1001 Albums Summary

Look, there are some rap albums that stand out as excellent critiques of the state of society of the day over masterful flow; aka great rap albums. This isn't that. It's frequently misogynistic and violent braggadocio delivered with admittedly masterful flow and excellent sampling. And excellent musical bones do not a great rap album make, especially when the lyrics are this gross. I mean, the literal interlude of moaning in the middle of the album kind of gives away that it's not very good. Also, in what world is an 80-minute album really going to hold my interest when its content is this lacking. So in the end, this album did not age well at all despite its reputation among rap fans. It's worth listening to once, but I will never listen to it again.

This is the only album he made before dying... It came out in 1994... Is it Ready to Die all over again? No, it's not, because it's not a rap album. Instead, it sounds incredibly reminiscent of early Radiohead, but worse. Yes, Buckley is a good singer, but these songs are not that good. The guitar playing is alright, but I find these songs rather boring. Many of the songs run on way longer than they should, attempting to interest the listener with dramatic swells but not quite managing it. So, basically, this is a mediocre album that became insanely overrated because the artist died after its release. Yes, Hallelujah is great, but to me that says more about Leonard Cohen's greatness as a folk songwriter than it does about Buckley. Most of the rest of the album is mediocre alt-rock that is glazed to an insane degree by music people. I want this album to be good, but it consistently disappoints me.

I could definitely do without gangster rap shit like this on the regular. Even the album cover is a gross joke that rubs me the wrong way. And, of course, the actual album is exactly what you'd expect from this display. It's produced well with clear pop instincts, and Snoop has pretty good flow. However, the lyrics are utter shit. They consist of the usual rap braggadocio and misogyny with little else to them. He's either bragging about how good his raps are, how many women he can bang, or how much weed he smokes. None of these things are things I want to hear rappers rap about, but they have to sell records somehow. It's likely that this commercialized, romanticized version of street life is easier to sell than legitimate critiques of the political and social situations surrounding African Americans in the 1990s, though the latter would make for far better rap albums. Either way, this is definitely a testament to the prevailing culture of 90s rap- and little else beyond that.

A politically charged soul album is almost always a pure slab of greatness. And, if "Billy Jack" is any indication, this one is no different. It's generally a pretty slow, somber album as befitting it's themes of religion, racial injustice, and even love. The arrangements are absolutely beautiful, as is Mayfield's voice(yes, it's really high, but not grating like many male singers in that range would be). The lyrics are also among the best soul has to offer, even on "Jesus"(and no, I'm not a Christian). This is an underrated soul gem that is best listened to with your full attention, as it's a thematically heavy record. Beautiful.

This is one of the greatest hard rock albums ever made, and it's still only their second best album(after the mythical IV). Enough has been said, both by me and others.

Absolute dogshit that has no business being on the list. Generic 90s electronic music mixed with mediocre vocals and bad rapping is not a pleasurable listen at all. Also, I struggle to think who would be influenced by this insipid album, so it doesn't even have that. Get this off the list.

How can one properly evaluate ambient music? It's not meant to be listened to with a critical ear, but to set a relaxing mood in spaces such as hotels, stores, and (as stated in the album's title) airports. So, as an album to be on the list, I'll give it a 3 for it's significance to ambient as a genre while not actually being a "listenable" album in the traditional sense.

Pretty good disco album, not quite great though.

One of the great rap albums of the 90s.

Passable, but far from Pop's best work.

If man is five, then the devil is six. And if the devil is six, then this album is amazing. One could even say it's seven(or God), being a massive influence on Nirvana's legendary Nevermind record.

Legendary album containing lots of great songs.

Awesome album containing a bunch of timeless hit songs.

Inoffensive country-tinged pop that ends up being rather boring.

Boring bluesy rock that lacks the passion of the real blues.

Mediocre new wave that lacks much in the way of instrumental bite, instead relying on cynical lyricism.

Getting this on 9/25 is absolutely hilarious.