1001 Albums Summary

Truly masters of treble sadness.

I remember this album! There was a time when its sound was everywhere! The musicianship really is fantastic. That rhythmic section. And the horns. Yeah.

Oh yes!!! Yeah- I obviously had high hopes for this album. But, no. It really wasn’t that good. There was no reason for sex machine to be 13 minutes! No. And I ended up liking the second track the best. Oh well… it’s Sly and the Family so they still get a 3.

Haven’t heard this in awhile. Wow. Neil Peart. All I really want to listen to is him. The rest is far too treble, but if I am giving Sticky Fingers a 4 this definitely deserves a 4 just for Peart. He was truly amazing. I would never just pop this on, but, yeah I don’t throw the Stones on much either. But I am glad I listened.

Well this should be fun. Haven’t heard this yet. What can I say - one should not judge an album by its cover! I actually really liked this. It fully will go into rotation- minus the final track - wtf? But otherwise, great musicianship, everything I want from rock and roll extended play! 4 solid stars.

Haven’t heard this yet! Oh yes I have! This was my dad’s sunny day/ house cleaning album when I was a little kid. He also put it on to keep me quiet, cause the musical transitions at the beginning of the album endlessly fascinated me. I can’t separate my feelings about this album from deep nostalgia. Wow. It gets 4 stars for sure. It’s uneven, but wow. What a trip.

Been a long time… So I am implementing a new rating system in addition to the 5 stars. The Boolean system. Did I need to hear this album before I died? Yes or No. Um, so it’s weird how this reminded me of Zappa’s Hot Rats. Not in sound, exactly, but in the feeling it gave me. Costello’s talent is evident. His piano playing is quite good. Man I wanted him to stop. It wasn’t as bad as Zappa, but… I mean I have to give him 3 stars for talent. But the Boolean rating for this album? No! I could have died never having heard this. It would have been just fine.

Oh, good. Looking forward to this. Not sure I heard it in the day… if I did, it’s been awhile. Oh no. I learned something. I can’t do funk without soul. Man, the musicianship is undeniable. But something was wrong. I just wasn’t enjoying myself. Then I looked up other reviews and the album. And yeah. I give 3 stars to the band and maybe -1 stars for Jay Kay?The best track by far was music of mind where he doesn’t appear as a vocalist. Boolean rating: no. I could definitely have died without hearing this.

Was just thinking of this album… Wow. Didn’t realize I knew just about every song. Crazy. Well that’s a 5. Boolean rating: yes, absolutely. Glad to hear and keep on hearing before I die.

Wow, crazy. I just listened to this again the other day. I like A Space Outta Sound better. George Evelyn is a great dj. I can’t imagine people coming to this cold. I mean it is very easy listening, but rarely do I find people appreciate Evelyn as a dj unless they already know him as a dj. 4 stars. Boolean rating: yes. Glad I knew about Nightmares on Wax before I died.

Don’t know this…. This was totally my bag! Loved it. Completely missed it in the 2000’s on this side of the pond. Listened twice and enjoyed it more on the second listen. 4 stars. Boolean rating: yes! Absolutely glad I heard it before I die.

Wow, not sure I really want more rush… Yeah… always hard with them. Appreciate the musicianship, even appreciate some of the daring prog/ post rock elements, but I still want it to be over. And the vocals… treble just isn’t my thing. The bubbling brook doesn’t make me want it to be over less. And if I feel this way during the 20 minute intro… well… yeah 3 stars. Cause damn can Neil Peart play the drums. Boolean rating: no. I can’t say I needed to hear this before I die.

Oh, I love this album. But damn is it long. Even Stevie in Songs in the key of Life gets tiring after an hour and a half. But I’m happy to go in again… Yeah. Isn’t it a pity this album isn’t shorter? I mean it would be an easy 5, 6, 7 if at least 1/2 were cut. And put on a different album. You know, people do that. You don’t have to include EVERYTHING in one place. Leave them wanting more. And, yes the material here, like much of McCartney’s solo work, is stuff I would rather listen to than any Beatles album any day. But not all at once. No, not all at once. A frustrating 4 stars. Boolean rating: yes, yes I am glad to hear this before I die. But it’s better broken up. A continuous listen makes me appreciate it less, not more.

Um? Oh no. I found out Whitney Houston’s debut isn’t on the list but this is? Wtf? I mean Norah can sing, I guess, there’s some production value here, good choices, I guess it deserves a 2 for the session musicians. But did I need to hear this? Boolean rating: HARD NO

Wow. Well this gets a 5. I’m sorry I am a 1% Radiohead fan. I listen to a lot of music and over the years, Radiohead ends up being at the top. They just do. This was the album that introduced me. I loved it the first time I heard it. Almost 30 years later (!) and I know every moment. This doesn’t make me love it less. Some albums don’t age well. Sometimes I go through a re-listen of music I was intensely into at an earlier point and quickly grow fatigued wondering what I was enamored with all those years ago. Not so here. But, I will say, I have realized in the silly “who is your favorite Radiohead” inquiry, in the midst of the moaning about Thom’s moaning and comments about Johnny’s neurodivergence, it is, and always be: Phil Selway! My god the man is a genius! Rock on Phil! Boolean rating: YES, I am very glad to listen and keep on listening until I can listen no more.

Ahhh. Actually love this album. Well… maybe not. Synchronicity I is a jarring intro. And it all feels too rushed from there. This isn’t the album I thought it was. Like the horns but they aren’t given room. Admittedly I have always loved Mother. British Pop icons having psychotherapy sessions for our listening pleasure can be quite amusing. And obviously Sting has psychological problems - the hits Every Breath and King of Pain are cases in point. But honestly, the second half of the album was truly beloved by my 8 year old self. Tea in the Sahara and Murder by Numbers were songs I knew! I knew the lyrics. Hard to deny that… 4 stars for old times sake. Boolean rating: yes, glad I heard Police as a child so I could think about them as an adult, before I die.

Oh fun! Never heard this before! That album cover is really quite cool. Wow. Well first off, that album cover is false advertising. My first thought was that David Bowie and Bruce Springsteen had a Frankenstein baby. But this is so much worse than that. And what’s with Brit’s feeling compelled to explore their mother issues in the studio? The truly Springsteen-esque tracks 2 and 3 were alright, but then enter the barbershop quartet, and David Lynch’s sound director, jazz piano, tinkling bells, space sounds, some of the worst lyrics I have ever encountered emphasized with dramatic pauses and then, then FULL cinematic orchestration! I mean there is experimentation and then there is this. What’s the excuse for this? I can only conceive it was a lot of indiscriminate drug use all around. I wanted to give it 2 stars for tracks 2 and 3, but by the end, I had to admit this is awful. Truly. 1 star. Boolean rating: no. Really. No one needs to hear this. I find it hard to believe any one would want to hear it. But I looked at the other reviews and apparently many do, or are at least are glad they did. Well - no accounting

Ha! Just listened to this again a little while ago. When my brother was 10 or 11 this and Tribe’s Low End Theory were a couple of the first cds he legitimately bought for himself. Most of his music collection until this point had been copied from other’s copies and consisted of Misfits, Descendants, Minor Treat and other bands that were coming out when he was a baby. For my part, I was ruminating in my locked room over the initial releases from Nine Inch Nails and Ministry. He played this endlessly. At a certain point it seeped in through osmosis. We were able to bond over it. Run into each other in the kitchen? “Hey boiiiii, that peanut butter needs some flavor!” Somehow he was always Flavor Flav and I was Chuck D by default. Didn’t matter that we were two alienated middle class white kids. Public Enemy spoke our language. 5+, the rating can’t possibly be separated from nostalgia. Isn’t that the real power of music? Boolean rating: yes absolutely, very glad to hear and hear again before I die.

Looking forward to this… I think I missed this album. I believe this is the first time I’ve ever heard it. I know Murmur, Green, Automatic for the People… this one was lost in the shuffle? I was glad to hear it! Boolean rating: yes, definitely worth a listen

Actually just listened to this. Not as good as Paranoid, but truly solid. 4 stars. Boolean rating: yes, for sure

The production on this is truly terrible. But old school Johnny Cash, the feeling of it, well, it still gets a 4. Boolean: yes. Glad to hear it.

Wow - ok. So “JT” is super cringe. I want to give him a negative rating. It’s not just the boy band aroma that sticks to him like bad cologne, it’s the MJ impersonation, the lyrics, everything really. But then there is the production. I just can’t fault it. It’s good. And the collaborations that make Timberlake seem like a rotten center in a well done dessert. The Michael Jackson influence is legitimate, it isn’t simply Timberlake’s acting persona. So how do I rate this? Crazy, but I think I’m actually giving it a 3. The production is that good. I really really dislike Justin himself. But I guess if you have a machine behind you… Boolean rating: yes, I suppose it was good to hear this. It was of a moment, that’s for sure. And it does prove that a well oiled studio machine can make manic even with a terrible front man.

This is another album from my father’s collection. I think suite Judy blue eyes was my favorite song when I was four. The thing is, it’s a great album for a child. But as an adult… well I find its treble harmonizations, renaissance imagery, and “folksy” efforts trite. I don’t know what to do. 3 or 4? Well I just have Justin Timberlake a damn 3 which he himself in no way deserved, but I respect production. And nostalgia. So 4 it is. Boolean rating: yes, very glad to hear this again.

Well… this is one of those albums I feel like I have to apologize for rating well. Undeniably disturbing. Kim is a case in point. That’s more than a simple skit. More than homophobic and misogynistic, it’s gleefully unapologetic about its provocative nature. But man it has me laughing out loud at every turn. It’s well done. A horror fest of male fantasy not unlike American Psycho in its own way. After writing American Psycho, Bret Easton Ellis came out. I am not the only person to see his struggles with his own sexuality in the novel. It does make one wonder about Mr. Mathers, no? Boolean rating: yes, glad I actually listened to this album. But it would be better at UNDER an hour not almost 15 minutes OVER

First, I have never gotten into Eric Clapton. I have never understood what the hype was about. I don’t really count myself a “guitar” person, but I do appreciate great playing and I consider myself a core fan of “rock and roll.” So I thought this album would be a good introduction to this “great guitarist.” I was wrong. If I listened to it without knowing ANYTHING about it I would toss it as a passable recording of a decent bar band that did an unfortunate cover of I Shot the Sheriff. Why is this here? I was going to give it two stars because it’s decent, but I think I have to take one away for its musical offensiveness. Boolean rating: HARD NO

It has been a really long time… Yeah, I remember wanting to like this album more than I did. And that remains the case. I would actually count myself a Beck fan, I generally enjoy his genre mishmash. But this album doesn’t… flow. Just when I start to dig it, it takes a hard right, or left, and enter in the video game noises. It’s Brechtian. I’m not a fan of Brecht’s plays and I can’t say I enjoy this album. None the less, I do appreciate it. So 3 stars. Boolean rating: yes, I suppose I am glad to have heard it again. But maybe not again after this.

Looking forward to this… Ohhh yessss! Why oh why have I never heard this album before? This is awesome! Obviously familiar, like, idk early Beatles? But this is so awesome and that early Beatles that we have endlessly shoved at us is truly terrible. Wow, yay! Boolean rating: YES, this is why I am here!

Yeah… this is one of those albums I have always felt like I should like. I have not, historically, liked it. I tried to run up that hill. Really I did. Let’s see if time has changed me. It’s the drum machine. It’s the orchestration. I find it incredibly hard to listen to. I LIKE dissonance. But I NEED bass. I actually love her voice. But I find her vocals just… well almost grating the way they’re placed in the mix. I think I might hate this album. Mother Stands for Comfort might save this from a 2. Yeah. That song gives her voice room and puts it forward, where it belongs. And the run until the demonic voice in Waking the Witch is… good? I dive right in Under the ice. That right there is my song. But Satan has to ruin everything. And if it ended with Hello Earth, it would have ended strong. The mood is thoroughly ruined with The Morning Fog. I am down with art and experimentation. Kate undeniably has talent, her voice is amazing in fact and she’s quite a pianist. But… I continue to not like this album. It does not grow on me. I just become more aware of why I don’t like it. So… 3? I guess that’s fair. I gave Taylor Swift a 3. I mean really. Boolean: yes, yes powers that be, I guess I will admit that this is a good album to have heard now multiple times before I die. But hopefully never again.

Aside from the hits on this album it’s surprisingly boring. I thought I would be there for it. But… I wasn’t. The hits from back in the day still hit, and I almost wanted to go 4 just for that, but in the end my boredom won out.

I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised by this. I had low expectations, but I think I am giving it a 4. Go new wave! Boolean: yeah, glad I heard before I die.

Never heard of this band or album. At the time this one completely passed by me. Very glad to encounter it here, honestly. At first I was worried that it was another Brit sample from this period that did not belong on this, or any other list, and was better left forgotten. But no. I was wrong. I look forward to listening to this one again. Boolean: yes, glad I got to hear it before I die.

So I really wanted to give this a three because the main tracks are soooo overplayed they…. Drive me a bit down the rabbit hole… Into the void. But I have to admit, it’s decent album. Boolean: yeah, it’s good to hear these full albums before I die.

Man this is good! I forget how f*ing good Al Green is. Another reason to do this exercise. Bring back the albums I haven’t heard in years and knew were good once, but there’s just so much music, it’s easy to lose even the good ones. Boolean: yes, very glad to have heard again before I die.

Ready to not want to rate this well. Ready to feel like sympathy for the devil is overplayed and that it’s all down hill from there. But.. as it generally goes with the stones, I have to admit I really am a fan. I do rock out to their albums and this one is no exception. And sympathy for the devil IS a great song. So this one gets a 4. I think they all get 4s. Boolean: yes, yes I am sure I will hear this at least once more before I die.

So…. Well, it was better than expected. But not good enough to get me to 4 stars. It could be in the background far too easily. 3 Boolean: yes, glad to hear before I kick it

Interesting to me when this album came out I was 13 and by all accounts it should have been my forever favorite. But I was already in love with the long dead Ian Curtis and Robert Smith had nothing on him. Just as I rejected New Order out of hand for not being Joy Division enough, I rejected The Cure for not being… enough. Years on and late to the party though I may be, I am glad to finally have arrived. I think this album is brilliant. It’s atmospherics, it’s foreshadowing. It has hits AND it’s well composed. I gave 17 Seconds a 5. I don’t think I had ever heard it before this exercise. But it is also surprising well composed. Smith really knows his stuff. This album… well I knew I would give it a 5 before hearing it again. But it really deserves higher than that. It’s definitely in my top 50 albums of all time. 5 Boolean: yes, absolutely, and hopefully a good number more times before I die

Haven’t heard this one yet… but it’s Otis, so… This is hard. It’s a 4 maybe. This is not his best work, necessarily. But his best is… scattered -not a full album - actually partly posthumous. Who remembers that Respect is HIS song? Aretha was doing the cover. She transformed it, yes, made it her own. And obviously she did an incredible job. But I keep seeing people claiming Otis is covering her song. It irks me. Otis wrote the damn song people. So for that I think this gets a 5. Because I just found out it’s his only representation on the list. So the 5 is more for the King of Soul and less for this particular album. 5 Boolean: YES, and all Otis Redding’s songs scattered about

Two things struck me about this. First, Kacey is clever. Space Cowboy is a case in point. She can sing and she uses it to good effect, the tone painting she does with “high horse” is another case in point. So, she’s not a dumb girl. But… her persona is so very, very girly. She’s the kind of artist that my Taylor Swift obsessed teenage nephew would favor. She’s the kind of artist that makes me start to fantasize about things like: what if Slim Shady were her “Space Cowboy”? Since I recently rated the Marshall Mathers LP, I couldn’t help but imagine the response to Slim being told he could have his “space, cowboy.” I am sorry, but I think I would find his response more interesting than I found this album. 3 Boolean: yes, I suppose it was good to hear once.

Man I forgot about Tribe’s debut! It gets overlooked because of Low End, maybe because Low End ends up on best of lists all the time and I remember to relisten to it? This is such a good album. A master class in masterful sampling. It violates some of my perfect album criteria like length and consistency but I don’t care. It gets a 5. Boolean:yes! So glad this exercise reminded me to listen to this album again before I die.

Well well well… I love this album. It’s been quite a long time since I listened to it actually. Meg and Jack really understand how to create and use space, which is so amazing in a rock band. Often the impulse is to fill every moment with… something, with sound - with strings, voice, tambourine, something. Fear of an empty second. And up to We’re Going to be Friends this is a 5. But then it falls off for the second half. I do like This Protector as the closer. But all in all, it’s a strong 4. Boolean Yes, always glad to hear again before I die.

Well this should be fun… And it was! Damn. If they didn’t mostly sing about sex this might go to 5. I mean when they broke out in full do whop in the middle of I’m the One I almost lost my shit! Wow. I so underestimated Van Halen. Don’t know if they were even on my radar growing up… 4 Boolean: yes, this is why I am doing this exercise, you know, before I die, and no longer can.

Ohhhhh one of the first albums I loved! Knew all the lyrics. Drove my mom mad. Had arguments about my general ignorance of what Jello Biafra was singing about AND the appropriateness of the names “Jello Biafra,” and “Dead Kennedys.” Good times. Oh, it is good times. I do love this album. Crazy how all the lyrics come back from when I was 13. I don’t think I have actually listened to this album as a whole in two decades! Or more. God it’s more. I’m getting old. I wish Winnebago Warrior was on this album. I guess all the others are compilations. And sadly, it seems Jello Biafra is a douche. Stole from his bandmates. How un punk rock. But what can I say, nothing will stop me from loving this album. Cover to cover. Over and over again. 5 Boolean: OH YEAH

Ah well, it’s a day in the life… So ostensibly I listened to this album in the womb. And then I remember debating the strengths and weaknesses of Sgt. Pepper’s vs. Abbey Road with a playmate when I was… five, six? Of course we were really just imitating our parents. But the thing is, how can you be objective about an album or band like that? Because when I AM objective, this album annoys me for the most part. And I don’t believe it’s particularly well composed. I don’t think any of the Beatles albums are. We just love them BECAUSE THEY ARE THE BEATLES. But… well, they get a 4, I’m not musing about it anymore today… Boolean: yes, is it possible not to?

My brother had this album when we were both living in Seattle. It’s interesting to hear something that I actually know extremely well, but never put on myself. Kind of like a visitor from a distant place, time and space. So I suppose I have a special love for it that can’t be separated from that feeling. I don’t know if I would put it on myself, but hearing California Stars today almost brought me to tears. 4 Boolean: yes, very glad to hear again before I die

Funny, I know there are problems with this album. I. Don’t. Care. Sometimes an album has a greater meaning than the sum of its parts. For me, this album is one. People lambast the “Car Song.” I actually dig it. I find I love the whole thing. I’m ONE OF THOSE. Perish the thought, I know. I think that Queen is Killer, not just Freddie Mercury. 5 Boolean: YES BABY

Cannot say I am a fan of the double album. Not really sure I need two versions of the same song. I mean if I am doing a deep dive, absolutely, but in terms of albums that are great AS albums: yeah, no. I Am a big fan of Bob, but even roots reggae gets fatiguing at over an hour. 4 Boolean: yes, I do suppose so

Well… I am not a fan of the double album, generally. I AM a fan of Drive By Truckers. I was, in fact, unfamiliar with this particular release before the exercise. And sad that it is the only offering on the list. I think the concept is… awesome. But the execution… less so. Which is always the thing with the double album. What I find interesting is how little people who ostensibly listened to all this seemed to understand it. Or cared to. The fact that its rating is hovering below 3 tells me that it’s fairly misunderstood. But you know: Do You Like American Music, I Like American Music, Don’t You Like American Music, Baby? 4 Boolean: Yes, I am glad I listened to the whole damn double album

Had no idea going in. And I had to find the bootleg on YouTube. But man, this was awesome. Truly. How did I not know about this? So beautiful, well composed, lyrically, musically. It’s too bad I can’t just throw it on. 5 Boolean: yes, again this is why I’m here.

Don’t think I have ever actually listened to this… But I know much of it. Often weird listening to a dj mix straight, there are quite a few on this list, and it’s really demonstrated to me that this is not the intention for these albums in the same way as their rock and roll cousins. On the other hand, I do enjoy them. And this release from the Avalanches DOES pile the hits and craftily sampled hit on you. 4 Boolean: yes, let’s get the party going

Not looking forward to… What a weird album. Obviously Beatles influenced. Socially conscious in a… so very forthright manner. And then it slips back to… awesomeness with the final two tracks: till I die and Surf’s up. Idk. It’s actually a mess. 3 Boolean: True?

Almost want to give this a 5. I guess that says a lot about me. I find Stephen Malkmus’ deadpan … trance inducing? This album a journey that his delivery takes me on. My brother had this album when it came out. He obsessed over it. I couldn’t see much there at the time. But as the years pile up… well, like I said I almost want to give it a 5. Conduit for Sale, which reminds me a great deal of Slint’s Spiderland from this same time, an album I absolutely will be giving a 5 btw, is such a high point for me, made more so by its context in the album as a whole. My issue is that I just don’t have the same feeling about the end of the album. 4 really 4.5 Boolean True, definitely wanted to hear again before I die

Ha! This was so much better than I expected. I’m mostly familiar with Don’t You Want Me. That song is super fun, but in no way does this album justice. Glad I listened. 4 Boolean: True

Ok. I have multiple of these projects going. This is the second time this album has come up. The first time I gave it a 4. I mean the haters can hate, but Amy has a voice and an ability that are real. They get eclipsed by her life, by her persona, by the Amy Winehouse unavoidable in the tabloids. I wondered how I would feel now? This time I was so impressed by her humor. People focus so vehemently on her sexuality and her sex charged lyrics without considering that perhaps, just perhaps, she’s a bit… tongue in cheek. And that tongue is sticking straight out at… you. It’s not the sex, come on, that’s the intelligent woman’s act if she’s able to play it, it’s the drug use that really took her down. And that is no where truly apparent here. That starts to really get laid out later. This Amy is fresh and fun and beautiful. 4 Boolean: TRUE

Even a lesser Radiohead album is a 5. And thankfully, they know that it’s better to compose an album and put all the leftovers on to ANOTHER album. Kid A/ Amnesiac are so, so much stronger separately. I listened to the rerelease, which put them together, in a single go the day it came out. And… yeah. Even Radiohead gets tiring at over an hour. 5 Boolean: True

Crazy. I had this album saved to a playlist of intended future listens: “albums for tomorrow.” Apparently, tomorrow never came. Because I had never heard this before. Not what I expected. At first, I almost thought the madness deserved a 5. I mean Todd’s lead - ins from one song to the next are… well they stopped me in my tracks. And the genre jumping. At first it was like a magician’s trick, almost done by sleight of hand. But then… the clunkiness really started to show. And the song roll wasn’t rolling so smoothly for me. I began to think the parodies were tired early 80’s high school musical humor. And then I remembered this came out in 73. He was forecasting. What craziness. It needs so much help with production AND editing. But it’s innovative af. I am torn. But I’m going higher with the weirdo’s. 4 Boolean: true, today AND tomorrow- but only one or the other

Historically against the live album. But this exercise is turning me around. Yeah, I’ll say I am doing a 180. I loved this! And it reminded me that what broke Jeff Buckley open for me was the Live at Sin-e recording. In the intimate setting you really get a sense of him as a person, his humor, how much they loved him at that venue. It’s the same here with Vaughan. She’s got such humor and aplomb. And I was reminded that often, the best moments in jazz are of the moment, the single take, the improvised response. It’s something miraculous about recording technology that we take for granted. That we can capture a single moment in time and study it infinitely in future time. 5 Boolean: True, this is what I am here for, showing up every day

I’m always surprised when I return to this album. This Quincy Jones period of Michael’s career is really amazing. The problem is that this album is uneven af. The opening trio, for instance. The first two songs are instantly recognizable mega hits. Speed Demon? But the rhythm in that offering always grips me. Then you have three really weird slow burners that no one remembers. And then Man in the Mirror. I fully believe only Michael could pull that one off. And the way he does… gets me every time. From there the album ends strongly, even if a song like Dirty Diana is super weird. But again, the percussion, and Michael’s percussive vocal delivery makes that a banger in my book, even if I have to keep my brain from trying to think too deeply about what the lyrics are saying. There’s no way I can go 5. But it’s such a strong 4. 4 Boolean:True

Oh yes yes yes! I love this album. This is a desert island, top 20/ 50 for me. I have loved this album for a very long time. And the love just gets deeper with the passing years. That strange yet Innocuous photo on the album cover brings me instant joy. I have been considering why I love this album the way I do. First, it came to me the way much music in the late nineties did, by way of bootleg passed hand to hand. Something weird and under the radar like this was instantly a treasure. Even then it had a cult mystique, the band was disbanded, they had never toured, this was a one-off. But then the album itself. With its stripped down production each instrument really has room and space to be heard, bass, guitar, drums in the quiet moments. The haunting repeated guitar lines are more themes than melodies and the whispered lyrics with the stories they tell are so odd and evocative, that it creates a powerful atmosphere into which the rocking, yelled, punk moments explode. The whole effect always makes me feel I am on a journey, perhaps with Orpheus to the underworld. I am sure others don’t agree, but this is certainly an album I am grateful I was introduced to. 5 Boolean:TRUE

I feel like I should know, but I don’t? Well, yeah. This period and its offerings are beginning to bring me down, man. At some points, I actually considered giving it a 4, the vocals are strong, the use of both channels interesting, the bass well placed in the mix… but then… it’s all over the place stylistically without reason, it’s hits are hits but it’s filler is… straight up car commercials? By the end I believe I may be giving this a 2. Yeah… it’s not the offering I am looking for in the history of Rock and Roll. I think it should be forgotten and left for the crate diggers. 2 Boolean: False

So, crazy thing happened to me on the way to the stereo… I have five of these projects running. I know. That’s a lot. Do I really want to listen to 5 albums a day? Well, not on weekends. But on the average workaday, yep, absolutely. This is album 60 on my “main” project. So I have been at this for about two months. Two projects running 7 days a week. The other three are weekdays only. Now, I have had albums come up twice fairly frequently, as one might imagine. But even so, I think I have covered about 1/5 of the book so far, which isn’t bad for two months listening! Also, the double albums have been good opportunities to re-listen and re-evaluate. I HAVE changed my rating a couple of times. I really haven’t had to re-listen to something I hated, yet, so… we’ll see. The only time I didn’t re-listen was Ella Fitzgerald doing the whole damn Gershwin song book. Sorry, but my feeling on that was, did it once, did it forever. Maybe I will do it again… next year. Definitely not tomorrow. Anyway… Album 60 and this is the first time an album has come up 3 times. No other Smiths, yet. Crazy. One solo Morrissey. There are four (4) of those and… I. Don’t. Look. Forward. That one offering was pretty painful. But this right here is an example of where my rating changed. First time I gave it a 4. Really that because historically I have felt the earlier albums were better. The second time, I had been listening to a lot more of the albums on the list and, well, I love this album. Truth. So it got a 5. Today, third! Time through for the project- the 5 stands. Marr is such a genius! Frankly Mr. Shankly, I Know it’s Over, Bigmouth Strikes Again, There is a Light, Some Girls - all these work the way they do because of HIS music. Without his music, Morrissey’s lyrics, their irony and biting humor would be flat. How do I know? Listen to his solo work. We have ample opportunity. 5 Boolean: True

The beginning of the Quincy Jones era. Probably the best of the three big mega hit albums. It’s the most consistent, and I believe it sets the template for how Thriller and Bad are put together. But on this album, the slow burns actually make sense. On Bad they just sit there in the middle for no apparent reason. But here, they’re part of a story, a boy going out, breaking with his family, hitting the clubs as his own man for the first time. Yeah, maybe I’m reading a bit into it, but I have always felt that Michael’s direction as his own man was strongly felt throughout this album. So… 5 Boolean:True

I really loved this album at one time. I am not sure it has aged well. Adele’s voice is beautiful but already showing strain from improper use. The endless big songs of heartbreak that used to move me feel less full and too careful in their production. I love her cover of Lovesong, but it reminds me that Robert Smith is a consummate song writer and Adele is a… vocalist with a largely untrained instrument. But then… the closer. Someone Like You is a great song. For me, this song is worth a lot of slosh. It’s probably on my list of all time greats/ best songs of all time. I’ve never experienced first hand its sorrow, none the less, it brings tears to my eyes every time. It stands well against the cover of Lovesong. The two together end the album in an amazing way. And this is, perhaps, the high point of Adele’s creativity. At 21. 4 Boolean: True

I think there are only two good songs on this album. The slow burns are deadly. Hotel California starts at a 5, perhaps, it’s so familiar it’s hard to say, but then the score goes down with New Kid in Town. Then Life in the Fast Lane. Undeniably fun. Then Wasted Time, with a Reprise which is a description of itself. Victim of Love is - ok. And it’s all down hill. Yeah- I think it crashes out at a 2. 2 Boolean: True?

I finally really gave this the attention it deserves. Put the headphones in and just went in. I’ve always played it on the stereo before. There are real characters created! Horns and strings, themes and recurring motifs actually indicate a plot line! I had no idea. Mind blown 🤯 Mingus IS a GENIUS. Glad I put in the work.

Man are the sexual overtones on this whole album creepy. But Bjork is SO much better with a band. I remember my friend had this when we were in high school. We analyzed how truly freaky Birthday and Deus were even then. But… yeah maybe there’s not much to do in Iceland with all the cold except come up with new ways to scare people with sex. And I really dig the punkish vibe. Really don’t dig the future Bjork. 4 Boolean: True

Oh, I knew this day was coming. The day I would have to start facing Bob. 7 albums on the list. I have forced myself to listen to many of them over the years. Haven’t hit one on the list, yet. They crowd best of lists, many of them. I keep trying, and failing, to properly appreciate Bob. Perhaps today is the day and Blonde on Blonde is the album… My mom loved this album I just realized. Bob’s gonna stone me to death and bury me with a proper NOLA funeral march including tuba. God I hate the harmonica generally. At least Bob’s relentless, high end use of it just… doesn’t help. His delivery of couplets is so, so annoying and affected. Oh, he won the NOBEL PRIZE you say? Well… can I just read him? ‘Cause listening to him is… excruciating. Look, sorry. Bob is FULL OF SHIT. Well backed. But full of it. I have no issue with truthful creation of characters. It’s trying to pass bullshit off as authenticity that chaps my hide. Yeah and this is like 75 minutes long. I was going 4 out of… acknowledgment… but no. This really is bullshit. 🐂💩 3 for being Bob. Boolean: True, I guess

Thank you. After a day with Bob I do feel ready to die. Yeah. This album is such a roller coaster for me. I think the opening skit is BRILLIANT. People who criticize aren’t listening. He’s giving his autobiography in sounds AND music. The domestic violence from the start is super hard to hear, but I have witnessed such in front of children more times than I care to count. Listen to the tracks playing BEHIND all that. Many of the artists on this very list. Like Curtis Mayfield’s Superfly. Then the tracks that are straight hate. Yeah, I always want to skip. Just like the ones that are pure venom poured down a partner’s throat. But that opening skit set the stage. I remember the first time I heard the line in Machine gun Funk: That's why I pack a nina, fuck a misdeameanor Beatin' motherfuckers like Ike beat Tina What's love got to do Almost lost my mind. It’s just so… wrong. But he does it so… well. There’s a smooth, laid back quality to the whole feel of the album and the way Biggie flows that keeps me in the groove despite this album being way, WAY too long. Then there is Puff. The Devil. For real. You can’t get away from his touch on this album. I have seen people claim in their reviews that Christopher Wallace was likely “not a nice guy.” And from his lyrics and appearance you’d think not. But all indications are that, to the contrary, he was actually a very sweet, good natured person. I’m not going to get into his choice of thug life, which certainly was a choice. But he was an honors student prior. I believe he made a calculated decision, as one is want to do in youth. But the IMAGE of Biggie was a CONSTRUCT. And we know who constructed it. And that’s the thing. There is more going on here than a simple album. So… this gets a 4 on its own merit. It might be misogynistic and crazy cringy, it might glorify violence far beyond my usual tolerance, but the album has so many qualities that standout despite these serious detractions AND it had such a HUGE and lasting impact. 4 Boolean: TRUE- every once in awhile it’s good to listen to the whole album- not just the saved tracks

So… somehow I came across this a few years ago. Spotify sent me down a Scottish rabbit hole because I was having a Frightened Rabbit fest. Btw are FR on the list? No. They’re on the user list. The Midnight Organ Fight. Good addition. That’d be my choice. Anyway, I actually ended up listening to this album. I enjoyed it and left it behind. Listening to it again that’s my feeling - again. It’s good - but why is it here? In perusing others reviews I realize we all have our own criteria for rating and agreeing/ disagreeing with the inclusion of some album on some list of important-albums-to-hear as a music lover/connoisseur. I personally appreciate albums that aren’t necessarily obvious. But they should demonstrate something remarkable in their production, their writing, their music, or their future influence. Slint’s Spiderland isn’t for everyone. But its cult status and influence are undeniable. By this standard, I would argue for more Elliott Smith, less Adele on the list. Adele’s 25 doesn’t do anything new that wasn’t already done on 21. 21 is enough. Elliott on the other hand, whether you like him or not, is an extraordinary song writer with a matching influence. I would argue that much is to be gained from following his progression from Heatmiser through his own career, from a song writing tutorial standpoint, personal enjoyment aside. Which brings me back here. On another day, I might give this a 4 from a personal perspective. But months into this project and I can’t say it deserves better than a 3 in this rating system. And it certainly does not belong on the list. 3 Boolean: FALSE

Second time for this one. Can’t say I am particularly excited… Yeah. The 60’s weren’t necessarily left behind when the ball dropped to the next decade. This is how I tell you that something is wrong -with the vocals in the mix. God. Really don’t want to hear earnest harmonizations anymore. You’re going to find a better way to make love? Yeah? Better than your monkey ancestors described in the previous song? This is trash. Self indulgent trash. No patience for this today. Why can’t you be free indeed. Why can’t I be free? Because I’m subjecting myself to this, that’s why. When the vocals depart and they just jam, when I am left to appreciate the production, the interesting use of both channels, the horns, it’s not bad. But bring back the vocals, try to make a “song” and you lose me. I am lost. This gets a 2. I don’t feel like this actually does anything new, having spent the last week STEEPED in the 60’s. This should be left for the crate diggers. 2 Boolean: FALSE

This album feels… tired. The rhymes are tired. The playing is tired. Even the rhythm is tired. It’s making me tired. Loved Elephant. Honestly. This is making me… sad. Get behind me tapped out White Stripes. 2 Boolean: false

That album cover. Months into this project and I have come to realize a few things: 1. I generally hate the 60’s. 2. Despite all its “issues,” excesses, misdirections, I think the 70’s are much more my jam. 3. In the beginning, I was cautious about rating an album, like the above, with which I have a fairly high level of familiarity, too highly. How does Marquee Moon rate against London Calling? Can both be 5? How about Gang of Four’s Entertainment? I have actually known THAT album the longest of them all, and it is beloved by me for what can only be described as personal reasons. Is it even possible to rate it objectively? Now, after many albums, many days, and reading many largely arbitrary reviews by others, I have come to the conclusion that much of my reluctance was silly, self-imposed foolishness. I’M A MUSIC LOVER. That’s why I’m here. Others reasons for being here and their reasonings or lack there of for the ratings they give really aren’t my concern. I love this album. I have loved it a long time. I think their use of dissonance is brilliant and ahead of its time. 5 Boolean: True

De Ja Vu indeed. I know going in it’s getting a 3. Why? Because I can’t bring myself go lower despite a longing to give it a 1 out of spite. It’s musically competent, 1/2 the songs on it are instantly recognizable mega hits, its influence is long reaching and undeniable. This album featured prominently in my dad’s album collection. And because of its inclusion on best of lists and what not I have made myself listen to it again and again. Before this exercise I was unclear about certain issues regarding my relationship with music, and particularly the music surrounding me as a child. But something has become clearer over the last weeks. The false earnestness of the 60’s “folk” movement makes me ill. Damn. As much as I hate aspects of this, our house being a case in point, the rhythm and variations within songs is really impressive. Arghh. I’m giving it a 4. 4 Boolean: True, true, yeah, yeah, let’s all love one another

Oh, thank you, thank you! Alright. I love this. I have loved this. The use of the drum machine, the WAY he used it, Prince’s pitching his voice up, these were revolutionary and their impact is still being felt not just in RnB, but across musical genres, imo. BUT, it’s a dang double album. It was going to be a triple album! Thank god someone prevailed on him to cut it back. I’ve seen it compared to Stevie’s Songs in the Key of Life and I think that’s a fair comparison. Both have the feeling of artists at the top of their game wanting to get it ALL out, not necessarily create a single great work. I just can’t give either a 5 because I get fatigued if I try to listen in a single sitting. But that’s the only reason. It doesn’t have the individual hits that Purple Rain does, but every song is great. It just should have been TWO albums. 4 Boolean: TRUE

I have learned through this exercise that I don’t just dislike Neil Young. I STRONGLY dislike him. It’s almost a physical aversion. And while I admit this album has value in the history of rock, while it has undeniably influenced many, imao - it sucks. So… 2 Boolean: true, suffer you must at times my child

Somehow I have a vague memory of this album without having ANY actual idea what it is… Wow. So I do believe this is yet another selection from my father’s album collection that was, in fact, put on fairly regularly in my very early years to quiet me. The first track anyway. Not sure I ever made it to wolf man. That would have been a riot. I think I was very fond of this at the age of two. I even have a memory of the announcement and subsequent introduction of the instruments into the mix. I think I was particularly fond of “glockenspiel!” Isn’t it amazing how music shapes us? I don’t know if I would have experienced as much pleasure as I did listening to this had I not realized my early relationship with it, it’s lack of percussive depth is a definite detraction, but it’s obvious to me that in some ways this album actually shaped the way I would later listen to music. 4 Boolean: true, this is definitely why I am here, coming back daily

A beautiful album, well arranged, well executed, and much appreciated today! 5 Boolean: True

Never listened to this before, which is surprising. By all accounts this is my genre, this is IMPORTANT in the history of MY music. But now that I have begun to listen I understand. It’s actually… bad isn’t it? Very bad. Jonny Rotten indeed. John Lydon is worse than a little brother you have to look after given access to recording equipment and… a budget? How the hell did he get a budget? A studio? My god what drugs WERE these people doing? THIS is a SEMINAL work in post-punk? You’ve got to be kidding me. It actually gets worse as it goes on… which is impressive. It starts so badly. I want to give it 2 for punk rock, but I just can’t. It’s utter crap. 1 Boolean: True - ha! Now here’s a case where one SHOULD listen to a very, very bad album because they need to know how bad and how the genre actually began

Well, I tried. I think it’s both the basic speed, the excessive use of the horns, the overall blaring quality of it. I love the drums, but the orchestrations and synchronized horns… it really grates after just a couple tracks. It certainly is well arranged, I just don’t give with it. 3 Boolean: true

This one’s a bit hard for me to rate. I actually had to listen to much of it twice. I completely zoned out and fell asleep while listening the first time, which is unusual. I put it on headphones and started again. It’s interesting. It’s hypnotic. It doesn’t impinge. This last fact is striking given how noisy it can get. But the mix maintains a constant wave throughout, melody or abrasive distortion, it all becomes one. I do believe this influenced other groups with which I am more familiar AND I think I have a vague memory of encountering a different Ride album in my early college days. It all combines for a dreamy impression. I want to rate it higher than 3… but I just don’t think I can muster it on this scale. But it is… Boolean: True

I had this already. I have five projects going, so it happens. But this is the first time I have gone back into an album I gave a 1. Honestly, it doesn’t really deserve that. But… there are, inexplicably, five (5) Byrd albums on this list. It’s just… yeah. Maybe not on the level of six (6) Elvis Costello albums, but really let’s be serious. And this album. It isn’t making me feel quite as stabby as it did before. But what’s the deal? The Byrds got the jump on The Stones and The Flying Burrito Bros. by a whole year? They foresaw the future of country? The pedal steel guitar playing stood out more this time around. But man, this album annoys me. 2 Boolean: I just don’t know —————————

So hitting this album after a long streak of Doves, Ride, Willie Nelson’s Stardust, and The Byrds Sweetheart of the f*ing Rodeo, felt like making land after a long time at sea. In this land they understand complex rhythm and deep and resounding bass. Hallelujah! I almost wanted to cry. I DID dance! F* yeah!!! I almost wanted to give it a 5 out of my sheer joy. I don’t care what Maxim is saying. It’s really part of the rhythmic layers and the lyrics’ explosive nature are meant to be EXPLOSIVE, just like the beats that drop. It works. In fact it works so well, I AM giving it a 5. 5 Boolean: TRUE

You know, I am a bad girl? I never listened to this album. Tracks from it, sure. But never, have I ever actually listened to a Hole album. Such a bad feminist. Bad bad bad. Ok. At the time I stayed away from all things Nirvana, all things Courtney and Kurt media madness. Call me more of a Mazzie Star kinda girl. Courtney Love has such a reputation that I don’t believe I have ever felt the need to break through and actually listen to her work. I am glad this project made me do it. This is an awesome album. It’s too… long? It starts out strong. I am familiar with those first few tracks. All the way through Doll Parts. And then the closer, Rock Star. Maybe because I know Olympia WA from just a few years later the way I do, this closer is… perfect. So the middle loses me for a minute. Maybe on another day this would get a 5. 4 Boolean: True

So I actually know Forever Changes. Um… I… um…. Don’t know what to say? Read through some reviews on this one. It perplexed me. I really, really WANTED to like it. Not even sure why I desired to like it as much as I did. The name? The explicitly mixed racial composition of its members? Because it, as a group and an album, represented the promise of the summer of love? Yeah. Well it failed. The summer of love failed. As someone else pointed out, the summer of love ended in Charles Manson. Harpsichord? This is awful. Not sure I can even give it a 2. They do seem to forecast John Lydon’s explicit claim that one need not really know how to play their instruments to make… music. I mean there’s something in Revelation, but then again, it really comes off as some music students having a bit of fun. And a laugh. Yeah. No. Arthur Lee just came back in. People say this inspired Jim Morrison? What?!? No. Sorry. Not buying that. You smoke all you want. 1 Boolean: FALSE

Wow. So that album cover made me recoil. It’s perfect! The slightly out of focus, red saturated, ambiguous time of day mostly empty bar scene. And then the music. That opening song actually stopped me in my tracks. The combination of inappropriate lyrics with smooth piano and crooning delivery… again- perfect. Don’t have kids. Don’t care about Randy’s future career with the evil Disney empire. (Free yourselves!!! Only you can make yourself free from the evil empire!) 4 Boolean: true

There was a time I would have probably given this a 5. I just can’t now. I was surprised by how much of it actually annoys me now. At least today. It wasn’t the purely pleasurable ride I was expecting. Age is an interesting phenomenon. Still gets a 4. The beats deserve a 4. 4 Boolean: true

No. If I have to listen to this much screaming for no reason I want James Brown. Or at least Screaming Jay Hawkins. This is just…. Idk. Don’t care that this influenced later garage bands. This needs to stay in the crate. 1 Boolean: false

Funny. So I was introduced to Rufus a few years back when Spotify threw The Art Teacher into some playlist I had going. It actually made me stop. I had to look it up, look up the artist. Whenever that happens, which it does on occasion, I go to the album from which the song has migrated. I did a mini Rufus Wainwright deep dive, actually listened to an interview and found out way more about his background and personal life than I had been looking for. His love of opera. His very early, young exploration of his gay sexuality as a self proclaimed “Lolita,” the experience of which actually led him to the opera. His interesting and complicated relationship with Leonard Cohen. When I listened to this album, I thought it had so much potential. His Agnus Dei and Gay Messiah with the character studies of tragic love in between almost make for a concept album. But as it goes on, it becomes more and more what it is: a collection of his musical work. Nothing more, nothing less. And some of his work just isn’t as strong as the rest. So it starts to feel bogged down. But I still think there is a lot here. That has nothing to do with Radiohead or Thom Yorke. 4 Boolean: true

Yeah. I think I am in the mainstream here. This is probably my favorite Kraftwerk album. Though I will always have a soft spot for Autobahn. 4 Boolean: True

I have multiple projects going. This is the second time round for this one. The first time, I was largely unfamiliar with QSA beyond them being “around” music I did listen to back in the day. The first time I gave this a 4. Menacing guitar lines and drums that actually catch you are an easy sell for me. This time I almost wanted to give it a 5. Those final two tacks are awesome. Spiders and Vinegaroons has become a return track for me. I just keep coming back. So, yeah. I still don’t think I can go 5. But maybe the next time round I’ll be fully in. 4 Boolean: True

Zero idea. Always fun when it’s not 80’s Britpop or random detritus from the 60’s. Yeah. Happy to hear. 4 Boolean: True

Oh. So. I have had this already. I have multiple projects going. AND my nephew made me listen to it. The whole thing. This is now THREE times I have listened to the entire album. The deluxe version. Which is eight minutes longer. The thing is, I can’t really tell you a song off this album. I mean I can, but I couldn’t hum it. It DOESN’T STICK. I am now listening to Billy Joel. Also the second time for The Stranger. Now, to be honest, those songs were around me as a kid, not because of my parents or anything, just because I was a human living in The USA. But after two listens, I could probably sing you just about any song off that album. Even the final track, which is probably the only one that isn’t a recognizable hit (minus the reprise of The Stranger at its end- so clever Billy.) But still. I COULD SING any track. Not so with Taylor. No. How is that? Even her lyrics. I know she uses the word “evermore” across multiple songs. But even that. It’s just… 2 Boolean: False. Sorry. I have now come to the conclusion that this isn’t actually music

Honestly, this was much more real fun than I was expecting. 4 Boolean: true

Oh. Really not feeling the folksy 60’s. Yeah. It’s a beautiful collection. But man this ain’t my scene. 3 Boolean: true

Ah. Knew it was coming. Let’s see. Yeah. This one is hard to rate. Oasis was never “my thing.” Partly, I believe I am on the wrong side of the Atlantic. I bounce between enjoying them and finding them annoying. But their songwriting is solid. And sometimes surprising. So 3 or 4? I think this album is rawer than What’s the Story, and I appreciate that. But What’s the Story has the hits. And so much, I am realizing, often boils down to familiarity and nostalgia. So yeah. Oasis is really a 3 for me. And we’ll see if What’s the Story gets bumped to a 4. 3 Boolean: True

I know I am not the only one to have issues with the fact that this is the ONLY Nina Simone album on the list while we have six (!) Elvis Costello albums and five (!) Byrd albums, for example. I also don’t think I am the only one to point out that this IS NOT her best work. It really isn’t. It’s uneven. It feels all over the place. And it really doesn’t show off her amazing talent as a pianist. I want to give it a 5 because it’s her only representation, but… yeah, not today. 4 Boolean: True

I did not investigate this before listening to it. I had zero idea except that of trepidation created by the cover photo. It was truly… awful. Really. A mess. But there were some decent? moments. Those were NOT the covers or treatments of classic songs btw. Your Own Backyard made me decide that I wasn’t, necessarily, giving this a 1. But man. Then Dion does He’s got the Whole World in His Hand, and not only is the pace horrifying, but the recording quality is so bad, I wanted to give negative stars. The album is far, far too long. And that would be true even if it were pretty good, which it isn’t. Idk. I have no idea why this is here? Who is Dion? Why did I need to hear him before I die? I needed something else today, obviously, because in my current mood the bad outweighs the good. 1 Boolean: False