1001 Albums Summary

I think this is kind of a boring record to listen to casually. It washes over you and while the songs are fine nothing really grabs you unless it’s one of the certified hits. However, this sucker really comes alive on a close listen, especially after some minor substance abuse. There are so many little sounds and weirdo instruments to focus on and the harmonies really are transcendent. “You Still Don’t Believe Me” is really something else when heard through headphones. My only problem is that I can’t really get behind the lyrics. The vocals sound great but the actual lyrical content just feels lacking. It’s probably a byproduct of having only listened to it twice, and maybe more time with the album would result in my caring about what they’re saying, but for now it’s not working for me.

I have a memory of walking home from a house party at 3am while listening to this album on my iPod. It had just started to snow and the streets were empty and quiet. I remember watching the snowflakes illuminated by the streetlights and feeling like my head was absolutely full of this beautiful, sad music. I instantly fell in love with Sufjan’s calm, gentle singing overtop of the most maximalist music I think I had heard at the time. Horns and choirs, vibraphones and organs, banjos and flutes. It had everything and still manages to sound personal and intimate. I played it a lot that winter and pretty steadily over the years. Definitely one of my favourite records.

90s Radiohead is probably my favourite Radiohead. I love all the avant-art-electroncia stuff too but that rarely makes good playlist music. The 90s alt-rock stuff is very accessible and singable and fun to hear pop up on a playlist. So The Bends is maybe not the best Radiohead record but it does have the best collection of songs that I'm excited to hear elsewhere.

Kate Bush has such a cool and unique quality to her voice and her songs mirror that perfectly. The first half of this album hit immediately for me. The songs are fun and kind of weird and the synths sound incredible but I’ll need more time with the more conceptual, complex second half. One time through isn’t enough to appreciate what’s going on there. But it’s genuinely intriguing so I’ll definitely add it to my library.

Killing Joke - Killing Joke (7/1001) Wasn’t sold on this one at first blush but it grew on me pretty quickly. Well the music did, never did click with the vocals/lyrics, but there are some solid grooves here and the obvious Black Sabbath vibes are fun. Also sensing that these fellas were a big influence on Pantera and Biohazard. Mostly in the funky, chugging guitar sound. Anyway, it was pretty fun.

This is another big one from my university days. Every song is a banger. Karen O’s wailing vocals are so visceral and everything is fast and chaotic and immediate. It’s music to pre-drink too. Music to amp you up. Music that makes you want to live a life of debauchery and hedonism even when you know you’re going to spend the night smoking on a bar patio and talking about indie music. A stone cold classic.

My brother-in-law really loves Fela Kuti so I’ve heard bits and pieces over the years but never really dug into anything. This is great though. Jazzy and funky and some really killer drumming. Afrobeat isn’t something I’m overly familiar with but it’s definitely something I’m keen on looking into. I’ve already been listening to a bit of Jazz Fusion lately and I feel like this is a good complement to that.

I don’t think I like anything about this album. Baby One More Time is fine, it’s fun enough when it pops up on a playlist but that’s probably mostly a nostalgia thing. Nothing else on this album does anything for me though. Not vibing with the production, I kind of hate Britney’s vocals, and everything is so sappy, sweet that it’s difficult to listen to. Though I recognize that as a 41 year old these teen love songs aren’t meant for me which is fine. An interesting revisit at the very least, and it’s nice to know it’s not the devilish influence of KoRn and the Insane Clown Posse swaying my opinion this time.

Headphones and some minor substance abuse really made this album a lot of fun. Production is complex and interesting and the vocals have that lovely haunting quality. I kind of wish it was a little more cohesive as a Syd Barrett concept album/tribute. Welcome to the Machine and Have a Cigar are both great songs but they don’t really seem to fit the theme. Or maybe they do and I'm just missing the connections. Anyway it was fun to revisit after a couple of decades.

Being an un-enlightened boy of 14 in 1998 meant following the prevailing thinking that Courtney Love was the enemy. She killed Kurt Cobain (a famous performer at the time), she only wanted to be famous (unheard of!), and she was just a bitch (self proclaimed, it turns out). But she was hot, so of course I watched their music videos anyway. But that’s the extent of my experience with Hole. So it was interesting to listen to this without that weird baggage (and I didn’t even like Nirvana!). This is a great sounding record. Good songs, fun hooks. Love’s vocals and lyrics about stardom and California are solid. And it's so polished and slick, by design, that it works great as an 90s alt swan

This is what happens when you give two obsessive weirdos access to some of the finest session musicians in the country. A collection of perfectly precise, musically complex, sophisticated songs played as pop music. There’s jazz and rock and disco and funk and soul and just the sickest grooves. Endlessly listenable and just a fantastic piece of work.