Reviews by aretzorn

The 1001 did not need three Pet Shop Boys albums. Insert eye-roll emoji here. Frankly, the two words that came to mind repeatedly while listening was "boring" and "cheesy." The music is inoffensive, so it's not necessarily a problem as background music, but every time I paid attention my reaction was "wow, this is cheesy." Here are some of my track notes: "Being Boring - Aptly named." "This Must Be the Place I Waited Years to Leave - Aptly named." "How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously - Aptly named." If I had to pick a couple of tracks that caught my attention: The End of the World. That's it. Just the one. Time to move on...

A very good debut album. The 80s-ness of the album keeps it from being a 5, but there's a lot to like: Uncertain Smile is outstanding and that Jools Holland piano solo at the end is fantastic; Soul Mining is a very cool song and Perfect is a surprisingly fun sounding song for an album that is generally pretty dark, although the lyrics belie the sound ("Passing by a cemetery / I think of all the little hopes and dreams / that lie lifeless and unfilled beneath the soil")...I was amused to learn that Matt Johnson didn't even want it on the album. Nothing bad on the album, it's just a little dated (e.g., I've Been Waiting for Tomorrow and The Sinking Feeling). Would definitely revisit.

Cultural. Appropriation. Dude's father was a banking attorney and he went to private school. There's no freakin' way on earth he actually sounds like this. Sure, it's cool enough, but it often made me cringe. I tried to explore why this doesn't bother me for someone like Beck, who G. Love sometimes sounds like - I think it's because Beck introduces a lot of his own stylings and he doesn't sound like a caricature of cultures he doesn't come from. I don't know what the fine line is beyond adapting and advancing (e.g., Led Zeppelin with the blues and the Police with reggae) and outright appropriation (e.g., UB40 with reggae), but I felt this album crossed that line. Tracks I liked, disregarding the cringe: Garbage Man, Cold Beverage.

NOW we're talking. This is the kind of discovery I got into the 1001 for - I've heard of them and this album, but never listened to them. GREAT album. Love the song-writing, the guitar interplay, and the proto-new wave sound. And this is a rare case where I agree with Robert Christgau (asshole critic for the Village Voice who seems to hate almost every album that made the 1001) - he picked it as his favorite album of 1977. I wouldn't go that far - a lot of great albums came out that year, including Animals, Low, and Heroes - but it definitely deserves to be ranked toward the top of a great year of music. Outstanding. Favorite tracks: See No Evil (great guitar lines), Friction (awesome rocker), Marquee Moon (what a song - favorite line: "I spoke to a man down at the tracks / and I ask him how he don't go mad / He said 'Look here, junior / Don't you be so happy / and for heaven's sake don't you be so sad'"), Elevation (love the guitars again), Torn Curtain (strong, dramatic ending - what a great album!).

Eh, it's fine. Sounds like a million other bands. Wasn't bad, but I absolutely don't need to hear this again. How Could I Be Wrong caught my attention.

The first song on the album is called "Don't Know Why"...well, I Don't Know Why this is in the 1001. Sounds like a mix between stuff my parents used to listen to in the 50s and a bit of country here and there, but came out in 2002. I know this album was really popular, but it's so unoriginal it's almost shocking. That said, it's not like it sounds bad, it's just so run of the mill I don't quite know how it was so huge. Go figure. Couple of songs that caught my attention: Cold Cold Heart, Come Away With Me, The Long Day is Over.

The 1001 has shown me that I like Bob Dylan, but I question how necessary this album was to include. Sure, I get the history - it was Dylan's comeback album so it might have "historic" significance, but it's not so different from his 60s writing to warrant including it. It didn't help that a few of the songs were a little on the long side (e.g., Idiot Wind, which got a little grating after a while, and Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts) and honestly I found most of Side 2 pretty boring (except Shelter from the Storm - nice track, good lyrics). It's a shame, too, because I really enjoyed the first few tracks, particularly Tangled Up in Blue and Simple Twist of Fate. On the one hand, I want to call it a 4 with the aim of digging deeper, but I'm ready to move on, which makes it a 3.

Not an album I needed to hear before I die. My immediate reaction was "ENOUGH Britpop albums! ENOUGH!!!" Unfortunately, the album did nothing to change that view. There were a couple of tracks that caught my attention in a good way, but overall I thought the album was noisy and a bit goofy. Moving on. Favorite-ish tracks: God! Show Me Magic, Hometown Unicorn.

This sounds like any bar band from the late 80s. Not quite sure what made them get a series of albums or make this list. Like seriously, I've heard so many bands where the jams/songs sounded like this, and I'm even talking around that time, so it's not like they were cutting edge. Also, the singing is kind of on the weak side - again reminds me of a so-so bar band. Finally, the recording quality had moments where this might as well have been some band's demo. I'd call this a 2.5 and I'll round up because there weren't any moments I actively disliked and there were enough decent moments and enough variety for me to not ding them further, but I definitely didn't need to hear this before I die. Tracks that caught my attention: Whisperin' While Hollerin', Time With You, The Softest Hammer.

Ok album, although I'd argue you could hear Don't You Want Me and you've heard everything you need to hear "before you die." A little bit too much of the exact same electronic bass-snare-bass-snare beat. This is early in the 80s curve, so they get some credit there. Favorite songs: The Things That Dreams Are Made Of, Don't You Want Me (but those are some creepy-ex lyrics). Ok songs: Open Your Heart, Darkness, Love Action.

I enjoyed this album more than I enjoy most Bjork solo albums. A lot of very cool tracks and definitely a lot of weirdness - in fact, there were times I described it as "Bizarro World B-52s" (e.g., Delicious Demon, Blue Eyed Pop, Sick for Toys). Considering that the B-52s have their own share of weirdness, that's saying something. Favorite tracks: Motorcrash, Delicious Demon, Mama (occasionally weird lyrics, but cool music), Coldsweat (very cool heavy groove), Blue Eyed Pop, Deus, F'ing in Rhythm & Sorrow (funny rockabilly song). Let's also be sure to give props to Bjork's range - from sweet to growl and back again in the same line. A very unique band and I would definitely revisit.

Lush harmonies, interesting music. I enjoyed it a lot, but it doesn't pull me in the way a 5 typically would. Solid 4. Favorite tracks: Sun It Rises, White Winter Hymnal, Your Protector, Blue Ridge Mountains.

Previously reviewed The Low End Theory, which is supposed to be their best...it didn't do a lot for me and I gave it a 3. I don't think they needed more than one album on the 1001 since the style is pretty much the same, but this one isn't as good (can't believe Can I Kick It was a hit...I thought it was pretty lame). The baby crying at the start of the album was a bit annoying, and then it settles into the same type of jazz rap we hear (better) on The Low End Theory. Also, while I can appreciate the lack of gangsta lyrics and misogyny, the lyrics are a little on the boring side and occasionally kinda cringe (e.g., Pubic Enemy - which is a shame because the song is a pretty cool groove). I can't say I actively disliked the album, it just didn't do much of anything for me. Songs I kind of liked: Footprints, Youthful Expression, Go Ahead in the Rain.

The Kinks always have a bit too much goofiness, but I like their music. I enjoyed the first side more than the second, but there were good moments on side two as well. I like the theme of memories of days and people gone by and, overall, the album is filled with catchy tracks. Would definitely revisit. Favorite tracks: The Village Green Preservation Society (fun catchy opener), Picture Book (which I knew from The Umbrella Academy), Last of the Steam-Powered Trains (great bop), Wicked Annabella (kinda spooky-cool. Sounds like it would make a good metal song). Finally, good line in the album's last track: "People take pictures of the summer / Just in case someone thought they had missed it / And to prove that it really existed." Pretty timely when everyone has to take pictures with their phones at every event and every dinner (don't get me started on all the assholes with their phone cameras raised in your line of sight at every concert these days...). "People take pictures of each other / Just to prove that they really existed." Yup. Good stuff.

Some decent songs - nothing truly bad (although CTA-102 and the backwards guitar in Thoughts and Words come close). The Wikipedia entry talks a lot about bassist Chris Hillman contributing his first songs to the band, giving them a country turn. Unfortunately, I considered that a big negative for the album (and the band)! The Byrds also continued to dip into the Dylan well, turning My Back Pages from 3/4 to 4/4. While I'll say this version is marginally better than Dylan's original, I checked out some later Bob Dylan live versions and Bob does it better live than either the Byrds' version or his own original. Here's a great example: https://youtu.be/JWNaIXeHHzQ?si=02bGcukafuoCu5Z-

Don't know if I'd revisit this album, but it wasn't bad to hear and I can see why it's on the list, at least from an historical perspective. Favorite tracks: So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star (classic track), Have You Seen Her Face (that classic Byrds sound), Everybody's Been Burned (I like the guitar line - it's the 007 progression!), My Back Pages.

Never heard of the "UK grime scene." I guess that's what this is. Cool, dark sounding grooves, harsh lyrics, rap with a british accent, pretty repetitious. Next.

Another band I had never heard that influenced acts that eclipsed them. Really cool album - combination of early power pop/glam and nice chill ballad-y tracks. Would definitely revisit and will check out other albums (including their other album on the 1001, which I haven't heard yet). Favorite tracks: Feel (great opening track. Glam vibes, right in the T-Rex, Bowie space), The Ballad of El Goodo (stupid title, but good track), In the Street (That 70s show! and MOAR COWBELL), Thirteen (beautiful ballad - my daughter knew this one because it was in the Disney movie "Stargirl"), Don't Lie to Me (Paul Stanley from Kiss said he was influenced by Big Star - you can hear it on this song), When My Baby's Beside Me (reminds me of Matthew Sweet, also influenced by Big Star), Watch the Sunrise (another nice ballad). Overall conclusion: good stuff.

Damn. Powerful album, with occasionally very uncomfortable lyrics (interestingly, while Jordan, Minnesota is about a true story of a purported child sex ring, Steve Albini later regretted the lyrics when it turned out it was all based on false accusations). I'm particularly impressed by Albini's use of the Roland drum machine - sure, if you know it's a drum machine, it's obvious, but on songs like Kerosene it fits really well (but then right after that, it's clearly a drum machine on Bad Houses). This also sent me down a rabbit hole learning a lot more about Steve Albini, for good and bad. A highly principled guy, who has said some awful things over the years, but also some brilliant things. His AMA on reddit is fascinating: https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/td90c/i_am_steve_albini_ask_me_anything/?limit=500 The harsh edges of this album keep it from being a 5, but the harsh edges are also what make it an intensely cool experience. Favorite tracks: Jordan, Minnesota (like getting punched in the gut and thinking, damn, that's a cool gut punch), Kerosene (incredibly cool song - love the industrial sound, and the lyric "probably learn to die in this town" is awesome - be sure to check out St. Vincent's live cover - you can find it on YouTube), Cables (man, their live shows must have been intense).

So...many...cheesy 60s cliches. The word cheesy kept coming to mind with almost every song. Particularly cheesy: Sometimes in Winter (cheesy music, cheesy lyrics), And When I Die (sounds like a cheesy Broadway track), You've Made Me So Very Happy (oh, so cheesy), and the cheesy horns in Blues Part II during Sunshine of Your Love. Rare exceptions: Spinning Wheel (except for the cheesy last minute, but the verses have a cool funky groove), God Bless the Child (good because the song is good, but there are much better versions out there). More and More was borderline...it has potential, but I think I was just too cheesed out. I hoped the album would get better as I listened a few times, but nope.

Everything I read about this album says it represents the shift from the optimistic 60s to the malaise of the 70s. I definitely hear that in the music, and as a result it's sometimes uncomfortable to listen to. There's nothing wrong with challenging music, but you can almost hear the dysfunction overtaking the band (as a result of Sly Stone's drug use and isolation from the rest of the band - apparently they all recorded separately). There were definitely tracks I liked (Just Like a Baby, Poet, Time, and Thank You for Talkin' to Me Africa), but overall I don't think I want to revisit.