key Best Three Track Run: 1, 2, 3

Simply love Biggie's lyricism, he had an incredible knack for storytelling, kept simple enough for you to easily follow along but never to the point of being dull. Its dark, it's humourous, it's witty, it's genuine and it's delivered with this immaculate voice and flow. And he's doing it all over a collection of these perfect, thumping beats. Not one track drops the ball. Everyone was on their A-Game here. Mix that with the knowledge we have in hindsight of Biggie's life that was cut short just a few years after this Record's release and you have an album with an almost mythical presence. The conceptual elements of life and death, especially leading to that final track are kind of chilling following Biggie's death. However that fuck ass interlude + the outro of Respect, and Puff's haunting presence do leave a bit of a bad taste on the mouth. Nevertheless a phenomenal Album Fav Track: 16 - Unbelievable Best Three Track Run: 2, 3, 4

I really enjoyed the sound of this album while listening to it, Elton has a vocal delivery that I really enjoy, and the melody and instrumentation (particularly the strings) are fantastic, but strangely I find that by the end of the tracklist, nothing really sticks with me beyond Tiny Dancer, and perhaps Levon. Razor Face I particularly disliked, and felt like a real dip after the stellar back to back of the first two tracks. Another stand out moment is in Indian Sunset. While a song in the perspective of a Native American written by a white Englishman in the 70s feels a bit iffy, the line "What kind of words are these to hear from Yellow Dog who the white man fears?" has such a cold delivery with such fantastic arrangement that I can sort of look past it. Beyond that, as much as I enjoyed my time while listening, I don't really see myself going back to this one. Plus the album cover is strikingly uninteresting. Fav Track: 1 - Tiny Dancer Best Three Track Run: 4, 5, 6

This album has such a fantastic youthful attitude about it that was completely unlike everything else coming out in the Hip-Hop space at this time. The tracks cover an absurd variety of topics, from a PSA on practicing safe sex, to a story about accidentally leaving your wallet behind in an out-of-the-way city, to a track preaching love for eating vegetarian, and while on paper it all sounds a bit simplistic, Tribe nails the execution with these infectiously smooth, funky beats sampling from Stevie Wonder to Lou Reed, and clean lyrical delivery from Q-Tip. It never comes off as overly cheesy or corny, instead the whole album has this genuine and carefree vibe that makes it hard not to just smile and bounce along to the beat. I do think however, the album suffers just a bit from its length, I feel a few tracks toward the end could have been left out for a tighter runtime. And frankly I've never been a huge fan of the song Can I Kick It? despite its massive popularity... or perhaps because of it? who's to say. Otherwise, an incredible debut and a sign of great things to come soon from Tribe Fav Track: 5 - I Left My Wallet In El Segundo Best Three Track Run: 3, 4, 5

I was really looking forward to this going in, the album cover is really great, and it felt like this could be a band that stood out from the rest of the pack of 80s metal, but it just didn't connect with me unfortunately. There's no doubt there's a great degree of skill on display, particularly from Vernon Reid and Muzz Skillings on Guitar and Bass respectively, but none of the tracks really live up to the opener Cult of Personality (especially going into the 2nd track), it all suffers from that shiny 80s production that is a real turn off for me. I did enjoy the main guitar riff on Desperate People, and the concept and sound of Open Letter (To a Landlord), but then you have the track Funny Vibe with a great premise for a song, themed around the lived experience of everyday racism and micro-aggressions and they even got a feature from Public Enemy, who proceed to say one sentence and then dip. Why even get them on the track if they're not going to deliver even a single verse? Feels like a huge missed opportunity overall. Fav track: 1 - Cult of Personality Best Three Track Run: 3, 4, 5

This one really needed some trimming down. Overall the music here is unobtrusive and fairly enjoyable, but on each listen through I ended up getting really burnt out around track 12, and there's still 5 tracks worth of material to get through from there. Nothing here really moved me or stuck with me, which doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing, but on a list as coveted as this just strikes me as odd. Uninspiring Fav track: 3 - Wild Wood Best Three Track Run: 1, 2, 3

"We have OK Computer at home" OK Computer at home: ------------------------------------------------------- Fr though I really enjoy this album, I've had some ups and downs with my enjoyment of Coldplay over the years, they were one of the first bands I was really obsessed with as a kid and I then jumped on the Coldplay hate bandwagon through my later teens, which I think was understandable considering the rapidly decreasing quality of their work, but going back now to listen to their earlier albums I think their is some really fantastic music to be found, this record especially standing above the rest. The only thing I could hold against it is I think they could have cut a couple tracks in the latter half, tracks 8 and 9 in particular really start to drag the momentum of the album. But tracks 1 through 6 really showcase some genuinely phenomenal song writing. Or maybe its the nostalgia talking, who can say? Fav Track: 5 - Clocks Best Three Track Run 3, 4, 5

This album fucking rocks from top to bottom and I don't think there's much more I have to say than that. Fav Track: 5 - Spiders Best Three Track Run: 3, 4, 5

There's a special type of frustration associated with being disappointed by an album you had really high hopes for. I was filled with that frustration all through my listen of today's album. It sits in a musical space that should really connect with me knowing what sort of music I like, and the album cover really reeled me in and I was ready to be wowed... but I just really didn't feel much listening through Lazer Guided Melodies. And it was deeply, deeply frustrating. I think its the super super slow, repetitive nature of the songs and just the sound of Jason Pierce's voice that leaves me with not much to hang onto and love. That being said, by the end of the album on my second listen through I was starting to enjoy the groove a bit more, particularly on the last three tracks. I can definitely see myself going back to this one, but whether my rating will go up or down from there is to be seen. Fav Track: 12 - 200 Bars Best Three Track Run: 10, 11, 12

This record has a great groove to it from top to bottom, in no small part thanks to the musical influences that are indicative of the Mbalax style that Youssou spearheaded. I had never heard of Youssou N'Dour nor Mbalax prior to listening to this album, which is what I love about this project, being shown corners of the musical world I would never have otherwise reached into. The polyrhythmic grooves of traditional Western African drumming combined with the Funk/Latin Pop fills out a really enjoyable space, and worked really well in the background for me while I was out and about. Fav Track 3 - Taaw Best Three Track Run 1, 2, 3

An interesting spin between folk/country, and an enjoyable listen through. Emmylou has a beautiful singing voice and there is a lot of lovely and interesting instrumentation, but the melodies and lyrics could be a bit hit and miss for me. Favourite track: 5 - Red Dirt Girl Best Three Track Run: 7, 8, 9

The B in R&B stands for Bowie ----------------------------------------- Wasn't too sure about this one at first but it's really grown on me. I'm not too well acquainted with David Bowie's work generally, but this was shockingly unlike the music of his that I did know. The schmoozing blues-y/souls-y sound is kind of infectious. The interpolation of A Day In The Life on the title track was stuck in my head all day, and those first three tracks in general are really great Fav Track 1 - Young Americans Best Three Track Run 1, 2, 3

I was ready for some overly self-indulgent milestone-band-frontman solo album schlock, but I was immediately excited for it just from the opening track. Just some great alt-rock all round on this record, with no particular song or songs I can point to as a weak link, it just suffers from its length. There really is no need for this to be a double LP. I could see myself giving this 5 stars if it were more concise, but here we are. Fav Track: 1 - Whatever Happened To Pong? Best Three Track Run: Just pick any three and it'll be good

This did the opposite of nothing for me, I actively disliked my time listening to this. Annoying out of tune vocals from Jack White over uninteresting melodies. The marimba was kind of fun for a moment but got old pretty quickly. If it didn't have The White Stripes name it would not be anywhere near this list it feels like. Fav Track: 6 - The Denial Twist

I can't lie, I'm a real sucker for a good concept album, and this is one great concept album. The story told over the album's course of the life of Arthur and the shifting perception of Britain manages to be humorous, sad, sardonic, and catchy all the way through. I had only heard the opening track Victoria going into this, which is a fantastic track, and there are a whole bunch more on here that are just as good if not better. I was really wavering on whether to go for a 4 or a 5, but I had so much fun listening and researching that I've gotta give it full marks Fav Track: 7 - Shangri-La Best Three Track Run: 6, 7, 8

Mann FUCK I was so ready to hate this album, but I immediately was having fun from the first track. Sure the whole thing is corny, sure the second half of the album starts to drag, but fuck it if this wasn't a joy to listen to. Steve Winwood has some really enjoyable vocals, mixed with the synths creates a beautifully goofy and sincere album. Let a white boy catch a vibe. Fav track: 1 - While You See A Chance Best Three Track Run: 1, 2, 3

It was a real breath of fresh air to get to listen to a more modern album on this roll, which may have enhanced my listening experience, but I think this album stands on its own merits beyond that. I made sure to give it a few listens to give it a fair go, and really enjoyed it each time. There is some really great, lush production going on behind everything, and small instrumental flourishes here and there that add a lot to the sound. On top of that Kacey Mugraves' voice is just superb. There was a bit of a lull in the mid-section of the record, but its made up for by some really great tracks moving in and out of the top and bottom respectively. Fav Track: 4 - Oh, What A World Best Three Track Run: 1, 2, 3

The style of 50's Big Band swing-pop on Side A is really far from my favourite style of music, I enjoyed the opening track quite a lot, but very quickly grew tired after that. the shift into side B's slower string backed balladry was a welcome change, and really showcased Ray Charles' vocals however started feeling quite samey after a few tracks. It's undeniable though that Ray himself put in a fantastic performance here, enough to elevate this from a lower score, but I feel there are other records that better display his undeniable contribution and influence on the world of music Fav Track: 1 - Let The Good Times Roll Best Three Track Run: 7, 8, 9

Daft Punk did this infinitely better two years earlier with homework. Largely very uninteresting and repetitive electronic music, and the track From Disco To Disco was so laughably bad it almost knocked this down to a 1 star. There are a couple tracks on here I enjoyed enough to raise it up a step, but cannot see myself going back to this one Fav Track: 8 - Brothers Best Three Track Run: 8, 9, 10

What a fun listen, a bunch of well constructed loops and grooves back to back with hip hop, dance, and funk elements. There's always a great baseline pulling you through each track, and loved the delivery and rhythm of the vocals even if I didn't really connect much with the actual lyrics The sort of record you will know immediately if you'll love or hate it from the first track Fav Track 3 - Everything Best Three Track run: 1, 2, 3

I've always thought of myself as a bit of a reggae hater, I thought it was completely uninteresting and that once you hear one song you've heard them all. But listening to this album really challenged that thought. Bob Marley really knew not just how to write a good song, but also how to write powerful lyrics that slot in perfectly into these relaxed grooves. Maybe there were a couple tracks I didn't love, but it certainly doesn't overstay it's welcome, and when it's good it's great Fav Track: 9 - Revolution Best Three Track Run: 2, 3, 4

The most shocking thing is that this album is even better than its hyped up to be. Every Beatle was firing on all cylinders here, despite the unbridled tensions between the group. John gives us a classic in Come Together and a heavy, proggish masterpiece in I Want You, Paul puts together the incredible medley that makes up almost the entire second half of the album AND Maxwell's Silver Hammer which is a banger FUCK the haters, George proves himself as a songwriter on par with both Paul and John with Something and Here Comes The Sun, inarguably two of the greatest Beatles songs ever released, and even fucking Ringo provides an original with Octopus' Garden, and it's fantastic! It's not the most complex piece but it is consistently one of my favourite moments on the record. Plus he has a drum solo on The End, which is completely unheard of and I love it. Marry it all with the incredible production work of George Martin and you have this masterpiece of an album, which is even greater than the sum of its parts. Bonus points for the album cover, arguably the most iconic piece of album art bar maybe Dark Side of The Moon Fav Track: 6: I Want You (She's So Heavy) Best Three Track Run: 14, 15, 16

A bit of a mixed bag here, the track Solsbury Hill stands out in particular as a fantastic song, and there is an enjoyable run of tracks on the end, but a lot of experimentation leads to a record without much cohesion, and some really dull moments like Excuse Me Fav Track: Solsbury Hill Best Three Track Run: 7, 8, 9

The song writing here is enjoyable, and the vocal performance and especially the harmonies are really lovely, but nothing really sticks with me specifically. Also of note is that the mixing on the instrumental layers of the tracks feels really muddy, even considering the era this was recorded in, and not in an intentional way. Maybe I need to reframe the way I'm listening to the tracks but it does take me out of the experience a bit. Fav Track: 1: 5D (Fifth Dimension) Best Three Track Run: 1, 2, 3

I've always had a bit of a vague distaste towards the Stones, and this album really solidified it for me. Compared to what else we had coming out this year, this is really a very underwhelming record. Listen to Revolver, listen to Pet Sounds and then listen to this, it's like night and day. As it was with this entire period of their career, the Stones were desperately trying to play catch-up with The Beatles, and were consistently several steps behind. Admittedly though, there are a couple of decent tracks on here, like Paint It Black, its got a great sense of rhythm and a fantastic melody that really stands out compared to the rest of the tracks... and it isn't even on this version of the record, it was only included on the US release of this album. The worst offence on this entire record though is undoubtedly the lyrics, which even in the 60s were flagged because of their deeply misogynistic themes. Maybe this album could've gotten an extra star otherwise, but it is just downright uncomfortable to listen to at times, and it isn't helped that Mick Jagger has a vocal delivery that I find incredibly frustrating. Even a track like Going Home, which has actually quite a novel concept for the time of an 11 minute jam track, is completely ruined by Jagger's constant incessant moaning. Maybe the next album of theirs I get will prove me wrong, but they remain to me one of the least interesting acts of this era of music. Fav Track: 1 - Paint It, Black It gets through on a technicality, no other song on here could fill this spot

This has been my first listen through if Metallica album, and it was an interesting listen but a little disappointing. The tone/timbre of everything is perfect, the drums are pounding, the vocals have that great gravelly quality, and the guitars sound perfectly chunky and electric... But the songs themselves just failed to wow me. Enter Sandman is of course a great track, but by the time I'm in the second half of the album my attention is really wanting, which really sucks because those other elements feel so great. I know Metallica has other albums that are held in a little more higher regard so I'm keeping my hopes up for when I get to those. Fav Track: 1 - Enter Sandman Best Three Track Run: 1, 2, 3

The greatest impact Tim Buckley had on the music industry was siring his far more talented son. And even then he was an absent father, and an all around not great guy. It would make sense then that from a man who's greatest achievement was spurred from his loins, that he would album would be all about how much he loves sex, however it really does not create a comfortable listening experience. There are plenty of ways one can sing and write about sex in an interesting and enjoyable way, in fact we've been doing it for just about all of human history. It can be romantic, it can be sexy, it can be beautiful, hell it can even be funny. However on this record it really is just gross, I found myself cringing just about the whole way through listening to this man lecherously describe just how fucking horny he was. The music itself isn't particularly bad, in fact I quite enjoyed some moments, like really dug the strings on Make It Right, but then Tim comes creeping in with "beat me, whip me, spank me" and I'm turned right off. So yeah, shitty guy, creepy music... it's not looking good on this one Fav Track: 7 - Make It Right

It's really apparent when listening to this album, especially when keeping in mind the 2004 release date, how influential it was on the indie scene. This is a sound that would go on to be imitated with greatly varying degrees of success for years, even up until today with bands like Black Country New Road, a band I love, taking very clear cues from this release. If that's the sort of music you're into, there's a lot to enjoy on this record, some really lovely instrumentation and arrangement, and great conceptual elements of grief and loss of innocence explored. I do think however the songwriting isn't always fantastic, there can be a lot of samey moments, and if you weren't sold on this whole sound, this record is definitely not going to be the one to sell you on it. I did, however, enjoy my time with this overall and really appreciate the influential aspects of the album, I really do feel it earns its spot on the list Fav Track: 7 - Wake Up Best Three Track Run: 7, 8, 9

Daft Punk were truly the greatest act to do what they did. I cannot think of many artists that were able to create a look nearly as iconic as the robots, and with the absolute quality of music they had to back it up they created this unquantifiable quality I truly think is unmatched. It's like fucking magic Admittedly, Homework predates Thomas and Guy's robot personas by a couple of years, but it does perfectly set the groundwork for not just their own sound, but also their influence on the world of electronic music as a whole. Plus, it's a damn good record in its own right. It's easy to label it all as overly repetitive, and I can definitely understand if it's your inclination to do so, but I really find if you can just give yourself over to it there's so much to enjoy. The duo really knows how to hone in on the right sounds, the right tones, and to create these small variations within the repetition to keep the energy flowing. The "french touch" is real, and it is alive on this record. With all that said, this is probably my 3rd or even 4th favourite record from Daft Punk, if we are including live albums, and it's mind boggling to me that this is the only one to be included on this list. With so many different editions made of the 1001 albums, and so much of the list being overly bloated with some artists almost full discographies, how is this Daft Punk's only showing? I really think an album like Discovery is necessary in showcasing their evolution, and solidification as icons within the industry. But whatever. Daft Punk forever Around the World, Around the World, Around the World, Around the World, Around the World Fav Track: 7 - Around The World Best Three Track Run: 3, 4, 5

This album got off to a really strong start on the first few tracks, it wasn't bringing anything particularly new to the table, but it had a great distorted sound and really enjoyable riffs, but as it went on it really failed to impress beyond there. By the last couple of songs I was really just waiting for it to end, unfortunately. I particularly got a bit tired of the lead vocalist's delivery, and the mixing on a lot of the tracks. I know there is an appeal to the "garage" sound, there are a number of garage rock records that I go back to regularly, but it felt like a real detriment on a number of songs here. On one track they introduce this great string section, but it's so deep in the mix it's almost impossible to actually appreciate it. Unfortunately not one I'll go back to, but I can definitely understand if someone were to really enjoy it. Fav Track: 1 - Lose Control Best Three Track Run: 1, 2, 3

On my first listen I was ready to give this a 1. On my second listen, and after reading through some info on the band I was really loving it and thought I would give it a 4. This is the duality of man. I listened again just recently, and still think there is actually a lot to enjoy here, it's messy in just the right ways, the vocals are off-kilter but catch your attention, all while still hitting with these great riffs and lyrics, but that messy sound starts to drag a bit by the end, especially the lead vocals really start to get tiring unfortunately. But still had a good time, props to them for putting a rockabilly sound into a context that I actually enjoyed. Fav Track: 4 - She's Like Heroin To Me Best Three Track Run: 1, 2, 3

I don't really know where to start with this one. I just truly adore this album. Cocteau Twins managed to create the perfect distillation of the Dream Pop sound across all ten tracks, and there isn't a single moment I would change. The reverberant, ethereal soundscape creates this magical haze for the melodies to shimmer and shine through, and then you add in the lyrics, that sound so close to being recognisable english, but yet you can never quite make out what is being said. It genuinely feels like you are walking through a dreamscape. I could gush about this for so long, but I simply don't have the time. One of those rare "perfect" albums, I seem to never get tired of. Fav Track: 5 - Heaven or Las Vegas Best Three Track Run: 6, 7, 8