1001 Albums Summary

Contains some of the most iconic songs of MJ’s career… and some others. I’m not overly keen on Speed Demon and the collabs on this album are a miss for me, but the key finds on this listen are Another Part of Me, Dirty Diana, and rediscovering just how GOOD the bass line on Smooth Criminal is. Overall immediate thoughts: good album, not quite up to Thriller standards and MJ starts to sound like a bit of a parody of himself here.

Slash really is one of the guitar greats, the man brings a flawless performance on all of these tracks (even the slightly duff ones) and Axl does the screechy screeches very well - it’s just a shame he doesn’t use his more mellow tone to full effect until the next couple of albums. So many classic tracks that it’s hard to know where to begin. Rocket Queen, Nightrain and Mr Brownstone all excel… and then there’s (in my opinion) one of the best album openers on a rock record in the form of Welcome To The Jungle. I will say though, Appetite For Destruction has become a victim of its own success. Constant radio play has eroded a lot of these tracks and I even find Sweet Child O’ Mine grating whenever it first comes on, only warming to it again by the time the second verse kicks around. This - and the lack of musical variety which is admittedly a personal preference - is the main reason why a full listen of AFD is a bit draining in parts where even a lot of double albums aren’t, but still a great time when all’s said and done.

Honestly thought this was going to be an all-time stinker until I got to They Don’t Want Your Corn, They Want Your Kids which surprisingly has Temporary Secretary vibes with the thin instrumentation and the bass and sequencer in the background… … then the rest of the album happened and it’s safe to say I won’t be going back to this one

Not overly keen on Oasis and I feel like their success and popularity have predominantly been defined by those first two albums and a great line of singles throughout the 90s. However, this is GOOD STUFF. Personally speaking, there’s a bit of a black spot on the album from Hey Now! to Some Might Say and part of me wishes they developed the jams into a full song because there’s so much potential there, but the rest of the album stands tall especially with Don’t Look Back In Anger, which is - in my opinion - the band’s crowning achievement across its whole discography. Top Three: - Don’t Look Back In Anger - She’s Electric - Morning Glory

This is an album I should love, really. A lot of bossa nova beats and funky basslines with some jazz mixed in, and Winehouse’s powerhouse vocals are impossible to resist and the good ones are really damn GOOD - but it definitely feels like a debut album, and in some parts a bit unfinished. She’ll go onto greater things, but she’s still cooking. Top Three: - Help Yourself - What Is It About Men - Stronger Than Me

I can’t quite explain why, but Simon & Garfunkel’s music perfectly encapsulates the move into autumn/winter. Needless to say, an absolute joy to get this one through as we get through September. Top Three: - Homeward Bound - Patterns - The Dangling Conversation