1001 Albums Summary

First album of this endeavor, and a first proper listen to a band who I'm only aware of by ambiently taking them in via the radio etc. And while I do like some of the earlier singles I've heard, one of which is on this record, sadly it did not do it for me as a whole. I can't deny With or Without You and found myself enjoying Mothers of the Disappeared thinking that the album had ended and the algorithm had moved me on. Otherwise it's a real trudge that's not saved by two all-time greats producing. Also Bono looks a bit like my high school girlfriend in that photo.

Lovely vibes and a strong opening but didn’t hold my attention in the back half. Would have enjoyed it more if I was off my gourd dancing with a skinhead lass I’m sure.

First time listening to this in over 20 years and I can’t help but feel that (despite the recent reunion hype and hysteria resurfacing) that time hasn’t really been all that kind to this record. A couple of bangers aside, this was a particularly knackering listen. Plus it provided the template and precedent for every shite band with a mild attitude for the next 20 years to bleed the industry dry. We’re having lasagneeerrrr

I wanted to like this, but grunge continues to keep me at arms length. Maybe because I didn’t live through it?

I feel like the much-derided Ayn Randiness of it all is not hugely apparent on a first listen - any rallying cry for laissez-faire capitalism is buried under classic prog sci fi nonsense. It certainly didn’t get in my way of enjoying the ride and the riffs anyway. And there is a lot of good riff to be found here. Not as good as moving pictures but still a lot of fun, with solid performances and production throughout, perhaps discounting the interpolation of the Kung Fu Fighting riff in A Passage to Bangkok. Plus, more bands should go to such lengths to prove to the listener that their instruments are in tune imo.

Gorgeous performances, and the ideal balm for the whole “wake up / coffee / camo / climb tree”-ness of chart-bothering contemporary country music. One to show anyone who thinks they hate country or folk as an entirety.

Having only heard the comparatively sparse Pink Moon prior to this, I was not expecting the huge production and lush arrangements here. And what a beautiful surprise that was! There’s nothing better than discovering an overlooked (at least by myself, personally) album like this from an artist you enjoy. An easy 5, even on a first listen, and before I’d read about the dream team backing him up.

An uneven listen, but a fun and semi-forgotten curio of the psych era with some good tunes and classically spaced-out lyrics. Who can’t relate to having too much to dream last night?

You can only imagine my disappointment to hear this album after reading Apple Music’s description of “Woodface follows the lead of The Beatles and Beach Boys at their most psychedelic, expanding pop music’s range with bold sonic and lyrical details.”