1001 Albums Summary

Relisten Wonderfully dark and sensual. Still blows my mind this came out in 1990. Fav track: Halo, World in My eyes, Policy of Truth Least fav: Waiting for the Night

Relisten Kinda hard to not separate my opinions on this album now from the fact that it was basically constantly playing for most of my childhood. I think it occasionally is a little goofy and melodramatic and Mike Shinoda's rapping isn't the best. But then Chester screams his fuckin lungs out over some of the best nu-metal melodies out there and suddenly the flaws don't matter as much. There's an earnestness to even the corniest lines, it's hard not to feel a little bit of something, especially considering Chester's passing. Fav track: Crawling, Points of Authority Least fav: By Myself

Relisten I prefer Nick Drake more stripped back like on Pink Moon where it's mostly just him and a guitar but the instrumentation on these songs is still really good and adds some whimsy that his later stuff doesn't have as much. Feels like walking through the woods in the fall picking up pinecones and shit. Favorite: Three Hours, Saturday Sun Least favourite: The Thoughts of Mary Jane

First time listen Was surprised how much I loved this considering that I don't consider myself a huge Springsteen fan. There's a through-line of Midwestern Melancholy that really tugs at my heart strings. Much more emotionally raw and lyrically interesting than Springsteen's later, more pop rock stuff. Feels like a nostalgic, downtrodden slice of Americana. Would probably rate it 4.5/5 if I could Favorite Tracks: Atlantic City, Highway Patrolman, My Father's House Least Favorite: State Trooper

First time listen but I've listened to disc 1 a few times Surprisingly doesn't feel too bloated for a double album. The classics are mostly front loaded but there's a lot of stuff on the second disc that I really enjoyed Was definitely ready for it to be over by the last couple songs, but the ratio of hits to misses is pretty great for a two hour album Fav tracks: Zero, An Ode to No One, 1979, X.Y.U. Least favourite: Cupid De Locke, Galapogos 4.5, leaning 5/5

Relisten Not a bad song on this album. Quintessential grunge, even the overplayed hits are still fantastic. The album effortlessly jumps between loud and explosive to moody and heavy in way that still sounds fresh today. Favorite tracks: Something in the Way, Lithium, Territorial Pissings, Come As You Are Least favorite: None

First Time Listen I think there are some genres and scenes that are hard to bring into modern, streaming-centric times without feeling like you're losing something. I think a lot of this 2-step house albums from the 2000s suffer from this. I don't think a full length album, listened at home on my computer on a Wednesday afternoon while completely sober, is the ideal way to experience any of this music. There's some catchy tracks here, a few I'd probably put into a house playlist or would enjoy hearing on a club mix. But listened back-to-back, with all the fluff and corny R&B lyrics in my face for an hour, I just kinda feel like I'm trapped in a Planet Fitness without my earbuds. Favorite Tracks: You're Mine, Sincere Re-Cue'd Least Favorites: MJ FM Interlude, I See 2-2.5/5

First Time Listen Pretty good New Wave album, had a very ethereal sort of atmosphere that I really enjoyed. There were a few catchy tracks but I also don't think a lot of it really stuck with me. Definitely something I'd want to revisit at some point. Fav Tracks: Nude Spoons, Club Country Least Fav: Bap De La Bap 3/5

First time listen Pretty uninteresting dad rock for me. I can see that it's well produced but it doesn't do much for me. Fav track: Sister Morphine, Moonlight Mile Least fav: Brown Sugar, I Got The Blues

First time listen Didn't expect raunchy blues rock going off of the album art but I was pleasantly surprised by this one. Pretty short with a decent variety, seems like the vocals might have been an inspiration for Geordie Greep. He probably shouldn't have said all of that on "Next" though. Favorite tracks: Swampsnake, Next Least fav: Gang bang 3.5/5

First time listen Good, hypnotic house music. I think the first two tracks are a little overly long but it kinda comes with the territory I suppose. Wouldn't have expected this album to be from 1996, sounds a few years ahead of its time. Fav Tracks: Juanita / Kiteless / To Dream of Love, Rowla Least Fav: Confusion the Waitress 3.5/5

First time listen First Beck album, was ok, most of it didn't really grab me to be honest. I like some of the singles I've heard by him but this album felt all over the place stylistically. For some reason develops a hip hop sound toward the end of the album I wasn't a fan of. Will have to try another album by him. Fav tracks: Where It's At, Novacane Least Fav: High 5 2.5/5

First time listen Yeah okay whatever the production is good I guess. But it's really fuckin hard to remove this album from the pedophilic context of its subject matter and Serge's weird (putting it lightly) relationship with his daughter. I say this as someone who generally doesn't have any issue separating art from the artist, or enjoying art that tackles difficult subject matter - Serge Gainsbourg was a perverted freak who dabbled in pedophilia and incestuous overtones in his music, and I don't think his history of being a provocateur really makes this album easier to stomach. No lush production or orchestral crescendos can make my skin uncrawl from listening to the giggling of this fictitious 15 year old girl in the context of a sensual spoken word ballad. I don't deny its influence or even its artistic merit, but I find the subject and artist detestable in a way that refuses much appreciation for its positive aspects. Fav track: I don't know I don't care Least favorite: All of it 1/5

Relisten Pink Floyd's most emotionally poignant work in spite of its slightly bloated length. Roger Water's life experience bleeds through every song on this album, and I'm always surprised by the amount of people who view this album as pretentious - a little on the nose maybe, but given Water's specific attachment to this project so many years after its release makes it clear that this was a personal piece first and foremost. It's not my favorite Pink Floyd album, but it offers some of the group's strongest emotional highs. Fav tracks: Another Brick in The Wall Pt. 1 thru Pt. 2, Comfortably Numb, Run Like Hell, The Trial Least fav: Young Lust 4.5/5

First time listen Pretty mixed on Bob Dylan overall, some of his albums are great and some of the stuff that people really love are kinda grating to me. This was mostly a collection of the stuff I like from him with a bit of a lull in the middle with some songs I didn't care for as much. The big long versions of Ballad of a Thin Man and Like a Rolling Stone at the end really elevated this album for me, really transformative versions of those songs - especially Like a Rolling Stone, it's nice to hear a different version of a song I've grown completely and utterly tired of hearing. Fav tracks: Ballad of a Thin Man, Like a Rolling Stone, Mr Tambourine Man Least fav: Just Like a Woman 3.5-4/5

First time listen Suprisingly haven't listened to this album yet. I'm more of a mid to late 70s era Bowie fan, but this era is great too. There's some tracks that feel a bit like B-sides for Ziggy Stardust, but overall I think this is an enjoyable, catchy album. Fav tracks: Aladdin Sane, Time Least Fav: The Jean Genie 3.5/5

Relisten Despite the insane nazi shit that he fell into in recent years, his older discography is, for better and worse, very far removed from the person he is today. Haven't listened to this album since I was still in college so hearing it now made it hit a lot harder, the whole thing feels like an anthem for twenty somethings who don't know what to do with their lives. I like almost every song on this record and it's as crisply produced as it was 20+ years ago (except that Jay-z sounds like he did his feature in a phone booth on Never Let Me Down). Re-listening to it definitely gave me a newfound appreciation for it, it's a hell of a first album. It also just makes me sad knowing all the insane shit that would happen afterwards. Hope he gets the help he needs, but this version of Kanye feels like a distant memory. Favorite Tracks: We Don't Care, Spaceship, Never Let Me Down, Family Business Least fav: Get Em High 5/5

First time listen Completely underwhelming psych rock. I don't already have much interest in this era of rock unless it's The Doors, but this album feels especially boring, has all of the worn out tropes you could ask for; the grating harpsichord song, the goofy vaudeville track, a few boring love songs. Listen to the first track and save yourself some time by skipping the rest. At least it was short. Fav Tracks: I Had Too Much To Dream Least Fav: The Toonerville Trolley. The King Is in the Counting House 2/5

First time listen If not for his more weary vocals on this album you could've convinced me this came out right alongside Heroes, and I don't just say that because it's got the Heroes album art in the background. This album especially seems like an acknowledgement of the passing of time - heroes just for one day, and then "The Next Day" comes and we're left with something different, but still having the DNA of classic Bowie. Kinda crazy that Bowie dipped for a decade just to come back, drop two great albums, and then die. Most older artists either fizzle out or just stop making new music years before their deaths. David Bowie went out with a bang between this and Blackstar. Favorite tracks: The Next Day, The Stars (Are Out Tonight), How Does The Grass Grow, (You Will) Set The World on Fire Least fav: Valentine's day 4-4.5/5

First time listen Country-ass country duets. Not really my thing, but not really offensively bad either. My love for this type of country doesn't stretch much further than something like Marty Robbins. Don't really have any favorites or least favorites, this era of country is pretty repetitive and the songs tend to blend together. 2/5

First time listen Decent rock album. Better than some of the 60s rock outfits on this list that have absolutely no place being there. Didn't have a lot of the corny tropes of the era. Not something I'd be eager to listen to again, but I'll probably check out more of this band at some point. Don't really see this as anything essential by any stretch. Favorite tracks: Feelin Alright?, Means to An End Least favorite: Pearly Queen 3/5

First time listen I liked this quite a bit, expected some kind of folksy type music going off of the rugged handsome man on the cover but this had a bit more of a pop sound than I expected. Didn't clock this was the guy in the Beach Boys initially, definitely wouldn't have picked up on it based on his sound alone. Wild Wikipedia read too Favorite Tracks: Time, River Song Least Fav: Rainbows 4/5

First time listen From the first seconds of this album there is zero doubt of the era that it was made in. It's got the silly goofy guitars, the cheesy lyrics, the whole nine yards, but it also has an earnestness to it that I found charming. Made me want to wear a bedazzled pair of flaired jeans and a crop top with a flower on it Favorite tracks: You Oughta Know, One Hand in my Pocket, Ironic Least favorite: Head over feet 3.5/5

Relisten This shit needs to be taught in schools man. Quintessential example of the transformative power of sampling. Sounds just as fresh and interesting to me as my first listen. You could listen to it a hundred times and pick up on some new sound, some sample in the background that you never noticed before. Favorite Tracks: Since I Left You, Frontier Psychiatrist, Live At Dominoes Least fav: Genuinely don't think I have one 5/5