Not my favorite album (of Simon & Garfunkel themselves, or as a 'concept' album). The lyrical poetry is hit-or-miss, though I tend lean to the 'hit' side of the equation. The problem I have is the lyrics/spoken word doesn't always vibe- which is the easiest way to phrase it- with the musical arrangements. I've always enjoyed "America," and "Save the Life of My Child" is a great first track (ignoring the Bookends theme). I do actually enjoy "Voices of Old People" for what it adds to the 'concept' they were going for, though it's easy to see why many would react negatively. "Fakin' It" has nostalgia attached to it, as my dad would sing it when I was a kid. Aside from those, the rest of Bookends is completely skip-able for me. I don't care how much "Mrs. Robinson" is considered a classic, I've never been a fan. By no means is this album Simon & Garfunkel's best work. I'm not sure I'd ever recommend it as an introductory album, and if you are recommending it to someone, do them a favor and provide a disclaimer so they know what they're in for.
Phil Lynott is one of rock's most under-rated vocalists. And the band, in any incarnation, is pure energy and a wonderful time. This album is 10/10, no other notes needed.
It's not for me. As I'm giving the album a second listen, trying to be fair-minded, it just does not do anything for me. I can appreciate the instrumentation (guitar and drums are on point), and when I look up the lyrics to follow along, it's well written poetry. Its a prime example of the 80s Brit-rock sound. But for the life of me, Morrissey's vocals just throw it all away. His singing lingers in a way that makes it unwelcome to my ears, and there's an almost whine to his voice that I could do without. The lyrics just get stretched to fit the music, and I'm done with the songs before they've even reached the halfway mark.
90's alt-rock in a single album. Perfectly serviceable for people who like it. The title track is THE song I think of when I think of Hole, though I can never remember the name. If alt-rock's your jam, this is a great album. If its not, it's still not bad at all.
10/10 album, proving that Brian Johnson would be able to carry the torch after Bon Scott's death. Every song on the album is a banger. There's a reason Back In Black is on every "Great Albums of Rock" list.
"Roundabout" is one of the best opening songs to any album, ever. This is one of, if not THE, quintessential prog-rock albums. The way the band plays with sound and song structure is akin to jazz, and the listener is just along for the ride. Love it.
It's Elvis. Do I think this album belongs on this list? Not really. Do I think ANY of his albums belong on this list? Probably, yeah. I don't believe this album is bad, and I recognize its place in the grand tapestry of musical history, especially in the United States. However, many of the songs presented are done better by other artists. Elvis does have his particular charm and energy, and "Blue Suede Shoes" is a solid opener.
The introduction to an amazing quartet of power and energy. As a kid who grew up playing bass, I was in awe of The Ox when my dad introduced me to The Who. I wish I liked this album, and its place on this list, more than I do. Unfortunately, its just nowhere near my top albums from The Who. But what it does well is show the foundation of the rough garage-rock sound that the band would eventually ramp up to stadium exploding performances. "The Kids Are Alright" sounds like it came right out of the Beatles' catalog, and "I'm A Man" is the type of song cover expected of the Rolling Stones at the time. And then there are songs like "My Generation" and the instrumental "The Ox" that show a unique sound being developed. Definitely worth a listen, but falls short of their later music.
A group I'd never heard of, and an album I was pleasantly surprised by. Jazz and funk samples meet industrial noise and synth-work to back lyrics charged by the social and political state of the 90s. I enjoy hip-hop where the songwriting has a message, and that is something that this album excels at. And I noticed a lot of the industrial elements serve to unsettle the listener, set them off-balance as they're listening to the lyrics. The only real weakness to me was the hook just being the song title. That got old real quick. I can see myself getting a physical copy of this album.
My brain keeps expecting the B-52s, and keeps getting caught off guard by their weird, slightly off doppelgangers. The music is....fine. Not my favorite, but it works. But Bjork's vocals give me whiplash on whether I find them enjoyable, or they set my teeth on edge. "Motorcrash," for instance I find to be darkly entertaining and her vocals are perfectly fine. This is immediately followed by "Birthday," where her vocals give me the same reaction as nails on a chalk-board. Overall, the album sounds like an experiment of new wave and rock. Unfortunately, at least for me, it doesn't stick the landing and doesn't warrant another listen.
Its the music that plays in the last 5 minutes of any cable drama's season finale, where the audience gets slow-motion cuts of what each of the characters is doing as the main protagonist walks (also in slow-motion) out of their house and into the 'mysterious new world.' This is just not for me. Its over-produced with too much distortion and vocals that make me want to stab my eardrums. I gave it a listen, and its the last time I ever will.
East Coast hip-hop brought back to prominence by a legend. I wasn't a hip-hop person growing up, only getting into once I was in college, but as a child of the 90s I of course knew about Biggie. And this album deserves all of its accolades, full stop. The only reason I don't rate it 5 stars is because while I like a few songs on the album, and I readily recognize the lyrical genius, I'm not a fan of the album as a whole. But still, solid and worth the listen.
First track starts and the music and lyrical phrasing immediately is reminiscent of Harry Belafonte mixed with the 60s-70s folk scene. Then I look her up while I'm listening, since I've never heard of her, and who else was a mentor figure but Belafonte. There's a simplicity to the music, a lack of embellishment that makes it stand out. And Makeba's vocals are carry and linger, in turn both ethereal and emphatic (looking at you "Olilili"). Her rendition of "House of the Rising Sun" sounds like a woman's ghost singing of her poor fortunes AS she's watching her own funeral procession. This is a solid folk album I'm glad came to my attention.
My knowledge of electronic music is extremely sub-par, but I do enjoy it as background noise when something else has my attention. Because of this, dedicated listening to this album didn't really help. Its enjoyable, but the repetition of beats and sounds are very pronounced. Not my favorite, but I'm not mad at it.
Walking into this album, I knew two songs already. I despise "Everybody Hurts" and love "Man on the Moon," so this was gonna be fun. R.E.M. is a band I haven't listened to nearly enough, but I do enjoy their sound. "Drive" is a hell of an opener, with a (pun not intended) driving intensity that ebbs and flows. Overall, its alt-rock done right, and while not many of the songs were favorites, aside from "Everybody Hurts," they were all enjoyable.
It's beeps and boops accompanied by some killer beats. Its a decent album, and the use of samples is extremely creative. I don't have too much to say about this one, other than I like it.
Paul Simon doing some of his best work. This album is full of character driven stories and experimentation with different musical styles. Simon also shows off his writing prowess. Paul Simon is a masterful storyteller, and this album is an example as to why so many people believe it.
The epitome of background music, at least, for me. It's not bad music, but I can't call it good either. It just is. It exists. I had never heard of this band before, and after this album, I'm good never hearing of them again. If you enjoy it, more power to you, but its not for me.
If you're a fan of soul, I automatically assume you're a fan of Sam Cooke. And this live album, for me is a perfect reason why. He's emotive, raw, and engaging with the audience. Every song, he's effortless. Love it.
Whether you want to call it dad-rock or yacht-rock, Steely Dan is actually a jazz band disguised as a rock band. And listening to it, thinking in terms of jazz, the album is more palatable. With that said, on this album I find a lot of songs outlast their welcome. And at some point in every song, it starts to sound like the opening for a sitcom from the 80s or 90s. I applaud the experimentation in style and production, but the lyrics are the mood-killer for every song. I just find them ranging from cheesy, to trite, and on to the realm of nonsensical. I would've been just fine with this as an instrumental album.
Led Zeppelin is regarded as one of (if not THE) greatest rock bands of all time, and this album is a perfect reason why. This has long been a no-skip album for me, there's just no bad songs. I'm not even usually a fan of drums, but I'll listen to "Moby Dick" every time. "Thank You" is also one of the most surprising, but touching, love songs on a rock album. This is an easy 5/5.
Way back in ye olden days of yore, I was part of the school orchestra, playing the double bass. And in my final year we had a new instructor, who would discuss music with us aside from what we were learning for the seasonal concert. When I told her I was dipping my toe into jazz, she brought me a burned CD of Charles Mingus. I don't know what happened to that CD since then, but boy am I happy that The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady didn't sound familiar. I know jazz has a tendency to wander off the beaten path, but holy hell did this album take it to the extreme. I can say that the tracks do actually sound like they belong on the same album, but in each song it goes so off the rails that trying to pay attention to it just leaves me with a headache. Not the worst I've ever heard, but it's definitely not for me.
It's the Bob Dylan effect, in that Randy Newman is an excellent songwriter, but I just can't tolerate his voice. I find this album hilarious, though, in the song's narrators being supposedly from the Deep South, by way of a guy from LA. Newman is a comically gifted lyricist, but I'd much rather listen to other singers present his lyrics.
How is this album essential listening? I'm not even saying its bad, I just don't understand how it made the list of albums you MUST hear before you die. Drum and bass is such a niche genre, and the songs on New Forms, to me at least, all share the same backing beat. I'm sure there are people out there for whom this album is amazing. I'm not one of them. The same backbeat from track to track just makes it seem like one never ending song, to its detriment.
A landmark album, important to the history of punk rock. Not my favorite Siouxsie and the Banshees album, however. The only song I really like from The Scream is "Hong Kong Garden." The rest of the album I find to be perfectly serviceable, but nothing that really stands out. I do firmly believe this album belongs on the list due to its historical impact on the punk and rock genres.
I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've ever sat down and listened to a full Springsteen album, despite being so familiar with the standard hits. I'm not sure if it was more, or less, of what I expected, and that's to its credit. The opening track gives me major Bat Out of Hell-era Jim Steinman vibes, and I enjoy that. It's actually easier to say which songs I enjoyed the least, because there's only two, "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" and "Night." The rest are all excellent. Springsteen's writing for this album is very reminiscent of what I love in the songwriting of Tom Waits, stories that highlight the highs and lows of normal people, and the world they live in.This is a very enjoyable album, and I'm surprised it took me until now to actually give it a listen.
The more I do this, the more I wonder what the actual qualifications were to make the list for 1001 Albums. And I'm not questioning whether there's an audience for this, I know there is, but you'd think any album on this list would have more of an impact. That said, I do enjoy it. It's retrowave before retrowave was a thing. And for its time, I'm sure it was groundbreaking. Unfortunately, this entire album only hits the bar of "I wouldn't object if it was already being played, but I'm not gonna pull it to listen to myself."
Is this a new favorite? No. Is it a really good punk rock album? Yes. Every song on this album is bombastic and energetic. There's a chaotic whimsy threaded throughout, and the bass lines do pleasant things to my brain.
The best part of any live album is hearing how into the performance the audience is. There's also a raw-ness and energy to live performances that just don't come through in studio albums. That said, it's James Brown, it was always going to be a stellar album. I think the man was utterly incapable of not delivering top-notch performances. And his backing band are right there with him. What strikes me with this album in particular, is this was at the beginning of his career. He set the bar high for himself, and he succeeded.
An album that truly represents the intersection of 90s alt-rock and the early era of numetal. I've never been a fan of Incubus, and listening to a full album did not change my mind. An argument could be made for the album's historical significance, but I'll happily forget this album exists.
Opening with the most misunderstood and misappropriated song by campaigning politicians, we're back with more Springsteen. I think there's a fair argument that can be made that this album should be the definitive introduction to Bruce Springsteen, as its loaded with hits that are always on the radio. Its a close-to-perfect blend of Americana and rock. Highly recommend this album.
It's funk, it's ska, it's rock, it's punk, all at once. And it all melds beautifully, without being gimmicky in any way. A band I've heard of, but never sat down and listened to before. And now they'll be going on at least a couple of my playlists. Favorites after listening were "Freddie's Dead," "Ma and Pa," and "Change."
Jazz and I have a complicated relationship, in which I try very hard to like it (and occasionally succeed) and it seems to take great delight in making me question my life choices. This trend continues with the Bill Evans Trio. To my ears, there's a 50/50 shot on whether the tracks on this album actually have any form of rails to guide them from start to finish. And while that's not always a bad thing, as I find with most jazz, it hurts the chances of me wanting to hear it again. I can recognize the technical skill however, and they deserve all the praise in the world for how easily they play off of each other.
So different from his previous albums. There's an underdog vibe to the stories being told on this album, more-so than in his previous works. Springsteen also has fully developed his every-man songwriting qualities here. As for the music, it feels like the instruments are allowed to shine separately, rather than just becoming one giant wall of sound. Even the more bombastic songs on this album manage to sound more intimate because of this.
The perfect album for any up and coming serial killer to listen to as they ponder their next victim. There are quite a few labels you could use to describe the music in Shleep: prog-rock meets jazz, avant garde, 'artsy fartsy,' or even 'wtf is this?!' I'm usually down to listen to weird music, but this is way outside past the boundaries I'm normally comfortable with. The instrumentals are one thing, I can handle that, but Wyatt's vocals raise the hackles of my neck something fierce. How is this an album people should listen to? By what metric? It makes no sense.
My feelings towards The Smashing Pumpkins can be described in one word, 'Meh.' It's not that they're a bad band, or bad musicians, I'm just not a fan. I cannot stand Corgan's vocal stylings, as it is an unholy abomination of wheezy, breathy, and whiny to my ears. My own personal disinterest aside, I can acknowledge the strengths of their musicianship and songwriting ability. They are iconic figures of alt-rock and rock, deservedly so, and this album is very historically significant. That said, it's just not for me.
This is going to be ranked high, and I refuse to apologize for it. I was raised listening to this album. It's not for everyone, but it is for me. Oldfield was 19 when he recorded this, and I think it's brilliant. Nostalgia might be doing some heavy lifting for me, but I enjoy the sheer 'out-there' creative decisions that led to this album.
And here we have Neil Young with his Country/Rock/Folk Americana with the occasional hint of grunge added. Neil Young is a polarizing artist, there's very little middle ground on how listeners react; I have always fallen on the enjoyable side of listening to him. I think he's a brilliant songwriter, and he is never afraid to experiment with melodies. I am also aware that his vocal stylings can turn some people off, but I was raised on folk music growing up, so weird vocal choices are normal to me. On this album in particular, my favorite tracks are "Round & Round (It Won't Be Long)" and "Down By the River." The only song on this album I didn't really enjoy was "Cowgirl In the Sand."
Do The Beach Boys belong on this list? Absolutely. Is this the album that belongs on this list? No chance in hell. This is an album with zero hits, best summed up as the B-sides album. "Help Me Rhonda" is the only song I actually like, and it starts to drag about halfway through, but the rest are instantly forgettable. This album being used to represent The Beach Boys is straight up an insult to one of the most recognized and influential bands in American history. I wish I could rate it higher since it IS an otherwise amazing band, but I can't do it for this album.
I thought it was going to be bad enough sitting through "Yellow" voluntarily, but after listening to the entire album, I stand corrected. It was all awful. I'll give them the benefit and acknowledge their musicianship. But every song feels like trudging through mud listening to the most depressing Englishman who ever lived. No thank you, I'll happily never listen to Coldplay again. And nothing of value will be lost.
Full disclaimer here: I am not anti- Paul McCartney. He's a brilliant musician and songwriter. I'm not part of the, quite frankly, ridiculous argument about which Beatle was the best writer/musician/person. That's pure nonsense in my opinion. That being said, the majority of his solo work, and projects with Wings just don't grab me. It's decent background music if it's there, but I don't go seeking it out. Now, where this album is concerned: It proves McCartney deserves all the credit for his songwriting chops. The man knows music, knows how to build an album. I fully believe it belongs on this list, but I can't fault the people who don't enjoy it. It's lighthearted, easy listening pop-rock, and that is not for everyone.
Punk meets pop rock, with one of the more unique vocalists I've heard. At times Costello's voice is whiny, but the music more than makes up for it. Despite the serious content in the lyrics, the instrumentation is fun and bright for the most part. "Oliver's Army" was particularly dissonant, the music not matching the lyrics at all. As for the slur in the lyrics, I think a lot of people forget to listen to music and think of the social and cultural landscape the music was written in. I'd just remind people to actually analyze the lyrics and not default to immediate outrage. My favorite song on this album is "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding." I can see why this album is on this list.
The album's name is appropriate, considering Ray Charles was a musical genius. This is more big-band, swing style jazz than people expect if all they've heard are his standard hits. And if you're not into big band, you're not going to enjoy this album.
Standard 80s Britpop. The vocalist is very good, but the music doesn't stand out at all. There's nothing unique or iconic here. The more I keep going with this, the more I wonder what people are smoking to justify their choices on this list. Oh well....
Some musicians transcend genre, and Dolly is definitely one of them. Her voice is warm and inviting. Her early songs are often simple stories, and that's why they work. She's also funnier than a lot of people give her credit for. If you don't believe me, just listen to "Traveling Man" again. Older country tells better stories, and sounds more authentic than modern country music. And Dolly is one of the most authentic voices in music, period.
I've often heard the name, but this is my first time actually listening to Cowboy Junkies. And while I'm not the biggest fan of country, this was honestly a nice album. The singer's vocals are a high point for me, I was very impressed; immediately drawn in from the opening track. I have to say however, after reading about how acclaimed their version of "Sweet Jane" was, upon listening I was underwhelmed. That could just be because I'm not a Velvet Underground fan. I could easily see this album being added to my library. Good pull today.
The Isley Brothers are just a good time waiting to happen. This is what you listen to when you need some good vibes in your life. It's everything soul and funk and rock should be. It also serves as a showcase of their ability to take a preexisting song, and put a wholly unique spin on it. My favorites being "Listen to the Music" and "Sunshine (Go Away Today)", though it must be said they also manage to make an insufferable Seals & Crofts song actually sound good. This is going to be part of my vinyl collection eventually.
I don't even know what genre this actually belongs to, and that's not a bad thing. There's elements of rock, pop, psychedelia, maybe some punk if you squint and tilt your head a bit. Above all else, this album is a vibe. There's an easy-going feeling to it. I was really impressed by the almost seamless transition from "Summer Cauldron" into "Grass." The psychedelic trip hits hard with "Ballet For A Rainy Day." Overall, this was a fun listen, and a few of these songs will find their way to one of my many playlists.
I'm not the biggest fan of Talking Heads, but I do enjoy them. David Byrne's voice can be off-putting at times, but I always enjoy the instrumentation. They are innovative and draw influences from seemingly everywhere. "I Zimbra" is my favorite track on this album precisely because of how unique it sounds. Unfortunately, at least in this case, the rest of the album really doesn't do anything for me. It makes for good background music, but nothing really grabs my attention.
A genre that people tend to either love or hate, a singer with a voice that people are either going to love or hate; I can understand why The Pogues might not be to your taste. I think you're wrong, but I can understand. This is the album I would blast in the car every day to and from college, through rush hour traffic on the interstate. It kept me from raging at all the stupid people on the road. The Pogues are not the clean and sanitized Irish folk. With their added punk sensibilities, they are the folk you find in dirty alleyways and grimy pubs. They made the folk music tradition feel modern and real again. And I will always extol the genius of Shane MacGowan when it comes to songwriting. The man was an unparalleled poet of his time. His vices did have an adverse effect on his actual singing ability, but for the gritty cross-genre sound of The Pogues, it worked. There is not a bad song on this album. In fact, the only negative criticism I can levy is the random placement of on of the most fun/depressing Christmas songs ever written as the fourth song.
I don't have much to say about this, other than I enjoyed listening to it. If you've never heard Indian instruments or music this is a very good introduction. It's something nice you can have playing in the background while you read or just exist and ponder the universe. But once again I question what the rubric is for how these albums made the list, because compared to some of the other albums on the list, this seems to come from out of left field.
