Hangs off the title track quite a lot, but some other stand outs too… reasonable amount of nostalgia attached to this one but still probably overrated.
I guess you had to be there (geddit?)... great title track, the rest, god, I don't want to listen to it again... far too much noodle, not enough meat...
Begone foul music!
By no means their best offering, and extremely varied/erratic, but good fun, signposting the kind of creativity to come. Some classics like Shake Your Rump, Shadrach and Hey Ladies hold this whole thing together.
You’ve got to admire the ambition but as per most concept albums the music gets lost in the wider purpose of the story. Very underwhelmed.
This one truly was en-route to my first 5 but Four Sticks isn’t great, and I can live without Going to California. The rest is absolutely essential though. What a band they were. I can only imagine the excitement of being around when this kind of music was released for the first time…
I really don't think I've heard this album before - it's very interesting. As the initial album of this heavyweight supergroup, it is surprising to see how easily they find their sound. It's very much flower power, westcoast guitar pop with a strong Grateful Dead leaning and the occasional very British-sounding input from Graham Nash, fresh from the Hollies I suppose. Generally very pleasing on the ear. I'm going out on a limb with this one and giving it a 4. 3.75 might be more accurate.
Another of those you perhaps had to be there for... then again, the Sex Pistols came very soon after, and the Clash... The Ramones get a 2 for innovation and the knowledge that a lot of the music I listen to may not have been made without them...
I used to think it was edgy to say the stones were better than the Beatles… nah, that’s just being contrary. As said elsewhere, a below average album held together by a couple of outstanding tracks. Really disappointing.
Not my thing. Talent can’t be denied but too safe… can imagine my grandparents maybe listening to this 40 years ago. Doesn’t do anything for me. Meandering and bland.
OK, well this is quite excellent. Really soulful, beautifully produced... if more R&B was like this, I'd be all behind it. Low-key, "smooth" and more than a little nod to Prince it feels... but certainly it's own thing. A 4 rising to a 5 potentially I'd say! Best discovery via 1001 so far.
A couple of missteps, such as "Why did it have to be me?" (uh, you're not Fats Domino) and "Happy Hawaii" (uh, you're not the Beach Boys!) this is pretty solid... incredible pop writing in the most part, and again superb production. Pretty unfairly maligned as being trite, it's all great fun and super catchy, of course.
Appreciating the context of this release, I wonder if this album is included somewhat on a sentimental basis. No doubt the lyrical genius is still there, and his voice plumbs even new depths… In that it’s super deep on some tracks (of course) but on first listen - that I can recall anyway - this doesn’t come across as super memorable. Surely another Cohen album belongs on this list.
I don't know, I like Prince, I really do... the man was obviously a genius, but despite some definite highlights that exemplified his generational talent, I didn't quite get this one - the stylistic jumps are a little jarring in places, and the appearances of Prince's high-pitch voiced alter-ego is weird... just like when Bowie did it, but to lesser effect in my opinion. I wanted to like this more. Sorry Prince.
Sure, production is great, musicianship all on point, a strong voice too… but the cheese factor goes up to 11… when I think what artists like Marvyn Gaye, Curtis Mayfield or Bill Withers were already doing when this came out in 1980… this just doesn’t stand up.
Superb. Equal measures euphoric, haunting, delicate... difficult to fault.
Not for me - new age ambient and dub crowbarred together in the most contrived way possible... just about made my way through it
Oh god, don't you hate it when straight off-the-bat you recognize the 1st track but can't be sure from where... apparently Beck samples the intro to Desafinado in Readymade from the masterful Odelay. I shouldn't be surprised, Beck always knew what was good... apart from scientology. Whoops. Otherwise, smooth as you like. I would imagine that a reasonably large percentage of 63 yr olds were probably conceived to this. Oh man, I don't want to imagine that at all actually...
Another of those "you had to be there" I feel.. it didn't set my world on fire but this is 2026 not 1957... there is, however, the promise of something really special in there even if the outlandishness of Bitches Brew was still far off. I'm no jazz expert so don't probably appreciate this at the level it should be appreciated (whatever exactly that might be) but... I prefer The Death of Cool by Kitchens of Distinction. Wonder how often, despite the reference, those two get mentioned alongside each other...
Irrefutably influential and incredibly 44 years old, this is good fun. Some tracks are unremarkable but at the same time there are some stone cold stunners too.
Elvis is back? Where did he go? Or is there missing punctuation? Elvis' Back? Famous for the hips but at least the back got a look in too.
To be fair, all kidding aside, this sounds excellent... largely on the account of ardent remastering I would imagine. However, I know more than a small amount of Elvis but only recognize a couple of the tracks on this album, which makes me believe that this is another of those choices made so as to not be obvious. Elvis' cover of Fever is adequate but I'm not sure about it being sung by a male voice, and it essentially feels unnecessary even though it would've driven the ladies wild I'm sure. Such A Night is a very respectable track and the last two tracks end the album well but otherwise quite forgettable. Sorry King.
oh boy, the end of "The Needle and the Damage Done" going into "Words"... it's always stood out to me as sheer brilliance. I don't love "Are You Ready for the Country?" but otherwise this a generational album. Superb.
An artist I’ve rarely visited, I was interested to try this one. I know Solid Air gets the critical acclaim so was intrigued the album chosen wasn’t that. Despite some high points (especially the superb “Couldn’t Love You More”) this feels decidedly middle of the road. Nice Canada geese on the final track though…
I’d want to give this some more time; it’s got quite an endearing ramshackle nature to it, plus lyrically I know there’s more to explore. Good potential.
I really enjoy me some REM and there most certainly are some stone cold classics on here; but for me there are much more rounded and consistent albums by Micky Stype and the lads (as I don't call them).
It's arguably an album that I might not have enjoyed quite so much years ago, but I've been really taken by it listening to it for the first time now. Some really great songsmith-ing, smart lyrics, catchy... yes, it's very safe but that's not always a bad thing. I'm pretty convinced that a young Fiona Apple would have relished this... just brought her own sound and harder edge to proceedings. Still, fantastic, accomplished stuff.
A band that, presumably, Spinal Tap took a lot of inspiration from, and the grandaddies of metal too, apparently. Hard to hear too much of that in here apart from the occasional noisy moment. Otherwise it's heavy on the prog with songs typically on the lengthy side. For me, they don't do enough metal nor is their prog (relatively speaking) that interesting. I must concede I did go into this one with a certain amount of trepidation and I didn't hear much to change my mind. It's a one and done for me.
I only knew a few of the tracks from this one but it's a very interesting time capsule for early Cure (and indeed alternative music at the time, 1980, as a whole) - the sound is so very sparse and bleak... it's borderline arctic in temperature. They really did tread the fine line between gothic and post-punk even when both were still quite fledgling. I by no means think this is their best output but I can understand why it was chosen for this list. 3.5
As the originator of glam, this is a surprisingly mellow affair... you can see its influence though, even beyond on people like Bowie perhaps... if perhaps via Visconti. There's arguably more laid back sleazy pop/rock and old-fashioned rock'n'roll here as there is pomp and bravado here...
God I can't stand Song 2 any more... but the other singles from this are rather good... You're So Great is a little twee but generally sweet and Death of a Party and I'm Just A Killer For Your Love are sinister and broody, a little like something Pulp would have done on This Is Hardcore. And did I know that David Bowie and Brian Eno contributed to M.O.R.? I did not. Kind of makes sense though on re-listening. Oh man, it's very much like Boys Keep Swinging in places... this one is somewhere between 3 and 3.5 for me. In addition to Song 2, I can't really abide Chinese Bombs either.
An album I know so well as to not need to listen to it... I struggle to really fault it. If anything, as I've grown to know the album, Word on a Wing and Wild is the Wind perhaps don't fit as well as the other tracks here, but I adore them nonetheless. Infamously, Bowie apparently couldn't remember anything about the recording of Station to Station, which in itself is little short of a miracle. The Thin White Duke, you shall always be missed.
A real oddity this one - I've always been aware of the Slits of course (and not just for this album cover!) but had very little idea what to expect musically. I knew and enjoyed the "I Heard it Through the Grapevine" cover but think I always saw The Slits as more punk and less dub. There's a very earlydoors DIY ethos going on here which works better in some instances than others, but I can imagine The Slits being (to the dismay of their parents) the idols of many a young person growing up in the late 70's. The somewhat unfathomable "Ping Pong Affair" is quickly followed by the great "Love und Romance" and "Typical Girls"; it's all a bit of a mishmash but I'm glad I listened.
A superb slice of the 80's... I really wasn't expecting to enjoy this as much as I do when I first heard it. Yes, it's cheesy in places for sure (we are talking 80's after all) but the craftmanship that has gone into these songs, not to mention the execution, is wonderful. Many Happy Returns is my favourite but there's not really a dud on here at all...
I think The Who are just one of those bands where I want the hits... this is alright; it's interesting to hear them live, but there seems to be quite a lot of filler, not to mention a rather long and unnecessary monologue ahead of "A Quick One, While He's Away".
I really didn't enjoy the first 3 tracks, then strangely found myself really liking the 4th, and then the 5th was alright too... this is all so very 80's though, like a distillation. I can see people dancing to it in their luminous, floppy-yet-at-the-same-time restrictive gear, and someone with unused keytar swinging it back and forth - lots and lots of hairspray. I'm going to find these guys on Top of the Pops and see how accurate I am. Randomly, every now and again, Green's voice reminds me of a pop version of Game Theory's Scott Miller.
Why, oh why is this on this list? I've listened to it, nodded off once or twice and have almost instantly forgotten it. I wasn't interested 24 years ago and my level of interest has gone through the floor now. I don't understand why anyone into this kind of music would like this album short of there being nothing better around at the time... which maybe was true, I was firmly in my metal/hardcore phase at the time so blissfully unaware. Also, reminds me of when I was travelling and mistakenly got into Incubus... 1.5
Originators of... avant-pop? Who's to say even what that might be, but I've enjoyed Roxy Music for a very long time. I have always found them to be so very interesting; there's something for the discerning music geek in the intricacies introduced by sonic weirdo Eno, plus there's bravado in spades in the shape of the super sharp Ferry. A lot of this seems to encapsulate what I imagine life in the 70's to have been like. An era full of contradictions and oxymorons, but one full of incredible (and incredibly bad) music. The opening 5 tracks of this eponymous album are superb.
Always have to remind myself where Surfer Rosa ends and Come On Pilgrim begins, as I grew up with the CD of them stuck together like some big, gorgeous amorphous blob. Yes indeed, I love this. Knowing at least all of their first incarnation back catalogue, choosing Surfer Rosa does somewhat betray 1001’s strategy. Perhaps it’s not the best album but it’s absolutely critical for modern alternative music. I believe that pre-Pixies there was nothing like them, which begs the question, short of some kind of spiritual intervention, how did this thing come into being? Quirky, raw yet incredibly accessible, so distinctive stylistically and perhaps over and above everything else, really good fun. Something Against You and Broken Face are my favourites, but of course you also have the immortal Gigantic and Where Is My Mind? I can never put my finger on what made early Pixies so wonderful… Frank Black was so weird, and his songwriting was so unusual, plus the interplay with Kim Deal was so playful yet so effective, and then you have the guitars… I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, so distinctive and different. Lastly… I don’t think you had to be there for Surfer Rosa, it’s pretty timeless for me. Interested to know what others unfamiliar with Pixies might think.
I honestly knew nothing of Cee-Lo other than the obvious so I was very pleasantly surprised by this album. It really is very creative and not just a mix of soul and hip-hop (as interesting as that alone might be); there are a lot of great ideas crowbarred into this 65 minute album, released in 2004, long before the hits. I don't know if any of his future music is of a similar ilk but I'm certainly interested to find out.
Ah man, Faith No More have produced some amazing music over the years, and this is certainly one of those watershed moment inclusions... as much as I enjoy a lot of the content here, it's still very much a band finding its feet and style in my opinion. I very much prefer Mike's "grown up" voice too and as opposed to the nasal, whiney stuff. Nonetheless, this has it's place for sure.
I've only got into the Talking Heads within the last few years but this is an album that I enjoy. Insane to think of it as 47 years old as really it has aged so very well. Maybe partially due to the number of modern artists that will point to the Talking Heads as an influence. It's quite a diverse offering that signals a change in direction - the afrobeat sounds of Remain In Light are signposted here, whilst their older sound is still prevalent. Nonetheless, interesting stuff if not their best. 3.5
Almost immediately fell in love with this. I only knew the obvious track so the rest is new to me, but it really is a joy to the ears. Beautifully smooth and soulful with enough in the way of complication to keep it interesting, but without disappearing down those incessant modern-jazz (I believe it's called straight-ahead jazz?) rabbit-holes. Everything comes together so well. I would imagine this will became part of my ongoing rotation no problem.
Wild for 1970... proper proto-punk stuff. I struggle to imagine the reaction to this - many must've considered LA Blues unlistenable. Still, Raw Power is 3 years away and that must've been absolutely incendiary. Nonetheless, I really enjoy this; such swagger, so crude... it's good, dirty fun. And yes, I know that sounds off, but I'm sure Iggy would concur; a souped up Mick Jagger for the 70's... this one goes to 11...
Oh man, I haven't listened to this album in, uh, nigh-on 30 years! That said, I wouldn't say that it's particularly tied to that timeline from an objective perspective, more that for me it's interwoven with my own teenage timeline! Like Dookie, everyone I knew at the time, irrespective of regular tastes, had this album. Which must be a testament to it in one way or another. Would I like it now if I heard it in isolation? Doubtful. But Ms. Morissette still deserves some kudos, and certainly the role of God in Dogma, at least.
Last thoughts... her voice is really dodgy at some points of this album; exhibit A: Perfect. Far from it, alas. Ironic, don't you think?
It's a pretty solid album with some standout tracks - you certainly have the "hits" and others... it was pretty fresh in 2007 but I don't have so much time for it now. 3.5
A very unusual yet fascinating experience. I’d only heard Zappa away from the mothers before and this is different; it’s 60’s and flower power yet diametrically opposed apparently, and yet still heavily anti-establishment. Silly and weird yet also quite political. Not sure I’d revisit but glad I went there.
Pretty bland and derivative synth pop. Catchy in places but pretty forgettable.
Some absolutely legendary stuff here that runs pretty much the full gamut of Jimi's abilities... wild guitar mastery, almost talking in places, and then deep down and dirty blues... the proficiency throughout is stunning. Some of the tracks aren't the most memorable but this is pretty much Jimi at his jaw-dropping, truly paradigm shifting best. Respect.
I always remember thinking, when it came to Traffic, that is was such a shame that such a talent such as Steve Winwood spent so much time with such a banal group as Traffic. And that was all based on not really hearing much Traffic, just a feeling I got. A feeling vindicated upon hearing this album. A couple of highlights but otherwise generally pretty MoR, chuntering along stuff with seemingly little end goal in sight.
Definitely an album from a band in transition - from the clunky nods to 80's dance music and an unfathomable duplication of a bassline (All the Way being a brazen copy of Just Like Heaven), it all feels a little awkward; somehow less established and mature than their previous output as they fumble around for direction. I winced a few times but the quality did eventually out. I originally thought a 2, but this one's a 3.
Not one for me - few decent sounding tracks but very little that grabbed me.
