Reviews by kenny-mike

I was one of maybe three or four teenagers who listened to an inordinate amount of Captain Beefheart in the 1980s. That was strange I admit, but the music is stranger still. I wouldn’t be surprised if this album single-handedly led many to jump off the 1001 bandwagon altogether.

That would be an understandable response to this surreal, dissonant, experimental tour de craziness. And I almost downgraded the album myself. But then, it draws me back in again… I surrender to the surreal, I ride along, and I’m captivated the way you get captivated by a strange yet provocative piece of artwork.

An interesting benefit of this 1001 list is that it leads me to give a fresh listen to all-too-familiar bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd. I heard their hits so often that I stopped truly listening decades ago. Now, with some distance and with the assignment to hear an entire album, I can appreciate the talent again. Great guitar riffs, energizing piano, some bravado, some humor… really good stuff. Definitely deserving, 4/5, and I can understand if others go higher.

WARNING: Albums that were not well received in their day but later were "reconsidered by critics who now consider it their best" is often the kiss of death on this list. Consider yourself kissed.

I really don't think we need 5 out of the first 6 Byrds albums to be on the list. Specifically, we didn't need this one. "But they are being more experimental!" is not a justification for its inclusion when every band after Sgt Pepper had figured that out. The Byrds were an important band. There are some nice sounds on this album but their first album is the most deserving and most interesting in my opinion.

Tracy Chapman offered a quiet lament, and requested that the promises of America be fulfilled (or at least that the police might show up on time), and told the stories of those who still felt stuck, trapped, forgotten.

Not the only socially conscious music of its era, but distinct in its style and gentleness. At the Grammys in 1989, this album would be honored and, for the first time, the rap performance category was added. It was awarded to DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince for their suburban protest that “Parents Just Don’t Understand” while bands like Public Enemy sat out of the untelevised affair.

Back to Tracy Chapman. This is a very good album with songs that bid you to listen. Not only to the music but to the voices behind the songs. On the second side the lyrics and story telling aren’t quite as strong, but this talented artist was in her young 20s when these songs were released.

A worthy album for sure.

This music is out of my wheelhouse and the fairest rating I can give is down the middle with a 3/5. My experience is more of a 2/5 rounding up, which is what I rated their earlier album contained on this list. But I was probably more grumpy after hearing that one because I listened to the whole thing.

Next!

Mark Knolfler’s guitar work is elegant and engaging. “Sultans of Swing” is indeed the best example, including the masterful solo, so there’s no deep cut to offer in its place.

That said, the album as a whole is not in my sweet spot. And I’m unsure how to categorize it: Is it rock and roll but without the bite, or soft rock with teeth? It seems to be an elusive mix of lighter rock, country, folk, and a dash of blues, hey maybe even jazz? But the key word is “lighter.” Stated more positively, it’s smooth.

I’m rounding a 3.5 up to 4 because I could see spending more time here…

I can only imagine how great this must have sounded in 1978, in context, and on vinyl. But hey, it still stands out from the crowd — a unique, interesting, enjoyable punk-to-new-wave experience. Riot grrrl before Riot grrrl, a bid to be your Joey Ramone before Sleater-Kinney made the ask two decades later.

Exploring the only album released in Buddy Holly’s short lifetime, I’m most attracted to the brief guitar solos and flourishes. And I’m intrigued to hear some of popular music that led up to the revolutionary sounds of the following decade.

I pay my respects with a 5/5.

John Prine sounds like Bob Dylan. But I already have a Bob Dylan, and I like the one I have. What to do? How about 3/5 for good songwriting and the interesting Jesus references.

Deep Purple is a perfectly named band. The guitar, bass, and organ combine for a deep, even ominous sound, but just as often provide colorful, soaring solos and jams. The drum fills add even more energy to an already hard driving sound.

I just really enjoy this music.

I recently listened (and re-listened) to “In Rock,” the other studio album on the 1001 list. Each features a band that is in the zone. This album is only slightly more controlled and able to produce a single (“Smoke”) or three.

Each of these albums hovers around 4.5/5 for me. Since I rounded up to 5 on “In Rock,” I’ll round down to 4 on this one, with its only deficit being its lack of lyrical depth. But that’s not to say it isn’t a great joy ride.

With Led Zeppelin, the whole is LESS than the sum of the parts. There are many great riffs and musically interesting moments - my favorite might be when the music explodes halfway through “Babe” - but the end result often feels less than authentic.

I think a lot is explained by the fact that Robert Plant was only 20 when this album was released. (Jimmy Page 25, John Bonham 20 and JPJ 23.) This renders the lyrics and the blues presentation less credible, even as each individual musician shines.

Still, it is an impressive debut album with great musicianship.

The Byrds are over-represented on this list, but this album deserves the honor. It sounds great and apparently spearheaded folk rock — or folk psychedelic rock?

The album arrived in 1965, in between Dylan’s two transformative albums: Bringing It All Back Home and Highway 61. It also arrived after Beatles For Sale but before Help! Given that context, it’s all the more remarkable that the Byrds offer a distinct sound and such a strong album top to bottom.

Of course, they cover Dylan like crazy - that was how it worked then. It was actually Dylan and Lennon/McCartney who changed those norms by writing their own original songs and crafting albums as an art form. But hey, the Byrds’ sound influenced George Harrison and maybe even the overall vibe of Rubber Soul, so props to them as well.

5/5 for the best album I’ve heard yet by The Byrds at a time when they were laying foundations with the greats.

You may ask yourself, “What other band sounded like this in 1980?”

For a band that was already expanding their sound on each new album, Talking Heads’ fourth studio album was still a huge leap forward. They added many new layers here, both philosophically, lyrically, and musically. While I most enjoy the sheer energy and punchiness of other albums, this is a great achievement.

Favorite songs: The Great Curve because it’s such a great groove; and Listening Wind, because it’s such a great story.

Song Credits Where Credits Due:
Chris Franz and Tina Weymouth write in their autobiography that the band nearly broke up over David Byrne’s waywardness / solo projects, but they coaxed him back into the studio by the jams that laid the foundation of this album. Don’t undervalue the rhythm section here!

How many stars do I have to give to make this go away?

Is two enough?

What a powerful example of Album Oriented (Hard, Progressive) Rock.

I grew up on hard rock and thought I grew out of it. But this album had so much energy and drive, I felt like I was in the front row of an explosive concert performance. And after moving over to more alternative music 40 years ago, I am pleasantly surprised to discover how much I enjoy the musicianship here - that organ! those drums! that guitar work! (Lyrics… ehh, tbd.)

Ok, I am placing this at 4.5/5… maybe it’s the surprise, maybe it’s some nostalgia (full disclosure: I saw this band live in ‘84), but I don’t think so. This is good stuff.

I’ve always enjoyed my touch points with Big Star, the so-called “forgotten band” of the early 70s. They are a friendly voice, the kind of band prophesied by George Harrison when he sang “Here Comes the Sun.” It’s the sound of respite after the tumult.

“So, tell me, how is it that a man like you, so bald, so quirky and funny, how is it you're not taken?"
— Marisa Tomei to George Costanza in “Seinfeld”

That’s this album. How is it that this album isn’t a sure thing? Why aren’t the reviews stronger? Why don’t I like it better since I so greatly enjoy Elvis Costello’s first two albums?

It’s not you it’s us, Elvis! This is good stuff but just not as immediately arresting as some of your other work. Still, it’s great to see you expand your sound and deepen your lyrics—a foretaste of the rich and varied career ahead of you.

Favorites, probably: “Accidents Will Happen,” “Goon Squad,” “What’s So Funny…”

3.75/5

From the first song, I loved the sound and the vibe. It was at the third song, Dress, that I thought, “There’s no way PJ Harvey didn’t influence Sleater-Kinney,” and that’s a big compliment.

This is a great, heavy, emotionally rich sound for 1992. The album is no less than a 4/5. I only held back from rounding up to 5 because I would have loved more variety, an expansion of some sort. Maybe on later albums? Or maybe even on my next listen?

In any case, the album begins and ends so strong. I’m in.

An early departure from pure punk, which was a smart move in 1978. Purity in that genre could get you running around in circles for a long time. In fact, the Saints seem determined to poke at that part of the punk subculture they found both Down Under and in the UK - the conformity found within the alleged nonconformity. But “you don’t need your brain more” and ultimately “we are watching the same movies.”
The critique reminds of the Mothers of Invention, whose parody album “We’re Only In It for the Money” saw through the conformity of the nonconformists a decade earlier. And the overall musical direction reminds me of Green Day, a band that two decades later started out punk but didn’t want to be caged in.

Don’t get me wrong, I like punk - but I love those who take its energy and attitude in fresh directions. This album does just that.

Talking Heads did what few bands do: release a string of fantastic albums, each one successfully building on and expanding on their sound and vision. In their case, the first five studio albums fit that bill and then the climax is the great live production Stop Making Sense.

This album is the beginning of that sequence. Punk was still in its infancy when Talking Heads introduced us to new wave, but more importantly to their unique style. It is groovy, airy, rhythmic, witty, and edgy. It is great stuff.

And if you only know “Psycho Killer,” make sure to lean into “No Compassion.” And on the other hand, you can find a more conformist psychosis in “Don’t Worry About the Government.”

5/5 and play this one again.