1001 Albums Summary

BEFORE: Had this CD as a teenager but haven't listened in years, although I still have Ready or Not on a few playlists. Let's see how it holds up... AFTER: First version of this I found was censored. No thanks. The beats and hooks mostly hold up well and Lauryn Hill was clearly an outstanding talent. Wyclef holds his own. The rhymes are hit and miss and it is hard to work out what Pras actually brought to the table, if anything. Falls off hard in the second half. Highlights: Ready or Not, Fu-Gee-La, Zealots, Family Business, Lauryn Hill when they let her sing without interrupting. Lowlights: Pras trying to rap, the racist nonsense after The Beast, The Mask, No Woman No Cry (I like Wyclef but he has no business covering Bob Marley and needs to stop trying). VERDICT: 3.5/5. Some hidden gems on there beyond the singles, but too uneven to be a classic.

BEFORE: I've definitely heard it before, I know and like a lot of the songs and already I know it's a massively influential album. Outside The Clash and Refused, I've never been a big punk guy. AFTER: 29 minutes. Banger after banger. Nothing outstays its welcome. Like AC/DC, they have a formula that works and don't stray too far from it. Joey's idiosyncratic delivery, the early rock and roll influences and the backing vocals really elevate these simple but powerful songs. An absolute classic and worth listening with a pair of decent headphones. It's also nice to hear a band who are so upfront about what they want. HIGHLIGHTS: Everything. LOWLIGHTS N/A VERDICT: A wonderful album. Influential and catchy as hell. 5 stars.

BEFORE: I haven't listened to this in full before but I did pick up a very worn copy on vinyl a few weeks ago that I've been meaning to listen to. My FIL was a big Willie Nelson fan and I'm familiar with Stardust and Georgia On My Mind. Funnily enough, I'm the same age as Willie was when he released Stardust. AFTER: Willie Nelson has one of the most beautiful voices of all time. Smooth but never too smooth. I don't listen to a lot of music this mellow but I'm a big Ray Charles fan and this scratches the same itch. HIGHLIGHTS: Georgia On My Mind, Blue Skies, Unchained Melody, On the Sunny Side of the Street, Moonlight in Vermont. LOWLIGHTS: Parts of September Song are a little soporific. I also struggle with this much harmonica. I know it's an essential part of the genre but it always reminds me of fucking Blues Traveler. VERDICT: 5 stars. A gentle, warm and beautifully realised album. The few elements I don't love are really just a matter of personal preference.

BEFORE: I'm generally with Jeff Lebowski when it comes to the Eagles. I was over-exposed to their earlier Greatest Hits by various drunk bogan relatives at family holidays, wedding receptions etc. but I'm a little more open-minded with this album and even partial to the singles in the right context. AFTER: The production is incredible. Every instrument sounds crystal-clear in the mix while preserving a strong sense of dynamics. The music itself is more of a mixed bag. HIGHLIGHTS: The guitar work on Hotel California, Life in the Fast Lane (I like Joe Walsh), Victim of Love apart from the the chorus, Try And Love Again even the ridiculous falsetto outro, the harmonies and production throughout. LOWLIGHTS: Wasted Time is turgid and forgettable in a way that no string section can fix. A Peter Cetera-level turd rolled in glitter. The Last Resort is a better ballad but is at least 2 minutes too long. Pretty Maids All In A Row is forgettable and the intro is cheesy. VERDICT: A light 4 stars. Too many ballads but otherwise better than I expected.

BEFORE: I have never really dug into Harry Nilsson but I know Without You, Coconut, Everybody's Talkin' etc. AFTER: This really caught me by surprise. I was expecting more retrospective singer-songwriter stuff, and while there is some of that it is also by turns raucous, weird, cinematic and angry - and always inventive. Even the songs that start out with familiar structures and chords go somewhere you aren't expecting. Nilsson also had an incredible voice. HIGHLIGHTS: The highlights for me here were songs I hadn't heard before and loved: Gotta Get Up, Early In The Morning, Jump In The Fire, I'll Never Leave You. LOWLIGHTS: None that jump out at me and I will definitely be listening to this again. VERDICT: An easy 5 stars. An unexpected delight.

BEFORE: Perfect timing - I just watched Apocalypse Now for the first time. I am a casual Doors fan, had the greatest hits on CD (including four tracks off here) but always found Jim Morrison a little silly. AFTER: This album creates its own unsettling, immersive world which i really like, and I don't think the occasional weaker moments detract from that in any way. HIGHLIGHTS: Of the tracks I haven't heard before, The Crystal Ship and Take It As It Comes were definitely highlights and I already loved Break On Through, Light My Fire, Alabama Song and The End (shout out Martin Sheen). LOWLIGHTS: Twentieth Century Fox is a forgettable song written around a corny pun. A couple of the later songs washed over me a bit and my attention slipped but they certainly weren't bad. VERDICT: 5 stars. I may have been a little harsh on The Doors in the past, or at least this earlier version before the drugs really took held.

BEFORE: The run of oldies continues. Everything since my first album was released before I was born, and I am solidly middle-aged. I only know All The Young Dudes, which isn't on this and their name is stupid. This should be interesting. AFTER: I love Bowie. I like T-Rex. I can endure Sweet and Slade in small doses. At first, this felt like a lesser facsimile of those things. Very little of this works for me. I found the vocals and lyrics aggressively annoying and I really don't understand the acclaim for this one. HIGHLIGHTS: I had to dig pretty deep for these, but I liked the intro and ending of Hymn for the Dudes and the verses and guitar work on Violence. I'm a Cadillac / El Domino Dolo Roso's instrumental section. LOWLIGHTS: The off-key vocals, particularly on Whizz Kid. The barrelhouse piano. The cliched mess of Honaloochie Boogie. Ballad of Mott the Hoople felt like it would never end but is somehow only 5:40. VERDICT: 2 Stars. My relief was palpable after this. I just don't get it but there is obviously some skill and inspiration there - just nothing that works for me. The first real miss from the generator. I'm sure it won't be the last. At least it was short.

BEFORE: I know nothing about these guys except that they're Australian. Should be fun. I'm just going to listen to the original 10 tracks - not all this bonus stuff. AFTER: Interesting album. Reminds me a bit of Hunters and Collectors, Waterboys and The Cure's more upbeat stuff (this is a compliment). Emotional without being overwrought. HIGHLIGHTS: The strings - always adding something but never excessive. The Robert Smith-y lead guitar work. Favourite tracks were Love Goes On!, You Can't Say No Forever, The Streets of Your Town, Was There Anything I Could Do, LOWLIGHTS: The arrangements and production can feel a little too similar at times and I can't help but feel that a few different elements (like the outro to You Can't Say No Forever or the drums on Clouds) would have brought some of these tracks to life, but given the quality of the songwriting that is a very minor quibble. Also maybe that's just me - most of my favourite stuff is a bit more weird and cross-genre. I had kind of run out of interest by the last 2 tracks, and there are only 10. I could also have done without the oboe. Sometimes it works OK. Not here. VERDICT: 4 stars. Immaculate songwriting even if this style of jangly indie pop isn't generally for me. A huge breath of fresh air after Mott the Hoople, apart from the oboe.

BEFORE: Good stuff. Love The Stooges and Down On The Street is my favourite Stooges song. Don't listen to them enough. AFTER: Yeah this is great. Love the shorter, punkier songs. Love the heavy, psychedelic freakouts and the weird jazz. Production is perfect for this kind of music. Everything is a highlight and there are no lowlights. VERDICT: An easy 5 stars.

BEFORE: This should be pretty straightforward. One of my favourite albums of all time. Bought it on cassette when it came out and thrashed it. Have owned it in some format and listened at least semi-regularly ever since. Good excuse to listen to it again. AFTER: Perfect album. No wasted time. I even love Endless, Nameless. HIGHLIGHTS: Everything, but special shout-out to Side 2 which doesn't get the same attention. Territorial Pissings, Drain You, Lounge Act and On A Plain are all incredible tracks. LOWLIGHTS: Nope. VERDICT: An easy, easy 5 stars.

BEFORE: Never really clicked with me as a group when I heard them from time to time in my 20s, although I know What's Golden and I like Ozomatli's first album. Even caught Chali 2Na solo at a festival recently that The Roots headlined. It should be in my wheelhouse so going into this with an open mind. AFTER: I really enjoyed the beats and production on this. The vocals are decent but don't stand out as much as the bouncy, jazzy instrumentals - there is a little too much reverence to the culture at the expense of trying new things. Having said that, there is plenty of skill on display, especially on the faster tracks. I'd listen to this again just to enjoy the grooves and production. The Cut Chemist productions here are especially strong and I will be seeking out his solo work. HIGHLIGHTS: Freedom, Break (a bit more A-game here from the rappers), A Day At the Races, Hey, Acetate Prophets. LOWLIGHTS: Remember His Name is a little tedious and the back half of the album dragged a little more, but overall this was a pleasant surprise even if the vocals don't always reach the level of the music. VERDICT: A strong 4 star album. Glad to have my mind changed and worth revisiting in the future.

BEFORE: I know this very well. It's not my absolute favourite Beatles album (that will always be Abbey Road) but still excellent and I love the unifying concept. Should be a pretty clear-cut 5 stars. AFTER: Yep. 5 stars. It's perfect. A few favourite tracks: Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds still sounds absolutely luminous. Fixing A Hole has a fantastic ominous tone that creeps into the song. So does Being For the Benefit of Mr. Kite. Within You Without You is wonderfully psychedelic. A Day In The Life remains one of the most incredible songs ever written. VERDICT: 5 stars. One of the greatest albums ever written.

BEFORE: Don't mind a bit of Neil Young. Relieved to find that he is now on Spotify. I've listened to a fair bit of his Crazy Horse stuff and Harvest and enjoyed most of it. Let's see how we go... AFTER: This was a trip. I really enjoyed it. There is a kind of sloppy, woozy aspect to the playing and a few odd choices in terms of chords, melodies, arrangements etc. that reminded me, weirdly, of Captain Beefheart's more accessible music. Those choices lift this above bog standard blues- or country-rock and elements that I often struggle to enjoy (like barrelhouse piano and harmonica) work realy well in this context. As an expression of the loss of Danny Whitten and Bruce Berry, the emotion here feels raw, specific and real rather than abstract or carefully rehearsed. HIGHLIGHTS: Speakin' Out, Come On Baby Let's Go Downtown, Mellow My Mind, Roll Another Number (For the Road), New Mama, Tired Eyes. I mean, there are a lot of great tracks here. LOWLIGHTS: Nothing really stands out. It's a strong collection of tracks with a unifying vibe that I really enjoyed - sometimes fun, sometimes deeply sad, sometimes both at the same time. VERDICT: 5 stars. This project keeps delivering.

BEFORE: Fine. I don't love Paul Simon's music but more as matter of personal preference - he's obviously an incredibly talented guy. Outside of greatest hits collections, I can honestly say I've never listened to an entire Paul Simon or even a Simon & Garfunkel album. AFTER: This was a weird one. There are a couple of tracks on here that are experimental in a good way, some that are more traditional Paul Simon and some that just sound incredibly dated. HIGHLIGHTS: Allergies and Think Too Much (a) are pleasingly weird but catchy with Talking Heads vibes. Hearts and Bones is a lovely song and the orchestral section of The Late Great Johnny Ace is also great (but also not Paul Simon's). LOWLIGHTS: Cars are Cars shits the bed pretty aggressively. One of the most irritating songs I've heard in recent memory. The reggae-yacht rock hybrid of When Numbers Get Serious and the baby goat noise on Think Too Much (b) are also pretty bad. Some of the ballads are just kind of there and the sprinkling of "world" percussion, fretless bass and nearly blues guitar evokes the incidental music from Weekend At Bernie's 2. VERDICT: The high points are few and far between and, if I'm being honest, just OK. The lows are very low indeed. I honestly don't know why this album is on this list. 2 stars.

BEFORE: I really like REM and respect that they knew when to call it quits. Unfortunately, my wife doesn't like them so I don't listen to them that often. The only REM album I ever really got into was Automatic From The People, which I had on cassette years ago. I have fond memories of the singles from this album and plenty of others, especially in that late 80s through late 90s period, as well as the albums Monster and New Adventures in Hi-Fi. I know and love Stand (shout out to Chris Elliot's sitcom Get A Life), Orange Crush and Pop Song '89 but the rest of this will be new to me. AFTER: Firstly, this sounds amazing. The chiming guitars, Michael Stipe's yearning vocals, the harmonies, Bill Berry's fantastic drumming. Beautiful. The songwriting is at turns surprising and familiar, and REM fit a lot into these 3-5 minute songs. HIGHLIGHTS: Get Up and Untitled are both fantastic songs, Stand is still lots of fun (cheesy key-changes and all), World Leader Pretend is brilliant with Bill Berry's contributions there particularly effective, Orange Crush is epic and remains one of REM's very best songs, Turn You Inside-Out is lifted by the drum production, percussion, unexpected chord changes and anthemic backing vocals, I Remember California is haunting. LOWLIGHTS: I get that mandolins are part of the deal with REM but I had enough by the end of The Wrong Child. No shade on the songs that feature it - they are all still strong - but for me it's a very specific sound that is better used sparingly outside of folk, bluegrass etc. VERDIT: Subjectively, this was a toss up between 4 and 5 stars for me. I'm giving it 5 because the few things I don't like about it are really a matter of personal preference.

BEFORE: An old favourite. I can't believe this came out 22 years ago. I was already 1 year out of university. Fuck I'm old. Obviously Kanye is a terrible person now, but I have good memories of this album. It's probably a little bloated and not his absolute best, but there are still so many incredible tracks. I try to avoid his stuff now but happy to make an exception today. Also I know this is blasphemy but I don't like Through The Wire. Yes I know about the back story. AFTER: A lot of the songs on here are undeniable but from Breathe In Breathe Out onwards the album really drags, School Spirit and Two Hands excepted. HIGH POINTS: Jesus Walks is an all-time classic. All Falls Down, Spaceship, The New Workout Plan (it's stupid but so much fun), Slow Jamz, We Don't Care and School Spirit are also fantastic. The hooks, the production, the guest spots from Syleena Johnson, Jay Z, Twista, Jamie Foxx and others. LOW POINTS: Kanye was never the greatest rapper and this is some of his weaker work, although even then he still had a way with memorable lyrics. Skits are almost always unnecessary, and this is no exception. 3 in the space of 4 tracks really kills the momentum. Through The Wire is just OK despite the back story. Family Business is saccharine and cloying with a pedestrian beat. Last Call has some interesting moments but it's way too long and the sped-up sample trick is getting very old by that point. VERDICT: This is a tough one - both because of what Kanye West has become and because there are some great songs on here but not really a cohesive album. On the strength of those tracks, I'm giving this 4 stars but it's more like 3.6. Would be close to a 5 without the skits and if the album ended at Two Hands.

BEFORE: I know Buffalo Stance, a couple of her later singles and her song with Gorillaz. I can see that the Massive Attack and Bomb the Bass guys worked on this so I'm looking forward to digging in. AFTER: I really like the sound of this album and a lot of the dance-pop from this era, maybe because I grew up with it – the late 80s synths, crisp drum machines and gratuitous scratching. Buffalo Stance is iconic. A stone-cold classic and a tough act for the rest of the album to follow. Manchild and Kisses On The Wind are nearly as catchy – both fantastic electro-pop songs. The second half is a bit more downbeat but still catchy. It evokes a strong sense of time and place, although that can leave the odd track feeling dated. HIGHLIGHTS: Those three opening tracks are hard to beat. Love Ghetto is a nice change of pace, and Heart is full of attitude with a solid chorus. Phoney Ladies pairs synths reminiscent of Pretty Hate Machine-era NIN with layered vocals and might be nearly as good as Buffalo Stance. The production is fantastic throughout. LOWLIGHTS: The Next Generation hasn’t aged as well as some of the other tracks. It’s fine and has a good break but lacks a strong hook. Outré Risqué Locomotive suffers from the same issues at time, although it’s a much more dynamic track that improves from the floaty bridge onwards. My Bitch – which I know is a bonus track but I listened anyway – is let down by the chintzy synthesized brass. VERDICT: I’m giving it a strong 4. Really glad I listened to it. There are a lot of hidden gems here and the vibe is totally different from anything else I’ve reviewed so far, even if this is very much an artifact of its time with a few weaker spots.

BEFORE: I already know this really well. Big fan of Elbow going right back to Asleep In The Back (which should be on this list for Newborn and Powder Blue alone) and I've seen them live a couple of times. We used Starlings as a reading at our wedding and I love this album, so this is going to be an automatic 5 stars for me but I'm more than happy to listen to this again. Guy Garvey is one of the best lyricists and singers around and the band are inventive and tight without showing off. I can accept Radiohead comparisons as they're both very good, although good luck finding any tech-driven paranoia here. If you can't distinguish this from Keane's two (2) decent songs or Coldplay's vegan stadium-pop you have no business reviewing music. AFTER: No technology-driven anxiety or bland anthems here - just incredible songwriting that makes the specific feel universal. The music on here is less obviously experimental than their earlier work but there is still plenty of unusual stuff going on if you care to look. Given I know this inside out, I am going to listen for new things and try to highlight some less well-known tracks. HIGHLIGHTS: Everything, obviously. The Loneliness of a Tower Crane Driver is majestic. Some Riot and Friend Of Ours are heart-wrenching. The weird guitar figure on Starlings just before the crescendo, the fuzz bass on The Bones of You, Garvey's restrained vocal on Mirrorball. The bass dropping in on Grounds for Divorce (Pete Turner is amazing), the looped vocal on Weather To Fly, the piano and ominous cello of Some Riot, the extended outro of One Day Like This (best enjoyed live). LOWLIGHTS: None. Fuck off. OK maybe Audience With The Pope isn't my favourite. VERDICT: 5 stars. No notes.

BEFORE: I've heard of this guy but otherwise I am going in totally blind, which is exciting. The only Brazilian music I listen to on the regular is Sepultura. Let's go! AFTER: Straight off the bat, way more bluesy and psychedelic than I expected. This is pretty awesome tbh. Catchy as hell and the second half of the album is particularly strong. I wish I understood Portuguese. I didn't take detailed track notes but just let the vibe of the album wash over me given it was all new. There is a lot going on - traditional rock instruments alongside a huge range of Afro-Brazilian and Afro-Cuban percussion, keys, brass, Ron Burgundy jazz flute etc. Also I did recognise one of the tracks, Xica Da Silva. No idea where from - maybe a DJ with much better taste than me? HIGHLIGHTS: The whole album is a lot of fun - kinetic, funky and full of passion. My favourite tracks on first listen were Ponta De Lanca Africano, Taj Mahal, Xica Da Silva. A Historia De Jorge, Cavaleiro Do Cavalo Imaculado and Africa Brasil (Zumbi). This will be going into the rotation so will be interesting to see what else emerges. LOWLIGHTS: Nothing that stands out. I enjoyed some tracks more than others on first listen but I think the quality here is pretty consistent. I guess if you don't like the overall vibe this might be a tough listen, but that also means that you're probably a knob. VERDICT: An easy 5 stars. Magic.

BEFORE: OK - back into more familiar territory. I like rather than love The Band but I've listened to this before, although I only really remember The Weight. AFTER: This is more rootsy and low key than most of my favourite music and it was hard to put that aside at times, although the playing and some of the singing (see below) is impressive. HIGHLIGHTS: The Weight is a classic - that should go without saying. Tears of Rage does what it says on the tin. Caledonia Mission is fun. The vocal interplay on Long Black Veil and I Shall Be Released is magic. Chest Fever is pleasingly weird - I like the doom-y organ. This Wheel's On Fire has a great chorus. LOWLIGHTS: I listened to a remastered version and the production was pretty muddy - I hate to think how this originally sounded. Even at a relatively short 42 minutes, the slow pacing drags at times and the sheer effort of the singing is exhausting. I wonder if anyone herniated during the recording. We Can Talk should have been a B-side and I rolled my eyes through the cliches of Lonesome Suzie. VERDICT: I know it's a significant album in terms of influence etc. and I can certainly appreciate this but I don't love it. 3 stars.

BEFORE: Another album that is totally new to me. Looking forward to it as it isn't something I would ever have chosen to listen to. Interesting to see that the orchestra is still going (albeit without Count Basie). AFTER: I don't know much about this music but it's definitely a vibe. Upbeat instrumental big band / swing that sounds like incidental music for a film set in Las Vegas with Lil Darlin' as a slower palate-cleanser at the end. I really enjoyed it but, other than Duet, it did kind of wash over me. HIGHLIGHTS: The delicate solos on Duet, the change of pace on Lil Darlin', the general vibe, not too long. LOWLIGHTS: I like variety and this felt a bit samey, although I did enjoy it and might put it on again for fancy cocktails or something. VERDICT: 4 stars. Very good for what it is, even if it isn't really my jam.

BEFORE: Ian Dury! My local pool hall used to play him a fair bit but I don't know his stuff that well. Looking forward to this... AFTER: I know his vocals won't be too everyone's tastes but I like the Cockney accent and idiosyncratic delivery really enjoyed the variety of genres deployed in service of subversion and social commentary. In that sense, it shares some DNA with The Clash and David Bowie. Also TIL that the Spray n Wipe theme song played in ads here in the 80s and 90s was just a rip-off of Billericay Dickie. HIGHLIGHTS: The lead guitar work across the album is great and there are some incredible basslines as well - particularly on My Old Man and Wake Up And Make Love With Me. The latter in particular is funkier than it has any right to be. But for Dury's vocal, Clever Trevor could be a lost Stevie Wonder track. If I Was With A Woman has a jangly, slightly dissonant chorus that comes out of leftfield, a fantastic guitar solo and a deeply weird ending. Blockheads is a hell of a mission statement, and the venom across Blockheads, Plaistow Patricia and Blackmail album keep the foot on the gas right until the bitter end. Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll (which was the final track on my streaming version) is a wonderful song with an unexpectedly delicate piano solo. A great way to sign off. LOWLIGHTS: Some of the knees up, cheeky chappy moments are less to my tastes but they work in the context of the album (a bit like Paul's "granny shit" with the Beatles). VERDICT: Loved it. It is, by turns, familiar, weird, catchy, dissonant, funky and furious. I can see why it has polarised reviewers, but that's what the best music does.

BEFORE: I don't even really need to listen to this to review it, but I will anyway. I still remember hearing Jeff Buckley for the first time, our local alternative music TV channel adding So Real to its rotation in 1995, and then picking up Last Goodbye and the title track. I bought this album on CD shortly after and have listened to it ever since. It's magic. Streaming copy has something called Forget Her at the end but I am choosing to ignore it - it's not on the original album. AFTER: As expected, it's still close to perfect. I know everyone talks about Buckley's incredible, haunting voice but the musicianship on here is spectacular across the board. The spidery guitar riffs on Grace and So Real, and the bizarre solo on the latter. The string arrangements on Last Goodbye and Eternal Life. The intro to Hallelujah. The organ on Lover, You Should've Come Over. HIGHLIGHTS: This album is an all-time favourite. Just about everything is a highlight. My favourite tracks are Mojo Pin, Grace, Last Goodbye, So Real, Lover You Should've Come Over and Dream Brother. LOWLIGHTS: Corpus Christi Carol is a bit lowkey and churchy for me outside the context of the album, but it's a good palate cleanser after what is probably the high point of the album. VERDICT: 5 stars and I don't know how you could give it anything else. Some of the other reviews of this are frankly embarrassing.

BEFORE: More familiar territory. I have this on CD somewhere. This is a classic, foundational metal album. It's kind of wild to think this came out in 1970, although I know music was already getting heavier by then. AFTER: Just as good as I remember. I enjoyed focusing on some of the tracks I don't know as well - particularly through the second side. I don't really have a lot of say about this. It's just classic, early heavy metal. HIGHLIGHTS: The compositions and musicianship is exceptional, Tony Iommi's guitar work laid the foundation for countless bands to come - so many of these riffs have been adapted and recycled over the years - and Ozzy's voice is an absolute force of nature. Some of the sonic effects on here - treated vocals, the guitar work - are way ahead of their time. Bill Ward is an incredible versatile drummer across the 8 tracks here. The more familiar tracks (basically all of Side One) are always welcome, but I really enjoyed the second side this time through. LOWLIGHTS: None for me, but then I love this music. Sure the lyrics can get a bit silly, but I think metal works best when it retains a sense of fun. VERDICT: 5 stars. This is a heavy metal classic and anyone with even a passing interest in metal or hard rock should be all over this. MISC: My reviews so far really lean towards 4 and 5 stars. When I look up others' reviews, I am always kind of shocked that there are so many lower scores for albums considered classics (although to be fair I have encountered a few lesser efforts and have been surprised at their inclusion), often from people who just outright reject certain genres or styles of music. I'm lucky to have very broad tastes and most of these albums are in these books for very good reason, even if some of the music is outside my usual listening preference. It's a shame more people don't approach this with quite such an open mind, and I honestly wonder what people with narrow tastes and obvious prejudices expect to get out of such a wide-ranging exercise.

BEFORE: More Iggy! My first repeat artist - already reviewed and loved Fun House. This is also familiar so I'm looking forward to getting into it again. AFTER: The production is dogshit and it just doesn't matter. The music is primal, raw, heavy and yet somehow still really catchy. I imagine that people who prefer clean, shiny production will struggle with this. If you like lo-fi, punk, garage rock etc. then this is as good as it gets. Iggy Pop's vocals are relentless and James Williamson is an immense guitarist. HIGHLIGHTS: I really love Search and Destroy, Penetration, Shake Appeal and the title track but there really are no bad tracks here. LOWLIGHTS: I mentioned the production, but that doesn't really detract from the music. VERDICT: 5 stars, baby.

BEFORE: I don't love much folk music but given their pedigree and work with Neil Young I am optimistic. I will be skipping the bonus tracks. I don't think I know any of this stuff although I do recognise a few titles so maybe I do. AFTER: Musically, this was more varied than I expected. Probably half of the songs didn't really grab me on first listen - I found them pleasant but better as background music. I hear a lot of Simon and Garfunkel and Cat Stevens and a little bit of early Eagles in the music. HIGHLIGHTS: The harmonies are nice and Stephen Stills is a great guitarist - I love the backwards guitar on Pre-Road Downs. Also enjoyed the ambitious structure of Suite: Judy Blue Eyes (particularly the final section). You Don't Have To Cry is a lovely song and Wooden Ships' psychedelia is a welcome change of pace. LOWLIGHTS: Marrakesh Express sounds like a Monkees cast-off. Beyond that, some of the tracks were just a little forgettable. VERDICT: I think it's a solid 4. I will probably listen to it a few more times just to see if some of the other songs sink in, but the good bits were really good.

BEFORE: Never heard of it. Fair play. It's a welcome change from all the 60s and 70s mainstream rock. I did find a slightly confusing version on Spotify attributed to all 3 original artists - Hariprasad Chaurasia, Brij Bhushan Kabra and Pandi Shivkuma Sharma. It's in a different order but still the same recordings, with one original track split into two and some bonus tracks (one of which is combined with an the original tracks - I skipped the bonus tracks for the sake of time). AFTER: The music is beautiful. Gentle and meditative but with some great tension and release created by the instrumentation - the drones, microtonal runs, mix of major, minor and microtonal intervals, notes bending in and out of harmony. The percussion is propulsive and the flute adds something different. I don't think I lost too much here by listening to the tracks out of order - you still get a clear sense of the pastoral narrative. HIGHLIGHTS: Nat Bhairav unfolds and then accelerates with propulsive tabla. The modal mixture and microtonal runs of Piloo are otherworldly . I loved the flute, guitar and santoor working in unison on Desh. LOWLIGHTS: None for me. The music ebbs and flows, but my interest never did. This was just so different for me that it was never less than captivating. VERDICT: 5 stars. Beautiful. Totally different to anything I've listened to before. This would go well with an edible, if that's your thing.

BEFORE: I love Queen as a singles band but haven't listened to their albums much. Grew up on their greatest hits collections but I only really know Seven Seas of Rhye from this. Just watched Bohemian Rhapsody with the kids (it remains pretty average, the music aside). I know early Queen was a little more proggy, which I am up for. Let's go. AFTER: I was surprised how many elements of peak Queen were already in place here - the harmonies, Freddy's incredible voice, the multi-layered guitar, the complex compositions and genre-hopping, letting Roger sing one of the album cuts. Some of the proggier strong structures - Father to Son and March of the Black Queen - prove that the multiple movements of Bohemian Rhapsody are not an outlier (even if the opera section is out of the box). HIGHLIGHTS: Father to Son is fantastic, inventive and compelling across its multiple movements. Some Day One Day builds up to a triumphant guitar solo. Ogre Battle, The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke and March of the Black Queen are unhinged in the best possible way and the harmonies and compositions are both epic and ridiculous. I really enjoyed the fantasy-themed songs on Side 2 - reminiscent of Led Zep and a reminder that a lot of rock stars are dorks at heart. Nevermore is a beautiful, brief showcase for Mercury. Funny How Love Is is catchy and buoyed by Taylor's unconventional drumming. Seven Seas of Rhye sets the template for Bat Out of Hell. LOWLIGHTS: The intro is a bit rum. There is also something a bit off with the production on Some Day One Day - some kind of weird flanging effect maybe - but it's still a great song. VERDICT: 5 stars. I'm a lifelong fan of Queen and this one still really took me by surprise - proggy, catchy, wonderfully played and produced (Some Day One Day aside). This is the sound of 4 very talented musicians pushing themselves to the limit in the service of something deeply weird, which I really appreciate. It won't be for everyone - some of it is very silly - but I loved it.

BEFORE: I know this, but not well. Pretty classic punk album, if memory serves. AFTER: D. Boon was an incredible talent taken too soon. I love complex compositions deployed in the service of a punk attitude. Everyone here is at the absolute top of their game. While it's musically very different and far less polished, this reminded me of Refused's The Shape of Punk to Come in the scale of its ambition and quality of execution. There is definitely more jazz / funk / post-punk influence than I remember from previous listens. Will try to keep this high level given the album is so long. HIGHLIGHTS: Favourite tracks here were Theatre Is The Life Of You, Cohesion, Two Beads At The End, Maybe Partying Will Help, Retreat, Corona (the soundtrack to a thousand gratuitous injuries), History Lesson Part 2, You Need the Glory, The Roar of the Masses Could Be Farts, The Politics of Time, Jesus and Tequila, Storm in My House, Love Dance. LOWLIGHTS: Few and far between. I guess the CCR and Steely Dan covers are a bit unnecessary when the originals here are so strong. VERDICT: 5 stars. An incredible record. Going into my regular rotation.

BEFORE: I don't love folk but Joni Mitchell is pretty unique - the crazy guitar tunings, complicated chord progressions and deeply personal lyrics. Calling it folk almost seems a bit reductive. I'm looking forward to this. I know River pretty well because it's on my Christmas playlist, and I also like A Case of You. AFTER: Right from the start, this sounds like nothing else. Mitchell wrings so much invention and feeling from just a guitar or piano, her crystal clear voice and very little else. Her singular vocals cut through everything so well. None of these songs are much over 4 minutes but they still contain so much detail, different movements etc. HIGHLIGHTS: It's all pretty special. Favourite tracks are Little Green, Carey, California, This Flight Tonight, River, The Last Time I Saw Richard. LOWLIGHTS: Don't be silly. VERDICT: 5 stars.

BEFORE: More familiar territory. Should I be worried by how much of this list is pulled from the 60s and 70s? I know that was an important time for the development of rock and popular music, but some newer / more experimental stuff would be welcome. At any rate, I love the Rolling Stones in general and this album in particular so this should be fun. AFTER: Yep it's just as good as it was the previous 50 times I listened to it. The Rolling Stones successfully synthesize blues, country, rock and a few more experimental elements in a way that no one else. The songs are fantastic, the playing is tight. This might be their best album. HIGHLIGHTS: Wild Horses is a fantastic. Can't You Hear Me Knocking earns all 7 minutes and is a great showcase for Mick Taylor (far and away their best lead guitarist). Sister Morphine is harrowing, one of the darkest songs they ever released. Moonlight Mile is still my favourite Stones song (Let It Loose runs it close). LOWLIGHTS: There's a reason they don't play Brown Sugar on the radio anymore. The music is great but the lyrics have aged like milk. I Got The Blues is one of their more forgettable compositions until the Stax-style brass really gets going. In the context of the album, those weaker moments don't really matter. VERDICT: 5 stars. It's a classic and it was a pleasure to listen to it again. Although I am maybe ready for something newer and/or weirder at this point...

BEFORE: I was after something outside that 60s / 70s era that seems to dominate these lists. I didn't get it. I don't love Rod Stewart other than the odd single here and there - his voice is decent but he has made some terrible musical choices over the years. This does seem to be mostly covers which might be a good sign? AFTER: Rod Stewart really only has two modes - gravelly and slow or gravelly and fast. I am in no hurry to listen to this much of his music in one session again, although this was not without its high points. At least he isn't singing about his libido or attempting disco. The playing here is mostly strong, the odd over-ambitious drum-fill aside. HIGHLIGHTS: Gasoline Alley is a fine, upbeat acoustic song. Only A Hobo is well-arranged and performed, particularly the instrumental sections. The instrumental work on Cut Across Shorty is fantastic (see below for the rest). Lady Day and Jo's Lament make much better use of Stewart's vocals - maybe because he wrote them (although the latter owes a debt to Norwegian Wood). You're My Girl isn't bad, although it's an odd choice for an album closer. LOWLIGHTS: It's All Over Now is generic blues-rock that does not need to be 6 minutes long, although the guitar solo is nice enough. Whoever blew that whistle 5 minutes in should have been ejected from the studio. Country Comfort is a lesser Elton John song that can't be improved by Stewart's one-trick vocals, and Jack Reynolds' backing vocals are painfully bad - he sounds like he won a radio competition to be on the album. Stewart's oddly tuneless, over-sung vocals and howling aren't quite enough to ruin Cut Across Shorty, but it does make you wish he would just get out of the way. VERDICT: 2 stars. This is a mixed bag, and I am really not sure why this album is on this list, especially when you look at the full list and see all the amazing stuff that isn't on it. Even the best tracks on here feel inessential - 3 decent originals, some well-rendered versions of middling songs, a couple of outright trainwrecks and more gravel than an abandoned quarry.

TL;DR: Puts the ass in Manassas. BEFORE: FFS. This rootsy 70s shit is really starting to grind me down. I also see that this is a double album. This is why Boomers shouldn't be allowed to make lists. I'm going to need a death metal power cleanse before I listen to this. AFTER: Threw this on before I went out to grab some lunch. It's just so forgettable and way too long. HIGHLIGHTS: There's an OK bluegrass song in there somewhere - maybe on Side 2? It Doesn't Matter has a bit of an early Eagles vibe that I liked. Bound To Fall is decent - it should have been longer. Move Around isn't good but at least it's weird. The guitar work on Blues Man is very good. I'd rather hear someone try something new and fail than 15 tasteful, boring songs that all sound the same. It took until Side 3 of a double album for anything to stick which isn't great. LOWLIGHTS: Kind of all of it apart from the occasional interesting song. Jesus Gave Love Away For Free was particularly off-putting. The lyrics to Johnny's Garden are shite. I felt genuine dread when the tuneless vocals to The Treasure kicked in and saw that it had 8 minutes to go. VERDICT: My first 1 star. Might have been 2 if there was less filler alongside all the handful of decent songs. Tedious, pointless and Stephen Stills seems like an abject dickhead. I was relieved when it was over. I would like a word with whatever failed hippie decided this list needed so many middling albums from the 60s and 70s. I'm only 33 albums in, which is sobering.

TL;DR: Lyrically and sonically brutal. Great if you're into that kind of thing. BEFORE: Is this my reward for slogging through Manassas? AFTER: This is great. Brutal punk / noise with dark lyrics and programmed drums that sometimes veer into industrial territory. If you like this kind of stuff, it's absolutely top tier. If you're not, it's a challenging listen and you have my sympathy. I'm a big fan of Chat Pile, and there are some definitely similarities in the lyrical subject matter, use of repetition with the vocals and dissonant, spidery guitar lines. There are still grooves and catchy moments in here under all the noise, which makes these songs memorable in a way some noise-rock can fail to achieve HIGHLIGHTS: Jordan, Minnesota is an absolutely harrowing way to start an album. Kerosene is fantastic and keeps finding extra gears. Fists of Love is propulsive and dissonant, reminiscent of early Ministry. Strange Things is almost upbeat. The guitars in Cables sound like a sheet metal fabricator tearing itself to pieces (that's a compliment). LOWLIGHTS: None. VERDICT: 5 stars. Heavy as fuck but beautiful as well. A musical kick in the balls. RIP Steve Albini - you were a real one.

TL; DR: Angry man makes beautiful, transcendent, genre-hopping jazz. BEFORE: I know very little about jazz and almost nothing about Charles Mingus other than that he had a very bad temper. Like, punch a dude in the face so he can never play the trombone again properly bad. AFTER: This is a really special album. It's big band jazz but it incorporates so many other genres of music - in that sense, I loved this a lot more than the Count Basie album I listened to a few weeks ago which kind of washed over me. It sounds like taking a journey and it doesn't sound angry at all. I was totally captivated and occasionally confused through the entire album. HIGHLIGHTS / LOWLIGHTS: Doesn't really make sense in this context - it's a single piece, even if it is broken down into separate tracks. The flamenco section was an unexpected joy but it's all just really, really good. VERDICT: 5 stars. Also, if you review says something dumb like "I just don't like jazz" I really don't understand why you would put yourself through this exercise.

TL;DR: A short but powerful showcase for one of the best to ever do it. BEFORE: I know a few of these songs - some of them very well - but confess I have never listened to a full album by Aretha Franklin. AFTER: This is a great, short, punchy, classic soul album that highlights Aretha Franklin's incredible voice alongside tasteful arrangements. HIGHLIGHTS: Respect, the title track and Do Right Woman, Do Right Man are, justifiably, classics. The horns on here are a great counterpoint to the vocals. The more famous songs aside: Soul Serenade is a beautiful song based on a jazz instrumental. Don't Let Me Lose This Dream is a fun mix of bossanova and soul. Dr. Feelgood is vastly better than the Motley Crue song. Save Me is propulsive with a powerful vocal. The version of A Change Is Gonna Come on here is nearly as good as Sam Cooke's original, which is one of my favourite songs. LOWLIGHTS: A lot of these songs fade out rather than have a proper ending, which always feels like a bit of a cop-out. Otherwise, I have zero complaints. Also, shout out to short albums. VERDICT: 5 stars.

TL;DR: Fun, experimental and the highs are high. Also self-indulgent and uneven, especially in the back half. BEFORE: I've always been lukewarm on The Police, but I like some of the singles from here so I'm going to listen to this with an open mind. AFTER: That delay pedal gets a real workout on here. I enjoyed this more than expected, particularly some of the more experimental stuff. It's not perfect - there are a couple of duds and the energy really drops off on Side 2. HIGHLIGHTS: Synchronicity I and Walking In our Footsteps are pretty cool. Weird synths and textures, and Synchronicity I has something funny going on with its structure or time signature that I like. Definitely more experimental than I expected. O My God has a killer bassline and synth washes at least a decade ahead of their time. Synchronicity II is one of The Police's best songs and Every Breath You Take - while overplayed and a little creepy - is great in the context of the album. LOWLIGHTS: The energy and quality drops off markedly on Side 2 and Sting's lyrics are often embarrassing and self-indulgent. Miss Gradenko is annoying even across 2 minutes. There is something missing from The King of Pain for me - a hook or extra gear that should be there but never arrives. I went back and listened to it again just to check if I was missing something. OTHER: Andy Summers' vocals on Mother came out of left field. The music is good and it reminds me a little bit of Captain Beefheart and the demented carnival music of NZ's Headless Chickens. I liked it more than I expected given its reputation. VERDICT: A light 4 stars. Better than I expected.

TL;DR: Conceptually interesting and sometimes great but too much of this is underwhelming or aggressively irritating. BEFORE: I don't mind Who's Next but otherwise don't really listen to The Who. I'm aware of the concept behind this, and it makes me wary. AFTER: It is hard to understand the appeal. Other than the jingles - which are uniformly annoying - there is nothing in here that the Beatles or other bands of this era haven't done with significantly better results. A decent proportion of the lyrics sound like the first draft of something written under duress in a high school English class. HIGHLIGHTS: I Can See For Miles and Sunrise are spectacular. The production is impressive. Beyond that, Armenia City In The Sky is engagingly weird and druggy although I'm pretty sure that's not how you pronounce Armenia. Our Love Was is well-executed and melodic with an interesting chord progression and great guitar solo, only slightly let down by the vocals in the bridge. I Can't Reach You and Relax are both competent, dreamy rock songs. LOWLIGHTS: The jingles tie the concept together but largely subtract from the music. Mary Anne With The Shaky Hand, Odorono and Tattoo are under-cooked with vaguely off-putting lyrics. Silas Stingy wastes inventive music and harmonies on half-baked lyrics. Rael 1 starts with truly awful singing before settling into aimless rock opera. I didn't bother with the bonus tracks. VERDICT: 2 stars. 2 great songs, some OK album cuts and a whole lot of filler, nonsense, sophomoric lyrics and grating interludes that detract from the high points.

TL; DR: A sonic kick in the balls. If you don't like this, you're a fucking coward. BEFORE: Yes! I've been looking forward to this one. I know it's the lowest rated album in the entire list despite the presence of Kid Rock and other indefensible dross. As a fan of industrial music, I've listened to it before and enjoyed it, although Hamburger Lady is a challenging listen - possibly the most unsettling track I've ever heard. AFTER: I like industrial and I like noise. For me, this is a classic. Obviously, it isn't for everyone but if you like transgressive, confronting music this is right up there. HIGHLIGHTS: IBM's electronic feedback, Valley of the Shadow of Death's sound collage voyeurism, the malfunctioning droid funk of Dead on Arrival, Weeping's creepy spoken word and rusty swingset noises. Hometime predicts Board of Canada's dreamy / creepy soundscapes. AB/7A is disarmingly pretty, almost conventional and a welcome break from the madness. Walls of Sound is accurately named. LOWLIGHTS: It's very effective, but Hamburger Lady is still a bit much for me - it is somehow even worse in the context of the album. I haven't marked the album down for it but I don't need to hear it again for a good while. VERDICT: 5 stars. Put it in my veins. Not you, Hamburger Lady.

TL;DR: Hard hitting, revolutionary and influential hip hop that retains a sense of fun. BEFORE: I'm familiar with this and love Public Enemy's music, but generally in smaller doses. I know this is hugely influential, although I've struggled to get through full albums with the production being so busy. I'm fortified with caffeine so let's see how we go. AFTER: I definitely found this an easier listen than previously. Chuck D has characterised the production as a Wall of Noise, and I think that's accurate. It's intricate but heavy, sometimes overwhelming - the heavy breaks, wide range of samples, scratching and those weird whistles that everyone co-opted in the early 90s. HIGHLIGHTS: Structuring this like a gig, with the live intro, members' solo turns etc. really works well. The singles are immense. My favourite tracks on here are Louder Than A Bomb, Caught, Can We Get A Witness?, She Watch Channel Zero?!, Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos (I'm a big fan of Tricky's cover). I was surprised to hear a familiar beat on Security of the First World - apparently Lenny Kravitz sampled it for Justify My Love without permission. LOWLIGHTS: Nothing that stands out. Some of the faster tracks can be a little same-y over an album this long, but there is enough variety to break things up. VERDICT: It's a genuine classic, a huge influence on the hip hop that came in its wake in terms of the production, lyricism and attitude, and I'm glad I gave it another chance. An easy 5 stars.

TL;DR: Cowboy cosplay which flucutates from sublime to tiresome. BEFORE: I've heard of the guy. That's about it. AFTER: Marty Robbins' rose-tinted cowboy songs are beautifully played and sung, but there are a few dull tracks here. There is also a lot of misplaced mythology around the Wild West™ that this music perpetuates while ignoring the uglier side of colonisation. That being said, some of these tracks are fantastic despite their origin. HIGHLIGHTS: El Paso is a superior country ballad. Big Iron kicks things off well with an upbeat rhythm, infectious melodies, close harmony vocals and fantastic lead guitar. The Master's Call and The Hanging Tree are similarly strong, dramatic compositions. Billy the Kid, Utah Carol, Running Gun and Saddle Tramp are also very good narrative songs. LOWLIGHTS: The slower songs are all very similar, which can be tedious - Cool Water, In The Valley, The Little Green Valley etc. Robbins also seems to have an unhealthy obsession with Mexican women for a staunch conservative. VERDICT: It's a strong 3. I'm not a country guy and some of this was not quite as engaging, but overall it was pretty good.

TL;DR: Pitch-perfect, weird, horny class warfare that is as vital and relevant now as it was in 1995. BEFORE: Favourite album by one of my favourite bands. Finally saw them live earlier this year and it was a revelation, even 30 years after this came out. I already know the rating and this is just an excuse to listen to them again. AFTER: Yeah it's still great. Common People is one of the best songs every written and there are plenty of other tracks here that run it pretty close. This album is a powerful mix of drama, humour, arch lyrics, political / class commentary, big hooks and music that is, by turns, anthemic and epic or tasteful and delicate. Pulp always seem able to find an extra gear in their songs when they need and Jarvis Cocker is an expert in finding the universal in the specific. HIGHLIGHTS: Common People is perfect. Mis-Shapes is an incredible opener - a microcosm of the album to follow in under 4 minutes. I Spy is Common People's creepy uncle - Cocker leering over dramatic strings. Sorted for E's & Whizz captures the crushing loneliness of the end of a big night. Monday Morning is a raucous deep cut. LOWLIGHTS: None. If you think it's creepy, I have to assume that you're either a Mormon or just haven't really understood it. VERDICT: 5. Obviously. Everyone who gave this a low rating is a terminal loser.

TL;DR: Beautifully realised old-school country and a worthy showcase for three incredible artists. BEFORE: I completely understand why this has been allocated today - RIP Dolly Parton. She was a real one. I feel like my Mum had this on CD and gave it a pretty good workout after her divorce, so it will be interesting to see how much of this I remember. AFTER: The vocals on here - both lead and harmony are incredible, the song choices are uniformly strong and the arrangements are largely up to the challenge of supporting those choices. Musically, I particularly like the guitar, mandolin and strings on here. While I'm not a huge fan of modern pop-country, I do like this more old-fashioned style of country music. This reminds me of my favourite moments from the O Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack, which is about the highest praise I can give for this style of music. HIGHLIGHTS: The Pain of Loving You sets out their stall pretty effectively. This is by far the best version of To Know Him Is To Love Him - I honestly had no idea it was a Phil Spector song. Hobo's Meditation is a perfect showcase for Linda Ronstadt's powerful lead vocal. Wildflowers was a genuinely emotional listen - Parton was an incredible songwriter. Those Memories of You is upbeat and bluesy with a catchy chorus and a refreshing hint of anger creeping into the sadness. Rosewood Casket is just as heartbreaking as the name suggests. LOWLIGHTS: Telling Me Lies is slightly let down by its 80s keys and production sheen. The song, with its swelling, surprising chorus, is strong enough to overcome that, but it does detract from the otherwise timeless sound of the album. VERDICT: Given the era this was recorded and my general disdain for modern country, I thought I might have to bump this up a star or two given Dolly Parton's recent passing. Turns out I didn't have to. It's a great album. 5 stars. MISC: Porter Wagoner was an asshole.

TL;DR: Experimental rock and innovative production with some...challenging vocal performances. BEFORE: I only know this by reputation. AFTER: The music is never less than interesting and innovative, and often moving. The production is absolutely jaw-dropping for its era - you can see why Eno was so sought-after as a producer. Some of the vocals and lyrics are pretty annoying but I suspect those will grow on you over time. HIGHLIGHTS: Needles in The Camel's Eye is an interesting slice of psychedelic garage rock. Baby's On Fire has a great instrumental and an incredible guitar solo. The extended intro that opens On Some Faraway Beach foreshadows Eno's later ambient experiments before the bittersweet vocal arrives. The title track pulls the same trick to great effect. I love the brief, weird noise experiment that concludes Dead Finks Don't Talk. Some of Them Are Old reminds me of the Beta Band, with its deadpan vocals and gentle instrumental freakout. LOWLIGHTS: I know it was the 70s, but The Paw Paw Negro Blowtorch is a lyrical abomination (see also: Elton John's Jamaica Jerk-Off). The transition to Blank Frank is jarring and the vocals on Baby's On Fire and Dead Finks Don't Talk are hard to love, at least on first listen. VERDICT: 4 stars this time around, but I'll keep at it. The music is really interesting and I know plenty of other stuff that took a while to properly unfold.

TL;DR: Pixies corral disparate influences and unhinged lyrics into some of the best indie-rock ever made. A contender for the best album of the 80s. BEFORE: An all-time favourite. I've literally seen them play the whole thing live in concert. Twice. I'll listen to it again for posterity but it's an easy 5. AFTER: This is an all-time great album - indie-rock or otherwise. Musically, this covers a lot of ground and all of it comes off. Come for the catchy singles, stay for the uninhibited experimentalism. The band is on top form - Frank Black's songwriting and unhinged vocals, Kim Deal's melodic bass and backing vocals, Joey Santiago's guitar covering surf rock, no wave and everything in between and Dave Lovering's tight but inventive drumming holding everything down. It's weird, angry, sad, funny, transgressive and totally compelling. The production is perfect - raw but thoughtful enough to let everything shine. HIGHLIGHTS: This album is one long, unrelenting highlight. Debaser lets you know what you're letting yourself in for, being both catch and insane. Here Comes Your Man is as close as the Pixies get to straight pop. Some of the best tracks here are the album cuts - the stately Wave of Mutilation, the genuinely unnerving Mr. Grieves', No. 13 Baby's glorious outro, every second of Hey, the sinister Gouge Away. Even when they're taking the piss on La La Love You and Silver the end result is incredible. And even with 15 tracks veering wildly across genres, it's all done and dusted in under 40 minutes. LOWLIGHTS: Fuck off. VERDICT: The sky is blue, grass is green and this is still a perfect, 5 star album.

TL;DR: A strong, anthemic third album with a few too many middling, mid-tempo tracks amongst some excellent songs. BEFORE: Again, I am very familiar with this and was a big fan of the band although this isn't my favourite of their albums. I haven't listened to them much since all that stuff came out about Win Butler but I'll try to put that aside. AFTER: This album was well-received and there are a lot of great tracks on here enhanced by strong production, string arrangements and electronics. However, there are hints of creative stagnation with a few too many mid-tempo tracks and some judicious editing wouldn't have hurt. The more experimental Reflektor suggests that maybe the band knew that too. HIGHLIGHTS: The title track acts almost as a theme song that bookends the album proper and Ready to Start has the energy typically reserved for an opener. Empty Room and Month of May are both a welcome change of pace with their frenetic, propulsive arrangements. I love the guitar line though City With No Children. The Half Light / Sprawl tracks pull an interesting trick, pairing wonderful strings on Part I with strong songs underpinned by pulsing electronics on Part II. We Used To Wait is maybe the best song on the album. LOWLIGHTS: While none of the songs are weak, there are a lot of tracks here with similar tempos and arrangements and I found my attention drifting at times - Modern Man, Rococo, Suburban War (until it finds another gear at the very end), Wasted Hours and Deep Blue are the worst culprits. None of them are bad, but one of two of them would have been enough. VERDICT: Between that handful of middling tracks and a certain distaste over Win Butler's behaviour that can be hard to set aside, this is a solid 4.

TL;DR: "The Only Band That Matters" hits the ground running. BEFORE: Big fan of The Clash. Saw a tribute band a few weeks ago. I think they peaked with London Calling but some of that early stuff is also great. AFTER: Even in their earliest incarnation, The Clash were more musically adventurous than most of their peers - that comes through in the musical and production choices here, even on the simpler and shorter tracks. HIGHLIGHTS: Janie Jones is one of the best opening tracks of all time. I'm So Bored With The USA has a timeless message elevated by its melodic lead guitar and gang vocals. What's My Name has a sinister edge and killer chorus. London's Burning, Career Opportunities and Cheat provide a thrillingly cynical and angry run through the middle of the album. Police & Thieves is an inspired cover that points towards the growing experimentalism that would be fully realised on later albums. LOWLIGHTS: Protex Blue isn't bad - just a bit forgettable. VERDICT: A vital early release from the greatest punk band ever. Another 5 stars. If the algorithm could just send me a bit more mediocre crap to even out my scores...

TL;DR: Familiar but superior classic rock elevated by a generational songwriting run from Noel Gallagher. BEFORE: I'm ambivalent about this. I don't mind Oasis but I am heartily sick of Wonderwall. I like the other singles and as always try to keep an open mind going in. AFTER: Notwithstanding that a lot of this music is heavily indebted to the Beatles and other classic rock, there are some incredible songs here delivered with energy and attitude and nothing really weak - just a bit overfamiliar. Even the bonus tracks / B-sides Talk Tonight and Acquiesce are great and Noel was on an incredible run as a songwriter. HIGHLIGHTS: Don't Look Back in Anger is their greatest song - it's perfect. Hello and Roll With It provide a vital, energetic opening. Cast No Shadow is a superior ballad. Some Might Say has a fantastic verse melody but is slightly let down by its chorus. Morning Glory's aggression, accusatory lyrics and heavy, dissonant guitars add some necessary variety. Champagne Supernova is majestic psychedelia. LOWLIGHTS: At this point, I would never listen to Wonderwall by choice, although I still like the bridge. That's really more my issue than a problem with the music. The lyrics on She's Electric could have done with a second draft. VERDICT: I expected to give this maybe 3 stars, but it's a fantastic album and I probably don't give Oasis enough credit. There are no weak tracks on here and the highs are very high. 5 stars.

TL:DR: Coldplay before they turned into Coldplay™. BEFORE: I listened to it a lot when I came out but less so as Coldplay started to pump out generic stadium rock. Will be interesting to revisit it. AFTER: It's easy to forget that Coldplay used to be this good. The run of songs that opens the album is close to perfect and the mix of dark and light is impressive for a band that has since slipped into lazy poptimism. HIGHLIGHTS: Politik's insistent rhythms, The Scientist might be their strongest ballad, Clocks remains an anthem no matter how many times those arppegios are repurposed. I also enjoyed their darker turns on God Put A Smile On Your Face and A Whisper, the swelling chorus and slide guitar of the title track, the slow burn of Amsterdam. LOWLIGHTS: I know Green Eyes is well-regarded, but I think there is a bit of a lull in energy and quality across Green Eyes and Warning Sign that bumps this down a star. VERDICT: This is a pretty strong 4 stars for me.

TL; DR: A transcendent, beautiful album with an inessential virtual bonus disc that you can freely ignore. BEFORE: Two hours. Well, I'm glad I hit this one on a weekend. I've only just started to get into George's solo stuff and I've listened to this once through before and really like some of the tracks. AFTER: I know Phil Spector was a psychotic POS and there are plenty of other dodgy people on this, but my god does it good. Lush but with every musical element still distinct. The musical complexity and emotional depth of the songs make for a listening experience that is both exhilarating and comforting. It's a long album, but I could happily have listened to it all over again apart from the Apple Jam stuff. The streaming version has the final two sides out of order, but that didn't seem to detract from the listening experience. HIGHLIGHTS: The inventiveness that always serves the song - snatches of slide guitar, strings, the bombastic drums on I Dig Love - means that this is always interesting. Side One is a perfect run of songs and the Beatles' rejection of Isn't It A Pity is mind-boggling - both versions on here are fantastic. What Is Life is epic. Behind That Locked Door is a beautiful country ballad. Beware of Darkness might be the best solo track George ever wrote. Let It Roll is ethereal and highlighted by its instrumental sections. I Dig Love is propelled by bombastic drums and an odd chromatic riff. Art of Dying could be a lost Bond theme. Hear Me Lord is suitably epic closer to side four. LOWLIGHTS: Apple Scruffs is slight but fun, elevated by the harmonies. It's Johnny's Birthday is a mercifully short in-joke. The other Apple Jam tracks are largely generic electric blues with a few funny noises or sound effects thrown into the mix, with Out of the Blue probably the most interesting. It's an awful lot of runtime for something so inessential, but conveniently all stuck together at the end for maximum skippability. VERDICT: If you skip the Apple Jam stuff, this is an easy 5. If you leave them in, it's more like a 4. I don't think George considered Apple Jam part of the album proper - more like a bonus disc you can take or leave. On that basis, it's a 5.

TL;DR: Transcendent weirdness. Great if you're into whatever the fuck Frank Zappa was doing. Probably hard work if you're not, but that is very much not my problem. BEFORE: I'm a casual Zappa fan and a regular Captain Beefheart fan. I've definitely listened to this before. Should be fun. At least it's not 2 hours long. AFTER: I love this weird shit. Peaches En Regalia is an incredible composition - full of invention in its short runtime. Beefheart's unhinged vocal is a welcome addition to Willie The Pimp before the epic guitar solo. Jean Luc Ponty's violin on The Gumbo Variations is genuinely jaw-dropping. The whole album is just superior, energetic instrumental music that mixes rock, blues, funk and jazz. It's hard to reduce to highlights and lowlights so I didn't bother to try, and this is definitely one of those love-it or hate-it propositions. VERDICT: 5 stars. No notes.

TL;DR: Bowie-style weirdo art-rock elevated by its musical experimentation but occasionally let down by its songwriting. BEFORE: I am struggling to summon any enthusiasm for this but trying to stick with the work. So much 70s rock made by so many white dudes and the cover is off-putting. AFTER: Like my recent Eno solo album, this was a pleasant surprise. Some of the composition and instrumentation is genuinely experimental for the era and there are plenty of excellent songs here alongside a couple of more mediocre efforts. You can definitely hear the influence of this music on British alternative rock in the 90s and 00s. HIGHLIGHTS: Do The Strand is an engaging and energetic opener. Strictly Confidential is moody with jagged guitar leads and one of the few successful deployments of an oboe in rock. In Every Dream Home A Heartache is unremittingly bleak and almost lives up to the promise of its title. The Bogus Man is sinister but weirdly funky with an oddly syncopated bassline. The title track is an experimental epic - an incredible showcase and suitable farewell for Brian Eno. LOWLIGHTS: Beauty Queen is generic and dated, mostly carried by its arrangements. Grey Lagoons is more an excuse for a series solos (including a particularly grating harmonica solo) than a fully realised song. I would probably enjoy them both more with repeated listens. VERDICT: It's a solid 4 star album to me. I understand why it's on the list and might even enjoy it more after a few more listens.

TL;DR: A relentless onslaught of chanson, by turns compelling and punishing. BEFORE: I know the name but don't know the music and can't understand the lyrics. I understand that he's Belgian, but he is the most French-looking dude I have ever seen. AFTER: I'm not quite sure to make of this - it was a bit of a slog. It's dramatic and passionate and Brel's phrasing is fantastic (I think). The vocals are usually on full send and the language barrier was a challenge for something so driven by lyrics. Sometimes it works, and sometimes you wish he would just calm the fuck down. When it comes to the accordion, I am very much from the Gary Larson school of less is more and none is best, so I struggle with the prevalence of accordion in French language music. HIGHLIGHTS: Le Dernier Repas is a wonderful opener. I enjoyed the tempo changes and tango influence in Les Toros, Mathilde and Tango Funèbre and the unhinged vocals in the latter. Le Plat Plays is a haunting composition with a more subtle vocal. The unexpected change of energy in Jef is particularly powerful. LOWLIGHTS: Trop d'accordéon. Les Bonbons is an attempted seduction from a drunk hobo with a bad cold. Les Timides is pretty tedious. I found my interest waning pretty frequently, especially towards the end. VERDICT: I have to give this an honest assessment based on my experience. It's a lot. I liked parts of it but some of it was irritating or excessively strident and the instrumentation is a mixed bag. I may have enjoyed it more if I understood the language, and bumped it up from a 2 to a 3 on that basis.

TL;DR: Fun and energetic but a little silly and ultimately inessential BEFORE: This doesn't have any of the three Cult songs I know but it does have a cover of Born To Be Wild. Expectations are muted. AFTER: OK I do actually know Wild Flower. I like Ian Astbury's voice - it reminds me a little bit of Jeffrey Lee Pierce. The guitar solos are uniformly fantastic - just the right balance of melodic and atonal / frenetic stuff and the clear production allows the music to shine. HIGHLIGHTS: Wildflower is catchy and energetic with a great solo although it reminds me of about 50 other classic rock songs. Aphrodisiac Jacket stand out for being a less meat-and-potatoes, with an effective descending guitar riff and off-kilter chorus. Electric Ocean reminds me of Aussie pub rock (in a good way) with an AC/DC groove and backing vocals reminiscent of Midnight Oil. Terrible lyrics aside, Love Removal Machine is a great song with some of the same energy as She Sells Sanctuary. Memphis Hip Shake is compellingly weird. LOWLIGHTS: The lyrics are a string of cliches. The music is engaging but much of it is very derivative. The cover of Born To Be Wild, with its weird background whispers and mangled chorus, is completely unwarranted. VERDICT: It's not revolutionary but it's plenty of fun. Probably doesn't belong on this list. 3 stars.

VERDICT: Peak weird dance music. Often imitated, never equaled. BEFORE: I love the Talking Heads and I could stand to listen to them a bit more often. No complaints here. AFTER: This is a classic. Complex, thrilling, funky, catchy, experimental in a way that never undermines the groove. Every time I listen to it I hear something new and exciting. This is the sound of a band doing exactly what they want with incredible results. I was glad to hit this on the weekend because it means I had time to listen to it twice. You can hear the influence on a lot of the 00's indie bands coming out of New York in the mix of dance, rock, funk and electronic sounds and the structuring of tracks as dance music rather than traditional verse-chorus rock songs. HIGHLIGHTS: This is busy music that wouldn't work without Brian Eno's carefully balanced production which keeps everything crystal clear and in perfect balance. Born Under Punches' glitchy techno-funk sounds decades ahead of its time. Crosseyed and Painless and The Great Curve set the template for LCD Soundsystem's entire career. I particularly love the multi-layered vocals, brass stabs and what I assume is Adrian Belew's avant garde guitar work on The Great Curve. Once in a Lifetime and Houses in Motion are both fixtures of my playlists but somehow never get old. Once In A Lifetime is riotous and Buildings In Motion slinky and sinister. Listening Wind has eerie electronics and fantastic percussion - it almost sounds like 90s downbeat or triphop. LOWLIGHTS: There is a slight energy dip in those final three tracks but not enough to detract from the quality of the music. VERDICT: 5/5. A masterpiece.

TL;DR: It might be influential, but the music itself is an absolute slog. BEFORE: I've typically struggled to enjoy Joy Division but let's see how we go. AFTER: I really don't understand why this is so well-regarded. This was only 40 minutes long and I couldn't wait for it to be over. The production occasionally sounds great but mostly sounds like the work of someone who didn't know what they were doing - muddy and inconsistent, but not in a way that actually serves the music. Ian Curtis sounds miserable and can't really sing. The instrumentation is rarely interesting enough to overcome those problems. I like a lot of dark / bleak music but this mostly does nothing for me. HIGHLIGHTS: Peter Hook's bass is an obvious highlight - the only good thing about some of these tracks. Stephen Morris' drums are great when he is given more to do. Disorder and Shadowplay are propulsive tunes with some interesting sonic details lurking in the background - far and away the best tracks on the album. She's Lost Control is a decent song that just needed better execution. Interzone is surprisingly fun and Hook is clearly a better singer. LOWLIGHTS: Day of The Lords, New Dawn Fades and I Remember Nothing are turgid, boring and overlong. Insight has some interesting instrumental sections let down by a particularly off-key vocal from Curtis. Candidate and Wilderness are more sketches than fully realised songs. VERDICT: I don't really get it. There are a handful of good tracks here and a couple more with potential, but it is largely a depressing mess that sounds like it was recorded in an underpass. 2 stars.

TL;DR: S tier US indie rock. A revelation. BEFORE: I've heard of them but never listened. Not sure why given their rep etc. AFTER: Not what I expected. Definitely rock but otherwise hard to classify and all the better for it. Not unlike The Clash's later efforts, this is punk-y but covers a lot of ground musically and Paul Westerberg has a songwriting touch that reminds me of Neil Finn. The lyrics vary wildly between juvenile and deeply personal and the music follows suit, which I love. I enjoyed this so much that I listened to it three times - not bad for a mid-week pick. HIGHLIGHTS: Its all good and during each listen I had new favourites. I Will Dare swings like early Violent Femmes. We're Coming Out is breakneck punk buoyed by a massive, chaotic guitar solo and a leftfield breakdown. Unsatisfied, Sixteen Blue and Answering Machine capture a sadness and yearning that hit close to home. Androgynous is a genuinely touching piano ballad that was decades ahead of its time - the anti-Dude Looks Like A Lady. Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out and Gary's Got A Boner pair pleasingly stupid lyrics with great music. Black Diamond is one of the only times I have ever enjoyed a KISS song. LOWLIGHTS: N/A. VERDICT: 5 stars

TL;DR: Serviceable outlaw country when it doesn't drop the tempo too low. BEFORE: I'm not familiar with Waylon Jennings beyond growing up with The Dukes of Hazzard like most 80s kids, but I much prefer outlaw country to bullshit modern pop-country and he was one of The Highwaymen so I'm looking forward to this. Also respect for this being under 30 minutes. AFTER: Grabbed me right off the and but then immediately let go with a pair of tracks that as engaging as a tax seminar. HIGHLIGHTS: The acoustic-electric change up on Honky Tonk Heroes is good and it might be the best song on the album although Black Rose runs it close. Low Down Freedom, Ain't No God In Mexico and Black Rose are upbeat and engaging enough. I liked the interplay between the lead guitar and pedal steel on You Ask Me To. Unlike the other slow songs, We Had It All is a decent ballad with a stirring string arrangement which sounds like it came from another album. LOWLIGHTS: The slower songs here are mostly hard work, even at 3 minutes long. Old Five and Dimers Like Me, Willy the Wandering Gypsy and Me and Ride Me Down Easy are all the same turgid, ponderous song, as far as I can gather. Even the highlights are middling at best. VERDICT: 2 stars. 3 for the good stuff and minus one for the boring crap. An album this short shouldn't have filler.

TL;DR: A flawless dance-pop album from a future problematic weirdo. BEFORE: Everyone knows Michael Jackson but I'm pretty sure Bad is the only album I've ever actually listened to front to back because we had it on cassette and Mum played it in the car. Saw him live on the HIStory tour which was one of the most interesting and bizarre spectacles I've ever seen. I only know the 3 biggest singles from this but they are all great. All of his music now has the taint of his unsavoury personal life, but at least this come out before he seemed to completely lose his mind. AFTER: The music synthesizes disco, funk and pop into Jackson's declaration of independence as a solo artist. The album credits are a murderer's row of the best session musicians and songwriters of the era. Jackson's artistic instincts are on point and it is great to hear him having fun before the paranoia really took hold. HIGHLIGHTS: Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough is 6 minutes of pure joy. It's a perfect song. Rock With You is more subdued but almost as good with its unexpected melody, and incredible work from the rhythm section. She's Out Of My Life is his best ballad. The real revelations here were the cuts I hadn't heard before - Workin' Day And Night is sleek and funky. Get On the Floor has some of the best bass I've ever heard and a breakdown that sounds like peak James Brown. Girlfriend is the perfect amount of cheesy. It's The Falling In Love has a killer chorus. Burn This Disco Down is a frenetic, off-kilter end to the album. LOWLIGHTS: None. There is a bit less momentum in the back half of the album but no real dip in quality. VERDICT: 5 stars (rounded up from 4.5). The album is heaps of fun and, while polished, also full of personality, idiosyncrasies and interesting details. If you can set aside any distaste you might have about Jackson, it's just an incredible album of dance music with a couple of slow jams in the back half.

TL;DR: A good collection of blues- and folk-influenced rock songs expertly executed. BEFORE: Haven't listened to much Jack White solo stuff. I loved The White Stripes and didn't mind The Raconteurs and Dead Weather. I remember hearing Love Interruption on the radio and thought it was fine but maybe missing something that I liked about the White Stripes. AFTER: The songs are mostly immediate and easy to enjoy, although some of that is due to their familiarity. HIGHLIGHTS: I loved Weep Themselves to Sleep with its dramatic piano, Sixteen Saltines (which is an up-tempo belter more in the vein of The White Stripes) I'm Shakin's killer riff and 60s soul backing vocals and the epic, genre-hopping Take Me With You When You Go. Otherwise, this is an album of decent songs elevated by the musicians: the keys on Missing Pieces; the arrangements and idiosyncratic backing vocals on Love Interruption, On and On and On and I Guess I Should Go to Sleep; the pedal steel and fiddle on Blunderbuss; the upright bass throughout the album. LOWLIGHTS: Hip (Eponymous) Poor Boy is a bit irritating. Verging on self-parody. Might like it better after a few more listens. VERDICT: It's a solid 4, but because it was an easy, fun listen I will probably listen to it a few more times just to see what else sinks in.

TL;DR: A mixed bag of classic rock cheese once you get past the sublime More Than A Feeling. BEFORE: I like More Than A Feeling and that is pretty much the full extent of my opinions on the band. I know this album has a strong reputation. AFTER: It's very cheesy but mostly well-executed. Brad Delp had an incredible voice and I really like the guitar work on most of the songs. Some of the songwriting can be forgettable - like music from a Dazed and Confused montage. HIGHLIGHTS: More Than A Feeling is a great song with incredible vocals and fantastic guitar work. It's a classic rock staple for a reason. God help anyone who attempts it at karaoke. Peace of Mind is catchy. The instrumental section of Foreplay / Long Time is pretty cool - energetic and spacy. The song that follows is just OK until you get to the exceptional guitar solo. Hitch A Ride is a solid mid-tempo song elevated by a weird, dreamy chorus. LOWLIGHTS: The lyrics are an endless string of cliches that the music can't always overcome. The guitar solos and screaming falsetto can't save Rock & Roll Band from mediocrity, but at least it's short. Smokin' is a generic boogie although I didn't mind the keys in the middle section. Something About You is forgettable and Let Me Take You Home Tonight is nauseating. VERDICT: 3 stars. It would be 2 if not for More Than A Feeling.

TL;DR: Sporadically effective folk-rock with that one song you know from that thing. BEFORE: Never heard of it. What the fuck is this cover. I know Nilsson's version of Everybody's Talkin' because I don't live under a rock. AFTER: Interesting production choice to have the bass so much louder than everything else - makes this a tougher listen than it needs to be. Neil has a great voice - deep and clear but still earthy with a hint of raspiness. HIGHLIGHTS: The Dolphins is a genuinely cool song - pastoral but veering towards psychedelia. I've Got A Secret (Didn't We Shake Sugaree) and Green Rocky Road are similarly gentle songs with powerful vocals. That's The Bag I'm In and Badi-Ba have a bluesy authenticity that lends emotional heft to the songs. Everybody's Talkin' is a great song, although Nilsson's version improves on the original. LOWLIGHTS: I've Got A Secret is a poorly chosen song title given the album cover. Everything Happens is aimless noodling with chord changes that sound like a child playing with a pre-programmed keyboard. Cocaine Blues is generic, middling blues. The "raga" at the end is overlong and an underwhelming way to finish. VERDICT: Another 3. It's pretty good but not enough to justify being on this list and the second best song here is the inferior original version of Nilsson's cover. The Dolphins is great though.

TL;DR: Captivatingly weird, hard to pin down, brilliant. BEFORE: Don't know much about it but my quick Google was pretty promising in terms of the music itself, but less so when it comes to Martyn's behaviour. AFTER: Pretty interesting straight out of the gate with a mix of electronic and analogue instruments, lots of genre-hopping and surprising choices with both the vocals and lyrics. I actually went back and listened to it again just because there was so much going on. It also sounds incredible. HIGHLIGHTS: Dealer's electro-funk sounds ahead of its time. The title track and Couldn't Love You More are gentle and sad, and the former has some incredible lead guitar buried in the mix. Smiling Stranger is psychedelic and sinister. The Lee Scratch Perry collaboration is a hybrid of dub and pop that provides some welcome lightness and a good transition to the back half of the album. Certain Surprise is off-balance yacht rock that sounds like a drunk singing along to Little River Band but somehow works. Dancing pairs Afrobeat-style guitar and bass with an un-danceable rhythm and odd lyrics. Again, it somehow works. Small Hours sets you down gently with swelling, echoing guitar and fusion keyboards. VERDICT: This weird, idiosyncratic, compelling music was an unexpected delight. 5 stars.