1001 Albums Summary

I can respect and appreciate the influence that blues greats like B.B. King, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, et al have had on music, and I enjoy listening to it in short stretches. But while this may be an unpopular opinion, the repetitive nature of the songs and actual repetition of standards by various artists wears on me after a while. It's a genre best enjoyed live, which I give this album a tip of the hat for trying to capture. I'd give it 3.5 stars if I could, but it falls short of great.

This album was even more "meh" than I expected it to be, and I expected it to be pretty darn "meh." Van Morrison's whiny brand of mildly upbeat folk gets really old really fast, with not enough variation across the album to keep it interesting. Even the titular track offered little reprieve as we've all heard it enough times to dismiss it. Sure, I was happy to let it blend into the background and create a mood that I didn't hate, but I was left unimpressed.

Had never heard of Frank Ocean before this listen, and rather than research I just pressed play. Immediate impression ("Thinkin Bout You"): this is mumble rap. This ain't my thing. But the beat was groovy and there were 15 more tracks, so I stuck with it and let it do its thing. The R&B vibes of "Sierra Leone" brought me back in, and I found the shades of Stevie Wonder in "Sweet Life" pretty encouraging. Three throwaway minute-or-less noise tracks in the first six was a little annoying, but there's some substance in there. Middle of the album had an experimental Tyler the Creator vibe with "Super Rich Kids", "Pilot Jones", and "Crack Rock," then "Pyramids" brought the term Prog Rap to mind, in a pretty okay way. "Lost" could have been a Gorillaz B-side, "Monks" a Childish Gambino C-side, and between the two, "White" had John Mayer in it, I guess. "Bad Religion" went from Prince (DEARLY BELOVED) to Phantom of the Rap-era in an unneeded way. "Pink Matter" definitely had Andre 3000 in it, and I have no idea wtf the point of that "Forrest Gump" song was. After the way the 2nd half of the album fizzled out, I found "The End" pretty unnecessary, but not altogether unwelcome...

*long, contemplative, shoe-gazing sigh* The Cure have always been an enigma for me, one that I generally like in small doses, so the 8 track, 43 minute runtime seemed adequate. I have their Greatest Hits, and with a quick comparison of tracks I was shocked to find that this album had NONE of those, which made me wonder how, of all their albums, this one made the list. Intriguing. *pouty side glance* From the moment I pressed play this was familiar. Synthesizers, discordant guitar, driving bass drums (almost tribal at times), and then those first lyrics, "it doesn't matter if we all die" told me I'd been here before, even if I'd never heard this album. Pop sensibilities that strive to hold you at arms length. A slow, methodical, melancholy flock of seagulls. Cryptic, nearly nonsensical lyrics with emotionally charged word choices. Death, slaughtered, scream, blood, moon, dream, scream, cry, etc, etc... And in the middle of it all, Robert Smith's droll, angsty, reverberating whine making every song, regardless of tone and tempo, sound vaguely the same as the one before it. No track by track breakdown to see here, just a cartoon dog sitting in a room filled with fire and smoke... I mean, I kinda liked it. But you know... *exaggerated eyeroll* Whatever.

It was 1993, and there was angst enough for everyone to have as large a helping as they liked. Grunge had stormed onto the scene and sucked all the air out of the room, seemingly poised to dominate the decade. Then Billy Joe Armstrong and the boys came along and dropped a Dookie on it. Call it Post-Punk, Pop-Punk, Skate-Punk, or whatever else you like. Pulling from influences like The Ramones and The Clash, but with the pop sensibilities of The Kinks. Tracks like "Longview" and "Basketcase" got so much play that it makes an honest, thoughtful review of them difficult, and gives one no choice but to evaluate through a lens tinted by nostalgia for an album heard dozens of times before. I hit play and "Burnout" is over before I've even settled in. "Having a Blast" is over before I've had time to actually start having one, and I'm reminded that this 39:22 album of 14 tracks (nope, 15 counting the hidden "All By Myself ") has an average track length of just over 2.6 minutes. It's not fast paced, it's FRENETIC. And while each track sounds similar to the ones on either side of it, they're different enough (and over quickly enough) that they compliment rather than blend. The best it has to offer is in the first two thirds, though, and just when you decide you still love it, it challenges that perception by managing to somehow be a little too long, with the "filler" bunched together at the end. But that, too, is over quickly, before you have time to be salty. And in the end, you're left feeling slightly exhausted by an album that scratches a nostalgic itch and still seems to stand the test of time.

Massisve Attack is a group that I have been aware of but never taken the time to explore, and I'm very happy that I got the opportunity here. Immediately gave me proto-Gorillaz vibes in the greatest ways, while also exhibiting a a range og vocal styles (including soulful and well-placed offerings from Shara Nelson). There's some experimentation that really works here, and some that falls flat for me, but it's varied beats and rhythms made it anything but boring, and I repeated a few tracks (namely "Safe From Harm", "Unfinished Sympathy", and "Daydreaming," all of which I discovered after had been released as singles). One of the first on this list that I was unfamiliar with and plan to revisit, this one's the kind of 3.5/5 that I don't mind to round up.

I'd heard of but not listened to MGMT, and what I took to be a club album at first glance evolved into a genre-bending surprise of an album that wore all of its musical influences on both sleeves (despite the cover having none). Shades of The Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, The Beach Boys, Velvet Underground, Bob Dylan (parts of Pieces of What totally reminded me of The Man in Me), David Bowie, Pink Floyd and Porno for Pyros laid over with the melodic (and sometimes unmelodic) synth pop that stormed to popularity in the early 2000s. More mellow than Matt and Kim or Two Door Cinema Club, and maybe closer to the Flaming Lips (who I always really wanted to like but still don't) or Modest Mouse, I can recognize just as much if not more of the bands that came AFTER them (Capital Cities, Owl City, Temples, Walk the Moon, Ghost of a Sabre Tooth Tiger and Tame Impala) in here. The most played songs per Spotify are certainly highlights (Electric Feel is one of my favs), but 4th Dimensional Transition (a nod to Perry Ferrell?) and Of Moons, Birds and Monsters gave a great addition of psychadelia that I was impressed to see by that point in the album. All of that to say that this one kinda hit me where I am, and I liked it quite a damn sight better than I thought I was going to. For the first time in this list I started an album over as soon as it was finished, and I look forward to exploring some more of their stuff. Definitely worthy of a 4.25/5 to me.

I wanna start by saying that I do like CSN and sometimes Y, and recognize Stills as a primary songwiter for the group. He's a highly prolific and talented musician whose numerous solo and group projects in the late 60s and early 70s are varied and loved. That said, seeing a double album of Stephen Stills on my feed this morning didn't exactly excite me. Maybe it's just too familiar. I'd never listened to this album, vaguely recognized a few songs ('It Doesn't Matter' and 'Johnny's Garden,' maybe?), but it's the same folksy-blues-grassy mandolin fronted hillbilly rasp that you expect it to be... And a whole heaping helping of it. Like a granny plopping another spoon of gravyless taters on your plate, this one ain't over until you're about to burst at the seams. Streaming services will hide from you that the album itself was divided into four thematic sides—The Raven (latin-rock), The Wilderness (country & bluegrass), Consider (folk), and Rock & Roll Is Here to Stay (rock and blues—and while I can hear it after the fact, it's a distinction that would have been lost on me without having it pointed out. Sure, some songs are better than others and there's a bit of variety to be had, but the extended runtime evens out the lumps. Don't get me wrong, the musicianship and execution is solid. The production is decent. But it's not moving any needles, and it feels SO LONG. It's just a workmanlike collection of songs that sound vaguely like everything else Stills has touched, which perhaps helps emphasize the strength of his collaborations with CSN and sometimes Y by showcasing the lack of those elements. It's a 3 that gets rounded down to 2.5 for being too long winded, which out of respect I'm gonna round back to a 3/5. NOTE: Listening to 'Colorado,' I'm going to need someone to explain to me why they didn't sue the pants off of Bad Company for releasing 'Shooting Star.' It's as if Paul Rodgers said, "I like this song, but what if it wasn't so boring?"

"You're back in your old neighborhood The cigarettes taste so good But you're so misunderstood You're so misunderstood" Full disclosure, this album was embedded deeply in my soundtrack of the late 90s, and I know every word of every song on both discs. It's the album that really seperated Jeff Tweedy and the boys from their Uncle Tupelo roots and let them forge their own sound, showcasing their incredible evolution from A.M. to Summerteeth. Obviously, I'm a big fan. Like a big pot of bubbly stew filled with chunks of The Beatles, Bob Dylan, The Beach Boys, Jerry Lee Lewis, Neil Young, The Band, Glen Campbell, and Graham Parsons, seasoned with dashes of Velvet Underground, Buddy Holly and Sesame Street, it's rich, tasty, meaty and nourishing, but it's the broth that ties the whole thing together, warms the belly, and makes you want another bowl. Sure, I beat up Manassas yesterday for being too long and bloated, but in my estimation, this ain't that. The tempo, styles, and even genres range from song to song enough to give the variation needed to support its weight, and the sometimes bouncy, sometimes philosophical, but always poetic and relatable lyrics underpin its folk sensibilities and exude an intimacy beyond a few talented musicians making a buck. It's playful, raw, emotional, beautiful, and speaks to me in a way that few artists ever have. It's a 4.75 that easily rounds up to a 5/5 for me, and anyone who thinks highly of it should proceed directly to Summerteeth.

Okay, so I haven't read the book, but this album really made me start to question the process by which these albums are chosen. Don't get me wrong, I didn't hate this, and would even make the case that (being born in 1975) 80s pop hilds a special place in my soul. But even within its specific genre and being held amongst its contemporaries, this album, and indeed, ABC as a whole, is laughable at its worst and forgettable at its best. It offers nothing that I hadn't heard its prdecessors offer, and moves no needles. It's sorta fun, sorta bubbly, and no doubt funded a cocaine habit or twelve, but in the end, I'd never heard it before today and will be happy to pretend the same tomorrow. it's a 2.5/5 that I don't feel generous enough to round up.

I was familiar with Amy Winehouse's music, as well as her tragic Death by Misadventure, but had never queued up an entire album of her music and wasn't disappointed when it showed up on my list. Turns out, it was exactly what expected. Her voice is incredible, and there are some solid soul and R&B hooks to be found here. The lyrics are contemporary and personal, telling the story of an artist who was used to (and rebelliously proud of) making bad decisions in her life, love and otherwise. But it did droll on a bit for me, and while there weren't a lot of low points, there weren't really any highlights, either. I get the hype, but it wasn't talking to me, wasn't MEANT for me, and at times made me feel like I was eavesdropping. A solid 3/5.

This one turned out better than I initially thought, or at least got better as it went. It's no wonder it had completely escaped my attention at the time of its release, as this isn't normally my thing, but it was decent for what it was. 3.25/5

I hadn't ever listened to Morrissey in any meaningful way, and was intrigued when it popped up on the list. Boy did that pass quickly. How could I have made it this far in life without having appreciated the pseudo philosophical ramblings of a 3rd rate lounge singer who gleefully eschews any poetic framework or song progression? I seriously feel like I'm missing out on the joke somewhere. From the first track (if a pretentious twelve year old heard I'm Afraid of Americans once and tried to sing it from memory) to the last (You Know I Wish it Hadn't Lasted So Long), I couldn't wait for this poor excuse of an album to be over. He should be sorry. How can anybody possibly care how he feels? A quick look at the global reviews filled me with dread. Not that my opinion was an unpopular one (there's an ample number of folks who agree with my assessment), but that there are apparently two other albums of his forthcoming on this list. 0.125/5 rounded up to 1 because I guess I have to.

Some background: "Bossa nova, which literally means 'new wave,' was a blending of samba and jazz that rose out of a guitar school formed in Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana neighborhood in 1956. While jazz music, which is typically swung, also contains syncopation, bossa nova is typically played without swing, contrasting with jazz." So to clarify, this jazzy music you're listening to, with Jazz in the title of the album, isn't really jazz. Got it. So anyway, I've always thought of jazz like wine. I like jazz when it sounds good, and I like wine when it tastes good. But the "this one's swung" and "this one's oaky" business is lost on me. I suppose I have neither the palate or the sophistication or the attention span necessary to distinguish the subtle notes and flavors, so I'm not going to try to do that here. I'm just going to say that this jazz (or distant cousin of jazz) isn't bad. I've had better, smoother varieties of that vintage that I like more (Herb Alpert and Vince Guaraldi, for instance), but there was nothing too off about it and it got me where I was going. It's a 3.5/5 that doesn't quite get to a 4 for me. But truth be told, I'm a whiskey guy, myself.

I had mixed feelings when this one popped up on the list, because Hole is Courtney Love, and it's hard to seperate Courtney Love 'the artist' from Courtney Love 'the widow of Kurt Cobain,' and not drag along all of the baggage that comes with it. Particularly with the loud and persistent (and vehemently denied) allegations that Cobain had ghostwritten much of their previous album, Live Through This. That album had been a departure from their two years prior debut album, Pretty on the Inside, and would be departed from significantly four years later with their commercially successful Celebrity Skin, featuring writing credits from her ex-boyfriend (before Kurt) and Smashing Pumpkins front man, Billy Corgan. All of that culminates in an album that exudes more pop-rock/glam sensibilities than its predecessor, with Corgan's influence discernible throughout without hijacking it. It's less aggressive and punky, more traditional in its arrangements, with a more polished production that is unabashedly fishing for the commercial success that it ended up finding. Come for the tabloid queen, but stay for Eric Erlandson, because yeah, this is his band, too (with songwriting credits on every track of all three albums, including solo credit for standouts Northern Star and Heaven Tonight). They aren't all bangers by any means, but there are a few solid tracks aside from the radio friendly opening title track that keep it interesting. I definitely prefer Live Through This, but there was much worse than this coming out in the late 90s, and I don't hate it. A solid 3/5.

Before I die, though? You sure about that?? Because while this isn't the most gawd awful album I've ever heard or anything, it's far from memorable or seemingly influential. Just eight of the blandest and most forgettable soft rock tracks I've listened to since I don't know when. You're telling me that this guy has thirteen other solo albums, and this is the one? Because it feels like a compilation of Neil Diamond's lowest rung, least liked fillers. It's a 2/5 out of respect for Dion and the Belmonts.

The first 15-20 minutes of listening to Jethro Tull are pretty great, but then I need to stop listening to Jethro Tull. I came to that conclusion while indulging in a Jethro Tull kick in college, when you're supposed to explore bands like Jethro Tull, and it's held true since. It's not because of the flute, mind you (though occasionally, it can be because of the flute), but because it's going to start to sound like it's repeating itself, even if it isn't. Their great tracks are great, their filler is boring, and their lyrics are so pretentiously British (which is great up to a point). Overall, it's a solid 3/5.

During the mid 1970s, "Arena Rock" was spreading like wildfire, and into that inferno Boston dropped the (at that time) greatest selling debut album of all time, the self-titled 'Boston,' garnering the band a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist (losing out to Starland Vocal Band?!?) All eight tracks on this quintessential classic rock album went on to receive regular radio play and the album itself would reach Diamond certification in 1990. So why am I not absolutely ga-ga over it? It would just never occur to me to put on a Boston record, and when most of these songs come on the radio, chances are that I'm going to change the station. ESPECIALLY More than a Feeling. Perhaps, being born in 1975, it was just so inescapable in my youth that it scarred me. Maybe I burned out on it before I truly had an opportunity to appreciate it. After all, it packs all of the rock elements I find appealing in similar acts (Styx, Kansas, Blue Oyster Cult, Foreigner, Journey, etc...), and arguably forced them to change their own sounds/formulas to chase the same commercial success. So it should be further up my alley, but... I do like it, but I could never love it. It's a 3.5/5 rounded up out of respect for the game.

Stevie Wonder has a tendency to almost always live up to his last name, and this album marked a period where he really hit his stride. Smooth soul spiced with funky jazz, and a poetry in his lyrics that speak to the human condition in a subtly different way than most artists before or after him. This one's a 4.49/5 for me that I'll round down, if only because his next two albums get better and better.

I'd spent time listening to Prodigy, Daft Punk, Jamiroquai, and Moby, but hadn't really given Chemical Brothers a go and was happy enough to do so. At times driving and aggressive (particularly early on, when I was afraid it was just going to just be an album full of rave music), at other times hazy and ethereal, I had a real problem trying to square how an album could possess all of those quaities and still leave the impression of being boring and overly repetitive. A solid 3/5 that I honestly had higher hopes for.