Reviews by aretzorn

I liked the first track Teen Age Riot, but then a lot of the album sounded similar. I hate repetition. I also hate noise and feedback and there was way too much of that (like Silver Rocket, The Sprawl, Rain King, and Total Trash - an aptly named song). Oh, and this album is long with its repetition and noise. Giving this a 2 because at least there were moments I liked (Teen Age Riot, Candle), but by the last five songs I just wanted it to end.

Very very 70s disco. The first track, "When I Kissed the Teacher" is 70s cheese of the highest magnitude. Knowing Me, Knowing You is not bad. Sounds like an early version of an 80s power ballad. I liked Dancing Queen (played a billion times, but good song), Why Did It Have to Be Me (decent rocker), and Arrival. The bonus edition has Fernando on it, which is a good track. I'll call it a solid 3. Not bad, good moments, not really my cup o' Swedish tea.

Talking Heads is another band I've listened to plenty but haven't listened closely. Great album. The band had their "sound" down from day one. All the tracks are fantastic. Favorites - Psycho Killer (of course), Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town, No Compassion ("they say compassion is a virtue, but I don't have the time"), Pulled Up. Just so good. Easy 5.

Man, this 1001 albums thing is getting me to reconsider jazz. Maybe my mood was right today...on another day I might have complained that essentially they're noodling around a couple of themes for 20 minutes, but the word that kept coming to my mind was CAPTIVATING. Both pieces just evoked certain moods and I found myself transfixed throughout my first listen. Time went by faster than I expected - I was actually surprised each piece was over, even though both clock in at almost 20 minutes (can't believe they recorded this thing in a day). Again, maybe I just caught it on exactly the right day at exactly the right time, but it connected with me. Second listen (a little more background this time - I had work to do!) was just as enjoyable and I was again surprised when it was over. Gotta give it a 5 for that captivating feeling. Wow.

This is a seriously cool album. Like the Pixies, about three years ahead of their time. I never really listened to Jane's Addiction because all I heard before was Been Caught Stealing and Jane Says, both of which kind of annoyed me (mostly because of Perry Farrell's voice). It didn't help when I learned what a dick Farrell was to his bandmates about publishing rights. But none of that can change how cool this album is. The whole band is fantastic. I was a fan of Dave Navarro's work with RHCP and I'm embarrassed to say I didn't even know he was part of Jane's Addiction. A great album that I missed out on because I didn't like their popular songs. Great stuff. Favorite tracks: Up the Beach (yeah, I thought this was awesome right from the start), Ocean Size, Ted Just Admit It, Mountain Song, Pigs in Zen.

I listened to this album a few times and it's just not taking at all. It's not bad, it's just not clicking. One thought that kept hitting me is that the album is all over the place...I couldn't get a sense of what this album was supposed to be. Definitely didn't need to hear this before I die. Moving on.

Can't believe we got this pick the same week he died. Great album. Totally 70s, but timelessly great. Inappropriate memory: they used to play Paradise by the Dashboard Lights at dances I went to in 8th grade. That's not right. But the girls loved singing the "Stop right there!" part. RIP Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf and thanks for rocking our faces off. Easy 5.

The grand question - were the Beatles ever as good solo as they were together? The answer for Paul McCartney is clear. He's got some great solo tracks, but I don't think he was ever as good solo as he was with the Beatles. But that's not really a fair way to judge his solo albums, is it? A-hem, you must be as good as the Beatles to get a 5. So, I'm trying to listen without thinking, "This dude wrote Let it Be and Hey Jude and so on and so on." Great - Band on the Run, Let Me Roll It, Mrs. Vandebilt, Jet (at first, I classified this as "good not great" but then it got stuck in my head). Good - Mamunia (I really like the African stylings), No Words (sounds like it would fit on ELO's Out of the Blue), Picasso's Last Words, Nineteen-Hundred and Eighty-Five. Bluebird is probably the weakest song on the album - meh 70s soft rock. So, 4/9 great, 4/9 good, 1 meh. Probably makes it a 4.5 and now I'm going to add my bias of "but it's not as good as the Beatles" and round it DOWN to a 4. It just doesn't feel like a 5. Sorry, Paul. You're still awesome to me.

I feel like I should give this a 5 - after all, it's a classic and includes worthy hits such as Hotel California (love the guitar solos at the end) and Life in the Fast Lane. But there's just something about the album that I find underwhelming. Maybe it's a little too perfect, a little too polished. It just doesn't make me say "I want to listen to this again." I even listened to it multiple times to see if I was missing something, but no. So, I'm giving it a 4. Great songs, including some stone cold classics (I also like Victim of Love), but it's just missing that je ne sais quoi.

This was a fun album, but a little repetitive after a while. It was fun learning he was King Louie from the Jungle Book. I'm sure it was a blast to see him live at the Sahara. Favorite tracks: Just a Gigolo; Jump, Jive, An' Wail (an absolute classic, written by Prima); Night Train.

Love me some ELO. I remember listening to this album as a kid (thanks to my older siblings who were ELO fans). Those opening notes of Turn to Stone bring back memories and it's still a great song. ELO is one of those bands where I enjoy everything I hear but have never dug deeply into their catalog. Jeff Lynne is awesome and I appreciate him more every time I hear anything he's involved in. Mr. Blue Sky has been played a million times in my house since my kids got into Guardians of the Galaxy, but it never gets old. Stuff like Sweet Talkin' Woman is very 70s, but still great. Favorite non-hits - Jungle (fun track), Believe Me Now, Sweet is the Night. Basically, there isn't a weak moment on the album, which is even more impressive since it's a double album. Great stuff, easy 5.

I tried to listen to this album many times, because it felt like I should like it more. It never really clicked for some reason. I notice a lot of songs tend to focus on a particular riff and never really change. Maybe that's the problem - the album just doesn't seem dynamic enough. It's not bad, I just don't know that I would seek it out again. Favorite tracks - Wake Up - anthemic and it's probably one of the more dynamic songs on the album. Une annee sans lumieri pulled me in but has the same issue of being essentially one riff all the way through, until the very last minute. Neighborhood #3 (Power Out) - another one that's basically one riff with subtle changes throughout, but it's a very cool riff. In the Backseat was a good closer.

I love when they play that one song, and then they play it again, and again, and again. Sure, they're classic, but they're so repetitive. I'll stick to their greatest hits, one at a time.

My overall reaction is that I'm not sure I needed to hear this before I die, but it's a good album. I decided to dig deeper and learn more about Phil Spector, both his career and his personal life. Here's yet another example where we have to ask the question, can you separate the art from the artist? The guy was a complete piece of shit and died in jail, convicted of killing a woman the same night he met her (he claimed it was an accident, but he had a history of brandishing guns at people). Does that change the music? The production quality and the innovative "Wall of Sound"? No, but it gives you pause.

One other note - Clever move by the site organizer to make sure everyone gets this pick on Christmas. Send the guy some beer money for the holidays.

Nice, pleasant music...but it's a good thing I paid attention to the lyrics, because I definitely don't want to play "Rednecks" for the kids. Hey, kids, here's the guy who sang the theme from Toy Story! Oops. Powerful lyrics in that song, but oof. I heard Louisiana 1927 before - that was probably my favorite song, maybe since I was familiar with it. It's a good album, but not something I need to hear again.

I know this album was huge, but I could never stand Oasis and their shit attitudes and how they posed as the second coming of the Beatles, right down to the mop tops. I hated it in the 90s and it still annoys me now. Still, I gave the album several listens. The songs are all decent, but Liam's whiny voice bugs me and the album is too damn noisy (these kids with their loud rock n' roll!). Plus, too much of their music is derivative. I'll give it a 3 because it's not *bad*, it's just I can't separate the attitude from the music and the derivative nature of the music keeps me from giving it a higher score. Favorite track - Champagne Supernova. Enjoyed the guitar solo and anthemic ending.

Eh...it was fine. Not sure why I had to hear this before I die. Probably would help if I knew what they were saying, so I suppose I have an appreciation for how the 1001 albums thing can be challenging for non-English speakers. The music was good but nothing unique or special to me. Giving it a 3 because there was nothing wrong with it, but no more because I'm fine with never listening to it again.

The hits are amazing, the rest of the album is really good. The biggest problem is NOT ENOUGH BASS. It's better than "...And Justice for All" which basically has no bass, but damn this album needs more bottom end. Even the bass drum is too treble-y. Is that a word? Favorite tracks - mostly the hits: Sad But True (extremely cool song then and now), Wherever I May Roam, Enter Sandman (so overplayed at Guitar Center), Nothing Else Matters (also overplayed at Guitar Center). I like The Unforgiven but it was sooo overplayed on MTV in the 90s. Favorite non-hits: Through the Never, The God That Failed. I'd call it a 4.5, but I'll round it to a 5.

This is an album I can appreciate for what it is, but I don't know that I would go out of my way to listen again. I know these guys were rap pioneers and much of the album seems to bridge the gap between 70s funk/R&B and 80s rap. I enjoyed the bass on this album (Doug Wimbish, who later joined Living Colour), particularly on She's Fresh and It's a Shame (especially the last minute of the track). I also liked the Tom Tom Club backing track for It's Nasty. Favorite track was The Message. As soon as I heard the "ah-huh-huh-huh" and "it makes me wonder how I keep from going under" my immediate reaction was, "hey, they did that in Hamilton" (with the line "it makes me wonder why I even bring the thunder" and the laughing when they're singing "you don't have the votes"). I'm not a big rap fan, so I think I missed out on a lot of callbacks in Hamilton...I feel like I'm getting schooled in rap history during the 1001 albums journey and I'm enjoying it more than I expected I would. Calling it a 3 primarily because the album just didn't blow me away but I definitely enjoyed it.

This isn't the first time I've listened to this album. I've tried to figure out why this is considered such a great album and I just don't see it. It's not bad, I just don't see why it's all that. I'm a big prog rock fan and this one just doesn't connect with me at all. I listened three times this time and still don't get it. Oh, well.