Reviews by aretzorn

What an amazing, amazing voice. Crazy to think he was just 29 when this was released. He already sounded like an old jazz and blues legend. Plus, his piano playing is as smooth as his voice. Every track is good, but I particularly loved the mellow mood of side two. I thought about pulling a point away for repetition - every song on side one has high trumpet shakes and every song on side two has schmaltzy strings (and sometimes cheesy backing vocals). But I'm giving that point back, because Brother Ray is a joy to listen to, and this is his only album on the 1001. Favorite tracks: Let the Good Times Roll (no, not the Cars song, but this one's great too!), It Had to Be You (sure it's a standard, but he owns it), Just for a Thrill, Tell Me You'll Wait for Me, Don't Let the Sun Catch You Cryin'.

Pretty much bubble-gum pop, but it's all good. Our Lips are Sealed and We Got the Beat are classics, deservedly so (especially Our Lips are Sealed - great song). Other standouts include How Much More, Automatic (my favorite of the more "dramatic" songs), Can't Stop the World. Worst named song AND lyrics with the most dragged-out metaphor - Skidmarks on my Heart.

I knew this was a classic, but I never gave it a listen before now. My overall impression is that it's really dated. Everything on it screams 60s. That's not necessarily a bad thing - I like music from the 60s, but I suppose I prefer the stuff that's a little more timeless. A few songs caught my attention when I was only half listening, but just felt so dated when I listened closely (e.g., Hung Up On a Dream and Changes). The only ones that seemed to hold up on close listen were This Will Be Our Year (nice, clever pop) and the classic Time of the Season which is certainly VERY 60s, but a true classic track. In fact, I'd say Time of the Season and She's Not There (from their debut) are not just "quintessential Zombies" but also perfect representations of cool 60s music. I'm going with a 4 for cultural significance - it's good, but very much OF ITS TIME.

What's that sound? Why it's the sound of cultural appropriation! I ended up spending some time reading up on the history of The Rolling Stones and basically they ripped off R&B to become one of the biggest bands in the world (although at least they credited their sources, unlike some British acts [cough! Led Zeppelin! cough!]). Let's acknowledge that they end up writing some pretty amazing songs in their own right later on, but this album is mostly covers that don't measure up to the originals (I listened to all the originals, plus a couple of additional versions - for example, their Route 66 is based on the Chuck Berry version (with the Stones speeding it up) and not the original Nat King Cole version). So, what made them so much bigger than the acts they covered? Hmm, I wonder. Very little of this album hints at the Stones' later originality. The only exception is the original "Tell Me (You're Coming Back)" which sounds like The Rolling Stones, even if it's still pretty grounded in 50s rock n' roll stylings. I get that this album is a big deal because it's the Stones' debut, but if this was all they did I'm not sure it would have been on the list - the album is clearly in the list for historical significance, not because of its own quality and originality. I'll give it a 4 to acknowledge its importance, and certainly every track is good, but none of it makes me say that I should be listening to this band instead of the artists they were covering.

There's a certain level of cheesiness to Cat Stevens' music - when he gets intense in his singing I often think of Jack Black singing instead, which is definitely not a good thing for a serious musician. But, under the cheesiness is some really good songwriting. I'd listen again. Favorite tracks: Wild World (great song and a classic), Sad Lisa, Into White (somewhat cheesy lyrics, but I really like the guitar part), Father and Son (very poignant - I've loved this track for years. Check out the re-recording in 2020 when he sang the father part now as a 72 year old. The video hits the heartstrings pretty hard).

Fun album that sounds like the soundtrack from a 50's horror movie retrospective. Most of the album sounds like the same thing over and over, but it's a good same thing (except for some noisy sloppy guitar solos). Solid 3 - I enjoyed listening, wouldn't seek it out again. Favorite tracks - Garbageman, Zombie Dance, Fever (good cover). Favorite lyrics: "My daddy's unidentified / my mom says I just appeared inside / Looks like a case of hit and run / but off the record it's no fun" (from Mystery Plane), "I'm cramped / I'm cramped / I'm cramped/ I'm cramped / I'm cramped / I'm cramped / I'm cramped / I'm cramped / I'm cramped" (from I'm Cramped).

The Big Bang of Progressive Rock. 21st Century Schizoid Man is a tour de force - the main riff and verses are pure metal - in 1969, no less. The middle instrumental is jazz/rock greatness. All the band members are on fire and it's no surprise that Jimi Hendrix said to Robert Fripp: "Shake my left hand, man. It's closer to my heart." Simply put, it's one of the greatest songs ever written. That's right. I Talk to the Wind gives us a calm moment to recover from the chaos. Epitaph is a post-apocalyptic funeral dirge. "Confusion will be my epitaph" - such a great lyric, and Greg Lake's singing is outstanding. Moonchild is the only weak track for me. The verses are nice enough, but then it's mostly noodling. But that's ok, because then it brings us to The Court of the Crimson King, the quintessential mellotron track. Seriously, if I was told I could only play one album to explain progressive rock, this is the album, start to finish. An absolute classic.

Clever songwriting and excellent studio craft, although after a while it starts to drag on. That said I enjoyed listening and would definitely listen again. Favorite tracks: Oh What a World (whimsical track that gets stuck in my head), I Don't Know What It Is, Movies of Myself, Go or Go Ahead (definitely my favorite song on the album - love the hit at about 2:30), 14th Street.

I remember hearing this album often when I was younger - it's like a walk down memory lane, and sounds as good as I remember. Much as it's Donald Fagen's first solo album, it absolutely sounds like Steely Dan, which is fine by me. The album just puts me in a good mood and I could listen to it on repeat for hours. Pretty much a perfect album to me. Favorite tracks: I.G.Y (one of those tracks where I see the name and go, "what's that?" and then press play and immediately go, "duh, of course I know this one"), New Frontier, The Nightly, Walk Between Raindrops (again, how can you listen to this album and not smile?).

My first thought was "I liked this better when it was called PRINCE." That said, it's a pretty good album. Enjoyed listening to it more than I expected. Favorite tracks: If You All Get to Heaven, Wishing Well, Let's Go Forward, Sign Your Name.

Oh, Bob Dylan. Nobel prize winning poet, really weird singer. Sure this is a classic, but it's hard not to roll your eyes at the way he sings. Plenty of good songs and lyrics, but I'm dinging a point for his singing. Favorite tracks: Rainy Day Women (Everybody must get stoned! Classic), Visions of Johanna, One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later), Stuck Inside of Mobile..., Just Like a Woman, 4th Time Around.

Never heard of this band, had no idea what to expect, and really enjoyed it. Great musicianship, wide range of styles (while still having a relatively cohesive sound). Enjoyed the somewhat throwback sound - probably the only strike against this band is that a lot of the songs "remind" me of something else. Can't always place my finger on what they sound like, but that suggests they're somewhat derivative (singing somewhat sounds like Radiohead, especially on Anvil Everything. River to Consider is like a tropical Jethro Tull). Regardless, I definitely enjoyed the album and will probably check out more by this band. Favorite tracks: Back at the Farm (awesome instrumental), Street Joy (nice chill track), Drug (nice bass line), Is and Is and Is (love the "hit" in the middle of the song).

By far the best Metallica album and probably the best metal album period. Kicks ass from start to finish. Easy 5.

I don't normally do this, but I'm going to complain about the 1001 Albums book picking the wrong album. Breakfast in America is THE quintessential Supertramp album and is so much better than Crime of the Century. I buy that Crime of the Century was the band's breakthrough, but Breakfast in America is their best album, with the Logical Song, Goodbye Stranger, Breakfast in America, and Take the Long Way Home. Plus, it just sounds better. Crime of the Century sounds like a band that still hasn't entirely figured out who they are. There are plenty of good moments, especially Bloody Well Right, but this is a case where the 1001 missed the mark. Giving it a 4 more because I like Supertramp and would listen again, but it's more like a 3.5.

Such a great album and it's the clear bridge between the Beatles initial pop output and the more sophisticated music of their later albums. Absolute classics across the whole thing: Drive My Car, Norwegian Wood, Nowhere Man, Michelle, and In My Life (great song, but major props to the Johnny Cash cover version). Of the less "popular" songs, I really like You Won't See Me, The Word (great groove), and If I Needed Someone (love the atmospheric sound to it). Probably the only negative thing on the album is the lyrics of Run for Your Life - particularly given John Lennon's reputation for being abusive to women. Take that song away and this is an absolutely perfect album. Regardless, Easy 5.

This album is definitely a mood. Atmospheric and interesting. There are a couple of head-scratching moments. For example, Easter Theatre's lyrics - "Chocolate nipple brown"? "Like the ground, your breast swell"? "Flowers climb erect"? Someone's horny, huh?? Also, the lyrics for Your Dictionary - such a pretty song for such bitter lyrics about divorce. I'm going with a 4 for the occasional weirdness, but it's a really good album that I would definitely revisit. Favorite tracks: River of Orchids (great opening. Very unusual styling - I like it. Makes me think a little of Sting), Frivolous Tonight (am I hearing a Beatles song? I like it), Greenman (caught my attention every time when I wasn't listening closely. Weird lyrics, but great music), Fruit Nut (very catchy, Beach Boys-esque), I Can't Own Her, Harvest Festival, The Last Balloon (great ending - love the transition from voice to trumpet at the end. Perfect).

The guitar playing is great, but the lyrics and singing are just too cheesy for me. Right from the start: "Many Nordic fighting men / Their swords and shields gleam in the sun." Ugh. It's a shame, because a lot of the music is really good. If I ignore the lyrics, I can almost enjoy the somewhat over-the-top singing. I'm going to go with a four mainly out of respect for its place in metal history, but for some reason Maiden just never worked for me. Favorite tracks: Children of the Damned, The Prisoner (probably more for nostalgia for an awesome show...which had cheesy effects, so I guess there are parallels here), Run to the Hills (very cool song - lyrics have good meaning, but I think part of the problem is they never learned how to write lyrics with any subtlety), Hallowed Be They Name.

Damn, cool album. Great musicianship, cool track after cool track. I might have damaged my hearing, but that's ok. Favorite tracks: Gematria (great lyrics), Sulfur, Psychosocial, Vendetta (I bet this one is fun to hear live), Butcher's Hook, Gehenna, This Cold Black.

This is one of those "how on earth have I never heard of this band before" revelations. This album is so good and apparently hugely influential on subsequent punk and garage rock bands. The music is a great combo of punk, rock, and hard edged delta blues. I found it interesting to learn that lead Jeffrey Pierce was influenced by acts as diverse as Sparks, Genesis, Roxy Music, Blondie (with Debbie Harry singing on The Gun Club's second album), and Bob Marley. Unusual influences yield unique music, I suppose. You'd also think Pierce came from somewhere on the Mississippi Delta, but he's from California.

This their debut album and it sounds great from start to finish. Hard to pick favorite tracks, but I'll go with the two blues covers (Preaching the Blues and Cool Drink of Water), Promise Me (love the unusual beat), She's Like Heroin to Me (great straightforward punk), and Ghost on the Highway (great rocker). Oh, and Fire Spirit, Jack on Fire (harsh lyrics, though), and Goodbye Johnny. The only moment I sort of didn't like was the end of For the Love of Ivy where Pierce got a little weird. Plus the lyrics on that track are concerning - maybe he's mocking a redneck hick with his "I was hunting for n****rs in the dark" line, but I watched a live video and the drummer had a confederate flag wadded up in his bass drum. Um, yeah. Black Train also had similarly concerning lyrics. Hopefully they're just playing a part/being ironic. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt, particularly with the musical debt they owe to delta blues. Overall, this is one seriously awesome album.

Jack Black refers to B&S as "old sad bastard music" in High Fidelity. Sounds about right. The singing is meh and the songs mostly aren't interesting (or in cases like the last two tracks are literally bad). Most definitely did not need to hear this before I die. I'm guessing this is something Millennial hipsters like. Not my cup o' Scottish tea.