My 1001 Albums Journey

Albums Rated

3.33

Average Rating

Complete

1000 albums remaining

Rating Distribution

Rating Timeline

Taste Profile

1960

Favorite Decade

Folk

Favorite Genre

other

Top Origin

Wordsmith

Rater Style ?

5-Star Albums

1-Star Albums

Breakdown

By Genre

Top Styles

By Decade

By Origin

Albums

You Love More Than Most

Album	You	Global	Diff
Songs Of Love And Hate Leonard Cohen	5	3.2	+1.8
Fragile Yes	5	3.32	+1.68
Songs Of Leonard Cohen Leonard Cohen	5	3.38	+1.62
Illinois Sufjan Stevens	5	3.5	+1.5
Heroes David Bowie	5	3.61	+1.39
Hounds Of Love Kate Bush	5	3.62	+1.38
Wild Is The Wind Nina Simone	5	3.65	+1.35
Pink Moon Nick Drake	5	3.65	+1.35
Superfly Curtis Mayfield	5	3.7	+1.3
Grace Jeff Buckley	5	3.74	+1.26

You Love Less Than Most

Album	You	Global	Diff
Band On The Run Paul McCartney and Wings	1	3.67	-2.67
Tommy The Who	1	3.32	-2.32
Tea for the Tillerman Cat Stevens	2	3.67	-1.67
Madman Across The Water Elton John	2	3.58	-1.58
Dirt Alice In Chains	2	3.46	-1.46
The Dark Side Of The Moon Pink Floyd	3	4.43	-1.43
Woodface Crowded House	2	3.11	-1.11
Songs In The Key Of Life Stevie Wonder	3	4.07	-1.07
Get Rich Or Die Tryin' 50 Cent	2	3.07	-1.07
Lady Soul Aretha Franklin	3	4.05	-1.05

Artists

Favorites

Artist	Albums	Average
Leonard Cohen	2	5

5-Star Albums (11)

View Album Wall

Popular Reviews

There's No Place Like America Today

Curtis Mayfield · 1 likes

4/5

Just love the Curtis vibe. 7.5 Fav track: Hard Times Least fav: Blue Monday People

Murder Ballads

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds · 1 likes

3/5

I think embracing Nick Cave is largely about buying into his schtick. Listening to this, I buy into it, for a while, and then I get tired of it. Some great moments on here, but it's too much for me for a long album. 6.8 Fav song: The Curse of Milltown Least fav: O'Malley's Bar Song

Tommy

The Who · 1 likes

1/5

I've been aware of this album's status all my adult life, but I've never sat down to listen to it... until now. I was taken aback by how disagreeable I found it. I'm not against the idea of a concept album, but nothing about this worked. Escruciating in places. Worst album I've come across so far on the project. I don't even like Pinball Wizard, I'm sorry. 1.6 Fav track: Sparks (the lack of vocals was a real treat here) Least fav: Do You Think It's Alright? (no)

Hounds Of Love

Kate Bush · 1 likes

5/5

Fantastic album. I love all the songs on the first half (especially Cloudbusting) and the second half is so imaginative and eclectic. The very 80s production adds to its charm for me.

1-Star Albums (2)

All Ratings

Live At The Harlem Square Club

Sam Cooke

4/5

MW: 7.4 Fav: Feel It Least Fav: Medley: It's All Right / For Sentimental Reasons

Automatic For The People

R.E.M.

4/5

MW: 8.4 Fav: Nightswimming Least Fav: Ignoreland

Superfly

Curtis Mayfield

5/5

8.7 Favourite: Pusherman Least favourite: No Thing On Me

Dirt

Alice In Chains

2/5

5.1 When did Bon Jovi start taking heroin? Fav: Would? Least fav: God Smack

Illinois

Sufjan Stevens

5/5

"I made a lot of mistakes, I made a lot of mistakes, I made a lot of mistakes, I made a lot of mistakes" - Sufjan Stevens No mistakes detected. 10.0 Fav track: The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades is Out to Get Us! Least fav (longish) track: The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts

Tres Hombres

ZZ Top

3/5

6.3 This is fine. I can imagine playing pool to this. Fav track: La Grange (HM: Sheik) Least fav track: Hot, Blue and Righteous

Come Find Yourself

Fun Lovin' Criminals

2/5

4.5 Fav track: The Fun Lovin' Criminal Least fav: Bombin' the L

Mama Said Knock You Out

LL Cool J

3/5

6.8 Fav track: Eat Em Up L Chill Least fav: Illegal Search

Band On The Run

Paul McCartney and Wings

1/5

Paul had a lot of ideas for this album. They were all bad. 2.8 Fav track: Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five Least fav: Picasso's Last Words

Wild Is The Wind

Nina Simone

5/5

I've never listened to Nina Simone purposefully before this. I'm going to be controversial and say I think this is amazing. 9.2 Fav Track: Wild is the Wind Least fav: I Love Your Lovin Ways

Scream, Dracula, Scream

Rocket From The Crypt

2/5

I don't see what this represents being on the list. There are way more interesting punky albums from the mid-90s. Didn't totally hate it or anything. Fav track: On a Rope Least fav: Come See Come Saw (Is this meant to be a play on "Comme ci, comme ça"? It annoyed me either way.

The Village Green Preservation Society

The Kinks

4/5

I like how it doesn't include any of their big hits. A cool eclectic mix of songs that fly by, dedicated to a nostalgic version of England. I can't give it a 5* because a few songs grate on me. 8.0 Fav track: Picture Book Least fav: Starstruck

Songs Of Love And Hate

Leonard Cohen

5/5

I wasn't really in the mood to listen to this today, but still amazing and slightly unhinged in places. 8.9 Fav track: Famous Blue Raincoat Least fav: Sing Another Song, Boys

Searching For The Young Soul Rebels

Dexys Midnight Runners

3/5

I liked this a lot more than I was expecting. 6.8 Fav track: There There, My Dear Least fav: I Couldn't Help It If I Tried

Femi Kuti

3/5

Great but way too long. 7.0 Fav track: Plenty Nonsense Least fav: Live For Today

Songs In The Key Of Life

Stevie Wonder

3/5

He's obviously a genius musician, but also this drags towards the end ("Saturn", "Ebony Eyes"), and about half of it is too schmaltzy and sentimental for my tastes. 7.0 Fav track: I Wish Least fav: Isn't She Lovely (sorry, just no)

My Generation

The Who

3/5

This is quite good. Not really the call to action you'd expect from knowing the title track. Can do without the blues tribute tracks like Please, Please, Please and I'm A Man. 6.5 Fav track: The Kids Are Alright Least fav: Please, Please, Please

There's No Place Like America Today

Curtis Mayfield

4/5

Just love the Curtis vibe. 7.5 Fav track: Hard Times Least fav: Blue Monday People

Grace

Jeff Buckley

5/5

I've listened to this many times in my life, but not for a long time. Still sounds great. 9.4 Fav track: Dream Brother Least fav: Corpus Christi Carol

Woodface

Crowded House

2/5

Falls into the unfortunate category of bands I thought were rubbish when I was growing up. Can I re-assess them with wisdom and experience? I can accept that their songs are well-crafted, but they're too polished and middle-of-the-road for me to care. 5.0 Fav track: Four Seasons in One Day Least fav: It's Only Natural (still hate this for some reason)

Bat Out Of Hell

Meat Loaf

3/5

I like it for its sheer over-the-topness. Three Out of Five Aint Bad. 6.6 Fav track: Bat Out of Hell Least fav: For Crying Out Loud

Red Dirt Girl

Emmylou Harris

3/5

Amazing voice but it all blends together a bit after a while. I think it would need a closer listen. 6.7 Fav track: I Don't Wanna Talk About It Now

Green Onions

Booker T. & The MG's

3/5

This is fine. Great musicianship, but unfortunately, this type of music has been co-opted for commercial use, and it's hard to understand in its historical context. There's a lot of jazz/blues/folk from the early 60s that I'd rather see on the list. 6.2 Fav track: Green Onions Least fav: One Who Really Loves You

In A Silent Way

Miles Davis

4/5

8.3

Murder Ballads

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

3/5

Tommy

The Who

1/5

Tea for the Tillerman

Cat Stevens

2/5

Not really my kind of thing. Somehow sentimental and patronising at the same time. Some nice acoustic guitar. I'd rather be listening to Simon and Garfunkel. 5.2 Fav track: Into White Least Fav: Father and Son

Fragile

Yes

5/5

There's a tendency to say prog rock is endless, purposeless noodling, but I didn't get that impression from this album at all. I thought it was tight and super inventive. I can hear the influences even in post-rock or post-hardcore 20-30 years later. Came out two years after the Who's awful Tommy that I had to sit through two days ago, and sounds light years ahead (I know light years are a measurement of distance). Fav track: The Fish Least fav: Mood for a Day

Darklands

The Jesus And Mary Chain

3/5

I think Psychocandy is the only JAMC I need in my life, but I enjoyed this. I thought two of the songs were "Head On" because they sound almost exactly the same, but that's on another album. 6.9 Fav track: About You Least fav: On The Wall

Music for the Masses

Depeche Mode

3/5

I'm a fan but I don't think this is consistently great. 6.8 Fav track: Never Let Me Down Again Least fav: Little 15

Live 1966 (The Royal Albert Hall Concert)

Bob Dylan

3/5

There are undeniably great songs here. I prefer folk Dylan, and this didn't change my mind. Side One - On the whole, I prefer the studio versions. There are some great moments (the harmonica on Mr Tambourine Man), but he sounds bored of singing the songs at times (also Mr Tambourine Man). Side Two - Again, great songs, but I don't think his rock arrangements are very interesting, and it drags. 6.7

Clube Da Esquina

Milton Nascimento

4/5

This is brilliant. Loads of variety and inventiveness. Sunny, psychedelic... I will put it on again in the summer. 8.2 Fav track: Um Girassol...

American IV: The Man Comes Around

Johnny Cash

4/5

I think this is a great project. Capturing Cash's epic voice with modern production that suits his style and some cool, unexpected song choices (NIN, Depeche Mode…). When it's great, it's great. When it's not, it's still Johnny Cash singing some good songs. 7.5 Fav track: The Man Comes Around Least fav: Bridge Over Troubled Water

The Wildest!

Louis Prima

4/5

It's kind of impossible not to like this. Great energy. 7.2 Fav track: (I'll Be Glad When You're Dead) You Rascal You Least fav: Body and Soul

The Good, The Bad & The Queen

2/5

Not very interesting. This doesn't belong on this list, given how much great music came out during this period. 4.8

Happy Trails

Quicksilver Messenger Service

4/5

I enjoyed this a lot more than I was expecting. Good long-form hippie guitar noodling. 7.8

Madman Across The Water

Elton John

2/5

Didn't engage strongly with this. I don't need great lyrics to enjoy music, but these lyrics baffle me, especially Indian Sunset. Some cool musical moments, like the guitar riff and strings on the title track. 5.5

Spy Vs. Spy: The Music Of Ornette Coleman

John Zorn

3/5

At least it's different. I found the dissonant parts made the digestible parts hit harder. 5.9 Fav track: Feet Music

Foxbase Alpha

Saint Etienne

2/5

This sounds quite ahead of its time for 1991, maybe an influence on the later trip hop and downtempo scenes? But the production sounds bland and dated now, and the vocals and lyrics don't stand out. Doesn't compare well with other releases from the same era by the likes of Massive Attack or Cocteau Twins. 5.2 Fav track: Spring Least fav: She's the One

Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea

PJ Harvey

3/5

I remember when this came out. I was a big fan of Dry and (especially) Rid of Me, and I thought this was a bit commercial, bland and 'tasteful' by comparison. I think I appreciate it a bit more now, but I'm not sure if it's just because we've had a crappy run of albums on this project recently. 6.9 Fav track: This Mess We're In Least fav: This is Love (sounds like a toothless version of her earlier stuff)

Drunk

Thundercat

4/5

Bayou Country

Creedence Clearwater Revival

3/5

The Marshall Mathers LP

Eminem

3/5

Definitely Maybe

Oasis

4/5

In Utero

Nirvana

5/5

Floodland

Sisters Of Mercy

4/5

The Band

3/5

The Dark Side Of The Moon

Pink Floyd

3/5

The New Tango

Astor Piazzolla

3/5

The Next Day

David Bowie

3/5

A Night At The Opera

Queen

3/5

Haunted Dancehall

The Sabres Of Paradise

3/5

White Denim

3/5

Zombie

Fela Kuti

4/5

Odessey And Oracle

The Zombies

4/5

Risque

CHIC

3/5

Arise

Sepultura

3/5

Green

R.E.M.

4/5

Songs Of Leonard Cohen

Leonard Cohen

5/5

Rattlesnakes

Lloyd Cole And The Commotions

3/5

London Calling

The Clash

3/5

In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida

Iron Butterfly

3/5

Pacific Ocean Blue

Dennis Wilson

3/5

To Pimp A Butterfly

Kendrick Lamar

4/5

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme

Simon & Garfunkel

4/5

I’ve got a big soft spot for these guys. It’s not a 5 because of a few throwaway tracks and Silent Night is a bit of a misfire

Homework

Daft Punk

3/5

Very well produced. But it sounds like it was made for the dance floor. There’s not enough development in the individual tracks so the second half drags until Alive. I liked the waves on Fresh

Tellin’ Stories

The Charlatans

2/5

They sound comfortable jumping on the britpop train but it’s bland. I don’t like this even as much as sneered-at landfill britpop like Shed Seven’s Maximum High. Indie disco standout is One To Another

A Rush Of Blood To The Head

Coldplay

4/5

Get Rich Or Die Tryin'

50 Cent

2/5

Nice beats but I find his lyrics a bit dull despite the odd great line so it really drags for the second half. Some hooks are good (In Da Club) some are annoying (PIMP).

Blue Lines

Massive Attack

3/5

I think this deserves its place for its towering trip hop influence but sounds dated compared to what came after - a more muscular Massive Attack, Portishead, Tricky’s debut. Lyrics and delivery are a bit trite and earnest. Some great songs though and enjoyed hearing a young, less paranoid Tricky

Back To Black

Amy Winehouse

3/5

Some really good songs here and quite nostalgic for me. The production is a bit clean and samey so it kind of washed over me but maybe I’ve heard these songs in the background too many times.

All Things Must Pass

George Harrison

3/5

The Number Of The Beast

Iron Maiden

3/5

Great at what they do and I appreciate it. But ends up being a bit too silly for me.

Surf's Up

The Beach Boys

4/5

Really strange album, from the cover/title juxtaposition to the musical styles being all over the place. The great tracks are great and the oddities are odd enough to be fun.

Queen II

Queen

3/5

I liked this better than Night at the Opera. It’s refreshing to not had the weight of their big hits. Liked the epic fantasy elements, but it lost me towards the end.

John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band

John Lennon

4/5

Refreshing how raw and immediate this is compared to other Beatles solo works we’ve had. Stripped down and quite dark.

Haut de gamme / Koweït, rive gauche

Koffi Olomide

2/5

It’s a fun vibe at the beginning, but it all sounds the same after a while to my untrained ears

Introducing The Hardline According To Terence Trent D'Arby

Terence Trent D'Arby

2/5

Pink Moon

Nick Drake

5/5

The xx

3/5

Really well produced. It’s minimal but still has atmosphere. Just didn’t really grab me

Reggatta De Blanc

The Police

4/5

Surprised myself how much I liked this. Really inventive and varied

Lady Soul

Aretha Franklin

3/5

Honky Tonk Heroes

Waylon Jennings

3/5

Nice chill country album. Would happily drink cheap beer and play pool to this

Suzanne Vega

4/5

3 Feet High and Rising

De La Soul

4/5

Love the production on this: energetic, inventive, fun. The rhymes suit it perfectly. Can hear the influence on my favourite hip-hop from the following decades like Wu Tang, MF Doom… Just too much skit-ery for a full score 🥲

Diamond Life

Sade

3/5

Heroes

David Bowie

5/5

Not sure if this is even in my top 5 Bowie albums but I’m completely biased. When it’s good it’s transcendent, but it’s always interesting and engaging. Sons of the Silent Age is mental.

Playing With Fire

Spacemen 3

3/5

They have a cool sound but Jason Pierce’s projects bore me a bit over the course of a full album

Hounds Of Love

Kate Bush

5/5

Fantastic album. I love all the songs on the first half (especially Cloudbusting) and the second half is so imaginative and eclectic. The very 80s production adds to its charm for me.