Reviews

Not into Hip Hop, but this was pretty exciting. Fav: The Magic Number

Very much of its time. Back then, and innovative blend of extreme metal and groove, now a little dated. Musically, dimebag is one of the greatest guitaristsever and the rhythm section is tight AF. Phil is...being his usual ranty self? A5 least I assume he wasn't on heroin by this point. The first half of the album is about as good as groove metal can get, with every song an absolute classic. The second half doesn't hold up anywhere near as well. I'll quite happily never hear Rise, No Good or Live in a Hole ever again, but up until then it's flawless. A 4, both in quality and importance.

It was okay. Not bad, but not groundbreaking or something incredibly enjoyable. Sounded like Paul McCartney.

Impossible not to compare to Drive-By Truckers' Southern Rock Opera once you've heard them both. This one has the better songs, but that one says George Wallace is in hell for using racism to get ahead, so that probably about evens out.

This is one of Joni's best records. It's beautiful, meandering, and definitely jazzier than her other works. It's no "Blue" or "Hejira," but it's a classic, nonetheless. 8/10

Pulp is a band that instantaneously clicked with me. I have read many people criticize "Different Class," claiming all their songs about revenge, or sex, or using sex for revenge — and that Jarvis Cocker is a pervert. I can only imagine how they’d react to "This Is Hardcore" — or even better, "His 'n' Hers" ("He doesn’t care what it looks like / Just as long as it’s pink and it’s tight, it’s what he likes.") — "This Is Hardcore" is one of the most cinematic, honest, and sick album I’ve ever heard. It deals with pornography, perversion, self-loathing, and reflection. Here, sex isn’t glamorized — it’s portrayed as something compulsive, degrading, and hollow. For example, the title track compares fame to pornography. Jarvis makes you feel violated without even being explicit. My friend calls the album a mix between a genius musical soundtrack and sharp social commentary. My favourite song on the album is "Like a Friend," which thematically explores destruction, resentment, and obsession. The track bitterly critiques the idea of being just friends. That phrasing becomes a dagger when one person wants more. However, Jarvis isn’t deluded — he knows he’s being walked all over. But knowing doesn’t stop him. There’s both resignation and lividity in his voice, which makes the song damn good. "You are that last drink I never should have drunk You are the body hidden in the trunk You are the habit I can't seem to kick You are my secrets on the front page every week You are the car I never should have bought You are the train I never should have caught You are the cut that makes me hide my face You are the party that makes me feel my age And like a car crash I can see, but I just can't avoid Like a plane I've been told I never should board Like a film that's so bad, but I gotta stay 'til the end Let me tell you now, it's lucky for you that we're friends" What a bloody brilliant ending. A close runner-up is "Sylvia" — a tender, tragic track that captures a different kind of emotional decay. It’s about a woman crushed by expectations, forgotten by the world, and left wondering when it all went wrong. Jarvis Cocker is the most perverse musician alive. No one else makes self-destruction sound this seductive. God bless his filthy heart.

Zoe, was it your mum who recently told you something like “I’ve just started listening to this cool band The Killers! Have you heard of them?” I think that was your story anyway and I kept thinking of it listening to this because I feel like it sounds like ‘parent music’ even though it’s not actually of that generation, like some of it is actually very fun and cool, but a lot of it comes across as quite daggy or dorky now somehow. Like it’s a bit… try-hard? But also it’s pretty good? Like it’s both kind of outdated and also some of it slaps. Also really catapults me back to playing Rock Band (or maybe Guitar Hero or SingStar? I can’t remember which game it was actually on but it was definitely one of them) on the PlayStation 2 with my sisters and belting out ‘SOMEBODY TOLD ME’. Now that song still hits like a freight train! As does Mr Brightside obviously even though it’s been so memefied over the years. Some other parts made me think of Franz Ferdinand and Walk the Moon and other bands of that ilk. Mixed bag overall, but enjoyable! (3.5 stars)

Reading about Soft Machine's Third set off a bunch of alerts to me; double album jazz-fusion from 1970. There's a big risk of self-indulgent twaddle there. But, then reading about it further, there were some intriguing ideas --the use of tape editing, drones, minimalism inspired by the likes of Terry Reily -- which are much more to my taste. An d indeed, it is a very mixed bag. I am not a fan of a lot of so-called jazz-fusion, which can either be overly clever-clogs technique onanism or meaningless free-form noise or both. And this album can verge of committing both of those sins. Facelift is an unstructured noise collage. Don't get me wrong, I like a bit of noise, but it helps if it has a driving rhythm. Some of the other songs are more traditionally "jazz like". Not great jazz, but tolerable. I don't mind the tape edits, and this album appeals to me most when it gets a bit more drone-like, such as the opening to Out-Bloody-Rageous. But, at its core, this is still double album of self-indulgent jazz rock. 2.5 stars, rounding up because of how badly recorded it is. I really dig the noisy lo-fi crunchiness of the sound. And so badly mixed! It's intriguing and weirdly charming.,

Ground zero for neo-soul, yes please. You could make an argument that D'Angelo's subsequent albums are even better (enhanced by top notch collaborators, like Pino Palladino, the Roots, Dilla, etc), but it's hard to complain about this classic soul album. D'Angelo draws heavily on the soul greats (Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, Prince, Sly, Stevie Wonder) without slavishly copying or feeling lightweight in comparison. This is an album that regularly turns up on my turntable because it is just a really great listening experience. It knows what it wants to do and delivers perfectly. Chef's kiss, no notes.

I bet it went hard for the time. In the current era, it was hard to get through because it sounded so boring

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??!!?

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.

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

Music for incels to wank furiously by

Most 60's groups had three choices: copy the beatles, copy the beach boys, or sexually abuse minors. These guys changed the game and did all three- Four stars!

5: The moustache that appear on Art if you put your thumb on Pauls face on the album cover. 5: The songs.

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

This is the 4th Springsteen album I have gotten out of 70, 2nd this week. After listening to the album I ate at a McDonalds, read a Ronald Reagan biography and punch a commie in the dick. MERICA!

Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Favorite tracks: Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Album art: Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. Around the world, around the world. 4.5/5

The only reason this is here is because it’s from before streaming, when if you bought a shit album you had to convince yourself you liked it.

Rage In Favor Of The Machine.

My god what will this do to my Spotify recommendations???