1001 Albums Summary

"And then some day you find, 10 years have got behind you. No one told you where to run. You missed the starting gun."

You turn on Paint It Black, and you're absolutely sure this album is going to be a ripper. Within 30 seconds of Stupid Girl you realize you've been mistaken. The Stones/Beatles debate seems really stupid when you realize this was the type of stuff the Stones were working on when the Beatles were making Revolver. Stones didn't fully hit their stride until Let It Bleed in 69.

I was gonna give this album a 5, but if you guys can give Dark Side a 4, I can give this a 4. Let’s be honest, everything after Heroin is a drag. And I get you invented feedback, but where do we draw the line between important and enjoyable?

Most albums could be cut to 25 minutes. This is a great example. Would be a ripper. Also, why do so many bands have to add a 7 minute last track like they're trying to do their own version of Desolation Row

The bayou boys of San Mateo. The Green River lick is so tasty, but we lose all our momentum in the next two tracks. Pick it back up on Bad Moon Rising. Solid record, not perfect by any means.

This is a perfect record. The way they go back and forth, and switch tempos and feels on the first track does a lot for me.

Of all the scenes in music history, the 80's DC punk scene is hardest for me to really grasp. It just doesn't add up for me. None of the records of that era are as good as what the Stooges were able to accomplish 10 years prior.

The Asian Delegation chooses, The RZA, The GZA, U-God, Inspect The Deck, Ghost Face Killah, THE WU TANG CLAN. This album is perfect. I think we got to see them at Bonnaroo forever ago.

I think I trained myself to have an ear for this type of Indie rock, and over the years I’ve just lost that ear. I just don’t get it. I was listening to this album while I was moving, so obviously I’m not in the best mood, but I just was not feeling it. Gay.

A lot of great songs on this record, but if I make a list of 1001 albums, this ain't on it. That said, I forgot how good Gotta Get Away is. What a banger. The whole record takes me back to playing Crazy Taxi on Gamecube. Bonus tracks are also pretty funny in the streaming era

I hate myself for not enjoying it more. Fun fact: The Band got their name from being Bob Dylan's backing band.

Vocal jazz is a genre I don't spend much time listening to. It's beautiful, but it's rarely what I'm looking for. This is the kind of music a movie character's grandmother dances to in a wedding flashback. It's been really hard to meet these records where they're at. I'm sure if you're in a sad, sentimental mood, this record hits hard. That's just not where I'm at right now. That said, the fact that I'm not in a place to emotionally receive this record, does not change it's greatness. But if I don't actually enjoy the listening experience that much, how do I know it's great? Because it's critically acclaimed? Because I've heard the name Billie Holiday thrown around a lot? It's a hard problem to solve.

Me and Harry's freshman Jazz teacher used to always say, "If it sounds good, it is good." I really enjoyed listening to this. A lot of it reminded me of those "No Pirating" messages on DVDs from the early 2000s.

Rikki Don't Lose That Number is a perfect song. Reminds me of my Aunt Joan. I found myself vibing along to this one very heavily from the jump. Nodding my head. Generally loving it. So many great tracks. A touch slow in spots. 4.5/5

This album has come up in so many "Greatest Albums of All Time" lists, that I've been had to make my way through it before. Every time, it's been a rough listen. I've always ended up with a brutal migrane. When I saw this album come up, I was immediately filled with intense dread. I put off listening to it for days. Yesterday, the day came. I had to listen. I made it about 30 minutes. I'm choking my way through it now. I have to accept it. This is my least favorite record of all time. In terms of pure listening experience, nothing fucks with my ears more than this.

I have listened so many times. I've always appreciated what this did for the standards of music production, but it's not something I find myself wanted to listen to all the time.

I could imagine an alternate reality where my parents get divorced and I get a step-mom that loves this album. And it's one of 3 cds she has in the family van. And we listen to it every day on the way to Catholic school. The "wohooos" on Happy Phantom crossed a strict line in the sand for me. The piano parts on this record are super interesting, I just don't care for her voice at all. It's a style of music I don't like. Fiona Apple is like the apex of this genre, and if I don't like this, it makes sense I wouldn't like this. Tear in Your Hand kind of rips. A lot of the songs made me laugh out loud for some reason. I had this marked as a 2, but the last song was so corny, I had to go back and change it to a 1.

I wonder what prompted the creators of this list to include this record by a blues legend WAY out of his prime. If we're going to go with legends way out of their prime, we've got to go with Floating Points and Pharoah Sanders' Promises, right?

This one would have killed with the Trustafarians at Suffield. There is something really funny about these guys being from Philly. A notoriously tough city, and these guys were running around making bro-rap-ska music. Idk what happened to me. I used to love this type of shit. 17 year old Joe would have been a fan. 32 year old Joe, not so much.

Very cool record. You can tell Rod Stewart ripped the melody for Da Ya Think I'm Sexy off of Taj Mahal. I was not expecting the synth to kick in so hard on the last song. The whole thing flows and works really well. Obviously I don't speak the language, but I felt like I understood what he was talking about a lot of the time. I found myself nodding along.

I think it was Harry that once said to me, he could go the rest of his life without hearing any of the songs on Zeppelin IV. Not because they're bad songs, we've heard them so, so many times. I feel the same way about so many of the songs on this record. How many times have I heard Rolling in The Deep walking through a Marshalls? But, take a second to imagine with me. Imagine, you'd never heard any of these songs. How hard does Rolling in The Deep hit if you've never heard it? Does it change the trajectory of your entire listening experience? I'm not blown away by the depth of the songwriting. Obviously, her voice is unbelievable, but the songs didn't do much for me. That said, BALL DON'T LIE. The least popular song on this record has 89 million streams on Spotify as of this post. 3 songs with over 2 billion plays. This record is unfathomably popular. It has something 3.5/5

It's almost remarkably corny at spots, but I still enjoyed it in spots.

Garbage. Reminds me of Insane Clown Posse. I think I was a bit too harsh on this one. Bumping to a 2.

For whatever reason, I remember Emma Watson's character calling Come On Eileen "Actually Good Music" in the The Perks of Being a Wallflower. It's a great song, the rest I could go the rest of my life without hearing again. I especially hated the mix of the chorus, the singing, and the instrumentation on Liars A to E.

I just got the joke from Anchorman. Some bangers on here.

There was a point in college where I tried to listen to all this classic Bowie albums. I got most, but somehow skipped this one. Great album. So many bangers. Watch That Man and Jean Genie stand out. 9/10

JAZZZZZZZZZ The guitar on Samba De Uma Nota So is rad.

Giving this a 5 in honor of the 2009 Suffield Academy Men's Cross Country Team.

I had to break this listen into a couple of different sessions. It's great background music, but I would love to set aside some time to sit down and really listen to this thing. Fantastic.

If I was this horny, I probably would have died at 27 too. Break on Through, Light My Fire, and Back Door Man are such heaters. Great album.

Should out Ralph Fiennes in Bone Temple.

When I turned this one on, I was sure I was going to hate it. I was wrong. Completely unpredictable at every turn. They sound like ZZ Top, Motorhead, and Tears for Fears at different points in the record. So cool. Loved it.

Brilliant in spots. What presents as a straightforward country record is a multi-genre masterpiece.

Neil Young forever

Some bangers on here. Drags in spots, but Vow, Stupid Girl, and Only Happy When it Rains are such heaters. 3.8/5

This is one of those records that you need a couple laps on to fully appreciate. Mitchell said he's listening to the albums he hasn't heard on this list multiple times before rating, and this record is a great example of why I think that's a great idea. The first time I listened to this record, I liked it, but I didn't love it. But after a few laps, I can say it's brilliant. First of all, the jazz backing tracks would be able to stand alone as a brilliant fusion jazz record. It's a unbelievable from the start. On Wesley's theory, the drop is some avant gaurd fusion jazz. I've never heard jazz used this way on a record. Not even on Late Registration. And when he pivots and goes with hard hip-hop beats it works so well counter-balancing the jazz. This is an album where the hits aren't my favorite of Kendrick's hits. There is no equivalent of "Money Trees" or "Swimming Pools" on this record. "i" is not my favorite Kendrick song. Nether is "King Kendrick". But when these songs hit on this album, they hit. Everything flows so well together on this album. For an 1:15 record, it doesn't drag. Of all the albums Pitchfork could have given a 10 between MBDTF and Fetch The Bolt Cutters, you could make a perfect 10 case for 3 Kendrick records, but this one seems to be the most obvious. 10/10

I have three cultural references for RUN DMC. 1 - The 2006 MTV Program "Rev's House" 2 - The t-shirt 3 - The Aerosmith collab This shit was so corny. I laughed pretty hard in spots. 80s inspirational rap music is ripe for parody.

Good, but it just feels like another Arctic Monkeys record. Don't understand the cultural significance that put it here.

First track is an absolute masterpiece. All over the place in the best way. Second track holds up. Third one was not my cup of tea. Altogether, this feels like a band that should’ve been known for more than their biggest hit. This is a phenomenal record. 9/10

I remember a very specific day of Freshman year jazz class where Tom Gotwals took me, Harry, and the rest of the Freshman jazz class into a room to listen to this record. He said the solo on Freddy Freeloader is the coolest, simplest solo ever and I have to agree. While when it comes to Miles, I prefer In a Silent Way, I still think this is the greatest straight jazz record ever. I’ve listened to countless times, and I hope I get to keep listening to it.

For a 45 year old record, this sounds like something that could have came out this year. You can see the influence on a lot of the female lead hard rockers out now like Wet Leg and Amyl & The Sniffers. The guitar tone on the opening track Spellbound is phenominal. Night Shift is a banger. Will be coming back to this one.

Again, how do you even rate something like this. Industrial German Music is the genre I've been least familiar with of everything, so far. Yet, this is a record I'll definitely find myself going back to. The first track is definitely an inspiration for Yeezus. Last track is such a heater.

A lot of great music came out in 2017. Surprised to see this one here and not albums like The Ooz and Big Fish Theory. Regardless, great album. I think On Hold is a perfect song. The record drags in certain spots. It's a solid 3.5/5. Not having In Color by Jamie XX on hear is criminal. One of the greatest records of all time.

I accidentally listened to the back half of this record on shuffle, so I had to go back and listen again. Some heaters on this one. No Action, Pump It Up, and Living in Paradise are my favorites. Weirdly enough My Aim is True was one of my most listened to albums in college. Love that record. This one isn't as cohesive imo despite having more critical acclaim. I like it. 3.5/5

Angus Young once said in an interview, "People keep saying we've made the same album 11 times or so. And really, they're lying. It's actually the 12th." This band was very self aware when it came to what they're doing. When I went to China for the first time, I picked up a bootleg copy of this record. I remember not being crazy about it and thinking I was missing something. I loved Back in Black. Why not this? You could say AC/DC songs were formulaic, but certain songs and albums still differentiate themselves. The thing is, if you're going to pick two AC/DC records to be on this record, you have to go with Back and Black and Powerage. This one is not in the same ballpark. BiB lives up to the hype. Powerage is like this record, but with way better guitar solos and songwriting. Harry compared it to Aftermath in that it's a huge hit with not much to back it up. It's better, but not by much. Shot Down in Flames kicks ass. Everything else I can live without.

God damn, Bell Bottom Blues is perfect. Keep on Growing, Tell The Truth, Why Does Love Got to Be So Sad?, and Layla are all heaters too. Great album. I know how much you guys hate Clapton, so I'm giving this one a 5.

I mean... just loaded with bangers. Hit after hit after hit. Growing up listening to classic rock radio, I must have heard these songs hundreds of times. Such a great record. I remember one time at Squaw Valley, I got about as baked as a cake and threw on Run Through The Jungle while I skiied Red Dog ttb. Almost impossible to hate this record. 4.5/5

I broke from protocol and took a look at some of the reviews of this record. I felt like I needed to understand how this record got here on this list. Initially considered a dud, this album went on to be considered a cult classic. I found out a little bit about the history of this record. This record came out two years after Rumours. It was an exceedingly expensive record to make costing $6 million in today’s dollars. And it debuted as a double LP with an initial cost of the equivalent of $64 today. I want you to pretend streaming doesn’t exist and you just drop $64 on an album expecting something as good as Rumours. Instead, you get 75 minutes of unbelievably boring tracks. I can imagine sitting there in the late 70s flipping over LPs waiting for this thing to get good. Yes, the last two tracks are great, but not only does it not live up to Rumours, it doesn’t live up to some of the 80s heaters that Fleetwood Mac dropped. Even by today’s standards. If I had not read the pitchfork review where they gave this album a 9.3, I probably would’ve decided from the people from the 70s. This thing sucks. It’s too long. Nothing for me has driven me more nuts than a mediocre album that just will not end. Even in the streaming era, I have no reason to return to any of the tracks on this record besides Tusk or Never Forget. I’ve gotta pay respects to the creators of this record and not give it a 1, but it’s close. To drop that much money on this album, and then ask people to pay that much for it, and have it be this bad is insulting to the people of 1979.

Marcus Garvey named himself President of Africa at one point. What a legend.

"If it sounds good, it is good" is a quote attributed to Charles Mingus, that me and Harry's freshman jazz teacher would often say to us. Although I believe in this quote, context is extremely important here. This is a compilation detailing Miles' recordings from 49 to 50. It's called "The Birth of Cool" because it's documenting the path that Miles took to becoming quite literally the coolest man on early. In 1949 he's playing this type of stuff. By the 60s, he's hanging out with Iggy Pop and Bob Dylan in the village. In hearing this record, Kind of Blue sounds so much more abstract and out of the box. The tracks there don't sound like jazz standards anymore. They sound like experiments. This is not a record that is in heavy rotation for me. It is however, a cool chapter in the history of the coolest mf ever.

Rules.

There is some incredible songwriting in here. The first song fantastic, but I really convey just how much I hated the second song. Rhythmically, I found it torturous.

I don’t understand the cultural significance of this record. Boring from the jump and never quite gets there.

A LOT of duds on this record. However, Soul Machine into The Art of Noise might be the first track to use a neo-soul breakdown. For sure influenced TPAB. Other than that, terrible record. Would be a 1 withoout that.

I was unprepared for just how great this record was going to be. The fusion between electronic and heavy metal is next level on this record. Songs like Eraser and Reptile make you want to run through a brick wall. There are two songs we've all heard on this record. Everyone knows Closer, but it just hits so much harder within the context of this record. And then, we all know the story of Reznor giving this song to Johnny Cash. I have to say, I think this version is better. It's heartbreaking. 65 minutes. Never drags. Genius.

I don’t know what to say about this one. It’s hard to accurately rate a record from this era. It feels so dated. Which is wild, because the music from the 60s, just 10 years later feels very relevant and present. I don’t know, it’s Elvis.

I can’t tell you how relieved I was to find out this is not an hour and a half album, but a 45 minute album with two options of English and French. On one hand, it’s not really a good look for an album if the person listening to it is relieved that it’s over. On the other hand, I didn’t have to listen for another 45 minutes. Ass.

Unremarkable.

I don't know about having an album filled with Sitar covers of English rock songs as the only Indian representation so far. Feels like if Apu was the only Indian on a list of top 1001 people to know about before you die. Are you an idiot if you're offended by Apu? Yes. Does that invalidate my point? No.

Do You Realize.... all of the Flaming Lips catalogue is intensely boring? Okay, I really hated the first half of this record, but I must admit, Do You Realize?? and All We Have is Now got me kind of emotional.

First lap on this one in a while. This was on the very first iPod I ever had, so I know it's in my top 10 most listened to albums ever. Embarrassing "fun" fact: I used to think Wake Me Up When September Ends was about having to go back to school. And I remember crying listening to it at Sheep Pond the last weekend before 8th grade. Now, let's get into it. The hits here are hits. They were inescapable in the radio/trl era of 2004. And, I didn't mind. I loved these songs. I always liked the 9 minute montage of St Jimmy. Loved Holiday. I forgot how much I liked Letterbomb. The things I didn't enoy are these: Extraordinary Girl stinks. Homecoming didn't need to be that long. And the whole record feels a little two shiny and overproduced. It feels like the beginning of the over-produced rock records from bands like Twenty One Pilots. 4/5

I have spent a lot of time at a bar in Austin called The White Horse. It’s a two stepping country club. They play a lot of music like this. A lot of the songs on this sound very familiar, there’s a chance I’ve heard some of them before. I just kind of find this type of music doll and un interesting. Maybe it’s because I never learned how to two step properly.

Man, it’s hard not to go into this record with exceedingly high expectations with how high it’s been rated on some of the new Rolling Stone and Pitchfork greatest of all time, albums listss. There are moments at the beginning where you don’t think that this record can possibly live up to the hype. But just when you get those moments of doubt, another great track seems to come in and just absolutely blow you away. I especially loved Forgive Them Father, Final Hour, and the Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You cover. Also, as a huge fan of Kanye West’s music (I felt the need to specify music with all the wacky shit he’s been saying lately), you can really hear why Kanye has so much admiration for this woman. The narrative structure of this record clearly inspired The College Dropout and Late Registration. This album is a lot. Admittedly, I had to break it into three chunks throughout the day today. That said, it doesn’t change the fact that it’s perfect. 5/5

The first track on this album is unbelievably good. It’s one of those songs that gets added to a playlist and I listened to it over and over again during the day. Benny and the Jets obviously an absolute heater too. And anyone who says cocaine was not good for music needs to watch Elton John play Saturday Nights Alright for Fighting for half 1 million people in 1980 at Central Park. This album is great, but I can’t help but feel it would be even better if there had been some fat trimmed. It’s the reason I prefer Madman Across The Water to this record. I can go my entire life without hearing Jamaican Jerk-Off or Roy Roger again. Great record, might’ve been a 5 if it was 45 minutes long.

This is a tough one. Gimme Shelter kicks in, and you're ready to ride a helicopter over Vietnam. It hits so hard. The middle, however, is rough. The Stones deep cuts are nowhere near the level of their contemporaries: Bealtes, Pink Floyd, Zeppelin. We pick up a little steam with the title track of Let It Bleed. We lose the steam right away on the next two tracks. But you get to the end. Monkey Man kicks in. It's solid. Then, you get to the last track Can't Always Get What You Want, and it almost wipes the hard drive. It's so good that you forget the duds in the middle. Realistically, this is a 3. But I cannot give an album with two tracks that are realistically top 100 all time a 3. So, 4/5.

This was always the Radiohead album that I couldn't fully get into. That kind of changed on this listen. From the jump, this album rips. Everything in It's Right Place is about as good as it gets. I forgot how much I liked The National Anthem and Optimistic. I think the strength of the front half of this record makes you forget just how brutal and slow the last 4 tracks are. It's kind of a slog at the end. Also, I've always kind of been bothered by the story behind How to Disappear Completely. "Oh, I'm too successful. Poor me." Great album. Boring in spots.

Okay guys, I'll tell you this much. One of the challenges of this series has been tackling the longer records. You just don't have 70 minutes to dive into an album straight every day. This one was broken up into 3 or 4 sessions. The car, the gym, at home. Not all exactly the best places to get "Spiritualized". I'll tell you this: There were places in this record where I felt bored, but I kept feeling this pull to go back and listen to the songs again. It's a record that I don't think can be fully appreciated in one go. But that's the paradox of this thing. We're not going to have time to listen to everything twice.

So much beauty in such simple music.

I thought this was a good album until we got to the very last song. What was that “Lo Fi Hip Hop Beats to Study and Chill To” ass bullshit doing on there?

Hearing Knights of Cydonia for the first time is a cannon event for the millennial man. Starlight and Supermassive Black Hole are also great songs. But unfortunately, the rest of the songs on this record don't stand up.

Such a fun record. All the synths and stuff feel super dated on the first track, but they follow it up with an absolute banger. The whole thing had me nodding along. Though about giving it a 5. Will be coming back to this one.

I had to think about this one for a while. To me this is some of the greatest guitar tone ever recorded. The highs on this album are so unbelievably high. Mayonnaise, Cherub Rock, Today, and Hummer would all be found somewhere on the list of Joe Begley’s list of 1001 greatest songs ever. With all that said, how does this album not get a 5? This is not a case of the high are high, and the lows are low. This is a case of the highs are high, and the lows are meh. It’s an album that’s been in the rotation for me for well over a decade, and it will be in the rotation for me for the rest of my life. With that said, they just trimmed this thing to 40 minutes it would perfect.

Some absolute heaters on here. We've all heard Higher Ground and Living for the City, but Living for the City has always been a personal favorite. Too High and Golden Lady ripped. Stevie's musical genius is on full display here. 4.5/5 Might take this one for another lap and decide it's a 5.

I listening to this record on a drive through the Texas Hill country. While listening to this record, I felt like I was living in it. I’ve been really feeling this general era music. I used to consider 80s one of the weakest eras of music, but I’ve been completely proven wrong. Joy Division, New Era, and The Cure have all become favorites. This record in particular really sucked me in. From the jump on One Hundred Years it’s incredible. The Guitar tone doesn’t miss, and it carries a vibe that never really stays away from at any point in the record. I was blown away.

This was recorded in 1969, and for the time it was groundbreaking. This type of rock improv had never been recorded. If I'm going with a live Dead record, it's gotta be Cornell '77, but this record is still SICK without the context. It's a great listen. I had a natural aversion to jam music after graduation from UVM, the birthplace of Phish. So, it took me a while to get into this record. But once you settle into the type of mindset you've got to reach to appreciate the Dead, it's magic.

Harry asked me if American Idiot was the last massive rock album, and I agreed, but I forgot just how big The Black Keys were in 2011/2012. These songs were everywhere. The summer I graduated college, I drop the family plow truck everywhere. A '94 F-350 that got 7 miles to the gallon with no ac. I'd roll the windows down and listen to 104.1. Songs from this and El Camino were always on. I was stoked to revisit this one. Once, Everlasting Light kicked on, I was even more stoked. But this thing runs out of steam quick. It's too long. The entire back half is just mediocre blues tracks.

I was so happy to see this one come up. In 2013 when I lived in China, we didn't have strong enough internet access to watch TV. So, I just listened to albums. It was the early Spotify era, and I just started tearing through the Rolling Stone All Time records list and Pitchfork best of the 60s and 70s lists. When I got back to the states, I kept going on the list. I remember finding this one and having no idea what it was. My Dad was a huge Elvis Costello fan, but he never brought up this particular record. I think I listened to it in the UVM library and just loved it. This record is a blast top to bottom. I remember walking around campus listening to Miracle Man and Blame It on Cain. Just incredible to have a record like this slip into your rotation and stay there for life. 10/10