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.
