1001 Albums Summary

The Isley Brothers, 3 + 3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Album #7 and a new discovery for me. This is a great record, a really really enjoyable listen. I wasn’t very familiar with the Isley Brothers beyond Footsteps in the Dark and the fact that they’ve been sampled heavily in hip hop, Kendrick Lamar, Ice Cube, that sort of thing. I do really enjoy soul music, even if I don’t tend to gravitate towards it that often. The opening track here is an utterly smoking soul song with a cracking guitar solo at the end. In fact, there are loads of guitar parts across the album that I really really like. It feels like an album of moments. I don’t necessarily love every song all the way through, but there’s at least one moment on every track where I think that’s really fucking cool. It also turns out I already knew a few of the songs, including the opener and Summer Breeze, which I think is beautifully placed towards the end of the album. It really lifts things again after the middle sags a bit. Overall, I really really enjoyed it, and I’ll definitely be checking out more from this group in the future. Always nice to get a genuinely great new discovery

Metallica, Metallica ⭐️⭐️ Album #8. I cringed a bit when I saw this come up this morning. I’ve known Metallica all my life. I wouldn’t say I’m a fan. I like and borderline love a few of their songs, but they’re a small doses band for me. I was anxious at the thought of listening to the whole album. Turns out I was right. I have a few major gripes with this band, chief amongst them being their sound. Not the music, not the composition or the lyrics, it’s the fucking sound. Horribly compressed, like it’s playing from within a resonant box, sucking in on itself, completely devoid of dynamics. I hate it. This, to me, is not heavy. It doesn’t feel loud. It feels artificial in a majorly bad way. Secondly, it’s the rhythm section. Much of this stuff has been meme’d to death, but it’s still worth pointing out. The bass is so undefined. It’s just a low end splat in the mix. And Lars. Before today, I actually felt the criticism he gets was unfair. But my God. I’m sure these drum parts were meticulously crafted, but they’re played so rigidly. I’m a drummer myself, admittedly not part of a billion dollar band like Metallica, I’ve never made ten quid in music, but these parts are played so boringly and lifelessly that I feel you’d get more soul from a drum machine. What earns this album a second star for me is Kirk Hammett. His playing is class. His solos elevate every song on the album, particularly The Unforgiven, which is by far the best track here. One of the only songs with a real dynamic range, and where James ditches the trademark snarl and actually sings a bit. I also like some of the faster songs, like Holier Than Thou. I know this album is a departure from their thrash metal roots, so maybe I’d like the earlier albums more. I may get slated for this, but I don’t get it. By the end, I felt pulverised. Maybe that’s the point. I’ll probably never listen to it again.

The Who, My Generation ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Album #9. This is a strong three, and it could easily become a four with repeated listens. Of all the British Invasion bands, I’m least familiar with The Who, so I was delighted when this came up. They’ve always been more of a singles band for me. This is some heavy shit, heavy even by today’s standards. I can’t imagine what people thought when it was released in 1965. 1965! I don’t really care for the soul and blues covers. I totally understand why they included them, paying homage to their influences and introducing them to a British audience, but on a modern listen I’d rather hear James Brown or Muddy Waters do these songs. That said, Nicky Hopkins is pure class on I’m a Man. I also think Daltrey sounds a bit awkward on the covers. Their original tracks are far more compelling. My Generation and The Kids Are Alright are iconic and rank among the best songs of the 60s. As a band, though, holy shit. They sound fully formed here on their debut album. Crashing, smashing drums, chunky bass lines, and frenetic, ahead of its time guitar work. It sounds incredible. However music was recorded back then, it just feels like you can’t recreate that sound today. It’s beautiful. The slightly weak link for me is Daltrey, who sounds like he’s still finding his voice on this record. Overall though, really enjoyable.

Radiohead, Amnesiac ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Album #10. My first Radiohead album on the list, and probably one I’m least familiar with. I’m a big Radiohead fan and I love most of their music. I would question the inclusion of this album on the list, despite it being very very good, as it’s essentially an outtakes album from the Kid A sessions. It does feel like that in a lot of ways. It doesn’t feel as cohesive as some of their other projects, but why would it? It’s not really a full blown studio album in the same sense. It gets four stars because it doesn’t reach the level of consistency of their other masterpieces like OK Computer, Kid A, and In Rainbows. That said, it absolutely does reach those heights at times, particularly with Pyramid Song. This is as good a song as any I’ve ever heard in my life, and might possibly be their best ever. It’s a very top heavy album. The first half is absolute spectacular and includes a lot of their staples. Radiohead at their best. Funnily enough, this period is often seen as their departure from guitar rock, but this album actually has loads of guitar on it, and whenever it appears it sounds incredible and fits the tone perfectly. I Might Be Wrong has an absolutely crunching riff, and something about the guitar interplay on Knives Out reminds me of In Rainbows and even parts of The King of Limbs outtakes, like it was pointing towards where they’d go later. The second half undoubtedly drops off. I wouldn’t call it filler, because by definition it isn’t, these are outtakes. But anything from Dollars and Cents onward doesn’t really do it for me. Life in a Glasshouse is clearly a complete song, but it’s not a personal favourite, even though I know some people love it. Finally, this album is dark. Dark as a pitch black night. It’s probably their darkest record, even darker than Kid A. There’s no Optimistic here. It’s bruisingly bleak. I really enjoyed it, and I’m looking forward to more Radiohead as the list goes on.

Antony and the Johnsons, I Am a Bird Now ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Album #12. I did not expect to give this five stars when it came up this morning. I have a real soft spot for this album. I remember when it came out, and weirdly enough I remember listening to it the year it was released. Looking back, I don’t know how I got into this as a 13 or 14 year old, but I did. I think it was because of My Lady’s Story. My Lady’s Story is one of my all time favourite songs. I think it was the only track I’d heard at the time. I must have come across it on some compilation somewhere, and that’s why I bought the album. I’ve been listening to it on and off for years. I’m absolutely not made of stone, I love a good weepy film and a weepy song, and this one routinely brings me to tears. I don’t even relate to the subject matter at all. It has nothing to do with my life. But the composition, the performance, and the lyrics are just staggeringly beautiful. As for the rest of the album, I hadn’t listened to it in years. Looking at the tracklist beforehand, I recognised some titles and thought I could hear them in my head, but I was completely wrong. I didn’t know this album at all. It is so beautiful and so well performed. Antony’s voice is incredibly unique, I genuinely can’t think of another singer who sounds like him. Beautifully emotive. And the lyrics are even better. There’s not a wasted line on the whole record. Nothing feels off or out of place. The imagery is gorgeous throughout. The guest appearances are great as well. Boy George is fantastic on You Are My Sister. And it’s got Lou Reed on it, for fuck’s sake, that tells you all you need to know. I’m loving this 1001 albums exercise because it’s forcing me to re evaluate records I thought I knew. I did not know this album at all. It absolutely deserves your full attention, so when it comes up for you, sit down and really listen to it.

Motörhead, No Sleep ’til Hammersmith ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Album #13. I wasn’t fully sold on parts of this while I was listening to it. I think I’m a Motörhead fan more in principle than in practice. One thing that bothered me early on was how little I could hear Lemmy in the early to mid section of the album, but that seemed to sort itself out as it went on. I’m not usually a big fan of live albums, but this absolutely does its job, because it made me desperate to see Motörhead live. RIP Lemmy. It gets four stars because when it’s good, it’s fucking blisteringly great. Proper bruising punk metal. I love Lemmy’s crowd interactions, he’s just a funny guy. His interviews and documentary prove that. I especially loved the bit where he told the crowd to shut the fuck up. It’s one dimensional, but that’s barely worth mentioning. It’s a Motörhead album. And the dimension it operates in is fucking great.

Ramones, Ramones ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Album #14. What can you say about the pioneers of punk here. This is a great, short, punky album that predates the 1977 birth of punk itself, so respect has to be given for it being such a trailblazing album. Is it one of my favourite punk albums of all time? Probably not. It’s very one note and quite monotonous to listen to at times, but also quite enjoyable because it is what it is, similar to Motörhead yesterday. It just is what it is. It’s so groundbreaking that it has to be respected and taken on its own merit. While a lot of the songs do sound the same, the subject matter jumps around wildly, from Nazism to drugs to surprisingly tender moments like I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend, which is probably my favourite song on the album. It’s also very short and snappy, so it gets points for that too. I don’t really see myself listening to this much in the future. It doesn’t necessarily contain my favourite kind of punk sound. I much prefer Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols, which I think took the formula of this and brought it to a different level, though I know a lot of people would disagree with me there. But yeah, the lyrics are great, the riffs are good, and it’s a short, sweet, punky album that was way ahead of its time and completely groundbreaking. It paved the way for one of my favourite genres of music, so it definitely has to be respected.

The Beatles, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Album #15. I think in recent years this album has become underrated. I know Rolling Stone had it ranked as the greatest album of all time at one point, and now it’s somewhere in the 30s. It feels like it’s fallen a bit out of favour in Beatles discourse compared to Revolver, Abbey Road, and even Rubber Soul. I think this could very well be their best album. Conceptually it’s definitely their most sound album, and maybe one of the most conceptually sound albums ever made. The whole Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band idea is genius in my opinion. It was a great turn for the band to make, and I think they threw themselves into it. The tone and style are about 90 percent consistent with the concept. And it’s just fun. There are a lot of great songs on it. I think it might be McCartney’s strongest album. He’s all over it. While I wouldn’t usually jump straight into his more granny, sitting by the kitchen sink type songs, this probably has his best ones. She’s Leaving Home is great. I love Lennon’s vocal contributions too, even when McCartney is leading. And Lennon’s own songs are spectacular. It’s hard not to listen to A Day in the Life and think it’s one of the best songs ever recorded. My only gripe is Within You Without You. I don’t think it fits the tone of the album. Before anyone gets annoyed, it’s actually one of my favourite songs on the album on its own. I listen to it regularly. It just doesn’t fit the rest of the record in my opinion. It’s also Harrison’s only solo writing credit on the album, so maybe that’s just where he was at. I sometimes think about what it would have been like if Strawberry Fields Forever or I Am the Walrus had been on this instead. That would have been some tracklist. Look, it’s The Beatles. It’s arguably their most famous album and it’s just a cracker. I’m trying to limit five star reviews, but it’s very hard not to give this one five stars.

Charles Mingus, The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Album #16. I am a total philistine when it comes to jazz. The depths of my jazz knowledge extend to Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue, which is probably the equivalent of someone only knowing Heartbreak Hotel by Elvis Presley. I don’t even know if that’s a good comparison, but that’s the level we’re at. It’s hard to review an album like this after one listen in one day. I usually listen to these albums first thing in the morning, but today I ended up listening to this while on a nighttime expedition to buy frozen broccoli. It turns out that might have been the perfect way to hear it. I like the dark tone and atmosphere. I really like how the whole album sounds. It’s sinister. My jazz terminology is poor, so I don’t really know how to describe individual parts, but I loved how the first track moves from sinister to sultry to freaky in a really subtle, smooth way. The second track felt pure cinematic. There’s also this weird bit where a trumpet sounds like a voice, I thought that was cool. The third track has an incredible piano opening. I don’t know if this album has been sampled to death by hip hop, but that section feels ripe for it. I started to lose a bit of patience on the fourth track, but I liked how it kept bringing back the main motif over and over again, and almost every time it returned it sounded uglier. That was really interesting. There are loads of moments that keep you on your toes, stabbing percussive tuba, random injections of flamenco style guitar, just strange choices that somehow work. The sound of the album and how cohesive it is is genuinely impressive. Why three stars? I feel like this might grow on me, and I’ll try as the list goes on. I am looking forward to more jazz. But as a genre, it often leaves me cold. It doesn’t really convey an emotional message to me in a clear way. When everything goes chaotic and mental, drums flying, saxophones and woodwind shrieking and billowing, I’m not always sure how I’m supposed to feel. I tend to feel very little. I prefer the quieter sections, they feel more meaningful to me. Maybe I’m just not smart enough for it. I’m sure this album is incredibly well thought out and composed, and I’m sure there’s meaning there, I just don’t connect with it yet. Maybe with repeat listens it’ll click, and maybe I’ll grow into jazz more as this list continues. For now, it’s a three star.

Jorge Ben, África Brasil ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Album #17. I’d never heard of this album until I joined this and started the 1001 album generator. I’d seen it reviewed a few times and people have really waxed lyrical about it, giving it five stars. For me, it’s good. At points it’s very, very good. It’s just not really my thing. I like African-influenced music — I’m a big fan of Fela Kuti — but I don’t really care much for samba or that style in general. I don’t hate it. I just don’t feel much towards it. The positives: the vocals are incredible. Some of the songs, like the opener, “Xica da Silva” and “História de Jorge”, are class. And the repetitive rhythms are something I usually really enjoy in music, but unless the rhythm really catches me, it doesn’t bear repeating, if that makes sense. It’s an interesting album. I gave it a few listens when I had the time, but it didn’t click with me in the way it seems to for most people. Just my opinion. That said, I’m looking forward to more stuff like this. It was a completely new discovery for me, and I really enjoyed that part of the experience.

Haircut 100, Pelican West ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Album #18. Another new discovery. Third in a row. A great new wave record. I’d never even heard of Haircut 100. It’s not necessarily my thing, but it definitely flirts with the kind of music I tend to gravitate towards. Uptight rhythms, lovely muted rhythmic guitar and melodic lines, and while the saxophone isn’t my favourite instrument when it shows up, it’s suitably camp and tastefully used throughout. It’s kind of the focal point in a lot of ways. The singles are the best songs here. They’re insanely catchy, especially Love Plus One, which has an amazing chorus. I could definitely see some of these songs making it into my general rotation, so this was a hit for me.

Muddy Waters, At Newport 1960 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Album #19. Big blues fan. I love the early blues musicians, especially the 1920s originators. Not so much this more modern version, but I’m still a big fan of this kind of music. I’d never listened to this album before. I don’t tend to gravitate towards Muddy Waters that much. He doesn’t necessarily have my favourite voice in blues, although I fully admit he’s a complete legend and incredibly influential. I prefer the growl of Howlin’ Wolf or the grittiness of Son House and Blind Willie Johnson. But we’re reviewing a Muddy Waters album here. It’s a class set. Amazingly well recorded and produced. I love how the crowd get more and more into it as it goes on. It becomes livelier and more exciting, and Muddy even loosens up towards the end, especially on Got My Mojo Working, which is my favourite track here. He’s almost just making noises at certain points. There’s something so sinister about this type of music. Singing about having your “brand” on someone is just nasty. His band is insane as well. The piano playing from Otis Spann is unbelievable. And I don’t think anyone does that slow 12 bar drawl quite like Muddy Waters. So yeah, this is a very strong four. As a product of its time, maybe it’s even a five. It’s so well recorded and just a really enjoyable listen if you’re into this kind of music. Another new discovery for me, my fourth in a row.

David Crosby – If I Could Only Remember My Name ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Album #20. And my new discovery streak ends today. I’m very familiar with this album. I’ve been a David Crosby fan since my teens, and this once ranked amongst my favourite albums, so it was interesting to return to it. Let’s get the bad stuff out of the way. I have a major gripe with David Crosby (RIP), and it’s his lyrics. As I’ve grown older and more cynical, I just feel they’re the epitome of hippie nonsense. A large portion of his songs are about how he doesn’t know what’s going on. From The Byrds to CSN/Y and into his solo work, David is always asking the question: what’s going on? In this modern and frankly scary world, I ask that question a lot too. But David provides no insight whatsoever. He’s a great singer with not much to say. He even keeps us on our toes with “Laughing”, which opens with: “I thought I met a man Who said he knew a man Who knew what was going on” Oh really, David? What did he say? “I was mistaken.” Right… more of the same, so. Musically, though, this album is gorgeous. He’s an exceptional musician, surrounding himself with other exceptional musicians. And occasionally he does break away from his lyrical restraints — “Cowboy Movie” is a class, light-Dylanesque story that turns into a Crazy Horse-style jam. And “Traction in the Rain” is such a beautiful song, arguably his best ever. On the whole, though, I feel there’s a bit of filler. The two closers, “Orleans” and “I’d Swear There Was Somebody Here”, aren’t the most compelling or fleshed-out tracks. It’s a good album from a period of music that I love, and I did enjoy revisiting it. If you’re into this kind of stuff, I’d recommend Linda Perhacs – Parallelograms or Alexander “Skip” Spence – Oar. Similar vein, but for me, more interesting.

The Rolling Stones – Let It Bleed ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Album #21 The second album in The Rolling Stones’ purple patch where they could do no wrong (except for Altamont and tax evasion.) This is a much stranger and more lo-fi record than I remembered. I hadn’t heard it in a while. It’s bookended by two of their most bombastic songs, both fantastic and absolute classics. Everything in between, though, feels more stripped back than I expected, and a lot more country. Not a complaint, just an observation. I don’t love this record as much as some of their others, but it has too many great songs not to give it a four. That said, there are a couple of tracks here that I think have better versions elsewhere. “Country Honk” isn’t as good as “Honky Tonk Women,” which is essentially the same song. And I much prefer the live version of “Love in Vain” from Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out!. Also, and I know it’s a fan favourite, “Midnight Rambler” is a bit goofy. It never really did much for me! On the other hand, it’s probably got one of Keith Richards’ best vocal performances on “You Got the Silver.” I absolutely love that song. I’ll probably reserve my five stars for Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main Street. I don’t think this quite reaches that level, even though it’s an absolute classic. Great record all the same.

Album #22, Def Leppard, Pyromania ⭐️⭐️⭐️ We’re getting into a genre I couldn’t care less about. ’80s heavy metal isn’t my thing. I don’t know if this counts as hair metal, and I’m not that familiar with Def Leppard. But I’m leaving my bias at the door for these listens. It opens with “Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)” and I thought, oh God, here we go. But you know what? It won me over. First and foremost, it’s loud. Properly loud. Everything is well balanced and clear in the mix. You can hear every instrument distinctly. The drums are absolutely huge. It’s full-on stadium metal. Whether you like the music or not, you have to appreciate a record that sounds this big. It’s headache-inducing at times, but it is what it is. It’s a great-sounding record. Song-wise, I don’t care for some of them. You have to take the corniness at face value and accept that it’s part of the deal. “Too Late for Love” does nothing for me. The songs about rock and roll are pretty boring too. “Photograph” is easily the best song on the album. There’s a cool effect on the melodic guitar lines, kind of a phased, reverbed sound, and I love it. Any track with that kind of melodic playing really benefits from it. “Comin’ Under Fire” is good. “Die Hard the Hunter” is too long. A couple of others are decent. I’m giving it three stars because, for what it is, I actually enjoyed it. It won me over. I wasn’t in great form today and thought this would drive me mad, but it actually cheered me up a bit. So I owe it that.

Album #23, Van Morrison, Astral Weeks, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is a really difficult one to review. It’s such a unique record. I can’t think of another album that sounds like it. The closest comparison I can come up with is Spirit of Eden by Talk Talk. It feels like lightning in a bottle. If you sent Van in to record it again, I think it would come out completely different. It’s hard to explain, but it feels like pure music. It isn’t weighed down by obvious structure or form. It’s boundaryless and just spills out of the speakers. The songs feel almost improvised, like they’re being made up on the spot. At times they seem like they might fall apart, but they’re held together by Van’s voice, his lyrics, and the way he phrases things. He squeezes too many words into a line or stretches too few across a melody, and somehow it works. He pushes the songs forward. There’s momentum behind everything. The arrangements swell and shift in subtle, unexpected ways, with little melodic lines appearing and disappearing. It somehow feels both stripped back and incredibly lush at the same time, which is an impressive balance to strike. It’s a beautiful record and deserves all the praise it gets.

Album #24, Bob Marley and the Wailers, Natty Dread, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I’m a fan of reggae, even if I’m not that knowledgeable about it. I’m probably more of a greatest hits person when it comes to Bob Marley, but I was familiar with a good few songs on this. I think it’s a good album. Lyrically, he’s a great writer, and some of the vocal lines here are genuinely brilliant. There are songs about sex and revolution, and most of them are really strong. The title track is unbelievably catchy and perfectly placed in the middle of the album. I still think the live version of “No Woman, No Cry” tops the studio version by a fair margin. The album version is very good, but the live one is transcendental. I know this was the album where Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer left, and it does feel a bit more minimal than some earlier material. That said, the backing singers are fantastic and really fill it out. I’m not an expert on reggae, but I really enjoyed this. Looking forward to more.

Album #25, David Bowie, The Next Day, ⭐️⭐️⭐️ This was a hard one to review. I ended up listening to it twice. Not usually a bad thing, but I finished it the first time and struggled to remember what each song actually sounded like, so I gave it another go. It’s art rock, definitely, and it’s challenging in places. There are some good songs, but I wouldn’t call it a catchy album. Some of the chord progressions don’t do much for me, and there’s a kind of dissonance throughout. I’m sure that’s intentional, but it just doesn’t sound great to me as a full album. I’m also not a fan of Bowie’s double-tracked vocals on some tracks. I find them distracting and not that pleasant to listen to. That probably sounds more negative than I mean it to. It gets three stars because there are some very good songs here. “You Feel So Lonely You Could Die” is my favourite. It’s one of the moments where he doesn’t get in his own way with too many effects or segues. Some of the main riffs across the album are very strong too. Also, this is driving me mad: the riff in “Valentine’s Day” sounds like it’s lifted from another song. I don’t even mind that, I just want to know what it is because I’m sure I’ve heard it before. This is my first Bowie album on the list. I was surprised to see it included. I know it was part of the revised 2014 edition and came out in 2013, so maybe there was a bit of recency bias. It was a big comeback, but I don’t think it’s anywhere near his best work, and I’m not sure it’s one of the 1001 you need to hear before you die. Still, there are worthwhile songs on it. I just don’t see myself going back to the whole album any time soon.

Album #26, Bruce Springsteen, Darkness on the Edge of Town ⭐⭐⭐⭐ I’m not a Bruce disciple. I bow to the altar of Bob Dylan and Neil Young most days of the week. I do like Bruce and his music, but I’m not a fanatic. I have a soft spot for this album, though. About 15 years ago, when I first moved away to college, I was obsessed with it. I’ve no idea why it was this one in particular, and I hadn’t really listened to it since, so it was fun to go back to it. I’m not really a stadium rock kind of guy, and Bruce often strikes me as stadium rock. My favourite album of his, by a wide margin, is Nebraska, so that’s usually more my thing. You’d think this wouldn’t work for me, but it really does. Funnily enough, it’s the more bombastic songs I enjoy most. “Something in the Night”, “Streets of Fire” and the title track are my favourites. There are a few I don’t care for. “Prove It All Night” feels a bit disposable to me, like that traditionally weaker second-last track on an album. His lyrics are strong. It’s working man blues and romance all over the record. Great singer, great band, and powerful in places. Looking forward to more Bruce as this goes on.

Album #27, The Smashing Pumpkins, Siamese Dream ⭐⭐⭐⭐ One of my all-time favourite albums from my teens. Suitably so, as this is the band at their most angsty. I hadn’t listened to it front to back in a long time, only the odd track here and there, which I always enjoy. In my head, I held this in very high esteem. So it was revealing to go back to it. The good stuff: they’re a huge-sounding band. Smart alternative rock. Super dynamic. They earn the massive solos and instrumental breaks because they build in moments of quiet and beauty. You turn it up when it’s soft and get blasted when it explodes. It’s really well produced. Billy Corgan is really interesting because he gets away with complete and utter schmaltz. Take “Disarm”. He’s singing about being a little boy over all these fucking church bells and maudlin strings. On paper, I should be saying, “Fuck off, Billy. That’s bullshit.” But it somehow works. It’s genuinely moving. And I’ll be damned if “Spaceboy” isn’t still my favourite song on the album. However, that overwrought sensitivity doesn’t always land for me. “Mayonaise” is a fan favourite, but I find it cheesy. Very pre-emo, and emo isn’t really my thing. The reason it’s not a five anymore is the length. It drags. I wouldn’t call anything filler, but some tracks feel unnecessary. You don’t need “Rocket” when you have “Hummer”. You don’t need “Sweet Sweet” when you have “Luna”. It slows the momentum. You can already sense Corgan’s tendency toward excess and a future in rock operas. The arrangements can be a bit much. But they’re an intelligent band. “Soma” and even something as wild as “Silverfuck” are carefully constructed. So it’s a four now. I was surprised, and a bit disappointed, but I can’t give it five anymore. I still think it’s one of the most important albums of the 90s, and absolutely one of the 1001 you should hear. Still a massive fan. And yes, the bloat only gets worse from here with Mellon Collie and future releases. But that’s for another day!

Album #28, Isaac Hayes, Hot Buttered Soul ⭐⭐⭐ Right, where to start with this? This could be a two star on another day, but I’m giving it three because I’m in a good mood and it did kind of work for me in places. I actually knew this album already. I listened to it years ago, so I wasn’t going in blind. Let’s start with the bad stuff. There are basically only four songs. It’s a 45 minute album and that’s not a lot of material. Maybe that’s common enough for a soul or jazz leaning record from that era, but I don’t think it really works here. If you break it down, there are only a handful of musical ideas stretched across the whole thing, and I’m not sure that’s enough to hold my attention for that long. “Walk On By” is a good song, but it’s too long. It actually reminds me of “Suspicious Minds” where the best bit is the chorus, but a huge chunk of the track is taken up with a drawn out ending that doesn’t really build to anything. Same kind of issue here. “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” is basically the centrepiece of the album, but I don’t think the payoff justifies the long spoken intro. It’s a cool idea, and I respect it, but in the modern day of destroyed attention spans I found it hard going. Sometimes that kind of slow burn works. For me, this time, it didn’t. The positives, his band are amazing. “Hyperbolic” is an absolute belter. Proper jam. “One Woman” is decent too. Not one of the best soul songs I’ve ever heard, but solid. The musicianship across the album is the highlight for me. Isaac himself has a great voice, but I’m not sure I’d put him up there with the absolute soul greats as a singer. Maybe that’s not the point, but when you’re on a list with so many legends it’s hard not to compare. This came out in 1969, and I don’t know enough about the context to say how influential it was. Maybe it was groundbreaking and I’m just not appreciating that side of it. As I said at the start, this is probably a two for me on another day. But “Hyperbolic” is such a tune, and “Walk On By” has some genuinely beautiful moments, so it gets a three.

Album #29, Calexico, Feast of Wire ⭐⭐⭐ This is pretty close to my kind of thing. I like indie and alternative country like this. Maybe not so much Tex Mex, but I’ve never really gotten into Calexico or Los Lobos properly. Every now and then a song of theirs comes on and I usually enjoy it. This is the first Calexico album I’ve listened to in full. I’ve seen them live as well, but I barely remember it, which probably says something. I’m sure I enjoyed it at the time. It’s a good album, but there are too many instrumentals for me. Having seen them live, I now remember there were loads of instrumental sections there too, so I get that it’s part of what they do. It just doesn’t do much for me. Some of them sound like film soundtrack pieces, and I don’t really reach for that kind of thing. A few are cool though. Some have a trip hop feel, heavy drums and strange strings, which I liked. Not exactly trip hop, but in that territory. The best thing about the band is Joey Burns’ voice. There’s something about it that I really like. It’s understated and vulnerable, and it suits the music perfectly. I just wish there was more of him singing on this record. Not all the songs are that memorable either. The opening two tracks are very strong and made me think the album was going to be excellent, but I lost interest as it went on. It gets three stars because there are some very good songs here. My favourite was “Not Even Stevie Nicks”, which honestly sounds like a Wilco song and is probably the biggest outlier on the album. Maybe that says something. I think what I’d actually prefer is a more stripped back version of Calexico, or even a Joey Burns solo acoustic album. So if any fans are reading this, point me in that direction. More of him, less of the instrumentals.

Album #30, Miriam Makeba, Miriam Makeba ⭐⭐⭐⭐ What a treat. A genuine new discovery from an artist I’d never even heard of before. I didn’t know the name Miriam Makeba at all. A quick glance at her wiki shows she led a pretty incredible life, so I’m looking forward to doing a proper deep dive. The page for this album is sparse, but I know it’s her debut from 1960. I’m not very familiar with music from that time, especially anything coming out of Africa, so this felt like a proper discovery. The whole record is basically a vehicle for her voice, and what a voice it is. She’s funny, sweet, occasionally a little bit sexy, and genuinely beautiful throughout. The instrumentation is sparse, but it really suits the material. I’m not usually into flamenco style Spanish guitar, but it works here, especially on the more sombre tracks. The authentic African rhythms and vocals are the real highlight for me. Even more than her covers of traditional American songs like “House of the Rising Sun”, which I still enjoyed. I’m also a sucker for backing vocals. It’s usually female backing vocals I gravitate towards, but here it’s baritone male singers and it fits perfectly. This is exactly why I’m doing this list. There are bound to be gems I’ve never even heard of, and this is definitely one of them. Looking forward to hearing more.

Album #31, Violent Femmes, Violent Femmes ⭐⭐⭐ I’m anticipating downvotes. I was really excited when this came up. It’s been on my personal list for years and, on paper, it should be right up my alley. The good stuff is this. I love the uniform sound of the album. Frenetic, stripped back three piece indie rock. There is a sloppy but tightly rehearsed energy to the album. There’s great backing vocals too. It’s a homage to classic rock and roll and I love that. “Add It Up” is particularly mental. “Gone Daddy Gone” is great and “Blister in the Sun” remains an absolute classic, probably the best song on the album. “Good Feeling” is also a wonderful last minute change of tone and pace for the closer. The musicianship is top notch. It’s hard to play this sloppily. The bad is Gordon Gano. His voice grates on me. Something about his register really hits a nerve in my tinnitus stricken ears. Also, and I don’t really mind rip offs, but his whole approach is a Jonathan Richman rip off. A quick Wiki states that he was going for a Steve Wynn of The Dream Syndicate, but he’s not Steve Wynn, he’s Jonathan Richman, and something about it bothers me. I don’t find it sacrilegious or anything, it’s just that Richman reeks of cool because he doesn’t give a shit, but Gordon’s lyrics, (to be fair, written at 18 years old), portray an angsty teen that cares too much. Not that Richman didn't write schmaltzy songs too! But there was a satirical edge to all of it. With Gordon, the style doesn’t match the substance. It’s really hard to explain and I'm ill prepared for my rational to be torn to shreds. Overall I was disappointed. I had hyped this one up in my head for a while without ever listening to it.

Album #32, Black Sabbath, Vol. 4 ⭐⭐⭐ For context, my favourite Black Sabbath song is Planet Caravan. I grew up listening to their first three albums. Paranoid was one of the first songs I learned to play on drums. However, I never went beyond Master of Reality, as I felt and still feel like it was a step down from the first two, and I had an inkling they fell off after the first three. So this is my first time listening to Vol. 4. And like Violent Femmes yesterday, I wish I’d heard it twenty years ago. Because my tolerance for crunching heavy metal is limited these days. And what crunching heavy metal it is. Huge big fucking riffs with bells on. It’s Tony Iommi’s album through and through. I have to give them plaudits though. They try a few experimental things outside the formula. The samba bit on Supernaut, the lush Laguna Sunrise, and the stupidly simple FX, all of which I enjoyed. Then there’s Changes, which is tender, touching, and a genuine classic. What I don’t enjoy is the endless proggy segues. The way they stop and switch gears into another riff and beat is probably technically impressive, but there’s too much of it throughout, especially on Wheels of Confusion and Under the Sun. I prefer when they keep it dumb and simple, like on St. Vitus Dance. Two other things to note that aren’t necessarily criticisms, even if they sound like it. Lyrically, they are dirt simple. They’re not a thinking man’s band, and I don’t think they’re trying to be. But hearing Ozzy Osbourne sing through a maelstrom of guitars is as iconic a sound as any, the best example being Supernaut. Finally, the mix is very inconsistent throughout. Weirdly though, I think I prefer the muddier sound of Cornucopia. It’s almost proto stoner metal, a genre I probably prefer nowadays. I would have lapped this up in my teens. I do wish I’d continued my Sabbath journey back then. It’s a band I genuinely respect and admire.

Album # 33, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Born on the Bayou ⭐⭐⭐⭐ I was only delighted to see this come up this morning. I fucking love Creedence Clearwater Revival. They’re easily in my top 10 favourite bands of all time, and I regularly binge them throughout the year. I’ll probably end up on a bit of a binge now after listening to this. They’ve written some of my all time favourite songs. Run Through the Jungle, Born on the Bayou, Ramble Tamble. I regularly play these and never get tired of them. I just can’t fault this band. I love all the individual parts of them. Their guitar playing is class. Their riffs are so memorable. And John Fogerty’s voice is just iconic. One of the most unique and best singers in rock music, I think. I saw him live about seven or eight years ago and he still had it. Still great. Great lyricist. Wonderful songwriter. I love how danceable they are. No wonder they had such huge hits, because there’s such a groove to their music. On the longer tracks, like Keep On Chooglin’, you’ve got that repetitive rhythm in the back and you just get sucked into it. This isn’t their best album. That’s probably belongs to Cosmo’s Factory or Willy and the Poor Boys. But it’s still Creedence, and it’s still great. It’s got some iconic songs like the title track and Proud Mary. Some great deeper cuts like Bootleg. And Penthouse Pauper is just a gas tune. It’s funny and it makes you think. It does have a weak spot. Really only one, but it’s a long one. Graveyard Train is just too long. I get it, and it is a suitable change of pace, but for me it’s not very interesting. It’s their Muddy Waters blues jam, but it’s not the best of their long jams. Nor is “Keep On Chooglin’.” I wouldn’t rank that as highly as something like “Ramble Tamble,” even though it is still very good. Those two tracks take up a lot of the album, so that weakens it and probably takes a star away. But you still have John Fogerty absolutely ripping it, and for that alone it has to be at least four stars. If you don’t really know Creedence, I’d actually say start with a greatest hits. Even though the albums have great deep cuts, I’d argue they’re the best greatest hits band of all time. They were a hit machine and wrote some of the best singles of that era. So I’d seek out a compilation before diving into the albums.

Album #34, Sheryl Crow, Tuesday Night Music Club ⭐⭐ A 90s album with some of the worst 90s pop tropes. This actually starts off very strong. Sheryl has a good voice, her lyrics didn’t initially offend, and it’s a kind of heartland rock, Americana pop style that I was enjoying. The first four tracks really set the album up as a solid alt-country experience. She’s no Lucinda Williams, but it felt like it was heading in a direction I liked. Then Solidify comes on and it all deteriorates very quickly. Once the beats get bigger, the quality drops. Run, Baby, Run is a no, no, no. Sheryl is rapping on this and it just feels desperate. We have a slight return to her roots on No One Said It Would Be Easy, but the chorus is so unbelievably clichéd that it completely distracts from the emotional weight of the song. I’ll give her some props for What I Can Do for You. It’s a brave song, and the sleaziness of the character she’s playing genuinely makes me uncomfortable, so that one works. All I Wanna Do is okay. We’ve all heard it a million times, so I’m already jaded by it. My gym plays it constantly. I can understand why it was a hit, but it’s one of my least favourite forms of 90s pop, that white-rapping-trying-to-be-cool style. And then We Do What We Can, a foray into lounge jazz. At this point I just didn’t care for it. It feels like she’s throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks. There’s a slight return to form for I Shall Believe, but by then all my goodwill is gone. Not for me, this one