Album Reviews

Wonderfully simple. Most of the tracks having just 3 instruments (including vocals) and some quite simple drums, and using that to pull some rockin tunes out of the bag is no small feat. Elephant is definitely better though. Fav track might be We're Going to Be Friends, a song so simple even I can play it

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Legend fr

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Houmous & Chutney once challenged Manic Street Preachers to an ‘album off’ - who could release the worst album intentionally. Houmous & Chutney released their famous ‘Hour of Silence’ album. To their surprise they lost to this album by the manics. 1.7 6/13 Revol

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A strong and bold move away from being another Motown studio band.

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6/10

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This was perfectly pleasant, but I've no idea why it is on the list. It could have been any of a dozen other singers from the same era who sound pretty much the same.

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Imagine one of the Beatles made a solo album, it's easy if you try, but with no talent and nothing to say, imagine all the songs, and just how shit they'd be, you may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one, this albums really shit. Also makes me think of all those celebrities singing it and that annoys me

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Originally called Len Houmous & The Bad Seeds, Len, Ken Chutney, 3 of Len’s wives and Nick Cave were taking on the world and about to break America when Len found all three wives in bed with a sound technician who looked exactly like Nick. Blaming Nick, the band went there separate ways and Houmous & Chutney were born! 4.1 3/10 Henry Lee

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Review - wow this album is great. Never really listened to Sam Cooke, and at first was like wow this is punky for being from the 60s, was this really popular back then? Then saw it hadn't been released for 20 years for being too "raw". Also interesting reading about how his music was marketed to "pop" audiences. The language used then, in the '80s, and even now, is just code for talking about race. His music was targeted at white audiences, and execs decided that this album wouldn't be bought by them, so it was shelves for 20 years despite being great. Will be looking into more of his work. Rating - 9/10 Need to hear? YES

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A beautiful voice for boring complaints.

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Not my style and a bit cringe at times. Positive messages are great but often quite a simplistic worldview seems to dominate.

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mid repetitiv

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Everything is so familiar, I wonder how this album escaped me when it was released. Really enjoyed this one, a creative amalgam of early music in the genre, perfected in an updated style.

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Ouais pas mal

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Objectively, a nice piano improv concert. Subjectively, I’m not into it and I zoned out halfway into the first track.

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Riotous is proabably the one word description for an album that barely pauses for breath. It delivers hit after hit (partly because they released so many singles) For such a young band it really covers a lot of ground and throws around ideas for fun. Objectively, it's probably a 4.5/5, but having recently watched the 30th anniversary tour and watch the band play the whole album live it can't be anything but a 5

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One of those bands that somehow manages to be both overrated and overhated. Nice guitar lines but otherwise mostly a bit dull, though pleasant enough. Not too long, which is good.

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I have been ruminating on what to write for this album for a long time. I think the genius of the Guyville album is the way that it riles up rock snob white boy critics. Even the title is a provocation of the veneration of the Stones' Exile album and a call-out to the inherent sexism of alternative rock scenes. This album makes a lot of uptight white boys really mad. Liz Phair struggled for acceptance in a pretty exclusive male dominated indie scene, and she uses her gender and sexuality (a common target for criticism) to bait those white boy critics with their own fears and desires. She wants to be heard and so leans into being deliberately provocative. I don't think she was quite prepared for how this would resonate with audiences (her success was a bit surprising) and the subsequent fierce backlash from al rock gatekeepers. I think many of her critics were intimidated by her unapologetic persona and especially her blunt sexuality, and they really pushed back. But I think she captures well the weird and uncomfortable feeling of being a human being. There is a vulnerability and openness, and strength and humour and unvarnished desires and a willingness to be unlikeable. This is a picture of a real and complex human. The fact that she was a young woman was unforgivable to some but makes it real art in my opinion. It is soemthign we haven't really seen or heard before. I like the songs and the relatively unpolished production. It feels really immediate and real to me. I think these days there is a grudging respect for Guyville, although her later output was met with condescension and scorn, as if this was the only thing she was ever allowed to do (see Pitchfork's infamous 0.0 review of her self-titled album). I think this is an important album -- it is an intimate and complex portrait of a real human being. The way Liz Phair was treated was shamefully sexist. 4.5 stars, rounding up.

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2 bangers and a bunch of fillers

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Great background/lounge music but for me not really for active listening.

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Just not my cup of tea.

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I'm surprised I've never heard this band before. folky psychedelia out of 60s San Francisco. Ethereal storytelling in the lyrics, simple acoustic arrangements with a little supporting orchestration, quite a pleasant listen.

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I dislike his high nasaly voice and I don't vibe with american folk music. Didn't finish it. Wasn't worth my time. 1/10

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Pass

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Could be criticised for lacking variety and for being too long, I don’t care, I could spend an hour in a pocket that is that funky. Dynamic, has so much groove, and showcases everything that jazz influenced afrobeat can be. Great that there is being found by new audiences through bands like Ezra Collective, long may it continue.

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An example of where the long song doesn't feel like a chore. Good fun.

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Mid 4 Great start on this. Solid opener, power pop anthem, classic single. Quality drops after that but theres some high points

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The album that did temporarily mark their disintegration. The high, or perhaps low, point of the Cure. A classic

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This is not on the current list anymore, so I'll skip this review and just rate.

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Nothing but love.

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Een half uurtje degelijke country. Over het genre heb ik inmiddels genoeg gezegd, denk ik. Waylon Jennings is zeker niet de vervelendste in het genre. Ik hoor dit liever dan Ice Cube. Drie sterren.

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I already loved listening to In rainbows, Kid A and Ok computer by Radiohead, and I already knew some popular songs of this album too such as Fake plastic trees and Just. This album is more raw than In rainbows, and I really enjoyed it.music and lyrics of this album are really emotional and beautiful as Radiohead is. Makes me wanna listen to their whole discography

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I prefer rhythm and stealth

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They called him the king for a reason, and he's pretty damn good.

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Chav Miss Piggy

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My cats hate this. I trust their judgement.

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In my share house days in the early 90s, it was common after a big night out for a small posse of die-hards, stragglers and ne'er-do-wells to convene in our lounge room for a late-night chill-out. We were pretty rock crowd, leaning towards alternative, industrial and goth, but The Trinity Sessions album was a favourite for the wee small hours while we came down from the effects of the evening. This record is spacious and gentle, wonderfully and sympathetically underplayed, and Margot Timmins voice is beautiful. I love the simple and honest recording. No notes, five stars.

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Everyone should listen to Typical Girls before they get hit by a bus

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First off, this album kicks major ass. If I had a time machine I would go back to the late 60's in San Francisco. For me, the psychedelic rock scene of that period produced some of the greatest music of all time and you could go see some killer live music every day of the week. Secondly, a bit of a rant. This album starts with a 25 minute version of a Bo Diddley song, but the entirety of this book is devoid of a Bo fucking Diddley album. The most egregious omissions of this book is it's lack of real blues music. By my estimation there are only 5 actual blues records on the list. No Howlin' Wolf, no Buddy Guy, no Big Mama Thornton, no Butterfield Blues Band, no Fred McDowell, no Mississippi John Hurt, no Magic Sam, no Freddie King, No Albert King, no Otis Spann, no James Cotton, and on and on and on. I don't have many soap boxes but this is one of them. But anyway, highly enjoyable listen for me. The recordings of these gigs at the Fillmore West in '68 had the Grateful Dead on the bill also, it must have been jam band heaven.

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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣀⣀⣀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⢀⣴⣿⣿⠿⣟⢷⣄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⢸⣏⡏⠀⠀⠀⢣⢻⣆⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⢸⣟⠧⠤⠤⠔⠋⠀⢿⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⣿⡆⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠸⣷⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠘⣿⡀⢀⣶⠤⠒⠀⢻⣇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢹⣧⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⢿⣆⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣿⡆⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⢿⣆⣠⣤⣤⣤⣤⣴⣦⣄⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⣾⢿⢿⠀⠀⠀⢀⣀⣀⠘⣿⠋⠁⠀⠙⢇⠀⠀⠙⢿⣦⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⢀⣾⢇⡞⠘⣧⠀⢖⡭⠞⢛⡄⠘⣆⠀⠀⠀⠈⢧⠀⠀⠀⠙⢿⣄⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⣠⣿⣛⣥⠤⠤⢿⡄⠀⠀⠈⠉⠀⠀⠹⡄⠀⠀⠀⠈⢧⠀⠀⠀⠈⠻⣦⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⣼⡟⡱⠛⠙⠀⠀⠘⢷⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠹⡀⠀⠀⠀⠈⣧⠀⠀⠀⠀⠹⣧⡀⠀ ⢸⡏⢠⠃⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢳⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢳⡀⠀⠀⠀⠘⣧⠀⠀⠀⠀⠸⣷⡀ ⠸⣧⠘⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢳⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢣⠀⠀⠀⠀⢹⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⣿⠇ ⠀⣿⡄⢳⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⣷⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⠆⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣼⡟⠀ ⠀⢹⡇⠘⣇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠰⣿⡆⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡄⠀⣼⡟⠀⠀ ⠀⢸⡇⠀⢹⡆⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠙⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡀⠀⠀⠀⢳⣼⠟⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠸⣧⣀⠀⢳⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢃⠀⢀⣴⡿⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠈⠙⢷⣄⢳⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢳⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣠⡿⠟⠛⠉⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⠻⢿⣷⣦⣄⣀⣀⣠⣤⠾⠷⣦⣤⣤⡶⠟⠋⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

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Coincidently, i just listened to this album yesterday, and i was more than happy to listen again today. Rush is a Mt Rushmore band for me. Like every other band nerd on their high school drum line I idolized Neil Peart and listed to more Rush than I likely should have. I wore out side one of my 2112 cassette learning Overture and Temples of Syrinx, and I will still rock out hard to Temples on my steering wheel. Worth the sore hands and the multiple close calls running off the road. Rush is just three Canadian guys, each an amazing player. They created new music for nearly 40 years, and toured even longer. They never dialed it in, they didn't milk a decades old catalogue, they created to the end. Side one is a dystopian story about the beauty and power of music told in 7 movements. Neil was an avid reader and had been into Ayn Rand for a bit, he was also the author of all the Rush lyrics so that explains side one, aka the first song on the album. Side two is includes some Rush classics, passage to bangkok, something for nothing, tears....why name favorites....side two is as amazing as side one. No bad songs on this album, a classic. Rush is not a band for everyone, and that's more than fine. I'm a fan boy.

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after the first two songs i was ready to question myself as to whether i do enjoy jazz after all. the rest of the album however proved i don‘t.

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Am i being punk'd? The opening tracks are kind of obnoxious. Slow jams with childish lyrics. Is this trip hop? Very dated sound. (1/5) Ugh.. Did they just learn what rhyming is? Supposedly Unfinished Sympathy is the standout track, and I'm sorry, I don't see it. Maybe this was a cultural touchstone in a certain time and place, but nothing on this album has held up to the passage of time. The samples are misplaced, just putting strings behind a beat does not make it "ethereal", and the songwriting is hot, steaming garbage. Perhaps I'm a cranky old man now, but I couldn't even see my teenage self liking this too much. There are better ways to create good music using these tools and this admixture of ingredients. Did that mf'er just try and rhyme "weebles wobbles" in a song?? How is this a classic?

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Poundland Funkadelic

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Hard pass. Tried the first four tracks and this is officially the first album in this sequence I abandoned. I saw someone write that it sounds like a soundtrack. I agree, and not in a good way. Nope. (1/5). Just nope.

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The Good: Just some good old boys… The Bad: Got it confused with The Dukes of Hazzard! The Ugly: The above mentioned tv series getting the same kind of crap as the album we are about to rate… Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. Today, we live in a society where too many idiots scream out of outrage about the usage of a word, or the imagery of a symbol… scream scream scream. The opening track, the first time I remember hearing it, I almost choked on my drink when I got to the end of the song… I doubt many people get that far today, because they hear a word that only certain people are allowed to use. To those idiots, I say, get off your high horse, sit down, listen to the song again, and use your f-ing brain—that is if you have one. I do have to be honest here and admit the fact that, frequently, I can’t be bothered to pay attention to the lyrics on many of the albums that I’ve had the displeasure to listen to. So, I too should get off my high horse… But not before rating this album with a 5*, not because it is that special, but because, out of oh so much shit I’ve had to listen to these past couple of weeks, it shows that sometimes something that seems mediocre is actually worth it’s weight in gold.

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I can’t believe the top review for this record (as of Dec 2023) is from someone trying to use their PhD in Mathematics as justification for not liking hip-hop. Weak.

Oh fuck yeah, now we're talking. Wait no, I swear I'm not being pretentious. This is the lowest rated album on this site because I guess mostly people aren't very fond of German people smashing metal plates together - who would have guessed. But halle-fucking-lujah, this is something this list needs more of. Albums that make you go "well, that was an experience and now I'm a changed man". Nobody is lying on their deathbed wishing they heard more crappy 80s post-punk or late 60s psychedelic rock. THIS is what we all deserve to be listening to as we embrace eternal oblivion. I'm giving this a high rating not only because I genuinely really love it, but also to help Kid Rock move to his rightful place as the actual worst album on this list. Together we can make a difference. Save the turtles.

Brings back vivid memories of when me and my mate Ray went on a trip to Dresden. We met this rotund goth in a bar, head to toe with tattoos and piercings, real filth and after a while took her into the disabled bogs for a spit roast. We were both pumping away in her with Napalm Death on in the background and her wailing "MEIN GOTT" at the top of her lungs. I remember spaffing all over her back just as Siege of Power kicked in. As i shoot over her, she takes Ray's cock out of her gob and says "do you want fries with that?" in a faux American accent. Anyway, we go outside and there's this gammy little geezer in a wheelchair sitting there furious, giving me daggers, because he's had to wait so long, so I lean into him and I go "I hope you have as much fun in there as we just did you little cunt".

Shit like this on the list is both refreshing and infuriating. Refreshing because it is good, fun, interesting, and also not something I would regularly be exposed to! It's why I started this project and keeps me coming back. It's infuriating because the fact that it is included here means that Robert Dimery, the original author of the 1001 albums list is aware that music like this exists. He's clearly aware that there is an entire world of music out there. SO WHY HAVE I LISTENED TO 200 80s BRITISH NEW WAVE ALBUMS AND 200 SCOTTISH ROCK ALBUMS FROM THE 90S??!!?

Back when I was in college, there was this dude who would come into the bar I worked at on a Friday night and play fucking 10 Neil Young songs in a row. He would also hit on girls by doing magic tricks. I remember how angry I got every time he made me listen to an hour of Neil Young because I was just trying to have a good time, and he fucking made me listen to this sad, soppy fuck who writes nothing but songs that sound indistinguishable from each other and never seemed to enjoy a happy moment in his entire like. Fuck that guy, and fuck Neil Young. 2/5

Back when I was in college I used to go to a bar and listen to Neil tunes and do magic tricks for women. There was a bartender there, he was the best. I loved that guy. Some of the best years of my life.

I really don't get rap, and I am completely aware of why. I'm a STEM guy, specifically a Ph.D. student in mathematics. Although my verbal intelligence is quite high, it's still about a standard deviation below my quantitative intelligence. Therefore, it should not be too surprising that I prefer melodies to lyricism, and that a genre based on the latter doesn't wow me. I know I'm pretty far out of step with public opinion on this one, but that can easily be attributed to the fact that hipsters with humanities degrees (i.e. extremely verbal-dominant people) are considered the ultimate arbiters of taste for some reason. (Side note: this also explains why prog rock is seen as being for losers.) Best song: Be (Intro), which had a decent instrumental part at the beginning. Everything else just sort of ran together.

Rap isn't my preferred genre of music. But I'm a shitty mathematician so I enjoyed this.

Sorry Boomers/Gen X, I was like 20 when this came out so it's one of the best things to ever happen to me. Sorry it's not King Crimson or whatever.

Rage In Favor Of The Machine.

Music for incels to wank furiously by

i ain’t listening to all that i’m happy for u tho or sorry that happened

this album is everything that punk pretends to be.

The only enjoyment I got from this was reading the review about the brothers in Dresden and their lovely and talented tattooed friend.

I am definitely not the target demographic for this album, but I still thought it was very good. There's a lot of skill and artistry put into these tracks, so much so that it is almost invisible. 4 stars for me, plus an extra star just to spite the mathematics PHD guy.