Album Reviews

Eh, never clicked with me. Seems average, never totally clear why they were such a sensation. Lots of British things I don't grok. What is a pudding, for instance? Madness, I tell you. Flats, lifts, tubes, &tc.

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Dream like peace - an album to lose yourself to. Plus musicianship brilliance. Also helps that he was central to opening western minds to the amazing breadth of what is hideously called ‘world music’.

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Classic early 2000’s

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With my recent Dandy Warhols review ringing in my ears (eyes?), I ran through the first few numbers with trepidation. But as it unfolded, it was clear this wasn't the same reverb-fest. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised to find a Kate Bush-inspired, whimsy-filled, etherial, almost alien landscape. The lead vocalist (who I've learned is Elizabeth Fraser) has an incredible range, and her voice is 10% human vocal chords, 90% synth from the stars. Not for repeat listening, but an auditory experience nonetheless. 3 stars.

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Álbum equilibrado, tiene elementos bastante pop, contrastados con el tono de Leonard tan característico Me parece que el nivel de expansión musical que tiene es muy interesante Acá me parece que artísticamente hablando no busca complacer a nadie, simplemente necesita evocar los elementos con los que él conecta Reescuchable y sé que eso permitirá agarrarle aún más gusto 3.5

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Though this vinyl got plated many times in my adolescence, I never considered myself an AC/DC fan. I still spin it about twice a year. Some of the songs I accepted back then really drag now, Mr Crowlie for example.

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9/10

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I love this album. So many ideas shoved into forty something minutes and they’re all worth exploring. Nothing lingers longer than it needs to, everything punches, it’s wonderful. 10/10.

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I liked this. I thought it was, at times, soothing and kind of lovely.

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20/5

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Tienen interpretaciones interesantes, momentos llamativos, pero para mis gustos no encontré muchísima consistencia Exploraron muchos estilos en el álbum y eso es algo digno de reconocer Siento que definitivamente no son más de lo mismo, más bien son de nicho También siento que entre más se escucho más gusto se adquiere

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Sadly, I just don't really get the appeal of Prince. Sign o the Times is certainly one of his better albums that I've heard but it still doesn't rise above "sure, that was fine" territory for me. The only album of his I've ever actually liked is Purple Rain and yet I've never been able to explain why his music doesn't hit for me. He's certainly astonishingly talented as a musician and a prolific composer but his songs still rarely do it for me.

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Leornard Cohen wrote great songs, but was only an okay singer.

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Conor Clapton Committed Suicide Because His Father Sucks Eric Clapton sucks Eric Clapton sucks Eric Clapton's gay And he's fucking gay Your father is the 4th worst singer After Springsteen, Seger and Petty You were sick of his gay fucking songs So you jumped out a really high up window Eric Clapton sucks Eric Clapton sucks Eric Clapton's gay And he's fucking gay Your father sucks so fucking bad You knew you'd get beaten up at school You were sick of hearing "You Look Wonderful Tonight" So you jumped out a really high up window Sometimes I wish you didn't die Because I hate the song "Tears in Heaven" I was glad you died, until I heard that song

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Manure

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Wife: what are you listening to? Me: it's my album of the day. Wife: why are you still listening? I would've turned this off after 7 seconds. Me: I'm listening to every album. You know, in for a penny, in for a pound. Wife: why are you doing this to yourself? I wouldn't want to start my day listening to this. Me: ok I'll turn it off. Thank you, thank you, this is the next single from my new album, 20 Years of Marriage Don't Come For Free. This album is completely unique to the entire list. Dude's rap game is way out in left field. It took a few listens to grasp but this is pure genius. The end of the something I did not want to end Beginning of hard times to come But something that was not meant to be is done And this is the start of what was

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Her voice is the instrument on display here, and it shines, but there's some incredible songwriting on display as well. Lots of politically charged lyrics. But of course -- this list disappoints me, again.. this is the **only** Nina Simone album on this list. She's a woman of color, so her discography and 20+ year career barely gets a mention.. I should probably be surprised she's even on the list. Sure, this might be her most popular (arguably) album, but there is SO much left off the table. Her album "Pastel Blues" has her iconic and haunting cover of "Strange Fruit" and famous protest song, "Sinnerman", for instance. I recall enjoying her first album, "Little Girl Blue", long ago. To be crystal clear, I'm not complaining on this album, however, as "Four Women" (wow, this one is charged up!!), "Wild is the Wind", "Black is the Color..",."Either Way I Lose", & "If I Should Lose You" (that crescendo at the end is so good off of her sustained and pained voice...) are legends. But, why JUST this one record?? Normally, this would be a high '4' from me (a very high 4), as it's not everyday listening, but in protest of the lack of breadth of this list (how much electronica/dance do we **really** need to hear before we die?) this gets a (5/5) in the hopes that future lists will include more of this (and the god-damned SUPREMES!!), rather than some more lanky, disshelved English dudes who want to bang on a guitar or a synth for an afternoon...

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Putrid and rancid turds.

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Nope. Didn't like this at all. Who told them they could 'rock' out the organ? (1/5) I thought **I** was a nerd, but nooo... Emerson & Co. come along and make the dorkiest, dork-fest of an organ album they could imagine with tracks like "The Curse of Baba Yaga". Alright, guys. You failed your saving throws and it's time to leave the church. Get off the organ/synths... Step away from the keyboard, please...

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Nope. Fuck this dude. Didn't understand the hype then, and not about to give him a penny of streaming revenue to find out if I missed anything.

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(1/5) So, would you like some warm ketchup on your lemon sorbet? It was pan seared by our best soux chef who is well known for his waygu beef entree, and it's served on a bed of pea gravel dipped in motor oil. What in the actual fuck is wrong with this list. Anglo-centrism (autocorrect has my number, now that I've thrown it around too much. That word pops up as soon as "Anglo.." is typed in...) strikes again. This assault of mediocrity in the form of lanky, disshelved English wankers and their "interpretations" of other music is borderline offensive. This is garbage music, and doesn't deserve a listen let alone a nod in a list that is supposedly music you **must hear before you die**. The first half was just bleh. A slightly confused effort at some reggae and ska inspired rock. It would have received a '2' if they had stayed the course. Just mediocre. The second half tipped the rest of the album directly into the rubbish bin (take that you bloody queue loving sods! Bite. My. Chips.) as of "Waiting for the Heartaches". Each song got progressively worse after that one. It sounds like they had some ideas, but absolutely no direction and little talent to pull it off. They blended various styles poorly and served it up as if it was worth listening to. Just throw it all on the plate! Someone will eat it. A few thousand English fans might. Not me.. This Britpop bullshit is a hard swallow and I'm dreading more of it, as I know the list is lousy with it. Eyeballing my "skipped this album" pass for the next one. I'm a long distance runner and I'm no stranger to discomfort and pushing myself in spite of it, but this aural assault is trying my patience.

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Younger work colleagues have (teasingly) asked me what my favourite Taylor Era is, expecting the middle-aged male to fumble for a relevant answer. But I do have a favourite Taylor Era which is her Pop Era. I was aware of but did not relate to her country ingenue records -- they just didn't speak to me, not that they needed to, nothing wrong with that -- but 'We Are Never Getting Together' and 'I Knew You Were Trouble' really caught my ear. I love pop music, and this was really great pop music. Cleverly crafted, upbeat and catchy as hell. I was really pleased when her next record, 1989, leaned fully and explicitly into pop. Ironically, the pop genre allows Swift to be more authentic. She can be a young woman (as opposed to her previous slightly naive ingenue persona, which was starting to wear thin); sexier (without going full Britney or Christina) and more urbane (welcome to New York indeed) and also more ambitious and no longer willing to be underestimated: “I never miss a beat/ I’m lightning on my feet/ and that’s what they don’t see.” Pop music is by nature artificial, but to be really great, it needs to _feel_ real. You have to _believe_ the singer. I would argue that this is the genius paradox of Madonna; I believe every word she sings (her credibility makes her a surprisingly great ballad singer), but almost nothing she says in interviews. Similarly, I believe Taylor Swift on this record. Not necessarily the literal autobiographical truth of every word -- this is a (melo)dramatic narrative containing fragments harvested from her life, but hardly a roman a clef -- but the sentiment is real. She presents here as an ambitious young woman hitting the town, and it rings true. And sounds like enormous fun. She has moved on to explore other directions since this album, which is her artistic right. I'm just glad she made this one complete, genuine, unapologetic, outstanding pop album that I could listen to any day of the week.

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Utterly unique and completely brilliant. There's never been an album like this, before or since. Billy McKenzie is much missed in these parts. Love, love, love! 😍 Incidentally, for those in the reviews complaining about this album being one hour and 40 minutes long, you've been listening to demos and B-sides for the final hour. Check Discogs or Wikipedia for the original tracklisting!

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Another smart, articulate and catchy pop album. I loved 'Royals' when it appeared; it was clearly and instant classic and was one of the best songs of the decade. And I really dug 'Green Light' when it was released, but I mostly listened to pop on the radio and so never delved into the whole album. And it has been a real pleasure to discover this record. Lorde works in the intimate public sphere (to use a concept from Lauren Berlant) that assumes women share a bond of communal longing and a "sense of lateral identification". This is a similar operation to Taylor Swift's 1989, a similar and almost contemporaneous pop album (with a shared producer in Jack Antonoff). Interesting to compare; Swift feels a little bit more crafted and deliberate in her revelations, Lorde feels a little more unfiltered -- although her descriptions of her writing process suggest that Lorde is equally careful about what she is putting out there. Lorde and Swift are both smart and effective songwriters and performers, and unafraid of working in the pop genre. There is no shortage of big choruses, infectious beats, or hooks on this record. That's a good thing. The album stood up to multiple listening, and 'Liability' and 'Homemade Dynamite' stand out as particular highlights (alongside 'Green Light' which is an unapologetic banger). Lorde is great, but I am currently a little tired of the Jack Antonoff sound, which became ubiquitous in the past 15 years. I suspect that if I come back to this in ten years' time with fresh ears, it will have stood the test of time.

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Oh, boy.. more electronic euro-pop.. 🙄🙄 This sounds *VERY* dated and they turned the treble all the way up. So much that I can barely understand the singer. I hope she wasn't key to the music, because if so, big miss by the production team on that one. Otherwise, a bunch of dreamy, ethereal-light stuff that I would never purposely put on. (2/5). This isn't offensive, it's just definitely not my style. At all. I feel like I've hit a lot of '2's recently. This continues that trend.

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Heard of them but never been exposed to anything they'd done. This one has a dreamy, atmospheric sound that I could really get into, but the vocals initially distracted from the experience. I get using the voice as a musical instrument, and I've listened to and enjoyed non-English speaking music in the past, so it really helped to stop trying to understand it and assume she's speaking Gaelic, instead. The layers of synth and overall relaxing vibe of the album were refreshing, and there was just enough tonal variety to keep things interesting while pretty seamlessly flowing together. An overall ethereal album that I'm still not sure that I'd revisit, so it bumps its head on a 3/5 ceiling.

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Boring. So, so boring. Far too melancholy for me. I've been consistent in that my '3' ratings are something I'd try and come back to, or had a few tracks I like. '2' isn't offensive or irritating, but rather it's a single listen and for a variety of reasons I won't come back to any of it. Smith is a perfectly fine musician, but boy is he lacking any energy. (2/5)

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"The imitation picks you up like a habit." This is a new listen for me. I’ve never heard of this guy even though the 2000 release date puts it right in my college years when I was the most connected to popular and new music in my life. I can "hear" in this an album a younger version of myself would've enjoyed a lot. Its full of angst and guitar strumming, even if it falls on the emo side of what I usually prefer. Which is why I'm surprised I'd never encountered it back in the day. On the other hand, bleak and/or gloomy music for disaffected youth is a crowded space. The Cure, Nirvana, and Wilco are all acts I've already encountered in just the first 80 albums of this project. Looking through the reviews of this album, though, shows that it landed with many people, but it is understandable if for some it landed outside of their radar. That is where it landed for me. And I'm finding its not an easy album to latch onto in my forties. With Wilco I found I wanted to fabricate long years of nostalgia upon hearing it for the first time. Mr. Smith is not working the same kind of magic. Very little of it is sticking. Another album in the collection of those that found me at the wrong time in my life. Highlight tracks Junk Bond Trader.

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Long before CSI had a series in every major city in America, the Who were revolutionizing and framing what future generations would define as rock & roll. This is them at their absolute peak, and even if the album does lose a little steam in the middle, that mediocrity is sandwiched between five of their greatest tracks ever. Baba O'Riley, Behind Blue Eyes, and Won't Get Fooled Again are nearly enough on their own to elicit a 5/5, but the added bonus of Bargain and Going Mobile really seal the deal.

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People remember how you start and how you finish. This album starts with a Best “Side 1, Track 1” of All Time Contender and finishes with an even better track. And beyond that the songs themselves start and end so memorably. The little coda parts on each of these tracks are mini-victory laps. The album was a gem to listen to. It sags ever so slightly in the middle (the tracks “My Wife” and “The Song is Over” are the two weakest IMO) but never enough to drag. Man, the landscape of 1970s rock is quite something to behold. 1971 is up there with 1991 as such an outstanding year for music releases. What The Who achieved here is stunning, one of those landmarks of rock that will forever be referenced. Seriously, some bands are lucky if within their entire career they add one phrase or idea to the long lexicon of music and culture. The Who gave us three or four on this one album. And to think it is the by product of a failed rock opera idea. On this listen I really got into “Bargain”. “Behind Blue Eyes” remains my favorite track. I still find it haunting in a way. And “We Won’t Get Fooled Again” will still be played in 100 years. Meet the new 5-star. Same as the old 5-star.

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Nina Simone is one of those names that looms large. She is a name I have often heard but have never spent much time with listening to her music. Once again I’m in need of some schoolin’. Her’s is one of those legacy voices that truthfully you need to experience yourself. Well her command and presence came through my ear buds as masterful as anything this list has offered so far this morning. I've been thinking about this album all day. There is such life in these vocals. She refuses to sand down the rough textures that appear. This woman has capital “P” - Power in her voice. The opening track “I Love Your Lovin’ Ways” is a bluesy rocking start to the album. The good times are early and short though because after that there much heartbreak to ponder on this album. “Four Women” knocked me on my ass. “Lilac Wine”, “Breakdown and Let it All Out”, “Wild is the Wind”. She’s singing about harder shit than any metal band out there and complaining less. There is an abundance of heartbreak to ponder on this one but it refuses to fall into mopey-ness. It’s vulnerable and defiant. What a shame this is the only entry we get from Nina Simone.

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This one is far from my favorite of theirs, and frankly ranges from laughably pretentious to downright annoying. There's some decent substance between all of that, and there's obvious proficiency on display, but the tone of the synthesizer lends a cartoonish quality that undermines the overall effect. It's a 2/5 that made me spin Lucky Man just to get the taste out of my mouth.

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This was a progressive rock band going full progressive rock band. And me, well, I am a sucker for classical music done by rock bands. I enjoyed this. That acoustic guitar on “The Sage” was a nice piece. The “Live” nature of the recording also added a layer of fun to the whole album too.

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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".

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.

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

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??!!?

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

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.

Rage In Favor Of The Machine.

Music for incels to wank furiously by

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.

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

The beauty of music is that it is subjective. It’s typically great for a certain group of people, though it’s never right for everyone. Some for the masses, some more niche, but it all has its place. Meanwhile, with lists like this, there’s always artists or records that anyone would have put on in place of what actually made it. Personally, I would have included Queensryche’s Operation Mindcrime, Live’s Throwing Copper, Joe Satriani’s The Extremist, Sara Bareilles’ Little Voice, or John Mellencamp’s Scarecrow album on a list of must hear records. Others would put totally different albums on and that's awesome. What someone likes vs. dislikes is truly subjective. Again, that's the beauty. With that said, this album objectively sucks. I mean truly horrible. Something had to be the lowest rated album on the list, and this was a place well earned. There is nothing redeemable about this record. To quote my wife, “they should have stopped at 1,000.”

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.