My User Albums Journey

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User Albums Journey

Exploring beyond the book, one album at a time

View 1001 Albums Summary

Albums Rated

4.02

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1990

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Electronica

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5-Star Albums

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Albums

You Love More Than Most

Album	You	Global	Diff
Bloody Kisses Type O Negative	5	2.69	+2.31
Goat The Jesus Lizard	5	2.79	+2.21
One Life Malibu	5	2.89	+2.11
Thunder And Consolation New Model Army	5	3.05	+1.95
The Lioness Songs: Ohia	5	3.09	+1.91
Chocolate & Cheese Ween	5	3.12	+1.88
Take It From The Man The Brian Jonestown Massacre	5	3.14	+1.86
Script Of The Bridge The Chameleons	5	3.17	+1.83
Black Celebration Depeche Mode	5	3.18	+1.82
No.1 In Heaven Sparks	5	3.26	+1.74

You Love Less Than Most

Album	You	Global	Diff
BABYMETAL BABYMETAL	1	2.72	-1.72
Spanish Train And Other Stories Chris de Burgh	1	2.66	-1.66
Bon Iver Bon Iver	2	3.27	-1.27

5-Star Albums (22)

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Popular Reviews

Hall of the Mountain King

Savatage · 2 likes

4/5

Would always go for Gutter Ballet, but title track is as great as ever. The other songs vary from ok-ish to (very) good: 7/10.

The Lioness

Songs: Ohia · 1 likes

5/5

Great selection of a user album. Hard choice between all these S:O's albums but would definitely include this album in my own 1001 list. One of these albums that completely grabs your attention.

I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One

Yo La Tengo · 1 likes

5/5

Top 3 Yo La Tengo album. I could have sworn that Painful was included in the 1001 list but it was not. Big oversight. I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One is perhaps not as overall strong as Painful or Elecr-O-Pura, my favourite two YLT albums, but it is still an easy 5*. my vote in 1997: 9/10 my vote in 2025: 9/10

Goat

The Jesus Lizard · 1 likes

5/5

Just as good as I remembered. Probably my favourite JL album but their other work is great too.

Homogenic

Björk · 1 likes

5/5

One of the best albums ever made (5/5 = 10/10 in this case), and the first album from Björk I fully got into. Post (4/5) and Debut (4/5) were very good, and the Sugarcubes albums were alright-ish. Homogenic is next level. Looking back at the 1001 list, I rated Medulla as 4/5, and both Vulnicura and Volta as 5/5 as well. Homogenic should have definitely been included..

1-Star Albums (2)

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Discosis

Bran Van 3000

3/5

Another surprising user album choice. I believe I may have a copy of this album, but had not listened to it for two decades. It was okay to listen to again but a bit of a mixed bag (6/10). I also listened to Glee again and slightly (7/10) prefer it above Discosis.

Bloody Kisses

Type O Negative

5/5

Probably would have gone for October Rust, but both are 5 star, obviously.

Night Drive

Chromatics

4/5

My choice would still be Kill for Love, but I like practically all their 2007+ work and Night Drive is a very good Chromatics album as well of course (I am not familiar with their pre-Italians Do It Better albums).

Currents

Tame Impala

5/5

One of my favourite albums from the last 10 years and probably the best album from 2015. Album should have been in the 1001 list, which would have been easy given that the 1001 list is so patchy with respect to its more recent inclusions (most of them being pretty weak).

Out of the Blue

Debbie Gibson

2/5

Another remarkable user album choice. Let me take it seriously. :-) - Makes sense because objectively speaking, if teen pop must be part of the 1001 list, then this album should have been picked instead of that Britney Spears album. And it is well timed given her memoir that just got out. - Does not make sense, as it is one of those many 80s pop albums: a couple of high-quality singles + filler. I own a copy of the Foolish Beat 12-inch but at the time never cared too much about the rest of the album. my vote in 1988: 2/5 my vote in 2025: 2/5 (for nostalgia reasons)

Grand Prix

Teenage Fanclub

4/5

Their Big Star-like songwriting skills might have been perfected since the time of Bandwagonesque, but I still feel the latter album was the appropriate album for 1001 inclusion instead of any of their other albums, including this one. Not that it matters of course: Grand Prix is just another really good album from a most consistent band.

The Lonesome Crowded West

Modest Mouse

4/5

Some of the reviewers might have a point that this album could have been included on the 1001 list. I had not listed to it for many years and played it twice this evening, that is, 2.5 hour MM , which is perhaps a little overkill. Some songs are still as strong as ever, some other songs (there are 15 in total) are good / very good: 8/10 overall.

Homogenic

Björk

5/5

Goat

The Jesus Lizard

5/5

Just as good as I remembered. Probably my favourite JL album but their other work is great too.

Under The Pink

Tori Amos

5/5

Still a great album (10/10) just like 30 years ago that could have comfortably been placed in the 1001 list. In fact, up to Scarlet's Walk I would rate all Tori Amos albums as 5 star (and it is easy to generate another 5-star album with the b-sides from that period).

No.1 In Heaven

Sparks

5/5

The combination Sparks and Moroder is simply great, and I always felt that this album should have been included in the 1001 list instead of Kimono My House. In fact after revisiting both albums this evening I would have included both, as both are 10/10 records.

The Lioness

Songs: Ohia

5/5

Great selection of a user album. Hard choice between all these S:O's albums but would definitely include this album in my own 1001 list. One of these albums that completely grabs your attention.

Pop Art

Transvision Vamp

2/5

Remarkable user album choice. The 80s vibes are great of course, but the songs are not there. My vote in 1988: 2/5 My vote in 2025: 2/5.

For Emma, Forever Ago

Bon Iver

4/5

Given its reputation, a proper user album choice. I liked it in 2007 modulo Skinny Love (very strong dislike) and saw an excellent BI concert at that time, with a full band including two drummers (if I remember correctly) and a highly enthusiastic audience. Now, after 17-18 years, the album still sounds fine. The lyrics are not interesting, but the songs themselves are quite good (apart from SL of course). [There are even two more BI user albums - seems like overkill to me, but will give them both a try as well..]

Old No. 1

Guy Clark

4/5

Classic country album that I had not listed to for quit a while. Not my genre but still an easy 4 due to the strong songwriting.

Chocolate & Cheese

Ween

5/5

Normally I dislike these records full of novelty songs that are all over the place and mix bad humour with pastiche. But this album is the exception to the rule: it's great, with supercatchy proper songs. I had not listened to it for 30 years or so, and this evening I can appreciate it even more than in 1994: 9/10.

Thunder And Consolation

New Model Army

5/5

Yeah. Great UK band. I would have gone for The Ghost of Cain (10/10) but TaC is excellent as well: 9/10 for me - I like it a bit more when they operate in post-punk mode rather than folk-rock. On the other hand: the songs on TaC are very strong of course, and this was the first NMA album that I listened to back in 1990 or so.

Spirit of Eden

Talk Talk

5/5

One of the most obvious omissions in the 1001 list. Just like Laughing Stock.

Human Racing

Nik Kershaw

2/5

A surprising choice. Had this album on tape but even back then it was clear that far better pop music was released, except, of course, for the two big (5-star) international hits.

I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One

Yo La Tengo

5/5

Kick

INXS

5/5

Mostly listen to Shabooh Shoobah these days, as I probably listed to Kick one too many times in the 80s. Irrespectively, it is strange that this album was not included in the 1001 list.

Script Of The Bridge

The Chameleons

5/5

Superclassic UK album from the 80s: 10/10. Should have been included in the oiginal list. Had thought about selecting this album myself and am glad someone else did.

Young, Loud And Snotty

Dead Boys

3/5

So far, I am mainly listening to user albums I am already familiar with. Just had Pinkerton and Old No 1, and Young, Loud & Snotty is another one of such albums. I think all three of these albums could have been included in the 1001 list based on reputation, even though I would not include them in my own list. YLS has the sound and some great guitar playing, but the song material is not as strong as I remembered and the vocals are a bit too much.

Blade Runner

Vangelis

5/5

Had not listened to this soundtrack for quite a while. Impossible to listen to without strong associations to the movie. But great 80s synthesizer sound, and safe to say I would rate it 5 star anyway.

Bon Iver

2/5

The ultimate Pitchfork record of the 2010s? In any case, I can understand this album is well liked, but just like in 2011, the album does not work me. The songs themselves are nicely produced but seem less strong to me than on his debut (4*), even the smooth 80s song at the end. :-)

Spanish Train And Other Stories

Chris de Burgh

1/5

One of the first cassette tapes I owned, back in 1986, was Into the Light, a top 10 album at the time. About half of it was quite good, the rest.. pretty unlistenable. I just played the two albums back to back to conclude once more that 70s Chris de Burgh is definitely not for me (2/10), whereas I can still appreciate the typical 80s sound of ItL and some of its songs (5/10). In any case, a surprising user album choice.

Last Splash

The Breeders

4/5

As expected, still a great album to listen to. Has a lot of charms but contains just a little bit too much filler for a full 5-star rating, and I remembered it as not being as good as Pod or Safari. Nevertheless, has some iconic status so feels like an omission of the 1001-list, especially because it could have been easily selected, say instead of that solo Frank Black album that did make it into the list (ok-ish but nothing special).

Portishead

5/5

For me, it used to be: Third > Dummy > Portishead but I now started to believe: Third >= Dummy >= Portishead, In any case: an easy 5-star and great user album choice.

BABYMETAL

1/5

Not for me I am afraid. Too many Eurovision vibes (except that the vocals are in Japanese).

Up To Here

The Tragically Hip

4/5

This album feels like a more natural choice than a previous user album from this band (Phantom Power) which I still have to listen to so I might be wrong... ..in any case, OtH contains New Orleans Is Sinking: one of their best songs. Overall, this is a solid album (had to get onto it again and it got better after a few listens). Still had expected to see Fully Completely, a classic album that could have been included in the 1001 list.

Out Of Time

R.E.M.

5/5

The choice of REM album in the 1001 list seemed reasonably appropriate to me. OoT always felt more like a collection of singles / songs than a proper album, but I had forgotten how good most of the songs are. Not that it matters too much: REM up to 1996 or so = 5* anyway.

Pinkerton

Weezer

4/5

Back in 1996, I did not like this album at all due to its lyrics: way too whiny. Still true nowadays. But the album should have been given a spot on the 1001 list, given its huge reputation. The songs itself are also much catchier and stronger than I remembered. I also like that it is short so no overload.

Speak & Spell

Depeche Mode

4/5

Used to be a 5-star album for me for >25 years. However, over time my view changed a little: I still like the sound very much, and most of the Vince Clarke songs are still great, but there is just little bit too much filler for a 5-star score. My vote: 8/10.

Hall of the Mountain King

Savatage

4/5

Would always go for Gutter Ballet, but title track is as great as ever. The other songs vary from ok-ish to (very) good: 7/10.

Tomorrow Belongs To Me

The Sensational Alex Harvey Band

2/5

Album has a strong start but then goes downhill. Not so keen on the vocals either and always thought Framed and the 1001 inclusion Next are the better albums containing the classic SAHB songs (Hammer Song, Faith Healer etc).

One Life

Malibu

5/5

Technically an EP but anyway, it is great. One Life is the best track and I would also recommend the Evian Christ mix. I hope some more electronic albums will appear in the user album list.

Take It From The Man

The Brian Jonestown Massacre

5/5

Finally, a BJM album, and indeed, it is one of their best - it's hard to imagine that in 1996 they released three lengthy albums, which are all 5 stars. Good timing with the recent re-release of Dig, and I just read "In the Jingle Jangle Jungle", highly recommendable.

Six

Mansun

3/5

Post Britpop album, which built up some reputation but I fail to see it. It is not bad, .but it is not good either. From memory, I might like Attack of the Grey Lantern a bit more, but also that album is not great.

August And Everything After

Counting Crows

3/5

Famous CC album, contains some excellent songs, but the lyrics are definitely not for me. My score in 1993: 3/5. My score now: 3/5.

His 'N' Hers

Pulp

5/5

Just as great as its successor. 10/10 then. 10/10 now.

The Presidents of The United States of America

The Presidents Of The United States Of America

4/5

Still a very good album. I like the direct, stripped-back sound and the catchy songs. My score in 1995: 8/10. My score now: 7/10.

New York

Lou Reed

5/5

This Lou Reed album is perfect and should definitely have been included in the list. My score at the time: 5/5. My score now: 5/5.

Black Celebration

Depeche Mode

5/5

Listened to this album numerous times in the 80s. The fact that they just use one of their greatest songs from that period (But Not Tonight) as a b-side says it all.

Solid State Survivor

YELLOW MAGIC ORCHESTRA

5/5

A timeless album, at least for me. A great sound and its influence on a band like Japan is immediate.

Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We?

The Cranberries

3/5

As other reviewers noted, I would not have been too surprised either if this album had been included in the original list. Ok-ish in 1993. Ok-ish now (I like the jangly sound, the two hits and the opening song stand out, most of the other songs are less remarkable).