This is the second band/artist to come up that I’m actually already a fan of. Even then, it’s been a while since I revisited the pre-Rubber Soul era. This was cool though! It’s a great time capsule of where the music industry was in the mid-60s. Technically speaking, it was their personalities that made them stand out. The way John and Paul harmonize and play off each other, Ringo’s playing style, and the very energetic yet “safe” way of going about their ... read more

I wasn’t into this one :( I feel like the instrumentals were too repetitive for the first half. As if it was building up to a climax that never came. I don’t know if it’s just my shitty zoomer attention span or not. As soon as “Whores Hustle” started I literally said out loud “THERE WE GO.” Because I feel like that suits her voice better! MASSIVE props to her guitar work though. I just wish her vocal style gelled with better instrumental build-ups. ... read more

Man, these guys love White Castle

This one’s cool because the instrumentals are unashamedly Western, just with non-English vocals. They’re definitely bluesy, and each song is actually distinct from one another. That’s something American blues rock bands should take note of.
Their story is really interesting, but it’s hard to find trustworthy lyric translations for their songs. I think the feelings of the music carry through, but I wish I had a little more regarding the lyrics. Again, good background ... read more

Before this, I only knew of Bobby Womack in his old age through Gorillaz. I’ve always liked his voice, so getting to hear him in his prime is fun. This is a very tight album, the keys and bass are great (naturally), and I love how emotive his voice can get. The arrangements are cool, and I like the storytelling in the lyrics, but it’s a very straightforward album of love songs. It’s a great listen, but not much to dissect beyond that.

Favorite track: So Many Sides of You

A compilation, huh? That explains a lot. Almost all these songs sound and feel exactly the same. And before you punks come in here like “tHats PaRt of tHe GeNRE” I KNOW ITS JUST NOT FOR ME. It wasn’t bad to listen to at all, just boring. Which is almost worse than being flat-out bad. It sounded fine for sure, the production was good and the band itself was tight, but it’s the most generic punk revival sound you could imagine. I can give them a pass because this is ... read more

This RIPSSSS holy shit. There’s a slight dip in the middle with some of the more “poppy” tracks, but nothing that ruins the whole project. Nothing I wouldn’t expect from a late 70s album like this and nothing that the band can’t make sound good. The keys and guitar on this are stellar. It just gets better every time I listen to it. Extremely solid, fun, powerful album. I need to find this on vinyl!

Favorite track: One Way or Another (that guitar solo is just too ... read more

I really tried to like this, but I don't get it. I honestly like the "Hum of Hurt" single more than the entirety of this album, so I'm excited for that one. Maybe I'll revisit this in a month or so and see how I feel then.

Good stuff!! I love high, raspy voices in this genre. There’s a lot of great energy and songwriting moments here, especially parts where her voice builds to crescendos. Even “Mercedes Benz” which sounds like an outtake has so much personality to it. I never gave Janis Joplin a chance before and I’m glad I started with this one. It’s sad that she didn’t get to do much in her career, but this is the first time in this album challenge that I wanna actively look ... read more

Ah, Britpop. What a quaint genre. Everyone knows “Bittersweet Symphony”, but I enjoyed a few other songs on top of that one. The softer vibe of that song carries into some other tracks, but I also got shades of Tonic and Jane’s Addiction at times. This brand of alternative rock is very nostalgic for me. Some songs are more interesting than others. I saw there’s another album from them in here, so I’m looking forward to them popping up again.

Favorite track: ... read more

This one was neat. The mood of this is really nice, it fits the album cover perfectly. Even the title implies their aim is to satisfy themselves first. For the most part I preferred the instrumental tracks, especially the opener and closer. The rap parts (or whatever MC Det is trying to do) and samples kinda ruined the flow for me. The rest of them didn’t stand out too much.

Favorite track: Shellback

What a pleasant surprise this one was! This era of early blues rock/Led Zeppelin ripoffs is interesting to look back on. I had to look these guys up and found out they made "Cum on Feel the Noize" (which tbh I always thought was a Quiet Riot song), and compared to this, I guess they've always been ahead of their time. The bass and drums are especially tight on these songs, and I like the singer's energy.
This album has a little more character compared to some of the other ... read more

How funny is it that the first album that comes up for the 1001 albums challenge is one that changed my perspective on art forever?
I was 14 when I got into Gorillaz, and the self-titled stands out because this was still when Damon Albarn was trying to maintain some anonymity away from Blur. This also explains some of the musical limitations in the album itself, with lots of electronic and trip-hop influences in the songs. For the feelings behind the songs, Albarn and the other musicians ... read more