1001 Albums Summary

It’s been a long time since I really indulged in any of the Beatles. This album has distinctly George Harrison vibes that we should all be familiar with and some unexpected moments. In general it has poetic lyrics and is gentle, like a cool breeze on a sunny day. It includes classics, like My Sweet Lord. Some personal highlights include: I’d Have You Anytime (such a sweet sentiment), Wah-Wah (for its tone and soundscape), Apple Scruffs (a fun boot-stomping bop), Awaiting on You All (just good danceable energy, although I’m not usually a fan of religious themes), I Dig Love (for the simple lyrics and instrumental flow), Art of Dying (for the psychedelic instrumentals), and Hear Me Lord (for the vocal layering). I preferred the 2014 remaster of Let it Down to the original track. Some songs that didn’t resonate with me include: Beware of Darkness (both versions), Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp, and the title track, All Things Must Pass. The back end of the album is really why I decided on a 5-star rating. It’s Johnny’s Birthday is a wild psychedelic romp. All the following tracks are more instrumentally driven and danceable. I loved Plug Me In, I Remember Jeep (especially the more spacey sound effects), Thanks for the Pepperoni (which feels like inspiration for GD’s One More Saturday Night), and Out of the Blue. All really solid jams that I can rock out to again and again.

Lots of quintessential ABBA here, which is typically not my taste, but listening to this album in full did help me recognize the strong storytelling in these songs. I had never heard the title track, Arrival, which I thought was pretty in an unusual way. I enjoyed the juxtaposition of upbeat disco with the less than joyful content in Knowing Me, Knowing You. Another personal highlight was Why Did It Have To Be Me since it felt like a different flavor than the other tracks. Overall, this is a fun album but it isn’t one I’d spend more time with.

Really just a cute pop album overall. It was a pleasure to revisit early Beatles. Each song is short and sweet. We hear lovely vocal harmonies, fun chord progressions, and a strong foundation for their evolution.

I had a hard time getting motivated to listen to this one because it’s just not my vibe, but it’s finally grey enough outside for this foray into this gloomy post-punk album. Overall I found Unknown Pleasures to be fairly monotonous and boring. The songs are pretty repetitive and I often found myself checking to see how much album was left. I listened to the remastered release, which includes a live show. As a person who typically prefers to hear a band’s actual performance, I was excited for this. Unfortunately it was not a show that I’d attend. It’s essentially the same, but raw and sludgier. Highlights for me include Shadowplay and Insight (live). Can’t say I’ll ever revisit this album, but I can imagine a past version of myself really enjoying it.