1001 Albums Summary

The highlight here is the remake of Junior Murvin's Police & Thieves, a punky flash of reggae influence that is carried on and improved with Living in Fame and One More Time on Sandinista and Armigideon Time on Black Market Clash.

Radio Free Europe is the keeper. Fresh, raw early REM sound from the era of the Chronic Town EP and Wolves,Lower and Carnival of Sorts (Boxcars) and stylistically skews towards XTC. On par is the slower number Talk About the Passion which presages the musicality of their later work.

Golden Years has a nice funk feel. It sounds a few years ahead of its day, like something you'd hear in the early eighties. Bowie is a great talent, but his theatrical style just isn't for me.

Alive and Even Flow are the well known songs, but this is a strong LP with Vedder's vocals coming across as strong as any of the grunge instrumentations.

An odd addition here with its experimental neo-Classical avant-garde jazz wanderings. An experimental band by nature they are best remembered for their more precise melodies in Lucky Man, From the Beginning and Still... You Turn Me On.

Easy listening late-90's jazzy pop without the hip vibes of The Thievery Corporation. The music here isn't bad or offensive, it's just forgettable. There's no bite to it. Meh.

A band whose sound I didn't know. It's not bad though I'm not fond of the muffled vocals. On odd engineering decision. I enjoyed Memory Boy in its stylistic reflection of XTC. Nice guitar work in Desire Lines.

What a debut album! Down to the Waterline is a great starting point. The engaging rhythm and backing musician set up Knopfler's fantastic lead guitar to run away with the song. Of course, Sultans of Swing gives this eponymous release its worthy headliner. It's a song that holds its own nearly fifty years later. It's not only the hits that shine here. The quieter Six Blade Knife and Wild West End are showcases for Knopfler's guitar genius.