Another fun album from the band I discovered here. Not as strong as their debut album (heard here also), but fun and punk-poppy just the same.
[shrug] In the words of John Heard’s character in BIG: “I don’t get it.”
I love the variety on this record. I probably wouldn't be that interested in the artists that influence Jack White, but I love his particular blend of those influences.
A thoroughly great album from beginning to end.
Sleep delays my life / Where does time go
Dreams, they complicate my life
(Dreams, they complement my life)
4.5 stars
While I have nothing against dreamy trip-hop — and I would be fine with any of these individual songs in the right spot on a playlist — this kind of droning, simple, unadorned, repetitive album does nothing for me.
Seeing today’s album and cover art, my first thought was “Oh, that’s that band on the SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD soundtrack.” After some rumination on the cinema of Edgar Wright, I realized it was the US movie HIGH FIDELITY where I’d first heard of The Beta Band.
I assumed the band was a fictional creation. When I did get around to listening to them — probably THE THREE E.P.’S — all I recall is that I was unimpressed. “Maybe it was the best option [director Stephen] Frears had,” I thought at the time. “Definitely doesn’t strike me as a band Nick Hornby would use in this story.”
So, what does a listen to their third album in 2026 reveal?
The prog-rock vibe, vocals and harmonies on “Space” and “Lion Thief” bring to mind 1960s Pink Floyd. If not for the crisp production, this might be a lost soundtrack to an unfinished Antonioni film.
There’s a lot to like about the music, especially the variety, and “Liquid Bird” is my favorite track.
But I can’t get past the banal and uninspired lyrics throughout. Repeating lines like “She’s so wonderful”, “I love your way”, “I love you to pieces” and “I’m so glad you found me” four, eight, sixteen, 24 times is far from poetry.
Sure, HEROES TO ZEROS’s musical atmosphere can be interesting at times, but a confessional line from “Space Beatle” sums it up: “What I’m saying has no meaning.”
The only Neil Young albums I’ve ever listened to are THIS NOTE’S FOR YOU (1988) and FREEDOM (1989) and I don’t currently own any Neil Young albums or CDs.
Asa a person, I love the guy. A stand-up dude and rock icon, he was flipping the bird at corporate bullshit in the 1980s when few did; Neil Young is the antithesis of “sellout.” But, for the most part, none of his song ever made me want to listen to any of his 1960s or 1970s work. Twangy, countrified rock just isn’t my bag.
So, it’s 2026 and I’m listening to Neil Young’s second album with an open mind…
On first listen, it’s all unexpectedly tolerable and track 4 (“Down By The River”) and 6 (“Running Dry (Requiem for the Rockets)”) stand out as favorites. I’d probably give the album 3 out of 5.
By the second, the entire thing is really, surprisingly, growing on me. The honesty and raw, live real-ness of it all is coalescing into a jangly whole. The last track “Cowgirl in the Sand” is a standout gem this time; it would fit right in on The Beatles WHITE ALBUM. Now the album’s at least a personal 4 out of 5.
It’s not the type of music I would ever think to turn to on my own, but I’m grateful I found this album here, fixing a hole in my 1960s/70s rock listening.
Really don’t like Joan Baez’s voice, or that vibrato thing she does.
The Animals’ “House of the Rising Sun” is a traditional? Did not know that!
This genre just does nothing for me.
Somehow far, far worse than I could ever imagine.
Never heard of this artist before today. Pleasant enough, a good listen.
Way heavier and harder than I remember. While I could like a single Alice In Chains song hearing it on a soundtrack or 97X back in the day, an entire album of this kinda hard rock is not for me. Not my genre.
What a pleasant surprise: Behind the pleasant but played-to-death US hit single “There She Goes” was this UK gem produced by my favorite producer, Steve Lillywhite.
The astonishingly great debut album from one of my favorite artists still sparkles. Every track is a gem.
Jeff Buckley has always struck me as a musician's musician -- one of those artists that so many of my favorites love -- who just has no particular appeal for me. Listening to the entire album hasn't dispelled thst notion.
The consensus is that Jeff's version of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" is the best one out there, but I still prefer Rufus Wainwright's.
Less than two weeks into this 1,001 Albums project and we get my favorite band! Alright!
XTC’s Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding belong in the pantheon of great songwriting band mates, right up there with Lennon and McCartney.
The next-to-last album from my all-time favorite pop band shimmers with ambition, hooks and wit. A melodic masterpiece.
A bit more shaggy, rambling and jangly than what I’m generally drawn to.
This is my first listen to 1970s Brian Eno….
I hear, of course, his later influence on Talking Heads, but the up-tempo tracks had me thinking of The Buggles, Devo and early XTC as well.
I look f forward to exploring this one further, and will definitely pick this up on CD or vinyl.
When it comes to my favorite artists, I often end up thinking of their career in three phases. The first, the golden period, is when I first discover the artist, buy all their albums as soon as they come out, listen to them closely, and then await the next gem. Everything that came before is their early period; I’ll invariably work my way through their back catalog until I hit upon some earlier albums I really don’t care for and rarely listen to. But, being a favorite artist, I’ll probably end up owning all their albums.
Then there’s the late period. This usually starts when one of the new albums is a big disappointment — like Billy Joel’s AN INNOCENT MAN or R.E.M.’s MONSTER — and then I’m like “Well, I don’t have to buy their albums when they come out anymore” and it goes from there. In this period I will often wait for reviews, stop paying close attention to new release dates, and wait to pick them up months or years later. In my mind, the artist has peaked, will never top the stuff I love, but, y’know, I’m still interested.
My golden period for Elvis Costello is TRUST (1981) to SPIKE (1989) and the later period is MIGHTY LIKE A ROSE (1991) to now.
BRUTAL YOUTH is one of those top-notch late period Elvis Costello albums I often overlook. I’d forgotten about all the photos of 4- and 9-year-old Declan on the cover and in the CD booklet.
And all my favorite personnel are here, too: the Attractions and Nick Lowe are back. Produced by Mitchell Froom and Elvis Costello. Recorded and mixed by Tchad Blake. Mastered by Bob Ludwig. No wonder this album sound so good!
Not a fan of folk generally, but the alternative folk artists often appeal to me, especially from the other side of the pond.
Would probably be a "4" if not for how much I've always disliked Bragg's voice.
Short take: Find a 4-minute version of “Good Times,” listen to it, then skip the rest.
This album starts with the undeniably terrific song “Good Times” — great beat, love those jangly guitars — and drops off a cliff immediately thereafter. And at 8:08, “Good Times” is four minutes too long; that thing belongs on a 12” as a dance mix.
Most of these tracks are choruses in need of a song. Lame, tired, and unimaginative lyrics are repeated over and over.
RISQUE is bland, uninspired, numbingly repetitive and vacuous.
I expected more from Nile Rodgers.
1.5 stars
I have a few of Elliott Smith’s albums, and I really love just about everything I hear from him. Wasn’t familiar with this one and glad to get a chance to hear it for the first time.
A 4 now on first listen, but could grow to a 4.5 or 5 over time.
I have never liked Eagles, and listening to this entire first album hasn’t changed anything.
Lowlights:
“Chug All Night” (Frey), vocals: Frey
“Most Of Us Are Sad” (Frey), Vocals: Meisner
“Take the Devil” (Meisner), vocals: Meisner
“Tryin’” (Meisner), vocals: Meisner
Geez, I'd really forgotten how annoying "Song #2" is when it was a hit, and then played at every single Reds game, as part of the pre- or in-game ritual, for about 12 years. Ugh. I never wanna hear that again.
I like Blur when I hear 'em on alternative rock radio, but this album didn't really do anything for me.
2.5 stars
I’m not sure why — perhaps its the cloying, simplistic hippie naïveté — but I absolutely cannot stand “Teach Your Children” and “Our House,” the two Graham Nash songs. It’s not like I disagree with the sentiment of “Teach Your Children.” And, sure, I get it: “Our House” is an ode to his wonderful life with Joni. But….ugh. It’s like those terrible love songs written by lovelorn solo McCartney.
Those two songs along bumped this album down a full star.
And another thing about CSN&Y for me that I’m not proud of: I just don’t like their harmonies. Which is crazy. I love harmonies in music, and Pandora has proven that to me time and time again. But certain bands — like CSN&Y, America, The Beach Boys — I just don’t care for their particular harmonies.
Never heard of this artist before; what an interestingly odd album.
I don't hate it so, y'know, that's saying something...but I doubt I will ever listen to or think of this artist again.
Dunno how I missed this band when I was discovering 1970s/80s British punk and new wave back in the 1980s.
Right up my alley. What a fun debut!
Well suited for an afternoon spent drinking piss-poor beer and lapping up bitter ruminations from the old fogeys and barflies at the local watering hole.
Mercifully over in 28 minutes.
The font on the cover is a crime against design.
Given what I’ve heard (on alternative/modern rock radio over the years) and know (Kim Gordon is a rock icon) about Sonic Youth, I really thought I would like this album more. (This is the first Sonic Youth album I’ve listened to in its entirety.)
Perhaps those songs I like are on later albums. Didn’t dislike it too much, but I doubt I’ll ever come back to this one again.
2.49 stars
There’s a lot to like about Guided By Voices, and it’s not just because it’s the biggest band to come out of my hometown.
But there’s a few things that personally frustrate me:
(1) The whole lo-fi thing just grates. I care about good production and great-sounding albums too much. I get it, I see why it’s their thing, but I just would love them more if the albums were more slickly produced. It’s probably why one of my favorite albums of theirs is the one produced by Ric Ocasek.
(2) A lot of Guided By Voices songs just feel like remnants or parts of great songs, or the seeds of what might become great songs. Not that these remnants aren’t pretty great themselves — and Robert Pollard’s ability to write hooks and melodies is astonishing — but it all just seems to get dumped out and thrown away, one lick at a time. A lot of their songs just end up being ephemeral to me. I would love Guided By Voices far more if the songs were constructed into more fully realized songs.
(3) The sheer number of Guided By Voices albums is overwhelming. I know that seems odd to complain about an artist releasing too much work, but…Who can possibly keep up?
3.5 stars
“…the album’s engineer was so put off by the 18-minute ‘Sister Ray’ that he left to get coffee, complaining that no amount of money was worth listening to that crap.”
I’m with him.
1.4 stars
Tom Waits is really his own genre, and this album is a perfect way to showcase what he does best.
He’s surrounded by a bunch of terrific musicians on this album, including, on piano and electric piano, Mike Melvoin, a member of The Wrecking Crew and the father of Wendy Melvoin of Prince’s Revolution and Wendy & Lisa.
I don't really go for slow, languid dreamy pop, but I've always liked Lana Del Rey. It probably helps that she sounds like the permanent artist-in-residence at the nightclub in every David Lynch movie.
Hadn't heard this one before but loved it like all the others of hers I'm familiar with and/or own.
You can't really go wrong with any Talking Heads albums, and this is one of their best.
liked this a lot more than I expected!
My own personal issue with foreign-language music is that I care too much about lyrics to really enjoy it or seek it out. Exceptions are when I have some other point of reference or context, like the soundtrack to Wim Wenders’ BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB.
So, while I will probably never revisit this Tito Puente record, I appreciate the influence it’s had on some of my favorite artists like Joe Jackson and Kirsty MacColl (especially her TROPICAL BRAINSTORM record).
I like the music well enough. “Been Caught Stealing” is the standout track, of course, and it’s held up well over the years, but there are some other good songs. Kinda like “Of Course” for some reason — it sounds a bit like an alt-rock band covering a track off the FIDDLER ON THE ROOF soundtrack — but the lyrics about getting slapped in the face grew tiresome by the end.
I lke their songs one at a time, but an entire album of Perry Farrell’s voice singing and screaming is a bit much to take.
2.5 stars
I’ve never done a deep dive into the Miles Davis catalog, so this one was a new one for me.
Also, this one prompted me to read up on Miles early career in the 1940s and 1950s, so I’m grateful for all that new knowledge.
Not really an album in the traditional sense — most of these were released as 78s in the era before albums — it’s still an excellent assemblage of what Miles was exploring as a band leader for the first time.
4 stars
If anyone could pull off this album’s concept, it should be Nick Cave.
But this work just rubs me the wrong way. (Kinda like Stagger Lee.) It’s all just…too much. Too bombastic. Too over-the-top.
Apparently I prefer my murder ballads on the more subtle side, so I’ll take Springsteen’s NEBRASKA over this every time.
Second time listening.
The list of artists inspired and influenced by Roxy Music is long, including Devo, Duran Duran, ABC, Spandau Ballet, Depeche Mode, Talking Heads, and The Human League.
I would rather listen to any of those than endure Roxy Music’s first album again.
It’s difficult to put my finger on why I find Roxy Music, and in particular their first album, so grating and annoying, but it’s everything. From Bryan Ferry’s smarmy voice to the alternately droning and meandering keyboards, guitars and saxophones to the way the drum fills are mixed in. And it’s not that I’m bored or dismissive about what I’m hearing; I’m actively disliking it.
It’s as if my musical preferences were fed into A.I. and Roxy Music’s first album is spit out to push all my aggravation buttons.
So put off by consuming this album again, I immediately played Apple Music’s “Inspired By Roxy Music” playlist to cleanse my palate. I love 75% of it. Go figure.
“Frum-MO-he-OH?” Is that some kind of variation of bohemia?
fIREHOSE is tight, for sure. It’s easy to imagine the best way to capture them, live in a small club. A lot of this would work there.
Sounds like what you might get if you threw Guided by Voices, Living Colour, Little Feat and crisp production into a blender.
The standout track (and the only one I’d heard before, which got a good amount of airplay on alternative rock and college radio) is “Time With You.”
Like many GbV songs, a lot of these feel unfinished, only getting started towards something interesting and then they’re over.
And there’s too many throwaways, in particular the (mercifully) brief drum fill tracks “Let The Drummer Have Some” and “’nuf That Shit, George.”
Mostly it all seems ephemeral, nothing you’d remember to come back to once it’s over.
2-1/4 stars
Even my personal dislike of “The One I Love” (from day one seemed like an obvious attempt at a hit single) and that “It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)” has been played to death by 80s radio cannot change that this is an absolutely great listen from start to finish. (And, in the context of the entire album, both these songs still fit in nicely and I forget that I’m really sick of both of them.)
R.E.M. in the 1980s: Everything from RECKONING (1984) to AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE (1992) is just one great album after another.
I useta lump Blancmange, Depeche Mode and New Order into a bin of synth-pop bands that don’t really do much for me. Then Depeche Mode came up with VIOLATOR (1990) — which I loved — and last year I picked up an old Blancmange album on vinyl and liked it more than I expected. Given that, and my fond memories of New Order from friends’ mix-tapes and 80s alternative playlists, I was looking forward to this one.
But LOW-LIFE doesn’t really add up to an album for me. It’s basically three great tracks (“Love Vigilantes,” “The Perfect Kiss” and “Elegia”) paired with 5 other OK songs. And taken as a whole this all just sounds too similar on a song-structure level from one track to the next. Too drony and repetitive and icily slick.
Overall, disappointingly, these eight tracks just left me cold.
2.5 stars
I’ve been very late to getting around to the Kinks back catalog; it’s only been happening in the last 10 to15 years. They’re a huge influence on so many bands I love, including my two favorites, The Jam and XTC. So often the influences that shape the artists I love just don't click with me, but not so with The Kinks: I absolutely love this band.
From Peter Doggett’s sleeve notes for the 1998 CD reissue:
“The first Kinks album to be assembled from a variety of different sessions over a period of months, rather than being bashed out in less than a week…FACE TO FACE ushered in a new identity for the Kinks. Over the previous two years they had created and honed a hard rock sound which has influenced young musicians ever since — and then abandoned it. In its place, Ray Davies designed a unique Kinks landscape, a bittersweet vision of life with all its crushing disappointments and snatched moments of pleasure. Davies peopled this world with a cast of cracked actors, bowing to the inevitable pressures of urban existence but never losing sight of their fantasies of escape.”
As I started to listen to this for the first time in almost 40 years, I was thinking….y’know, maybe I’ve been too hard on Depeche Mode. I mean, It’s irony and repetitive and the like, and I really shouldn’t like any of it, but…a lot of this sounds better in 2026 than it did then.
But there’s some clunkers in here, too, especially “I Want You Now” (laughably ridiculous, awkward), “Pimpf” (pointless rhythmic exercise) and “Sacred” (portentous).
The occasional good film compositions in this are marred and obscured by repetitive musical loops (the drums are especially bad); repetitive, amateurish and often very dopey sound and vocal effects; and repetitive themes and motifs that don’t really deserve such attention and repetition.
More like a 16-year-old wunderkind’s soundtrack sizzle reel sent out with a resume than an actual, fully-realized album.
There are literally dozens of actual great soundtracks that deserve to be on this list rather than this faux piece of crap.
I don’t really know jazz, but I like what I like when I hear it. And I know of Bill Evans but not that familiar with his catalog.
This was lovely, very enjoyable.
I did not realize the cover was an Annie Leibowitz photo. Interesting.
And I’d totally forgotten there was a Prince cover (“When You Were Mine”) on here; unfortunately, it hasn’t aged well.
The album’s a lot of fun, and I’d forgotten how it was considered new wave at the time.
If souther-fried, Tex-Mex rock and blues is your thing, this is a pretty terrific, crisp album with good production values and a nice variety of tempos and styles.
Caroline says this album ain't nearly as intersting as Lou Reed himself.
Caroline says she likes a lot of the musicianship and production on BERLIN; if only someone else were singing, instead of talking, through the often simple and monosyllabic lyrics.
To the book's contributor's assertions that this is an influential album, Caroline says "That's as may be" but that doesn't mean she should have to listen to it.
Caroline says the editor of "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die" must learn to say no.
Caroline says Lou Reed's BERLIN has made it into her book, "4,004 Albums You Must Forget Before You Fatally Fall."
Luke their namesake, Klaxons can be annoying, droning, up-and-down, and repetitive. But there's also some decent tracks on this album, and there's potential I might like it this more with another, closer listen to both the music and lyrics at some point.
Based on one not-so-attentive listen only:
2.5 stars
