Reviews

Quantity of drugs required to make this interesting: too much.

Appreciate the musicianship and quality production, bright and vibrant. But this sophisti-pop genre is not my cup of tea.

A man of few words, outdated sounds and no real clue.

throwback to them teen days

hell yh

To all the Americans whining about the glut of 'Brit' synth-pop or 80s pop or whatever - this list is obviously subjective and the decision of one person, so rather than moan about it, why not write your own book and website and then you can put as much pop-gun cop-killer gangster rap and misogynistic country shite on it as you like. Back to the album review, and 'Uncertain Smile' is the standout track but after listening to it I ended up with an earworm of 'Feels Like Heaven' by Fiction Factory. So how did that happen? Are those tracks so similar? Nonetheless I enjoyed this album very much as an example of excellent 'Brit synth-pop' so nerr.

The packaging of this album is a metaphor for the record itself; Metal Box is a metal box. It's a clever and unique and attention-grabbing idea that hadn't really been done before, but it's really fucking hard to get into and difficult to play all the way through. I used to work in a second-hand record store, and physically handling a copy of Metal Box was a pain in the arse. The vinyl platters were only barely smaller than the lip of the container, separated by tissue paper, and at 10 minutes a side, you were constantly having to flip or change a disc. And to be perfectly frank, the music is equally hard to listen to. This is a document of an interesting band (Levene and Wobble in particular) jamming out improvised grooves with Lydon sneering over the top. Many of the tracks are first takes, made up on the spot. Lydon admits that they spent most of their advance on the packaging, so couldn't afford to produce and mix the album properly. So, this is a record monitor mixes of unedited improvisations, roughly thrown into some pretty attention seeking packaging. Wobble's dub bass playing, Levene's spiky metallic guitar and the krautrock inspired drumming (by whoever happened to be around) were really influential on post-punk, for which I am grateful, but let's be honest; this record sounds like rubbish. Does anyone listen to this for fun? It could have been so much better; compare to the contemporaneous album by the Pop Group 'Y', which plows the same field to much better effect, or Jah Wobble's 2021 re-recording of Metal Box, which is the same material, but well recorded. I feel slightly condescended to by John Lydon; he has served up an undercooked, poorly recorded set of rough demos, and expected me to lap it up. And if I don't that is _my_ fault for not being smart enough or hip enough to get it. I _like_ this sort of thing, I really do, but this album leaves me cold and uncomfortable. It's deliberately and uncaringly bad, and I lay most of the blame for that at the feet of John Lydon, who is not nearly as clever as he thinks he is.

I'm starting to think that while writing this list the author must have committed some horrible atrocity and the only witnesses he could bribe were a convention next door for incredibly boring and mediocre artists. At least we know their appreciation for the mundane stretches from the United Kingdom to the United States now

When Miles Davis died, total worldwide use of the word "m*therf*cker" dropped by 30%. I don't know what I could say to add to everything that has been said about Kind of Blue. It's all true. It's been so played over the years that it is almost wallpaper, but it still sounds fresh and smart and interesting. It's a jazz album even people who don't like jazz can listen to. Eleventy billion stars out of five

Eeee I need to try this again lol. Listened to on the way home from a job interview; probably not giving the album its best shot. I think I like what jethro tull do, I’m new to them and still getting a grasp on their music. My initial reaction to this project was not as positive as “Thick as a Brick” 2.5/5

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.

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".

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.

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.

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!

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.

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

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

Hey, reader! If you can't find the full album anywhere, email me at sodaco3@gmail.com and I'll send a zipped file of the songs. John Zorn. Hmmm.....let's talk about John Zorn. He's a jazz artist (saxophone) who specializes in avant-garde jazz. This alone will turn away quite a few people, and I can't blame them: avant-garde art is inherently pretentious with it's "ooo, look at how I deconstruct certain pervasive elements in art and rearrange them for new experiences". It's pretty anarchist, and anarchists SUCK! Given this, I'm pretty surprised that Zorn is even on this list. I would've went with his much more popular "Naked City", but maybe that was too "jazz-rock" for 1001. Regardless, most people are going to walk away not enjoying John Zorn's work. So, what is he doing with this album? Well, he's got a 5-piece band built of two alto-saxophones, a bass, and TWO DRUMMERS! Neat. Double drummers is always risky but it's avant-garde so we'll let it slide. Cool production note: each saxophone is playing in a different channel (Zorn is in the right; listen for his licks!). Also of note is that everyone playing is improvising, giving a sort of full sound that surrounds the listener like a chaotic hug. Can you feel it? Zorn's compositions are interesting, as he opts to do these much shorter tracks that don't stick around for long before moving on the the next one. Zorn is heavily inspired by the hardcore punk scene in New York, London, and Tokyo at the time, particularly the rise in grindcore (see: Scum by Napalm Death). That sort of quick-and-dirty, attack on the ears is something that was very much inspired from grindcore and can be seen crossing over in jazz through Zorn. Again, most people will not like this, but for what it's worth I think it's a cool approach to jazz. By the 80's, Jazz had pretty well split; smooth jazz was on the rise with the likes of Kenny G, producing the most accessible, commercial music possible. Meanwhile, Jazz was being used more as a prop for other genres, such as acid jazz in the UK being a combination of electronic beats with jazz (great for clubs), or hip-hop producers incorporating jazz samples in their beats, leading to the rise of jazz rap in the late 80's and early 90's. This comes AFTER the prominence of avant-garde jazz actually, so Zorn is late to the party and very much on his own. Regardless, his approach to jazz with the mindset of hardcore punk makes for a fresh and thrilling listening experience. Overall, I think there's a lot one can take from this album, but they'll need to be open to the weirdness of it all. Do not expect structure, melodies, and rhythms that ground most songs. Instead, listen for how each instrument is playing off the others while also being totally independent from the song. There are times in this record where the stars align and you can hear the purposefulness of Zorn's band coming together in creating some really rad shit. But you gotta be open to it, or you'll just walk away thinking it's a total stinker. If you liked this record, consider listening to Ornette Coleman's stuff! I recommend "The Shape of Jazz to Come" and "Free Jazz", both records that did NOT make this list because Coleman ISN'T ANYWHERE ON THE LIST, DESPITE HIS NAME BEING HONORED BY THIS ALBUM. FUCK YOUUUUUUU 1001 ALBUMS!!!!

Idk man, if you played this at my birthday party I would probably not invite you next year