1001 Albums Summary

I listened to a lot of Led Zeppelin as a kid, but haven't listened to them a lot in a long time. So it was a fun nostalgia trip listening to this album.

I haven't generally been a big fan of Alice in Chains, so I was surprised to enjoy this album right off the bat. Them Bones is a very strong album opener. The next few tracks are elevated by great riffs, although Rain when I Die is a bit on the repetitive side. Down in a Hole is the first dud for me, and emphasizes my biggest issue with the band, which is I don't enjoy Layne Stayle's vocals. This isn't a big issue with heavier, rockier songs, but is a problem when it comes to ballads that really depend on vocal performance. Sickman has a bit of the same issue, especially at the bridge, but the fun riffs and regular tempo changes make it an engaging listen. Rooster is a song I'm familiar with and not a big fan of. Junkhead and Dirt both did nothing for me other than fun guitar solos. God Smack is the first song in a while I enjoyed, I liked the riff, and something a bit more uptempo and not vocal focused felt like a nice change of pace. Hate to Feel I don't think is very good but it felt unique so I enjoyed it, I liked the bluesy riff. I like the opening of Angry Chair but didn't like the softer sections. Would is okay. Overall I think the guitar work on this album is excellent, but the grungy vocals are just not my style. The album also drags a bit in the second half with a lot of samey, repetitive songs. That said, the highs are definitely there, and I can appreciate the musical talent on display.

I don't listen to a lot of afrobeat, but immediately upon hearing the title track of this album I knew I needed to change that. Zombie is a completely perfect song in every way. The rest of the album didn't do as much for me. I think the slower tempo of the other songs just makes things feel a little repetitive. They're still fantastic songs though, just maybe something I would rather have as background music than something I would actively listen to. The musicianship on display though is fantastic. I think all of my issues with this album would completely go away if I was seeing this live and able to get completely immersed in the music. I am very happy to have heard this album and I will definitely be checking out more of Fela Kuti's music.