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.
Is this the first punk album? Maybe... but if punk were about sex and not anarchy. A wild album almost throughout with Iggy's "this one goes to 11" attitude to mixing - I remember hearing this for the first time and thinking something was wrong but little did I know. Bowie's mix sounds so sanitized in comparison (can you imagine them both out on the town together? Would've been insane!). Raw Power is a primordial clash of rock'n'roll and punk all underpinned by Mr. Osterberg's distinctive growling, snarling, wailing and hollering. Power is right.
Enjoyed much more than I expected - an interesting crossover between post-punk and pop
I didn't know what this was going to be before I started playing it - at first I thought "well, that was unexpected" but after a while, it sounded very much like a novelty. Ironically, it's perhaps the thing that makes this unique (i.e. playing live with an orchestra) that leaves everything hamstrung in a kind of contrived polishedness. After all, what flexibility do you have when you're shouldering a whole fucking orchestra? Not a lot. It's a big sound, but a lot of the urgency and aggression gets lost and is invariably replaced with cliched naffness - as edgy as a football. It's Metallica sure, but Metallica you could take your Mum to see. Supported by James Last.
An apt name for an album if ever there was one.. they really didn’t know where they were going here. This feels very much like a band of old boys trying to remain relevant in the face of new kids on the block like Sly and Funkadelic… at least partially! The opening two tracks are absolute bangers, and Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone is obviously iconic with its proto disco… but it takes up, surprisingly, almost a 3rd of the entire album run length! I’m not so keen on the schmaltzy cover but the rest is decent. Still, in general, a somewhat disconnected offering.
I think this is a 3.5 for me. I kind of put them in a similar bracket to the Beach Boys, both in terms of musical sound (great harmonies, breezy sound, all connected to the California takeover of the 60's) and also being absolute musical icons, but having songs like Monday, Monday and California Dreamin' on here do act to (maybe unfairly) to juxtapose against some of the other songs. Don't get me wrong, they're all pretty high quality and I enjoyed the album as a whole, but if this were a little more constant, like Pet Sounds for instance, we'd be talking an easy 4.
I’d heard of Mylo (and as it turned out, I’ve actually heard Mylo before too) but didn’t know what to expect; some sort of edgy electro perhaps. As it turns out, it’s like a cross between Lemon Jelly and Justice if it was only the worst elements of both and they only did the b-sides. Well produced for sure, and a nice sound but largely forgettable. The last few tracks are quite pretty and perhaps an indication of what could’ve been but the little track is amongst the most annoying I can think of. Think Losing My Edge by LCD but the names just repeat… and there’s no edge to lose in the first place. I might sound unfairly damning and I did make it all the way through the album (almost an hour) but I’m done now.
There are a couple of songs on here that I don’t need, and Taxman betrays a worrying lack of understanding of the welfare state, but of course it’s seminal. It’s generally pretty strong throughout and ends particularly well with “I Want To Tell You” and “Got To Get You Into My Life”… and then (as we all know) the Beatles invented dance music… I can still remember my Dad singing “I’m Only Sleeping” in the morning, probably with some silly bastardised lyrics too… and I think he would be very disappointed if I didn’t give this album at least a 4.
Realizing that I actually hadn't listened to this in full before, but it's fantastic stuff including some real punk staples. White Riot still sounds so urgent and vital, and the remastering is fantastic. I always thought that The Clash were archetypal punk - mature rebellion in the face of the snarling adolescent silliness of the Sex Pistols, and this album underlines that. In a different world, The Clash vs. Sex Pistols in 1977 could've been the equivalent of Blur vs. Oasis in the 1995... would've made for great TV now I think of it!
Oh wow, what a weird and somewhat creepy album cover; I don't think I've seen it before! Nonetheless, something about Cat Stevens will always be intrinsically linked to my childhood - I guess he must've got played a lot in my house. And our Cat, boy does he have a distinctive voice; in fact I can't say that I really can think of any quite like it. Is it good? Uh, yes? Is it great, probably not, but I like it... and no other voice properly suits the songs that he wrote.
Wild World is possibly one of my all-time favourite songs I'm coming to realise - the break between "it's a wild world... and I'll always remember you like a child, girl" is such a simple but masterful piece of song crafting.
I would say the album at the whole isn't very consistent but there certainly are some gems, including "Hard Headed Woman" and "Sad Lisa". I do find his voice somewhat captivating though.
Only knew "In Da Club" and "P.I.M.P." beforehand (testament as to just how big 50 Cent was in his prime)... but had no reason to listen to anything else until now! It's kind of what I expected; great production, a few strong hooks and beats, but... lyrically a bit dull and "Fiddy" doesn't have the best flow imaginable. Lyrics are all drugs, girls, guns, wealth and fame and of course fragile masculinity. If I'm going to listen to hip hop it's at least got to keep my interest.. and this doesn't.
This instantly reminded me how western-centric this list is, being the 1st artist I've encountered who wasn't either European or North American (aside from the awful Vines). This I enjoyed, although I did find parts flirted unnecessarily with more traditional western blues and there's even a motif in the last track that can't be an accidental nod to Under My Thumb by the Stones... Nonetheless, a good listen.
Before I get going with this one, I must first say... God this is awful. It's the epitome of lazy music that at least partially defined the era of its release. I know that Norman was famed for his live performances but it's really hard to imagine what he was actually doing other than pressing buttons. Music has rarely been so repetitive and annoying, yet at the same so ubiquitous. Like Play by Moby (oh shit, I'm going to have to listen to that at some point too, aren't I?) most of this album was sold to the highest bidder (or just any bidder?) for one purpose or another. And yes, so very very dull... wallpaper music. Some artists have songs that have more ideas in them than Fatboy Slim had, I think, in his entire musical career. I will never listen to this ever again. Guaranteed.
Never listened to Circle Jerks before… but enjoyable enough. Given the history, it’s naturally going to sound an awful lot like Black Flag. But somehow less sleazy, more urgent but less finessed. There’s more nuance and texture to Black Flag and I appreciate that. Still, probably the origins of hardcore punk here so I’ve got to give it credit.
I've known for a long time that I've had an almost unfair (unnatural?) disposition against Eric Clapton. I can't really say why other than, having been mooted as one of the greatest guitarists of all time (and much revered by his peers), he somehow became, in my opinion, one of the naffest, cliched and derivative rock stereotypes. I absolutely detest his voice, so don't want to hear that. I find a lot of his guitar work unoriginal (!!) and dull, if not, of course, extremely competent (!! I know, am I missing something? I can't think what...) Anyway, I really struggled to get through this album... all 75 minutes of it. Nothing was vital, or even interesting other than the original "rock song that just keeps on driving" mainstay of 80's compilation CDs, the title track. I think, although I've heard it so many times, the fact I can still appreciate it is testament to its quality. Making this a 2... just, and not a 1.
62 years old now is "A Hard Day's Night", or "Four Boys In The Wind" apparently... and yes, it sounds old... it's not very nuanced but naturally, it's the Beatles so there are classic tracks. I wouldn't choose to listen to it, but I can't give it less than a 3... so I won't!
I have so much history with this album, it's almost impossible to think of it at all objectively. Whether that's even the point is another question, but nonetheless I think most would agree that OK Computer is a classic album. The rerelease a few years ago with all of the b-sides to the singles was an additional treat. Going back to 1997, I literally don't think that, given the relative straight-forward yet brilliant The Bends, anyone could have seen OK Computer coming. It was so bleak and nihilistic in many respects, mixing some of the musical style that Radiohead were famous for with a more nuanced sound. What I would say is that the lyrics and music here are perfectly aligned - a lot of feels cold, dehumanized and somewhat existential.
Yeah, I've been through a lot with this album, even seeing Radiohead perform this live as one of my first gigs. I still very much enjoy it - I certainly prefer Kid A but OK Computer is still a work of genius.
