1001 Albums Summary

Fuzzed out rock, definitely hear a lot of Bowie and the Doors here, without being derivative on either side.

This is essential listening for any Rap or Rock enthusiast, especially for anyone interested in the history of the genres. One could argue that Rap music may have not survived past the 80's boom and into the 90s without bands like PE bridging the gap from the hip-hop community to the mainstream rock world. The 'noise', anger, intensity, and directness of PE's sonic output really demands attention, and this was the first real display of the new dynamic of the Prophet-and-Joker interplay between a front man and his hype man that PE pioneered. To this day, there's not another act in any musical genre that broke out with flavor of an musical alarm, and the standout tracks still stand out as a fresh listen. I consider Fear of a Black Planet a touch better, but I couldn't give this a 4 start in relation. 4.5 rounded up.

If late-stage Johnny Cash and acoustic Tom Petty had a baby, but the baby had suffered from failure to thrive, I imagine this is what it would sound like. I admit, I'm not a country fan, although I love Cash. While the laid back vocals and strumming are fine, I just don't see this as adding anything to whatever genre it belongs to. For an indie performer doing his own thing, I can support it, but this is not 1/1000 for me.

While Nirvana and Perl Jam got most of the mainstream attention during the 90s Grunge era, those who knew, and who still know, place Alice in Chains in the same tier, and this album provides ample of reasons why. From alt-radio staple tracks to the 'hidden gems', Dirt is messy with peak musical output, making this album a staple for any lover of rock, grunge or otherwise.

A 4.5 if it was possible. Not totally my musical wheelhouse, but also completely part of my musical history, filled with essential songs for any rock fan. Late night Montreal sports bars would be a lesser experience without this fare.

I had never given Mr. Smith a complete listen-through, and this afforded me the time and opportunity to fully appreciate his musicality and musicianship. Excellent album.

One of the most potent albums announcing the arrival of a Hip Hop artist ever to be released. Still raw, but sufficiently polished by Dre to give us a brand new flavor in the Rap scene. This isn't quite Marshall Mathers, but we'd never get that introspective masterpiece without Slim venting his anger in his introductory offering. Only 4 stars because I can't give 4.5 and 5 is reserved for the follow-up to this LP

Not much to say about this album other than what's been said by generations - an album from a band formally named after an NBA player, and an album titled for Mookie Blaylock's Jersey also reflects the rating for any listen - a perfect 10!