1001 Albums Summary

I'm over 50 and grew up listening to Dire Straits so there will be no 'first I ever heard of them' impressions here. Everyone in my generation has had a copy of the 'Brothers in Arms' CD, seen 'Money for nothing' on MTV. I've lost enough to always cry whenever I hear the title track 'Brothers in Arms'. Love the version of it with orchestra performed for the 'Music for Monserrat' concert. So I am very familiar - but also never heard the debut album at the same time (I have Brothers in Arms, I have the Best Of compilation from 1999 titled 'Sultans of Swing'. Now to this album: First track - Down to the Waterline: if you never heard Mark Knopfler/DS before this would you blow you away in 1978. Today it's just a good solid intro track. Nice but we know there's better. Second track - Water of Love: This blew me away, the sound of the guitars and drums. The guitar played is the steel resonator on the later cover picture of Brothers in Arms album that's world famous. the drums are suprisingly just the regular kit with felt and towels or something? Unique sounds that really caught my attention. Third track - Setting Me Up : formulaic and kind of boring to me. Fourth Track - Six Blade Knife: almost losing me here, getting more uninterested. Fifth track - Southbound Again: Wow, loving it. Music is very upbeat and southern USA style r&B but the funny part is the lyrics are from a northern British person hating traveling south, (ie towards London). Smart. This is GOOD. For me who has never had this album this is one of the undiscovered gems along with Water of Love. Sixth track - Sultans of Swing: I have a mp3 folder of the top 300 songs from 1965-2005 according to me, by my choice; this is on i. Also have the best of compilation by the same name, 'nuff said. Seventh track - In the Gallery: Not feeling it. probably better than Six Blade Knife and Setting me up. Eighth track - Wild West End: pretty good, probably 5th best track on this album. Another gem discovered, though not as good as the other top tracks. Ninth track - Lions: Smooth. Good but no hook. Enjoyable but nothing for the brain to figure out.

This is going to be a first time listen for this old timer as I kind of quit buying new release albums in 2004. Overall the album is fairly cohesive around it's theme of "Neon Jesus, undeliverance, uncertain future of America, GW Bush and the politcal cristian right", but there's only a few stand out tracks. I applaud the theme and the ideas expressed way more than I can admire the execution of it. Maybe it's "just of it's time" and doesn't have the legs to be great all time album now, 19 years later. 1. "Black mirror": OK, like the Charlie Brooks TV series? OK. (Oh, the TV series was named after that song? Wow, didn't think it was so inspirational. 2. "Keep the Car Running": first impression very positive 3. "Neon Bible": Really getting into the theme here. Good 4. "Intervention" : As above. 5. "Black Wave/Bad Vibrations" ? Losing the theme in the first part, while the second part gets back on track I'm underwhelmed and wouldn't listen to it again. 6. "Ocean of Noise": Intrigued enough again 7. "The Well and the Lighthouse": decent enough song even if taken on it's own. 8. "(Antichrist Television Blues)": Chanelling Springsteen here - and I'm not being disparaging. 9. "Windowsill": Same, Springsteenish 10. "No Cars Go": This is it folks, this is the only song I've heard before. 11. "My Body Is a Cage": Potent song that kept fans enthralled no doubt, but the performance is a little weak. Do yourself a favour and listen to Peter Gabriel's cover version of it so you know who I'm comparing The Arcade Fire to as far as performance and engagement that earlier and older acts I prefer to listen to can achieve, this a a good test of apples to apples using the same song. As per my first sentences I ducked out of the new music world 2004-2012. Maybe I didn't miss much.

3.5 stars Not a big fan of C,S&N when they're doing harmonies like the first two tracks. It just doesn't do it for me, too grandpa. Poor choice of track listing to set up the rest of the album. But I do already own this album because of the original versions of Neil Young tracks on it ; Helpless and Country Girl. Also their version of Joni Mitchells"Woodstock" worth the price of admission (she was married to Nash at one stage and had a song or two about him or other relationships). 1 "Carry on": Like I said, not for me 2"Teach Your Children Well"; ditto. Probably wasn't cliche in it's time but it is now. 3"Almost Cut my Hair"; people not put off by the first 2 tracks may have learnt about this one for the first time. Let your freak flag fly. 4/5 4 "Helpless"; 5/5 5 "Woodstock"; 3/5 6 "Deja Vu"; Not my Jam, but you can tell it was a hard song to record, props for that. 3/5 7 "Our House"; Cute song that's been personally ruined by commercial use. 8 "4+20": nice folk song (if you're into that - and I am) 4/5 9 "Country Girl"; 3/5 10 "Everybody I Love You"; Should have started with this track and buried the existing first 2 tracks somewhere else because if you like the last track you'll like the whole album, and vice versa. It's just OK to me as a finisher. 3.5 stars just because of the Neil Young tracks, plus Almost Cut My Hair, Woodstock and 4+20 earn at least that too. But I'm not a fan of the first 2 tracks so it's hard to really highly rate and love the album. My love of Neil Young and wanting to find his older stuff, with this band, and my love of Joni Mitchell and her history came first. So my interest in this album came later, just for interests sake and to complete the circle.

I really love this album. I'd vote 4.5 stars if it had something else on it instead of "Turn Blue". I've had the album for at least 15 years and it's a great album to just put on and listen too, especially when driving. I know some have issues with some of the themes in the songs but for me I treat this like a block buster movie, turn the brain off and end up with the question "were you not entertained?" and to me the answer is "yes - except for Turn Blue". Only track I would ever skip because my impression is Bowie wanted a low key confessional ballad type song for Iggy. A soggy bohemian rhapsody came to mind being off this era. It's probably something Bowie and Iggy may have wanted to record but it's too much out of place in this album imho. If they felt they had to include it then it's their prerogative, but most of the album was in the theme of cheeky dumb fun. The classics are classics for a reason - Lust for Life and The Passenger. "Success" shows all Iggy wanted is to have fun and laugh at the whole thing. "Neighborhood Threat" is arguably Iggy at his most rock n roll phase post Stooges done in the late 1970s style and is the hidden gem for people that don't have this album. Even the last track ends up with a cheekiness that so befits the poor dude's mug on the album cover. I love it all besides "Turn Blue".

Going to give 4.5 because I'm sure I'd feel that way after living with it for longer. I really enjoyed listening to this album. I've never heard them before even though I do like some funk rock and and a band with brass or horns - I'm just not that into ska which they've been labelled as. 1. "Freddies Dead": great cover version of the classic, high energy, great intro. 5/5 2. "Ma and Pa": loved the music more than the vocals/lyrics. 2/5 Of course this and any other tacks I do not like on first impression could change after many replays. I'm just limited to 2 listens max, so mainly first impressions. 3. "Question of Life"; sunshine and happiness. 4/5 4. "Pouring Rain"; One of my fav new songs. I like it more than 3 because sunshine and happiness is short lived. 5. "Deep Inside"; Fun song but so thin. Shows a different face of the band, this is the one that reminds me of Mike Patton the most 2.5/5 6. "Mighty Long Way"; don't like it, I suppose the guitar playing is the point but it reminds me of many 70s bands (can't remember which) 2/5 7. "Bonin' in the Boneyard"; bring out the bass and horns. Groovy track 5/5 8. "One Day" ; one of my faves. Stands on it's own of course but to describe it I have to say living colour meet FNM, 5/5 9. "Subliminal Fascism" Wow, more people need to hear this. 5/5 10. "Slow Bus Movin' (Howard Beach Party)" Interesting blues punk protest song, haven't heard anything like this since the 2000s. I could compare it to them but little point, this song has real teeth about racial violence. 5/5 11. "Ghetto Soundwave" Another top track, maybe my fave? 5/5 12. "Change": First of all 5/5, hidden gem for me. It's the late 80s, every rock act needed a ballad on the album for some reason. For once I'm glad, I'll remember this one. Overall reminded me a lot of say Living colour with horns, or an eclectic mix like you'd get with Faith no More. The best tracks are the hard rocking guitar riffs with horns because that's unique then and still is now, and something no one does anymore sadly. I started off with track 2 having doubts about the vocals and lyrics but in the end I was blown away. Some tracks sounded a little thin but because I'm using YT I don't know if it's the original mix or the YT uploader fault. When it was good it was very very good.

Not really what I was expecting from the 1001 album generator. I can appreciate it for what it is - a very accomplished musician doing an ambient music/soundtrack project - much like Trent Reznor does these days, much like many other musicians in the past with the one I'm most familiar with in my current album collection being Duke Ellington's "Anatomy of a Murder" [1959], Miles Davis' Elevator to the Gallows [1958]. It used to be normal to make a record of just instrumentals for film tracks but it's less common now. Plus other artists such as Isaac Hayes, Prince, Simon and Garfunkle or Cat Stevens doing lyrical tracks as the only artist used exclusively in a film. Not the same though of course, as that's just a soundtrack while this album intends to be more atmospheric, using movie sound effects and so on too - unsolicited - for a film that never happened. For someone to be doing this alone, in 1989, as a solo debut and not well known at the time commercially took some bravado and brings the art into the modern era where Trent Reznor is currently in. Artistically it's all impressive and I did enjoy some tracks but it's not something I'm ever going to replay because I don't usually listen to music for ambient background stuff; but even if I did this wouldn't put me into a mood I'd like to experience I'd like to relive. A bit like the movie "Irreversible", different, and once is enough. Probably does belong on a list called 1001 albums to listen to before you die. But then again a lot of really old other stuff which was likely more influential to the world does as well.

3.5/5 for how I feel about the songs, 4.5/5 because I know how they influenced many to pick up an instrument and start a band back in 1960. Many, many greats cite them as inspiration as that's why it's in the 1001 album list. 1. Made to Love; not a fan of the intro or chorus, but some parts of it are good 2.5/5 2. That's Just Too Much; yeah nah. 2/5 3. Stick With Me Baby; kind of growing on me 3/5 4. Baby What You Want me To Do; liked this track 4/5 5. Sigh Cry, Almost Die; getting tiresome really, same same, male harmonies are just not my thing alright 1.5/5 6. Always It's You; OK 3/5 7. Love Hurts; I know this song due to the Roy Orbison cover, I don't mind this original arrangement at all and stands the test of time. 4/5 8. Lucille; Strange feeling as so many other songs start off similar, made a mark in the world obviously. 9. So How Come (No one Loves Me). OK 2.5/5 10. Donna Donna; Much better 3/5 11. A Change of Heart; Kind of getting the vibe that this influenced Roy 12. Cathy's Clown; Likewise the Beatles too. 4/5 From what I've heard I can tell it influenced many other performers and while I get tired of the harmonies on some tracks I can tell that it inspired many others.