1001 Albums Summary

What an absolute bop to start the album. I dare you not to move to this track. The title track is all about those soulful vocals and harmonizing. That guitar made me levitate as well. Happy Feelin’ picks things up nicely but that xylophone is a little goofy. It overpowers the horns which is a no-no. My first impression of All About Love is that it’s a little too dramatic and corny with the vocals and lyrics. I did enjoy the instrumentation somewhat and when he starts “rapping” it put a smile in my brain. Trippy outro as well. Yearnin’ didn’t do much for me. It’s not a bad song by any means but I do feel it feels similar to other tracks on this that do it better like the opener. Reasons is a fun and cute track even if the vocals are a bit much. Also it could’ve been trimmed a little instrumentally. Africano may be just an instrumental but it goes hard, sounding like the soundtrack to a car chase in a grimy blaxploitation movie. And they really go out with a bang with the closer.

What a rocker to open with. Especially when it explodes. Sit Down has a haunting piano which erupts into this frenzy of bleeps and bloops. And then when the drums kick in I’m levitating. Sail feels very Floyd when it starts. But then those vocals from Yorke destroy me. This is a good time to point out how dystopian, more so than usual, these lyrics are. Backdrifts didn’t do much for me but musically it’s interesting. It just goes on for too long for what it is. Go to Sleep starts with killer acoustic guitar and Thom’s awesome vocals. It really builds on this which I appreciated. The drums on Where I End stood out the most until that guitar and mysterious synths of course. We Suck is probably my least favorite on the album. I just don’t dig on how slow it is and the clapping bothered me. It eventually has a burst of energy but by then it didn’t matter. The Gloaming is a feast for the ears when it comes to the synths but that’s all that stands out. There, There is another standout but I did have a point where Yorke’s vocals were a bit grating. I Will feels more like an interlude so it didn’t do much for me other than the vocals. A Punchup is a great track especially that bass riff. The guitars sound like nothing I’ve heard before on Myxomatosis but that may not work for everyone. Scatterbrain feels like a leftover from the last two albums so I don’t know why they chose to use it here. Not a bad track but I do feel it sticks out in a negative way. Finally it closes with something that musically feels like a fairytale but the lyrics tell a different story.

I went with the original vinyl track list. But both versions start with the killer opener Big Iron. This track makes me want to play Fallout. Cool Water is more low key but still solid. The next track made me realize how accurate this album title is going to be. Not too exciting musically but excellent storytelling. A Hundred was catchy but went by way too quick. The Hanging track must’ve inspired or was inspired by Cash because it feels like one of his songs. Strawberry Roan is cute but I could’ve did without that Roman comment. El Paso is another standout with solid singing and Latin inspired instrumentation. In the Valley is a little too slow for me but it’s pretty while it’s on which isn’t for that long. This next track feels like a rehash of Big Iron. Running Gun picks up the mood and is a fun little ditty. Green Valley is nice sounding but the style feels like Marty is painting himself into a corner. But since it’s the second to last last track it’s not a huge loss. And the finisher just ends things anticlimactic.

The first track is musically interesting but I feel it gets the point across in the first five minutes. Brahms helped a lot with this second track. The vocals standout on the third track. South Side captures most of what Roundabout does but the guitars are more emphasized. Track five I don’t understand the point of when they are so short like this. They might as well make it an intro or an outro but why make it its own track? By track six the music is just washing over me. I didn’t even realize I was on track seven while listening to the one before. The transition is too smooth. Mood for a Day has pretty acoustic picking but that’s about it. They turn things up to eleven on the last track which I appreciate. This shows things to come for their next album.