1001 Albums Summary

The most consistent and all-consuming Pumpkins album. Who knew a Big Muff could sound so beautiful!

Released on the day the computers were supposed to crash, or take over, or something. Firesuite: a slow burner with a touch of Portishead. Here it Comes: post-britpop bustle, chorus has a decent hook. Surprisingly bluesy with a pleasant piano coda. Break Me Gently: Tremolo lead vocal is underpinned by backing choral section. Pained, but restrained. Sea Song: Did someone say Radiohead?! Some nice chord changes but a little laboured. Rise: More tremolo, this time guitar. A little repetitive. More ambient bells and whistles. Lost Souls - Light and airy verses...moody cave chorus. Hearing a little bit of Pulp here (sorted for e's and whizz). Beginning to feel like the vocals are the main thing holding the album back from being truly great. Melody Calls - Speaking of changing up of vocals...earworm, bouncy Americana...slightly out step with the rest of the album. Catch the Sun - Clearly THE single. Memorable vocal, nice production. Strong track. Man Who Told Everything: Mournful...up-tempo drums in the chorus a little too prominent. Verse is much better. A decent single. Outro strings a little cheesy. Cedar Room: More more tremolo, moody strut, more than a little Charlatans coded. Reprise: straight into... A House: Acoustic intro, tasteful organ backing. Surprisingly short, fades into ambient mumbling. Half expected a big crescendo that never came. As debut albums go, it's a good one. There are moments of greatness, though overshadowed by some meandering. There's also one too many nods to the Ghost of Britpop present. That said, it's a confident first step. Strong 3.5.

Released April '91. The album that birthed Trip-hop. Safe From Harm: Menacing, sultry, dub baseline is instantly iconic. Essentially the blueprint for triphop. Great opener. One Love: Horace Andy on vocals for this one, based around Mahavishnu Orchestra sample. Points for the jarring Isaac Hayes brass sample that intercuts throughout. Blue Lines: Another dark funky number. The rapping is a tad fast...and the cadence a little dated. Be Thankful for What You've Got: Cover of William DeVaughn. Very cool bass line, organ is the shit. Five Man Army: Worst rapping so far, just cringe. Bass line is cool though, as is the 'money money money' dub outro. Unfinished Sympathy: Classic, 'nuff said. Upon re-listening, I am struck by the effect the percussion has in grounding the track. The vocals soar while the strings wash over you. There is a method to the darkness. Daydreaming: Mean bass line - sample from Mambo by Wally Badarou. Again, more cheesy rapping (sorry Tricky). Lately: Another Sharah Nelson lead track. Bass slaps...a little meandering though. Hymn of the Big Wheel: Low atmospheric hum. Tinny lo-fi drumtrack sounds like a rattlesnake. We wait until the end of the record to address those universal truths...the closest dance has come to a genuine religious call. It's a rare and earnest moment. There are some moments of dated production and vocal delivery, but this is an innovative album of aesthetic and musical quality. They would release more sophisticated albums later, but as a first step it's a giant one.

The Band's second album. 1969...Woodstock came one month before its release. Across the Great Divide: Americana encapsulated...Molly waiting by the window, pistol in hand. Cool opener. Rag Mama Rag: Never was a fan of boogie woogie roots. But there's more of that to come. Night They Drove the Dixie Down: Classic. Enough said. When You Awake: "Be careful where you step and watch what you eat". Good advice. Ends a little abruptly. Up on Cripple Creek: Apparently 'one of the first instances of a Hohner clavinet being played with a wah-wah pedal'. Song is not half funky too. Extra points for yodelling. Whispering Pines: Beautiful ballad. Delicate instrumentation, mixed impeccably. Ends side A on a meditative note. Jemima Surrender: More roots rock. A little lusty, especially the baritone saxophone. Rockin' Chair: Longing for returning home to 'old Virginny'. Look Out Cleveland: The boogie woogie is back. Cleveland OH or Cleveland TX? Who knows. Jawbone: Very unique opening, chromatic vocal harmony. Really like the time shifts (think I heard a shift to 6/4?). Very quirky track. The Unfaithful Servant: More of a traditional Band ballad. Beautiful class commentary. Danko's impassioned delivery is unmistakable. The acoustic guitar solo followed by the sax solo is genius. King Harvest (Has Surely Come): Union blues. Odd to end the album with more roots rock. The moody quiet section is a little menacing. Organ solo outro ends abruptly which is a little underwhelming. Tricky album to grade. There's a little too much boogie woogie for my liking, but the ballads are exceptional. The instrumentation and lyrics are excellent, as are the vocal performances. This truly feels like a collaborative effort. On reflection, this is an excellent album. 4.5-5 stars.