1001 Albums Summary

Not sure how it why I slept on Bowie for so long. Maybe it's because I knew all the hits, and thought that's all there was to him. I could not have been more wrong, but the second half of this one list me a little. The extended instrumental section was okay, but kind of broke the mood for me. Still, a lot to like here and it has whetted my appetite for more Bowie.

This feels like the soundtrack to the hippest film noir ever. The mood is consistent, but the music is never boring or repetitive. The band manages to jump from style to style within a single track, while still keeping it cohesive.

The first word that comes to mind is "fun". It's a fun record to listen to, and sounds like the Sonics were having fun making it. I thought the covers would be boring and tiresome, but they inject enough energy and personality into them that they sound fresh. Growly, shouted vocals, fuzzy guitars and raunchy sax solos complete the picture. Will listen again.

It's a bit of a cliche, but this record (along with Coltrane's "Giant Steps") finally helped me understand jazz. Or, at least enjoy it. Have heard it probably a hundred times, and still hear new things every time.

Funny to think that as a teen, I thought this was so "hard". But, with the benefit of age and wisdom, I realize that "hard" isn't really the point. This is just a bunch of great performances of great songs and it holds together well after all this time. A pleasure blast from the past.

I liked this much more than I expected to. My previous exposure to the Smiths was limited to "How Soon is Now?", which is a great song, but a bit of a downer. I thought that all of their stuff was similar, but I was wrong. Morrisey's voice is lovely, the lyrics are literate, and the playing is top-notch. I enjoyed all the songs, save "Barbarisn Begins at Home", which went on a bit long, and "Meat is Murder", because I didn't care for the guilt trip it tried to lay on me for being an omnivore.