Never really listened to drill before, but this is pretty good. Definitely some awesome beats and it’s amazing to listen to an album from someone I’ve never heard of that has 15 million monthly listeners.
Very jammy in an Oasis covers Zeppelin kind of way. Song 2 is a classic riff and it's neat to see what else was around at the time. I think a lot of it is kind of meandering, none of the lyrics super jumped out to me but I think I'm listening to music differently now that I play it so much. I think Damon Albarn is sort of a syllable/melody first writer (evidenced by Gorillaz IMO) and I have never really listened to Blur but I can see where other music of his comes from. All the songs have a vibe that gets the message across.
Top tier bass playing of course. Really melodic and very cool considering it had only been an instrument for like 25 years. I really like the extended jams on Groovallegiance and the subversion of the pledge is classic. I am hearing a lot of what I think has inspired other jam bands. Tim from DMB plays a lot like this.
Farther in I am hearing where a lot of Kendrick, Childish Gambino, etc are getting some musical ideas. Maybe this is just what 70's funk sounds like? This is definitely not radio-friendly but it's very jammy and vibey and I could see having it on at a party with more musical friends. It sounds very good if not super hi-fi due to the mix and everything having a nice tape-y saturation to it.
Maggot Brain and Pink Floyd have a lot in common (with a much better bassline). This is wild! The cocked wah solo thing was everywhere I guess.
Overall very cool and I dig it. Probably 4 stars. Not sure what my criteria for a 5 is but I'll find it I'm sure.
A total classic. I remember listening to this for the first time on CD with my mom in our living room in middle school. Let's see how it holds up!
Bad Habit just rules.
Also I just remembered playing a bootleg copy of Road Rash on my bedroom PC as a kid and The Offspring being on the soundtrack. Genocide playing while chain whipping on a motorcycle. The voiceovers are goofy and so 90's.
Really nice crispy bass playing which I guess is a punk thing. Straight into the amp, very roundwound wompy pick tone. Green Day similar. Guitars are just shredding with gain and much looser than metal chugs.
Lyrically very punk and it's crusty as hell and very real. More aggressive than the skater vibes of Green Day or later pop punk.
I bet these shows were just loud as hell. I will say it is a bit fatiguing to make it through the entire album. I'm not a huge punk fan, this is more a nostalgia album for me. I think it will edge into the 4's based on how classic of a record it is and my familiarity. Smash is a great ending track.
Much more familiar with Brothers in Arms, so I'm excited! Haven't dug deep into Dire Straits or Mark Knopfler beyond the hits.
Wow, this *sounds* superb. The mixing and production is next level. The lead guitar on Down To The Waterline is panned hard left and you can really hear the little nuances in his playing and the fingers on the strings. Everything feels very open and transparent - just sitting in the mix perfectly.
This is just a great, great band jamming. Setting Me Up is basically a country song and there's a lot of Telecaster clack on this album. Six Blade Knife has the classic 70's heartbeat bassline.
I am definitely seeing the lyrical coolness of Mark Knopfler on display here.
Again, bass player here so I tend to really listen for it. Some of these songs are going for an almost upright-type sound, very plunky but always warm and just the perfect accompaniment. Lowkey and groovy.
In The Gallery is a real hidden gem to me, it's very bluesy but not the searing lead tone like SRV, Kingfish, Marcus King. Much more laid back and all about really hearing the nuance of the guitar. He's a pretty percussive player and some of these slaps and fingerstyle are right at home in modern djent.
Overall, really great sounding and I'm glad I got to dig into Dire Straits more!
Never really listened to Outkast, even though they have been a household name my whole life. So Fresh, So Clean, has been sampled and quoted a million times. Ms. Jackson is a classic! Now Killer Mike has showed up in the beginning of his career.
BOB is a famous song I had never heard before. Big Boi and Andre 3000 being a duo really works on this song. Also some really early guitar work in rapping which I feel like I've heard a bunch on later Kanye and Kendrick albums, neat to see that up here early. The refrains in BOB remind me of the Funkadelic album I had a few days ago.
There are some really fun beats on this album - I can hear a real person playing a keyboard and sampling it. It definitely sounds like a real record, it wasn't all made in Logic with plugins by one person. Sounds like real drums in a lot of places too which is cool. Xplosion is a straight up Gorillaz song. Also a big fan of the nostalgia of bragging about subs and amps in detail for their cars - super early 00's Pimp My Ride vibes.
I am the 2,641st play of the Good Hair interlude on Spotify!
I like the interludes. They are fun and are from before the era of the voicemails from Grandma trope of when I was in high school/college. True little skits that go with the songs. I really like story songs so Toilet Tisha was sad but I'm always so impressed by artists that can tell a story like this.
I have never sat down and listened to Hendrix before, just heard the hits here and there or a famous lick or two.
Super psychedelic. Side one is very jammy and kind of all over the place as far as recorded music goes. I can see why the shorter version of Voodoo Chile is the popular one. The 60s were all about experimentation and it seems like Jimmy Page basically took a page straight from the Hendrix book when they starting playing 45 minute versions of Dazed and Confused.
As a musician, knowing this is a 3-piece with basically no pedals is pretty crazy. The fuzzy tape sounds of the 60s really work here and this music would sound weird if it was like 70s hi-fi.
Neat detail as it turns out that the Hammond organ on Voodoo Chile is none other than Steve Winwood.
Little Miss Strange sounds like "Hendrix plays The Beatles".
I am hearing so much of where the famous blues players I've heard get their licks, tone, phrasing, all of it. Page, SRV, John Mayer, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Kingfish, Marcus King, Hendrix really was the beginning of a lot of it.
I am liking Side 3/4 a lot better. I think the songwriting is better and 1983/Merman reminds me of the playing on Bold As Love.
Of course the last two are the hits and easily give this album its rating.
I know Them Changes and that's about it - I loved Thundercat's playing on Mac Miller's Tiny Desk Concert so I'm excited to hear him in action on an album.
Off to a ripping start with Captain Stupido. Lots of bass chords and funky textures.
Uh Uh very jazzy. I don't know how he is playing like this. It's like Funkadelic on speed.
This record is kind of jazz-funk meets yacht rock so far. Lots of wah on the bass and envelope filters for that synthy feel.
A Fan's Mail - my friend said "it's verging into 'need to be high for this' territory". It may in fact be that kind of album.
I feel like Thundercat has been all over other artist's stuff to the point I have trouble separating it a bit. The shorter songs are reminding me of extended Kendrick interludes or something. He really has a great voice for hooks and I think the fuzzy headed feeling of the album works with the Drunk title.
Drums are superb and there are a bunch of neat keys parts too. I really like Show You The Way, the yacht rock comes full circle with the guest vocals.
Now Kendrick is here and it sounds very natural. Anddd we're back to jazz!
Friend Zone is a bop for sure. Just classic Thundercat weirdness with super slick music. "...cause I got enough friends" goes hard.
Them Changes is a modern bass classic. 10/10 for sure. Drink Dat is cool too. The 2nd half in general is much better to me.
Overall I gotta say there is just a little too much jazzy bullshit (to me) to get the 5 star. Solid 4-4.5 with how good of a musician he is but without the features there are really only a few songs I truly enjoyed.
On Spotify, the "deluxe" version has the original songs as tracks 1-4 on Disc 1. So, that is what I will listen to.
I associate sequencers with the 80's, not 70's. So this is pretty out there for 1974. This is the same year as Bennie & The Jets and Hooked On a Feeling.
The title track sounds very space-like and like the soundtrack to Alien or 2001: A Space Odyssey or something. It really is quite expansive and it is amazing to think this was done so early in the technology.
Oddly enough the record deal for this album was given by none other than Richard Branson. What a character!
The windy sounds being created by the synths as well are so cool. I also really love how much stereo was a novelty back then - as layers of the music come in and out they may appear on the left or right and move around in space as well. Definitely an album to listen to with headphones in a quiet place where you can focus on the experience.
I really enjoyed this album. It is ambient, avant-garde and put together like a classical piece. It is amazing that the background for the album was improvising with the Moog and seeing what came out. The organ parts in "Movements of A Visionary" are amazing. Easy 5 stars!
Opening with Gloria, apparently this is a Van Morrison cover. I guess we are in the really early stages of punk, the piano caught me off guard.
Birdland is really out there, this is a bonkers track 3 for your debut album.
I’ve never really heard anything like this before. It’s kind of stream of consciousness lyrically. I’m not sure this is for me. I can see how it was sort of pre-punk but I personally don’t really vibe with it that much. I think probably 2.5/5 maybe. For me 3 is neutral and this was a novelty but a bit of a struggle.
Never listened to this before - this is a vibe. Their voices come in and out seamlessly and every song is like a cipher. Really neat production with crispy drums and great samples.
I can tell Lin-Manuel Miranda is a huge fan of A Tribe Called Quest. Embarrassing, but my biggest through-line to this is Hamilton!
It's really cool how the outro of one song leads right into the next one, it's a true mixtape.
All in all this just a great album, fun to listen to and not a dull minute on it.
I am really enjoying this album. The opener is just a joyful and classic folk tune. These songs remind me of learning to play classical guitar. The string arrangements and orchestral elements are super 60's in the best way. I may have to do a deeper dive into Simon & Garfunkel, I have heard the hits but not the real folk-y acoustic songwriting they seem to excel at.
Also - Carol Kaye plays bass on some songs! Hal Blaine on the drums. The Wrecking Crew is all over this album as was the fashion at the time. Very neat.
"A Simple Desultory Philippic" blasts straight into Dylan-esque fuzzy rock. I think this is maybe a diss track? It's very on the nose and also sort of comes across as a proto-"We Didn't Start the Fire". In any case, it really jumps out of the album with the harmonica and distorted guitar.
I think this is going to be an easy 5, I really enjoyed it. Just beautiful melodies and songwriting. I feel that in a lot of ways this type of music isn't ever going to be exciting enough to be mainstream again and I can't imagine a new artist "making it" playing songs like this. This makes me a little sad as I feel there is a real magic to these "simple" and beautiful songs - they are short, to the point and contain multitudes in their lyrics like the best poetry.
This is cool. Not what I think of as "EDM" or "house music" since I was raised in the era of dubstep, Deadmau5, Avicii, Porter Robinson, Odesza, Zedd, etc. This feels very 90's/00's in the best way. These samples and basslines are crazy, I guess this was also the era before there were "feat. So and So" on every single track as a bunch of these songs have "uncredited" guest vocals that make each track really fresh and you don't know what to expect as the record goes on. They did a great job with transitions too, everything just flows together. I feel like you could just hit play on this at a party and let it ride for an hour. Highlights: Yo Yo, Same Old Show, Bingo Bango, Stop 4 Love, Don't Give Up.
Really enjoyed!
I love this album. Easy 5 stars. It is a masterpiece of songwriting, performing and recording. I saw another review call it "Don Henley as performed by The Killers" and they may be on to something...but if it is a guilty pleasure, I'm not complaining! I just connect with the music and have ever since I saw their Tiny Desk Concert during the pandemic.
My wife and friends have a joke with me - whenever a song by this band comes on, they go "hey it's that one War on Drugs song!" (because a lot of them do sound quite similar). I think the hits tend to have that common anthemic Springsteen 80's thing but there is a lot more depth to their records and this is a great example of it. The production here is just amazing and to me this is really an album you can sit inside of and hang out for a while.
It is a very thin mix but it still sounds great. I am a bass player, I've heard "...And Justice for Jason", but this album is still early days of thrash metal and it is a time capsule of ripsaw guitars and snappy drums. That's fine! The opening is a great build-up to what you know is coming: Metallica. Their riff style and solos are so distinctive. Honestly this has some of the better "live" drum sounds I've heard from 80's metal (but I am no expert - just an off the cuff observation). Toms move around in space and there are some great double-kick moments and breakdowns.
"Blackened" and "One" are definitely the highlights of the album.
"To Live Is To Die" is kind of a hidden gem. The lead sound really comes out of the mix because the rhythm guitar is so high-gain and compressed it almost sounds like a sound effect. Hetfield will always be the riff master, it's crazy.
All in all, I definitely enjoyed it and had never listened to the whole record before.
I mean, come on. One of the most iconic albums of all time. It's the debut record and of the 11 tracks, there are 5 that anyone over the age of 35 will recognize in the first few seconds.
I will forever be a David Lee Roth defender as far as Van Halen. He *is* rock-n-roll.
Ain't Talkin Bout Love is one of the best riffs ever! Classic 80s and the songwriting is really top notch too.
Honestly the B-side of this album is still really tight. I have never really listened to this album with great speakers or headphones before and I have to say the bass is really present in the mix and sounds fantastic. Michael Anthony is killing it front to back on this record, and since VH is really a 3-piece with vocals he has a lot of space to fill and does a great job of it.
You Can Call Me Al is a real classic and a yacht-rock staple, but this album just doesn't do it for me. I appreciate the experimentation and I can see how this was probably pretty groundbreaking for the time, but it just doesn't resonate with me. Most of the songs just kind of sound like less catchy versions of You Can Call Me Al. There is fantastic fretless bass all over the place and I enjoy the horns and African rhythms, it just doesn't combine into something that really grabs my ear or my attention. I don't see myself playing this album in full again, but I really can't give it a 2 ("did not enjoy" in my rating system). A mostly-neutral 3 it is.
This is raucous and very fun. Much more punk-y than I expected! The basslines and riffs are awesome all over this album. It kind of sounds like a mixture between Blur and Fall Out Boy. This is a loud, live band in this era and it comes across on the record. Just groovy and catchy and very pub-y vibes. I really like Wet Leg and they are definitely very inspired by early Arctic Monkeys.
Really enjoyed!
This is sooooo 80s. I like that a drum machine was credited as "Doktor Avalanche" on the liner notes. It's very goth but also has a lot of new wave kind of feel to it. There is a "saxophone" solo halfway through the first track that is a great example of how much better synthesizers had gotten compared to the early 70s with Tangerine Daydream and Kraftwerk.
For a drum machine it really sounds huge. The reverb and gating is really amazing and this whole album is like a pre-Kavinsky darkwave Castlevania record.
"Lucretia My Reflection" has a driving, chorus-y bassline that you just can't ignore. The lyrics and phrasing are super dramatic and remind me of Rammstein. In comparision to the early 2000's "emo" I grew up with this is much more influenced by electronic music and has a darker, almost classical feel.
I love Ghost and I can't help but hear the influences there too. I know Tobias Forge is a huge death metal guy, but Sisters of Mercy combines gothic feel with pop songwriting in a really cool way and I feel Ghost does that but with metal/hard rock and pop. The song "1959" reminds me of "The Future is a Foreign Land". Also the choir intro to "This Corrosion"!
Overall, really enjoyed.
It's funky, it's 70s, it definitely sounds like them. I see how this was maybe the more radio-friendly foil to Parliament back then. Shining Star is definitely the "hit" and probably the best song too. Overall I feel it just wasn't as good as some of their other albums, but I did enjoy it.
Insane that "the song" is track 1! What a strong opener. I have never heard the full album, this is very cool. I love the double bass on "Mother Stands for Comfort" - it's so haunting, I've never heard anything like this.
This entire album is gorgeous, lush, haunting and honestly sounds amazing. "Waking the Witch" comes out of nowhere!
"Jig of Life" is a great track. There are eclectic influences everywhere on this record and I can't believe I had never heard it before in its entirety. Not the most bombastic pop experience of the 80s but incredibly deep and inspired. Kate Bush made *exactly* what she wanted to make and what she felt - in today's era of streaming numbers and engagement coming over artistry I am so impressed by these past albums.
Oh boy! Rubber Soul is one of my favorite Beatles albums.
Paul McCartney is tearing it up on these tracks - apparently he switched to a Rickenbacker in the studio from his usual Hofner and it sounds much punchier and forward as a result.
Spotify just dropped Lossless streaming and with good headphones hearing the layers of vocal harmonies and the quality of the mixing is fantastic. The bass is panned hard left on Drive My Car with piano and lead guitar panned hard right. Classic Ringo with the cowbell that just sits in the pocket - nobody else would have added cowbell to this track.
You Won't See Me is almost Beach Boys-esque with the vocal harmonies. Sounds great!
Nowhere Man is a classic. Lots of great harmonies and a ton of neat little guitar licks on top of the basic acoustic strumming in the rhythm part. The bassline is busy as hell and walking all over so the acoustic guitar helps keep the tempo.
The Word flips the bass to the right track. It's funny listening to early stereo albums, the panning was out of control by modern standards! That riff before the bridge is straight arena rock played on clicky 60's guitars. They really were ahead of the curve musically.
What Goes On is a country song, more genre-bending which is neat.
In My Life is one of my favorite songs. Reminds me of family, memories and reflection. It's simple, beautiful, and so sincere.
Overall, definitely a 5. I really enjoyed listening to Rubber Soul again and was reminded how solid the music was.
My only knowledge of PJ Harvey is passing references on Gilmour Girls and Halsey's track "Dog Years" from The Great Impersonator, which was supposedly inspired by her.
I gotta say this is different than I expected but I suppose indie folk/rock sort of hits the mark. I think this is sort of a "death of an empire" record. I am not British but given the current state of things in the US I can sympathize.
I understand the idea of making modern folk as antiwar music and acknowledging the conquests that gave us the modern version of England or the US. To me this is really a poetry project with musical accompaniment. I can tell a lot of research went into the lyrics and subject matter. It is definitely well-crafted but ultimately I don't really listen to much like this for pleasure and I feel that in 2025 using WWI as the primary inspiration really dates it.
I understand the parallels to more modern wars but to me, there is a huge component of the modern injustice of conflict that is missing. The world wars did come with massive civilian tolls but there is something altogether different about a modern superpower invading a developing nation that cannot be mirrored by WWI in my opinion. The nobility of old have been replaced by oligarchs today but there's no draft, no matching of equal forces, etc. Especially in 2025, we have the war in Ukraine, Gaza, Yemen that are all essentially functions of the aggressor toeing the line of war crimes on the unfortunate civilians of the area with such a power discrepancy that it boggles the mind. Johnny is not marching off to war with his buddy and his rifle, Johnny is shooting missiles at children from an office building 8000 miles away.
She does do a great job of capturing the bleakness and absurdity of war - "death hung in the smoke/and clung to 400 acres of useless beach front" - but for me personally it just doesn't hit that hard. I think in places the accompaniment is so blasé that it washes out the subject matter - "Hanging In The Wire" is one of those songs.
Okay, early DEVO. First track is very punk, second track is a pretty odd cover of The Rolling Stone's "Satisfaction" in a very DEVO way. New wave is definitely here already, I'm much more familiar with The B-52's and I'm hearing a lot of similar vibes combining eleclectic instrumentals with goofy (but sincere) lyrics and punk riffs. It's like punk mixed with surf rock sung by a comedy band. This is late 70's so not a ton of the overly synth-y New Wave aesthetic of the 80's I'm used to.
"Gut Feeling" is maybe the most punk-y and probably my favorite on the album. "Shrivel-Up" is almost Halloween-y? These guys are weird as hell but they're definitely true to themselves. I don't think it's really for me but I appreciate the record. Pretty neutral, 3/5.
Never listened to Brian Eno before as a musician, only as a producer (U2, Coldplay, Bowie, etc).
I am going in with an open mind. On track 3 and it certainly sounds pretty futuristic for 1977 but also sort of like random pieces of music crammed together.
King's Lead Hat sounds like a Talking Heads song for sure and is pretty good.
Side 2 slows down massively. Sort of film soundtrack vibes? Noir, melancholy, lots of synths. Definitely pretty forward-sounding for the 70s and kind of ambient.
I actually enjoyed "Through Hollow Lands" quite a bit though it would be incredibly jarring to ever have this album on shuffle.
Honestly, meh. Maybe just not for me.
My first Dylan album, if you can believe it. I think I do get the mystique that he's known for. There is an interesting mix of vulnerability and "what the hell is he talking about?" on top of some really sublime folk-rock instrumentals. I don't know if I would necessarily come back to this album too much (maybe on a rainy day with some whiskey) but I can certainly appreciate what it's about.
The first track "Precious" has that huge flanger thing going on, reminds me of the new Turnstile record, so that is super cool. I have only heard the hits so I'm interested to see what The Pretenders are really like.
"Tattooed Love Boys" is pretty dark but has a neat structure and hearing 7/8 is definitely not a common thing back then. Lots of great punky riffs and killswitch tricks which is cool and they are definitely a lot better sounding than a lot of punk bands in my opinion.
"Space Invader" is a cool instrumental jam.
"Kid" is a real bright spot!
"Private Life" is a neat reggae-inspired song that's just slinky and cool.
"Brass in Pocket" is of course far and away the best song on the album, but it really is a good record. I definitely enjoyed and would be curious to listen to more of The Pretenders!
This guy might be the British version of Wesley Willis.
The instrumentals are actually very good. I think Ian Dury might be a sort of dirtbag 70s version of Flight of the Conchords? Lyrics are pretty funny but definitely out there and crude for the time, I'm sure.
"My Old Man" is a good storytelling song and his voice definitely works with it. It is really heartfelt and has its own vibe for sure.
"Billericay Dickie" and we are in proto-Weird Al territory.
“If I Was with a Woman” is a real jam. Boz Scaggs as sung by the cast of Peaky Blinders.
Not sure what to think of this album but I can't fault the smooth musicality combined with some really bizarre Cockney lyrics. But I did enjoy it to be honest. I'll give it a high 3!
I have never heard of this band. Two tracks in and I am really really enjoying it. I agree with other reviewers that maybe the list is not really definitive and is based more on white British people's music taste who were born in the late 60's/early 70's.
That all being said, this is a great record. Sounds fantastic and very modern still with the current resurgence of 80's sounds and textures in pop music.
"Appetite" is really a great track. Slinky and sexy and has a great bassline too.
These are great songs. I love Talking Heads, Donny Benet, nightwave, Ghost, Tears for Fears, and this is right in there. This music is at once nostalgic and modernly beautiful.
"Hallelujah" is a nice jazzy yacht-rock sort of tune.
Wow, this is a great album. "Horsin' Around" is honest, heartbreaking and at the same time so catchy and groovy. The ending especially really conveys the feeling.
I really enjoyed this! This is what I hoping for from this list, music I had never come across but fell in love with in a single album.
Love Stevie Wonder, never listened to Innervisions before. The few two tracks are much moodier than most of the pop Stevie Wonder I'm familiar with. I am seeing where Thundercat gets some of his mojo from.
"Living For The City" is a very conscious song and this is a much more serious Stevie Wonder than "Songs in the Key of Life".
"Higher Ground" is of course a total classic. 10/10 song.
For 1973 he's doing a ton with different influences that are pretty ahead of their time - "Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing" is very eclectic for the funk/R&B of the time.
Overall, I definitely enjoyed the album. I don't personally think it's as dynamic or impressive as some of his other work but it is certainly Stevie Wonder and a great record. Easy 4/5.
Always crazy to hear live albums from the 1960s. Everything was so primitive but it still sounds so good. There are points on the album where you can hear a rumble in the background that might be wind blowing across the microphones or a distant train or something. At the same time it's just cacophonous when they really get cooking ("I've Got My Mojo Working"). You can hear the crowd clapping and cheering and screaming and the musicians stomping - the drums sound amazing!
I love blues in general and this is my first time hearing this concert of Muddy Waters'. He has such a great voice. The "big band" sound with horns, harmonica, piano, backing vocals sounds great with this style of blues. This is just a great record from a titan of blues.
It is pretty funny because this is basically an album made by crazy druggies trying to sound like The Beatles. And in a lot of ways they succeeded! It is 100% punk and the mixing is really cool. I’d never listened to this before - but honestly I actually like it. This early punk is more “musical” and to me more accessible than later Misfits-type music and then of course hardcore and other sub genres that spun off. This is where it all began!
This may be a bit too close to the beginning of prog rock for me. I love Pink Floyd and Rush for their rock roots, but even some of Yes's work gets a bit too navel-gazey for me and I fear King Crimson is firmly in that territory. You can't have "prog rock" without "rock" and "rock" requires a riff, just as it always has.
"Moonchild" is almost unforgivable - "b-b-but we're playing experimental music!" I can't sit here with a straight face and listen to somebody fucking with a xylophone for 10 minutes, even if it was 1969.
It just didn't connect with me, personally. Sometimes you meet your heroes and it turns out everybody else got way better at that type of music over the last 50+ years. "21st Century Schizoid Man" rules to this day and "The Court of the Crimson King" is cool too. Those are really the only worthwhile tracks on the album.
I gotta go 3/5 if only because the middle section is such a ridiculous snoozefest.
I love Peter Gabriel but this really didn’t do it for me. It’s maybe a bit too art rock for his style? He was obviously inspired but it didn’t translate to a great album for me. Great dynamics and singing, neat fretless bass but no real staying power in my musical landscape.
Had a rainy day commute to listen to this one. I was amazed at how many songs I recognized or knew the name of even though I don’t listen to Radiohead. I hear soooo much influence on a lot of later bands - Coldplay, Vampire Weekend, Snow Patrol, even Two Door Cinema Club or Glass Animals. I added 4 songs from this record to my “2025” playlist - high praise. Easy 5, this was amazing!
“Heroes” is definitely of the greatest songs of all time. The record overall is really dynamic - there are ambient electronic tracks like “Neukoln” and classic Bowie with “Blackout”. Having just had King Crimson’s “Court of The Crimson King” a few days ago, I think Robert Fripp is excellently applied (and no doubt edited!) here and the atmosphere of the album is really one of a kind. The B-side goes full “Tangerine Dream” which is a little jarring but the songs themselves are rich and complex and it’s cool to hear Bowie as a composer and instrumentalist. The album ends with the hidden gem “The Secret Life of Arabia” complete with disco hand-claps (it’s so funny how much of 2020’s pop is just disco - you could give Sabrina Carpenter this instrumental and no one would be the wiser) and ends the album on a high note. Definite 5/5!
Total classic. The beats and the samples are incredible. The lyrics maybe haven't aged the best, but it is a time capsule of LA in the 80's and in that lens, it is what it is in my opinion. This was the beginning of a huge music scene and industry from LA and so many of these guys are still household names 30+ years later.
Awesome beats, classic hooks and timeless rhymes (if not a little corny in places). 5/5 for sure.
I love Neil Young. I expect this to be an easy 4 or 5 for me. My dad is a huge Neil Young fan and I was raised from an early age on his music. I can't say I've ever listened to "Harvest" all the way through so this should be a nice trip through Neil's folk era.
The orchestration on "A Man Needs A Maid" is haunting and beautiful - really neat use of so many instruments! The budget was definitely used for some cool stuff. French horn + Neil Young rules.
"Heart of Gold" is a top all-time and I think that Neil's more raucous later music is actually starting to show here - you can crank this song up about 1000% with overdrive and it becomes a different animal.
"Old Man" is timeless as ever. Just an incredibly well-written and beautiful song. I will listen to this forever and I'm sure my perception will change with age and I think that's cool.
"Alabama" is a great song and the heaviness grows to the end of the record. 1972 and he was rockin with his own sound for sure.
Weird and dark, very Nick Cave-y. I always feel like his musical core is saloon troubadour who watched too many horror movies and teleported here from an alternate version of the 1950s.
Lyrics are spooky and extremely descriptive - very poetic. Musically this is actually quite tight and I think the band is awesome. He's a weirdo and it's either your thing or it's not. I think it's a bit too grandiose for me and he obviously also takes himself quite seriously despite being the love child of Bob Dylan and Sweeney Todd.
It was fine? Soft 4, maybe 3.5. We will see.
Neat tunes bu
Super raw! I had heard of the Steve Albini legend and the drums on this album definitely make a good case for his style. It sounds live and raw and in your face and just rocking.
I had “Let England Shake” by PJ Harvey earlier in my album generator and I can’t believe this is the same artist to be honest. That was a 2/5 snoozefest and this actually rules.
"In Return" by Odesza was a very formative electronic album for me in college, and this Royksopp record feels like that for a previous generation. It's beautiful, incredibly composed and I thoroughly enjoyed it. 5/5 is a stretch but solid 4 stars for sure.
Well, it's definitely Bob Dylan. The increased rock sound is good, I'm still not 100% sold as I'm not a huge folk rock enjoyer.
I don't really have a ton of thoughts on this album, it's Dylan. Been a long week and this sort of just faded into the background of my morning. It's fine, nothing that blows me away.
I do understand that the lyrics are the magic here. However! I am not and really never have been the type to sit and read a lyric sheet, in depth, while the song is happening. I certainly don't plan on reading everything then going back and trying to parse it again. There are instances where a song is truly remarkable and warrants this level of introspection, but I see that sort of depth as a fun easter egg to an already enjoyable song - with a lot of Bob Dylan it feels like if you don't do your homework there's not really any point in listening. The music itself is quite standard and unless you are "in the know" it is mostly incomprehensible ramblings on a folky instrumental punctuated by organ and harmonica.
It is fine and dandy to have songs in your repertoire that require further inspection to really appreciate. It is *annoying* for that to be the case on *every song you have ever recorded*.
I really enjoyed this album, definitely much more than "Melt". It could almost deserve a 5 just for "Sledgehammer" and "In Your Eyes"!
This does have all the big Peter Gabriel songs and it's easy to see why - the songwriting and arrangements are awesome and there is still a lot of the flavor that made Genesis such an influential band. Definitely a great record.
I really liked "I Might Be Wrong" - the first thing on the album that really grabbed me. Never been a huge Radiohead guy and I don't really know why, it just hasn't grabbed me. I had OK Computer a few weeks ago and liked it a lot! So maybe I am learning.
I think this album was pretty weird, I am surprised Radiohead is as mainstream as they are. It was also pretty boring - nothing really jumped out to me and I don't care for the vocals on this record really. Over a whole album it's just not for me.
I am doing a “neutral” 3 stars because I’m still learning my rating system here. 2 stars seems too harsh.
Well this is certainly vibey and cool. I don't know if it's groundbreaking or incredibly special, but I definitely enjoyed it. Great cocktail bar vibes or for a rainy day. Listened to most of it while walking the dog on a lovely fall afternoon and it was awesome.
Side note - when this album finishes, Spotify will autoplay some really chill, groovy tracks. Great music for working or just staring out the window.
It's chill, it's jazz, it bebops and toodles and whatnot. Jazz always kind of sounds like either Christmas or a soundtrack but this is definitely very accessible and sounds good. It's excellently composed and performed and recorded for sure - this is extremely hi-fi for the 50's, it sounds incredible still. The odd time signatures are just jazz to me, but I guess this was the beginning of that. Overall a neat record and definitely a classic record you have to listen to.
It’s like a grab bag of everything about “the 60s”. For 1966 it was very in the thick of psychedelica and there are some neat moments (the last song is the best, honestly - Zeppelin flavor and cool guitar work). But, it’s a lot of flute and a lot of harpsichord and pretty tough to get through the whole thing. Foundational perhaps but not necessarily super enjoyable in 2025.
It is *the* Metallica album for a lot of reasons. They really do sound great here and much fuller than on "...And Justice for All" (no shit!). Classic riffs, the explosive energy they have always been known for and really elevated songwriting compared to a lot of early metal.
Orion is a bright spot by far - I listen to a lot of primarily instrumental heavy music and Metallica is far better at this than they give themselves credit for. Maybe it was the Cliff effect, I don't know but I wish they would give this sort of song more opportunity in their discography. The harmonized solos and downright groovy bass go perfectly with the drums which have that awesome slappy Lars sound. This song alone is worth the record if you ask me.
5/5, total classic!
Not sure what to write about this, really. It is definitely dynamic and I think the backstory is really cool - piecing together the record from these improv sessions, the mixing, the multiple drummers and bassists and pianists being hard-panned, it's total gear nerd/music history fodder. But does it translate to enjoyable music? I really don't know. There are some neat licks for sure and overall it wasn't really a hard listen, but I don't know what I would come back for. It's pretty random and I think most of the appeal is listening to the musicians listening to each other.
Really excellent record. I had only heard “Up on Cripple Creek” and “The Weight” and “Atlantic City” before this.
This is just great, laid back folk rock with some real teeth later in the album, “King Harvest” is the highlight for me for sure. Fantastic organ, bass playing, throughout.
This is super cool. Lots of chill beats and Frank Ocean's voice really is incredible for this type of music. "Sweet Life" and "Pyramids" are standouts to me.
I think the back half of the album is where it shines, or maybe I'm just vibing with it. Either way, this is excellent! Really enjoyed it. I can't decide between 4 and 5 stars today so I'll err on the side of criticism.
American Pie really is an all-time song. Never noticed the great bassline before this listen - I try to always use good headphones or speakers for my 1001 albums listening.
That being said, the rest of the record is just sort of folky singer-songwriter music and it is nice to listen to but nothing amazing. There's a hint of musical theater reprise in "Everybody Loves Me, Baby" which feels like "American Pie - Reprise" with the same chords and melody and rhyme structure.
Solid 3/5 save for having one of the greatest songs of all time on it - but a hit single does not a great album make!
Pretty weird and definitely about the oddest pick possible to have on Thanksgiving of all days. That being said, it is kind of nice? Very ambient and the idea of “modern chamber music” definitely comes across. It’s sort of soundtrack music mixed with ambient electronic.
To quote Benedict Cumberbatch: “penglings”
Okay, so I really like The Neighbourhood’s “Chip Chrome and The Mono-Tones” and holy cow there’s so much influence from Beck on that album! This is a cool record. He’s got a really eclectic style. There’s a wild amount of almost rap rock on here - very Beastie Boys. I haven’t really heard anything else like this, really enjoyed it.
This is a really good album. I think The Doors are set apart by having the organ and keys are sort of like a rhythm guitar, which is really cool and I definitely hear a lot of that influence in modern sort of like jam music - prog jazz/Snarky Puppy sort of thing. Jim Morrison is an all-time front man with his aura and weirdness and spoken word thing that he does. Overall: definite 4/5, it’s a really cool album.
Well Ozzy certainly can pull off a ballad and does so on Changes (one of my favorites of his). Supernaut rules and there is a lot of great Sabbath on this album, but it’s not my favorite Black Sabbath by a long shot. Still rules though!
Okay, I made it through 46 songs and I’m calling it. This is a very ambitious project but ultimately it is just too long for a one day session. I do think there is a lot of musical talent on display, obviously the musicians involved can sing/play anything and come up with quick ideas and rhymes. If only YouTube had been around this would have made a really great “making of“ series. I feel like they were writing and recording 10-15 of these songs per day in the studio.
There are a few cute little songs and I get They Might Be Giants vibes crossed with Barenaked Ladies. In the end, there’s too much ukulele and it feels like a Portlandia sketch or a spoof of an NPR music show brought to life.
Side note: “Love Is Like Jazz” is an actual crime, and may be the worst song I have ever heard.
Did I need to listen to this before I die? Absolutely not.
I admit I am a big fan of Peter Gabriel. This is a great debut, the songs are a little disjointed genre-wise but I myself listen to a wide variety of music and enjoy it so it’s fun to have such a mix on one album. I don’t think it’s his best, but it is very good. “Solsbury Hill” is the hit but I found “Modern Love”, “Waiting For The Big One” and “Here Comes The Flood” to be my favorites.
Talkin’ WWIII Blues is a pretty funny song. I think I like folky early Dylan better than 70's harmonica rock Dylan. This one is a nice little album, pretty dense lyrically (as he does) but much more accessible in my opinion than some later work.
This does have a lot of hits and it sounds great. I did not have a big Rolling Stones period in the past and my parents were much more into Zeppelin and Rush. I listened twice today and this really is some great music. I don't think I can give it a 5, because I haven't spent enough time with it yet and it didn't blow me away like some other unknown 5's I've had. I gotta go with my gut on this, 4/5.
Man these guys were really rocking. Elton John is in a league of his own and this album rules start to finish. Total classic!
This sounds crazy fresh even in 2025. I love post-rock and this is a great combination of 80's and lo-fi. It's slinky and grim and also weirdly peaceful. There are a ton of bands I love that are obviously inspired by The Cure and their take on goth rock, new wave and pop rock.
This is like proto-Glass Animals, especially their early sound. It actually freaks me out how much the one vocalist (Hayden Thorpe) sounds like Dave from GA.
Very minimalist sound and I graduated high school in 2013 so the late 00's/early 10's indie sound is firmly in my ears. I really like this, it's nothing insanely groovy or groundbreaking but I find this kind of music really soothing. Great for a chill evening or staring out the window on a plane. Reminds me of younger days, hiking, driving.
This isn't my new favorite record but maybe I'll remember it again one day and spin it for some generalized nostalgia. Feels like an auditory warm hug from a band I'd never heard of before today.
Well, reading Nick Drake’s Wikipedia article is definitely depressing. He was certainly a very good acoustic player. The album is very sparse and I think that really makes you focus on the music. “From The Morning” was my favorite track and overall I enjoyed the melancholy folk. Reminds me of an amazing artist called Cinder Well who performs similarly haunting and raw music. I will give this a few more listens to really let it settle in but I agree it’s a good album and gives a different perspective than a lot of the list so far.
Wow, very eclectic and a ton of different genres and styles at play. Everything from rap to rock to Prince to Bowie to OutKast and everything in between. Looking at the background, apparently a solid 60% of Janelle Monae's discography is dedicated to this concept narrative about a sci-fi movie from 1927? Wild stuff!
Anyway, this record is dynamic, ambitious, excellently produced and sung and written and it sort of explodes out of the speakers. Did I really connect with it, and do I like it? For me, not really. I would love to love this album but there's something that just doesn't do it for me. That being said, I recognize the talent on display here and I'm impressed. I don't know if I'll listen much again but I'm glad I heard it.
Holy shit? I saw this billed as “new wave”…NO.
This is like red hot jam band yacht rock jazz pop. They are ripping with bass and horns and funky guitar licks. I mean it’s white boy funk but still funky as hell! I was really surprised by this. It’s got some of the 80s polish but has a lot more in common with Earth Wind and Fire than DEVO.
Blown away and surprised, I gotta say this album really jammed. Screw it, I really liked it.
"Excuse me while I kiss this guy"
This is the Hendrix I've been waiting for! To me, this is a lot more of what I was expecting. Electric Ladyland is really good, but this is better. Total classic and I can't imagine how insane this sounded in 1967.
Muddy Waters Live at Newport 1960 was a previous listen, going from that to Hendrix in less than a decade is crazy. The Moog came out in 1967, imagine if Bassnectar had their first release in 1974. That's the sort of evolution I think we were looking at here.
I have never listened to Amy Winehouse other than hearing snippets of "Rehab" over the years - this is a really neat record and of course has become larger-than-life with her tragic early death.
This is a super cool retro album, great production and she really did have a great voice. Lyrics are really honest but still powerful and sad. I was blown away by everything that happened in 35 minutes.
The G-funk album. Snoop rules here, the production kicks ass and he’s just got that thing he does. Definitely a little corny now and VERY misogynistic in places, but it’s a product of its time as well. Super fun record and a classic in hip-hop.
Jazz, we meet again! I’ve had Time Out and Bitches Brew, but this is my favorite so far. Time Out is fairly tepid (to me) and Bitches Brew is almost completely incoherent - this is just excellent musicianship combined with fantastic arranging. I’m still not huge on jazz and I have essentially zero knowledge of Afrobeat or “the scene” around this album, but on a purely listening basis I definitely enjoyed this one.
Never heard of The Afghan Whigs before today. The initial version of the band was called Black Republicans which is pretty tongue in cheek and funny too.
It's very dark and moody but I really like the music itself. I really like alt rock that gets heavy without running into metal or punk territory, it's more like post-rock in its heaviness. Excellent bass playing and the kick sound is very thumpy more like R&B which is cool.
"My Curse" has a totally different lead singer, because the lyrics were too honest. That's definitely a neat footnote, especially for a first major-label release. The Whigs were definitely doing things their way.
The lyrics overall are really out there, it sounds like the lead singer is kind of a nightmare. Very honest, and kudos for that, but he also got in a fight in with a bouncer that put him in a coma (6 years later) so maybe it's more a diary than a retrospective on "who I used to be". It's hard to listen to in places because this guy is really in pain about losing his relationship but it's also pretty starkly his fault in a lot of ways, and he knows it. There's a tough thing to consider there - you can feel really bad about something and it's still inevitable that it will end due to your actions.
Definitely a highlight so far on my 1001 albums journey and a true unknown for me.
It's fine? Sheryl Crow is too, this is a little sedate for my taste but it's good beach/road trip music I guess. All I Wanna do remains a bop.
I think almost every track is a hit! This album has some of the most classic Christmas songs of all time. Phil Spector was a weirdo but this album is perfect for the holidays.
Much darker than Seventeen Seconds. It is definitely goth rock, but I have to say I think Sisters of Mercy did it better.
To be honest it's just kind of maudlin and very one-note. Almost monotone. Did not really like it.
Honestly, not my favorite Zeppelin. Immigrant Song, Tangerine and Bron-Y-Aur are standouts, Celebration Day and Since I’ve Been Loving You are great too.
I have often thought that Jimmy Page’s true passion is acoustic guitar and he plays electric because that was the industry of his day.
I don’t think I can give it less than a 4 but it’s really like a 3.5/5. Not my favorite Zeppelin, the tracks mentioned above are the only ones I care for and the “B-sides” (metaphorically) are almost opposite of typical hard rock Zep and instead have an acoustic blues vibe.
Prince knew that he was him. This is an album communicating that fact. It's dense and wild and he really just threw everything and the kitchen sink into this record. Definitely one of the most impressive albums that has ever been made - Prince is such an underrated guitar player too, he can shred with the best of them but his musicality is so far beyond that that the guitar playing almost goes to the background.
He really did predict his eventual death on the very first song - pretty eerie.
In comparison to a lot of the other early rap I've had (mainly NWA and Snoop Dogg) this is a lot more introspective and maybe laid the groundwork for the Kanyes and Kendricks that would come later. A lot of it feels like Tupac coming to terms with his past and why he has ended up in this situation. Couple that with fantastic beats and instrumentals and it makes for a very solid and lyrically dense album.
He's super smooth and has a really unique voice too. Really liked this one.
This was actually pretty cool. “Easy Money” is kind of Floyd-ish. I would really like to give it a 4 but I just can’t.
This is great, she is one of the all-time greats for a reason. A surprisingly raunchy album for the time but maybe I'm just naive - Aretha definitely got down! The instrumentation is definitely pretty laid back and basic but her voice shines through so much there's really not much more you would want from the band. Super solid record.
Another PJ Harvey banger. The first album I had from her in this project was "Let England Shake" which was frankly terrible. Since then, I've had Rid of Me and now this album - both much better! This is another solid rock record. I don't know if PJ is on my all-time greats list, but a solid 4/5 for sure.
This is fantastic. I am amazed that this sort of music can be "assembled" the way it is. Great beats, super eclectic and the production is fantastic. I really really enjoyed this!
Wow, I did not expect to see such polarizing reviews for this. I listen to a lot of heavy music and love Rush so maybe my bad-voice-o-meter is kind of broken, but I have no issue with Elvis's voice.
Overall I'd say this is a pretty rockin little record, very pop but has some fun punk signatures with the clever lyrics, lots of gang vocals for background, chord structure, etc. The mixing is superb and honestly I thought this was pretty decent. 3 is my "meh/okay", 2 is "did not enjoy" and 1 is "terrible" in my system, but I can't quite give this a 4/5... I did find it to be pretty pleasant to listen to and enjoyed the lyrics but I don't see myself remembering to come back to this album.
"20% Amnesia" would be great house music between bands at a small club.
I mean, it’s definitely kind of interesting. Did I need to hear it before I die? Probably not, but I guess that’s the case for a lot of these albums. For me personally, I already like desert blues but this is very acoustic and sort of old school. I suppose it’s foundational to that genre and Touré is the king of African guitarists. Still, it’s just a bit bland.
Recording an album at the Manson murder house is proper Trent Reznor insanity. This is an extremely industrial album and fits into that mega 90s corner of music with The Prodigy, Marilyn Manson, etc. I don't know how much replay this has for me, I don't really vibe with industrial music that much but I can imagine the tour was incredible. Neat, but not really my style. I'll give it a 3/5 based on that.
Yeah this album rules. Everything that is riffy and badass about Alice In Chains is on full display here. Honestly a very heavy album and quite metal-ish in a lot of moments.
When the riff comes in on "Rooster" - holy fucking guitar tone, Batman!
All of the Layne/Jerry harmony vocals are fantastic. They were somehow so aware of their predicaments but completely unable to turn the tide.
I think what makes this album so good is the combination of these great clean vocals with some really grimy and heavy instrumentation. Some of the riffs on this album are like two steps away from total Crowbar territory. It's like a mainstream sludge metal album that has just enough pop/rock in it to keep its appeal. Fantastic record.
Honestly this is pretty cool. Long songs is not typical of punkish music and these guys do a great job composing. The mixing is awesome - super raw and the vocals sound fantastic for this type of genre. Maybe I need to try out more post-hardcore? It's like fast shoegaze, I really dig this. Never heard of Drive Like Jehu but this is a cool album!
if the concept of sleepiness was an album!
Intro is a classic of my youth, the rest is eh
It's true: "the Beatles don't even slap!"
They didn't yet - but everything was in place. Is it a goofy mix? Of course - stereo had barely been invented and there are only 4 tracks in the mix. Focus on the intention and what they were trying to do. Honestly, this album is better if you just force your device to mono while listening.
"Don't Bother Me" is a standout, sounds way ahead of its time and George Harrison is already shredding.
Covers on the LP are a classic 60's thing, it is what it is. The Little Richard-style "woo" is pretty cheeky.
Even here, Paul McCartney's voice is just wild. "Till There Was You" is incredibly impressive to hear given how raw the vocal is - they just barely avoid that overblown 60's vocal fuzz (tube mics and shitty preamps - looking at you Phil Spector) and actually have some nice space and warmth in the vocal track. It is still pretty hot but sounds fantastic for the song, nice reverb as well.
All in all, it's a very early album but sounds quintessentially Beatle-y and nobody has done it like the lads from Liverpool.
It's so incredibly metal to put the mushroom cloud on this cover - for the time this was akin to releasing something like a dubstep album with 9/11 on the cover in 2013.
This was the dance music of the time and the band is dialed in. This is a lot more fun than small quartet/quintet jazz - just a big raucous sound and a huge variety in instruments. It rocks!
Really fantastic soul singing, good band. I can picture myself there back in the 60s partying it up. Sam Cooke really knew how to command the stage by the sound of the crowd here. Would listen again for sure.
This is definitely the most bizarre thing I've heard in a long time. Tracy Morgan meets Clown Core. I can't say it's good? The beats are neat, but this is just really out there. Kool Keith, you're an odd duck.
I am a hip hop enjoyer but never really got into MF DOOM and the like and this is firmly in that square of the chessboard. Incredible flow but too weird and nasty. Oddly it sorts of compels you to keep listening?
1.5/5 rounding down
Pretty low-key stuff. I suppose this was the beginning of the 2000's singer-songwriter movement for men but I really need a little more stuff going on in the songs. It's not nostalgic for me and I found it to be pretty boring and forgettable. Rom-com music for sure, it obviously has floated a lot of boats (based on its commercial success) but not mine. If I didn't know that it was influential for the time I don't think I'd ever remember that I had listened to it unfortunately.
So I watched a lot of Glee once upon a time, and I feel in my soul that the idea of Will Schuester is basically just Matthew Morrison playing Justin Timberlake as a high school choir teacher.
This is "god forbid a white boy get a lil motion", the album. In a good way!
Crazy to hear early Pusha T on "Like I Love You". Also, the six degrees of Kevin Bacon for the music industry goes crazy on this album: Babyface, Pharrell, Damon Thomas (Kim K's first husband), Harvey Mason Jr. (current CEO of the Grammys), Pusha T, Janet Jackson, Nathan East, Raphael Saadiq, even Timbaland contributed to this. It's crazy!
"Rock Your Body" is a total banger and always will be. Otherwise, I'm not hearing much that is grabbing me and that is the best track on the album by far. Wikipedia is saying that a lot of these ideas were originally made for Michael Jackson and I can hear it but I can also see why he maybe passed on most of them.
I have actually heard a bunch of these before but had no idea it was a white lady. They are definitely superbly sung and arranged and have a lot of staying power in terms of their usage in pop culture, movies, references, etc. She sort of sounds like she was the OG Bond theme type of singer. 1960's Adele. It's well done and I can't argue that it hasn't stood the test of time!
While these are covers, I think she isn't afraid to be rather forward and a bit risque in places which was probably pretty controversial at the time - there's even a tawdry double entendre on "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?":
Is this a lasting treasure / Or just a moment's pleasure? / Can I believe the magic of your sighs?
*bonk*
That's gotta be like the 60s version of "My Neck, My Back".
Anyhow I'm giving it a 2 because while it is well done, she basically just did the singing only. And performance is an art, but so is songwriting. Sort of an odd inclusion on the list if you ask me.
"Changes" and "Queen Bitch" are my top two, but I am not sure how much I really like Bowie overall - still getting used to what he's all about. I really liked "Heroes" (the song and album) but not sure on this earlier work. It's starting to become the Bowie of legend but not quite there yet IMO. I enjoyed the listen but nothing that blew me away.
Total time capsule of a more optimistic time. There was a golden age where pop and EDM had some fantastic crossover and this is a nice stop along the way. One of the GOATs? No, but a nice little slice of life and a very nice record.
Some new and cool sounds but ultimately kinda boring. I liked hearing this side of Madonna, it is not what I expected.
Nice to listen to, but it is very jazzy jazz. The quality of the recording is pretty outstanding - you can hear string noise, the rattle of the drum kit and squeak of the kick pedal, quiet murmurs of the crowd in places. To me, the piano is actually fairly understated by that is probably how it is supposed to sound for this genre.
I am noticing an almost total absence of bass drum, which is really interesting. The bass owns the timekeeping in a lot of places, but the piano trades back at times and the drums are almost entirely "seasoning" on the music. Bass playing is absolutely superb throughout, it is its own instrument and stands to play just as much melodically as the piano. Neat stuff, I will give them 4/5 for the cool factor and that it is a rather serene record.
I think this is a rare gem in that it is simply a virtuoso making do with a broken instrument, on no notice, and improvising a full hour of some really sublime music. It's some microphones capturing a single hour, uncut, 50 years ago and it's here for us to enjoy. Fantastic.
This is so out there and still sounds fresh today. An intro to Bjork, can I give it a 5? I'm not sure. It is really really cool, though.
This probably has a lot more nostalgic appeal if you are British and roughly 45-60 years old. For me, it's sort of easy listening, soothing pop music. There isn't even the barest suggestion of edge, which is actually sort of distinguishing in itself. I think fairly forgettable, but well sung and performed. It has some groovy moments but I won't be back.
I can't imagine how "far-out" this was in 1966. They paved the way for Weird Al, Primus, Cake, Wolves of Glendale and so many more. The doo wop parts are strange, but the album as a whole honestly kinda works.
"Trouble Every Day" is a rare serious tune - straight up blues rock protest song about the Watts riots.
This is probably some of the more palatable Zappa out there too. It's bold and way ahead of its time and just pretty neat.
The voice we all love from "Back to Black" is already there, and she really does have the perfect voice for the music she makes. It's got great jazz instrumentation with a lot of flute and I feel the arrangements are some of the strongest parts of the album. Sure the lyrics are very cheeky and a little singular, but she was 19! Great record.
Total classic. Pinnacle of pop-punk with fantastic playing, great songwriting, this album is the whole package.
Honestly, I really liked this. Maybe I just like generic classic rock, I don't know. The twin guitars with a superb rhythm section is just fantastic. And Layla really is one of the best songs ever.
Well, it is very early 70s. I guess this is sort of proto-glam rock? I didn't really vibe with this honestly. I see why it is influential but it's not my cup of tea.
Really beautiful album with some fantastic singing and lyrics. I am not much for country but I really enjoyed this one!
Alright, I see a lot of flack for this album in the reviews and I think it's a product of being too successful, honestly. Ubiquity breeds cynicism when it comes to music - "The Beatles are overrated" type of energy. This album is fantastic! "Uninspired" - no, this is the source of that sound you find overplayed.
Then again, I'm a sucker for yacht rock and easy listening and maybe this is my chud goober cross to bear. Who knows, 5 stars.
The singles are great, the rest is pretty boring unfortunately. Super chill but pretty forgettable.
This has lot cooler music than I expected! What a neat record. And a lot more rock than I associated with Blondie, I bet they ruled live back in the day.
They had the magic from the beginning if you ask me. I love U2, I'm shameless about that, this is a great record. Nuff said!
Harmonies, organ, rocking band, this is just great. Classic 60's rock with some edge and psychedelic elements but still grounded in their folk roots. An easy listening, great vibe, nice day sort of album.
Honestly I really didn't care for this. Love funk, love motown, this just wasn't it. I'm much more into The Gap Band, Earth Wind & Fire, Parliament, that sort of thing. Maybe The Temptations are just a bit too 60's for me sometimes.
Lyrically it's great, very conscious but the tunes just weren't there for me.
Two absolute classics, but basically nothing else in-between. Third best song is Live With Me. A very barely 4/5.
One of the defining moments for punk. I have to say I do like this a lot more than The Ramones initial album. Both are more culturally significant than the music would make you think. But overall great riffs and tons of energy. This was super in your face back in the day.
This is realllyyyyy not up my alley. I can appreciate the passion and the energy and as another review said, this really isn't hip hop - it's something else and much more dance beat based. That being said, I am so far removed from any of the subject matter it's like seeing an exhibit at a museum. Kind of a tough listen honestly.
It's the most iconic album cover of all time for a reason. The Beatles at their most Beatle-ish. 10/10, 5/5, 100/100 it is probably THE album to hear before you die (at least for Western popular music). Everybody rocks and there are some real jams on here.
I really still am not qualified to pass judgment on jazz. This has a bunch of energy! I think it is cool. I cannot play this for 99% of my friends.
If I am relating this to the music of the time, it is a cross between Yes, Led Zeppelin, Rush and…Queen? They’re unmistakable! But it is a true rock n roll record. Cool stuff! I first heard “Seven Seas of Rhye” during the Bohemian Rhapsody movie and it caught my ear - never heard anything like it!
I mean, it really is that dang good. Gotta give it to them!
I am starting to think Brian Eno was the Jacob Collier of his generation. This actually is a pretty neat record with a lot of unique flavors and tastes, in 1973 it probably sounded completely off the wall. I can never decide if "ahead of its time" can punch an album from "meh" to "okay" and I'm still not sure. I'll give it the edge here to a 3.5/5 but I gotta round down.
This was pretty cool and pretty rockin. I love Belinda Carlisle and didn't expect the Go-Go's album to be as musical or as punk as it was!
Psychedelic music has been so thoroughly engrained in our collective perception of 60s culture that it almost sounds like a parody of itself when done well - and this is The Zombies territory!
It's well performed and written but it is almost such a perfect example of the genre it feels a bit stale. Time of the Season is a classic and so is A Rose for Emily, but it's not got much staying power for me. A product of its time and it is okay to stay there, if you ask me.
I found the story about the "tour" for this album to be much more interesting than the music or band - check this out:
https://www.buzzfeed.com/danielralston/the-true-story-of-the-fake-zombies-the-strangest-con-in-rock
The kind of thing that could only happen in a pre-internet era - what a wild time to be alive!
I took the advice of another review and listened to "The Very Best of the Gershwin Song Book" (2007) instead of the full-fat 3-hour 4-disc original release.
Instrumentation and singing are just superb. This is classic American music at its best. Fallout-core, if you will. It floats by as a classic background and would be just as at home in a smoky club as on a sunny road trip. This is a snapshot of American music at a time and place where it was in its heyday and it quite literally cannot ever exist again. I think on cultural merit alone I must give it a 5 - this is the soundtrack for all of my grandparents and great-grandparents and reflects a time never before seen in the history of the world. A time fraught with injustices and its fair share of problems, to be sure. But it also produced this very specific sort of optimistic and soothing music that is quintessentially American. It's comforting nostalgia for the idea of a country and society that never really existed, but pervades every aspect of American culture.
And Ella Fitzgerald sounds fantastic!
Total classic, swampy as hell from start to end and still nothing else sounds like CCR. Had the privilege to see John Fogerty a few years back and he is the real deal. Not a bad song on the album and everyone in the country can pick up the singles in half a second, that is true staying power.
Really did not enjoy. "Maps" is the highlight by far, and that is really only a 6/10 song maybe. I liked the chord progression of Y Control and nothing else stuck out to me. Honestly pretty crappy and maybe if I was an NYC cool kid 20 years ago this would hit but I didn't care for it at all really. I've always thought the Yeah Yeah Yeahs had a lot of glazers for some not great music and the full album reinforces that.
Bass playing is nuts, best part of the record by far. This was not that great, the album cover is far more interesting than the music, unfortunately. Props to them for clocking Reagan as a piece of shit so early, and they are definitely pretty based in their political lyrics and speaking out again fascism. But, the songs themselves really suck. Shame.
This is not the Help Me, Rhonda you know and love! Warning!
It is Beach Boys-y. I dunno. To me it is all very same same after a while and I didn't super care for this album. I think there is better Beach Boys out there!
Surprisingly U2-ish in a lot of places. Beck is almost always a vibe. This is probably some of the more approachable, wider appeal Beck music I have heard. That said, I think it's a bit sad sack and can fade into the background. This is great moody music, great background music. Will I remember any major point as sticking out? I don't think so, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it's bad. Very solid music and I like the influences of regular Beck towards the end infused with the almost post-rock minimalism of a lot of the rest of it.
I'm gonna be real, this is way too British for me. It's kind of like a more annoying knockoff of The Beatles' low points. Psychedelic without the "rock" just kind of sucks.
Wicked Annabella is the closest thing to an actual rock song. The rest can be best described as musings set to music and I really don't connect with it.
Ah, so this is where Lemmy came from. This rips, I listen to a lot of heavy music and there is some definite Hawkwind DNA in sludge metal, stoner rock, modern heavy psych/prog, etc. Really neat stuff and I had never heard a single second of any of these songs before. So cool to find brand-new old music, I guess that is the point of this experiment!
Definitely a record to chill out to, light it up and get lost in the riffs.
As someone who is fairly musically all over the place, I actually loved this album. Tons of detail for the early 70s, this must have taken *for-ever* to cut to tape.
Zen Archer has incredible saxophone and the whole first part of the album is proggy, experimental and somehow all still jams and flows.
Sometimes I Don't Know What to Feel is a fantastic yacht rock track a good 5-6 years ahead of its time. And the closing medley is just a lovely little soulful chock full o' 70s and is such a live sound with really musical arranging.
I had heard of but never listened to Todd Rundgren and my corny little ass loves this record. On my personal scale (1 =unlistenable/trash, 2 = boring/bad, 3 = okay, 4 = I liked this!, 5 = 'hell yeah') this gets a 5 for sure.
If it was any longer I think the shtick would wear thin, but I actually quite enjoyed this. A solid 3, easy to listen to and very folky. Bob Dylan sings the fantasy blues.
I just don't think I really vibe that much with Paul Simon. It's well written songs, he has a good voice and everything I just don't connect with it. Neat guitar playing on Armistice Day, otherwise pretty meh.
He really was an arresting performer, you can't turn this album off once it starts. He really can inflect that subtle emotion in his voice and regardless of the lyrics there is a feel and a vibe that comes through from him directly. Songs were clever, poignant, and just plain fun at times. The juxtaposition of the live performance with the usual cheering from the crowd and the announcements over loudspeaker of prisoners being called to reception is pretty bleak and you get the sense that Johnny truly understood the plight and some of the feelings these men were no doubt experiencing. Many of the songs performed were heavily in the outlaw country sphere and had themes of redemption from crime and the erasure of the person as they become an inmate. Overall I was really struck by the honesty, the performance and just how alive it all felt. 10/10, have not heard anything like this before.
Wow, what a neat little record. Pretty groovy, great production and it sounds like they really chucked it all at the wall to get these songs. I don't think it quite lives up to the album cover but pretty good nonetheless. Bitter Sweet takes a real left turn with the German but a lot of this is really great pop rock and feels much less goofily 70s than early Bowie. Definitely liked it!
I have heard a lot about this band and how crushingly loud they are, so I really was expecting something a little heavier? I think the production was cool, I like shoegaze and this definitely kicks that off. But as for the question "best albums of all time?" - I really don't think so. I think it is pioneering and influential, but not necessarily fantastic on its own. Just my 2 cents.
Oh hell yeah. This is beautiful and fantastic. Where Bitches Brew was almost frantic, this is a cool breeze enveloping you in the music. It's a classic for a reason, can't argue with Coltrane.
I'm always so struck by just how damn country the Stones are. They do it well, I can't deny. Decent little record and they almost break their own rule of a great single and some random songs. I actually really enjoyed the B-side of this album and it really does sound fresh for 1968 compared to the godawful psychedelic folk bullshit most of the rest of the UK was peddling.
Wow, way more gothic than I expected. Early on in the genre for sure but I think Sisters of Mercy were closer to the mark. There are sexy goths and sad goths, I think Joy Division are the sad goths. Neat bass playing, having only heard "Love Will Tear Us Apart" I was a bit taken aback at the industrial drums and sort of melancholy of it all. I thought this was okay, maybe a few more listens are needed to fully appreciate it. This is one of those albums I should love but it's not hitting for me.
Very heartfelt and sad but I found it pretty meandering and just kind of boring. I'm probably too happy for this album right now. I get that it is intentionally low fi and imperfect. Just not a huge sadboi folk person.
Really punk, I actually think the songs are pretty cool. Talking about being drunk on ouzo (that's the first), Hate The Police is a proto-Chat Pile song, overall some sick concepts. The music isn't really there for me, though. I think it is okay but not great by any stretch. I hear the influences on the way from punk to grunge but this is a band that is more foundational than really excellent (IMO).
Total classic. This was a pretty foundational album for me and revisiting it was awesome. There are so many flavors to these songs and they still sound (to me) pretty fresh and creative. I didn't grow up listening to The Beatles and now that I am more familiar I hear the influence front to back on this record alongside bits of Prince and Bowie combined with some really catchy hooks and synth instrumentation. This album is striking for being "electronic" but also featuring a ton of really standard instrumentation. Magic happened in the mixing room and it's crazy that two college students were responsible for this. I think this is a really excellent example of the sort of indie lo-fi pop that exploded in the early 2000s and 2010s. 5/5 all the way.
Yeah this rules. I feel bad that Courtney Love (publicly) has become kind of a punchline because there is some truly talented stuff going on here. Obviously the opening riff to Celebrity Skin is just quintessential 90's rock but the album is much deeper than that and is really really well written and produced. I've kind of always preferred grunge and heavier alt rock to punk because it (luckily) did not inherit the idea that your music has to sound bad for it to be real, and I think Hole is a great example of balancing a live and rougher sound with studio quality.
Lots of great pop influences on this album too - hearing echoes of The Go-Go's, Blondie, even Bowie. One of the cool things about this 1001 Albums deal is that 100+ albums in I feel that I can really start to pick up influences and throughlines within genres and across decades much better than before since I have a lot more exposure to the "sound" of each genre/decade and know what was going on. I guess that's sort of the goal of this and I think it's neat.
Anyway yeah this kicks ass!
This is the one that started it all. It still holds up. Heavy music has been a huge part of my life for the last 11 years and we owe it all to Ozzy, Tommy, Geezer and Bill. I can’t imagine how out of this world this record sounded back then. All time classic, groovy as hell and invented metal. 100/100.
I think I’m too overstimulated be the target audience. It’s not bad music, but it is a little boring. I’m not sure if the super acoustic African blues is for me. I prefer stuff that’s got a little more production and this falls into the same category as anything too folly or old school for me.
Wow, Dave Lombardo is an absolute animal. Early thrash is so interesting, Slayer were basically a D-beat band with shredding on top. I had the first Black Sabbath album just a few days ago, so it’s crazy to see the progression of the metal genre in just 16 years. Drums are insane, there’s some really crazy guitar work and even some frog influences with timing and mod modulation. But, the lyrics are pretty goofy and it’s not something that I see myself coming back to again like some of the early Metallica records.
Really technically impressive (especially for 1986) but it’s too much blood and chugs for me. Foundational but there is a lot better out there.
The lost demo tapes of a fever dream where David Bowie joined R.E.M.
Also quite long! And it takes itself very seriously. There is some novelty there but it wears off quickly and by the final 3 songs you’re left with the same feeling as “…maybe I am too tired for this concert tonight - I should have stayed home.”
Quintessential album by probably the most iconic American solo artist this side of Bob Dylan. The title track is an absolute powerhouse - when the key change hits you just take off with him. The buildup to it is a masterclass in album songwriting too - imagine flipping that record over for the first time and dropping the needle.
Crazy to think these guys were 3 years into being a band at this point. 51 years later, still here. The Boss deserves the praise and this is the record that put him in the history books.
The 60s Simon & Garfunkel is always really nice to listen to. Well arranged and poetic. No exception here!
Decent little album. I can't give it a 4 but it is much better than the typical 60s random album. Neat mix of psychedelic and country.
Didn't love this. I have found through this process that anything too close to proto-punk or its adjacent genres really isn't up my alley. Could have done without this one honestly.
Really enjoyed - almost like a delightful mix of Kate Bush and Genesis. Extremely powerful and present bass playing, much of it fretless. Never heard of Talk Talk before but will definitely be checking out some of their other albums.
I should love this - but the ZZ Top schtick gets tiring long before the 45 mins of Eliminator passes by. It's a high 3/5 but a 3/5 nonetheless. Not much else out there that sounds like ZZ Top - great riffs, great production but these guys really only have like 3 chord progressions and every song is about getting down with your old lady. I did like Dusty Hill's Van Halen screams on a few tracks and I think the singles are iconic. Perhaps ZZ Top is America's AC/DC?
What a vibe. Very socially conscious and groovy at the same time. I have very little experience with reggae but really enjoyed this one!
I mean they really do go for it. Jam city baby. Time capsule and incredible musicianship on display.
From the first notes it sounds like R.E.M. - they are unmistakable! It sounds incredibly fresh for 1987 - same year as Appetite for Destruction and Hysteria. Alt-rock indeed. I really liked this album - R.E.M. has always been sort of a "admire" band for me rather than a "love" and I think that is still true. 4/5, this sets the stage for the entire 90's sound that gave us DMB, Counting Crows, that whole sort of jam/rock/folk/fusion glueball of festival music and windows down driving.
I had never listened to this, or really heard of it before. I typically don't care for much of the "post-punk" that has been on this list so far, but this album has a lot of bright spots and some great songwriting. The "Black Diamond" cover is awesome, and major props for making "Androgynous" back then. This is definitely one of those hidden gems I would not have found without this project.
I'm not the biggest funk fan out there, but this is undeniably excellent. The band is stacked, sounds killer, and this is towards the beginning of the more conscious funk that would define the 70's. Great record with a lot of depth.
You can't escape the Dannnnnn, mannnnnnnnn
Do yourself a favor and get familiar with Skunk Baxter if you don't know him. Some insanely creative guitar work that really makes certain Steely Dan albums just shine. And Walter Becker's basslines are just nuts.
Shame that Fagen/Becker chose to go the session-only route after a few records, because this is a pretty magical lineup. I guess maybe Steely Dan was always a studio band at heart, and this is 70s analog excellence at its finest - it's funky, sounds fantastic and is charmingly cheesy in places. 10/10!
Absolute masterpiece. I will never forget hearing this in its entirety for the first time and being absolutely blown away. The textures they created, the feel, it's unlike anything else out there. This is an album where you really need to sit with it, let it play (loud!) and just be for a while. Probably in my Top 10 all time, this is my personal favorite Pink Floyd record.
So as it turns out, Chop Suey et. al. is their *tame* side.
This album is batshit insane. 100% gonna die in that pit…but it might be worth it. This is heavy as anything coming out from the slam crowd these days and it’s almost 30 years old. Long live polka metal.
I've tried many times, I really can't get into Beastie Boys. I am aware this is a titanic amount of work in sampling, overdubs, mixing, etc. I don't want to diminish that - but to my personal ears, I can't give it more than 2/5.
Strange little record. Pretty neat, cool soundscapes, very ambient on the B-side (Brian Eno is a persuasive man). Bowie has a lot of different sounds in his head and that's cool. Not sure how much there really is to come back to, but not bad by any means.
"On Wheels" actually has a cool groove to it. I have learned from this 1001 Albums experiment that I really don't care for punk that much. This is more palatable than some others for sure, but it's still very British, very 70s and I don't enjoy it *that* much. That said, there's enough musical stuff here and there to keep me interested. Some metal influences, some stuff that sounds like early The Cure, and hints of gothic rock too. Maybe more of a foundational album than a truly great one, but I think that's about half the list overall.
I can honestly say that I have never listened to an album like this. I honestly gotta give them a 4/5 for the freshness. Really interesting mix of industrial music with military themes and guttural vocals.
This is fantastic - tons of great artists got influence from this, I guarantee (including a young Dave Matthews!). This is really an incredible record and I can't believe I had never heard her name before today. She should be right up there with Carole King and Joni Mitchell if you ask me, and she's an even better musician!
Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers. It is what it is people, this are some of the GOATs at work. This bass work is absolutely fundamental and sounds majorly ahead of its time.
Not the biggest reggae guy but this is pretty chill. I'm just kind of vibing along, I am sure there is a ton of lyrical subtext I'm missing re: the subject matter at hand. Totally fine, probably not super memorable to me based on my inexperience with reggae.
I mean, it's fine. It's lounge music, she certainly has a good voice. 0.1% of the music you MUST hear before you die? I don't think so.
Neat production and I like the dark feel of it. The runtime is long...and the appeal wears thin long before the hour is up. I don't think I'm quite sad enough. Really cool record but ultimately kind of one-note and melancholy.
50% hits, that's an enviable track record. The weaker spots of the album are pretty weak but the hits are just classic. And what a great band - they all really jammed together.
Kinda neat dance music. The mood board for Apple ads in the iPod era was heavy with Moby, I suspect. I dig it, definitely sounds like 1999 but great music for productivity or focus!
