Reviews by meemesker

Spotify started auto-playing similar early 2000s prog acts once this album was over, and it took me 13 tracks to even notice the difference.

Some really strong individual tracks, but as an album it doesn't feel coherent.

Much more than math going on here. They venture out far beyond genres.

Proto punk poetry. Would have been amazing to see her and Television during their residency at CBGB"s.

A true pioneer, with an all star crew of beatmakers behind her.

Finally, a British band I'd not heard of before that I actually enjoy! They're like a new and improved version of The Beta Band. I wish more modern groups were willing to be this fun and playful.

One nasty jam session.

I don't want to join this club.

This is among my favorite albums of all time. Whenever I return to these timeless musical landscapes, I want to stay in them forever.

I also love their story. The main two members, Klaus Dinger and Michael Rother, were so very different from each other, nearly polar opposites. Dinger, an intense, manic, extrovert type, and Rother a more reflective, gentle soul. They didn't even particularly get along well, but I think their willingness to respect each others talents, and commit to finding a middle ground, despite their differences, is sort of remarkable in the egocentric world of music. I'd venture to guess their producer Conny Plank had a huge role in being a buffer between them, harnessing that tension, and finding the common ground that he could weave into a more cohesive whole. Together they developed a relatively simple, but unique formula, which centered around Dinger's propulsive motorik beat, like some kind of nuclear fission engine, and Rother's elegant and versatile guitar musings. Each song is a journey, ever moving forward. And like all the best Krautrock, you can hear them searching for their own sound as they go.

I like all of their albums, but this one is by far their most refined. Solid from top to bottom, bearing songs that reflect each of their personalities and inclinations. The duality that they embody here is what I am so drawn to. It's as if they are able to capture two perspectives simultaneously like some kind of impossible MC Escher drawing going off into infinity. Dinger throwing his hat in the proto-punk ring is the cherry on top.

COOKIE!

I fell in love with these guys with the "Young Liars" EP and rushed out to get this record when it was released. Though they went on to expand their sound on later albums, I still prefer the directness and purity of this earlier work. By leaving more to the imagination, it somehow makes the atmosphere richer. I love their use of electronic elements throughout, and their choices for distortion and tone are exquisite. This album is a great example of being dark and heavy while still retaining a real human beauty. Besides enjoying the tangled webs they weave with their arrangements, I think the thing that is most exciting about their sound is that it's truly centered around the human voice.

I enjoy this, but I definitely think it's missing some major dynamics without Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer.

Though 2 Dinosaur Jr. Albums on the list might be 1 too many, it's hard to choose which one is the best, and this is as good a candidate as any. They have such a consistent sound through the years. I can see how people might be turned off by J. Mascis' voice, but I find it endearing and vulnerable. The use of guitar texture, distortion, and feedback throughout the record is simply amazing. So 3 dimensional you might need to adjust your graphic equalizer. I'd love to see a list of the pedals they used for each song, along with the usual instrumentation info. "Don't" is a bit jarring though, and honestly breaks the spell for me, enough so to bring it down from 5 stars to 4. Otherwise, Dinosaur Jr. have a special knack for making alienation and depression sound almost glorious, sometimes even downright jolly. This is their third album from '88! Dinosaur Jr. deserve alot more credit as forefathers of the alternative and indie rock that came in their footsteps.

One Mudhoney album is probably all that is needed for the list, so maybe this should be it since "Superfuzz Bigmuff" is technically an EP? This is a 3.5 for me, but I'll round up to 4 for influence, and because it holds up well.

There was a time when I would have passed this off as easy listening fluff, and I would have been wrong, just like the label execs that initially disapproved of the album. But I'm old enough now to appreciate the subtle sophistication of these silky smooth tracks, and recognize there is a time and a place for this brand of sublime mellowness. Love that they recorded it in his house with a mobile unit. I feel that's reflected in the cozy and intimate sound. The spare arrangements and laid back approach compliment the material perfectly.

It's like Bill Callahan and Pavement desperately trying to collaborate on the soundtrack to a David Lynch film. Sounds kinda interesting, right? No, unfortunately it's a boring slog.

I don't think live albums should be on the list. However, if a case could be made for a single exception, this might be it. Dylan going electric, and breaking people's brains in the process, is absolutely historic. A shame that streaming services cut out the interaction with the crowd in between songs. It is critical to the experience. Do yourself a favor and track down the CD version, or at least make sure you search a little deeper on YouTube: https://youtu.be/c2SWyTuJiEYsi=LtIzsmoJaAZ1IAG6 and play it fuckin' loud!

This is precisely why I signed up for 1001. How could I have never come across this album in all my years? Just breath-takingly beautiful. Each song seems to walk a line between exquisite pop and fascinating experimentation. Wild, almost unpredictable structures, that kept me on my toes the whole time. She comes across like a more bombastic Joni Mitchell with bigger arrangements. I love Joni, but I think I might like this more? I feel like I've finally been let in on one of music's greatest secrets.

Would much rather have any of three other albums in place of this on the list: Henry Cow's "In Praise of Learning," Art Bears' "The World As It Is Today," or Slapp Happy's "Sort Of" - all of which feature Dagmar Krause on vocals. I mean, go ahead and listen to "Tank Battles," as it is your solemn duty on this 1001 journey - but if you want to hear something that you might actually enjoy, or at least find more interesting, listen to these other records (all available on Spotify to boot). And, while we're talking about German female vocalists, do yourself a favor and listen to Renate Knaup from Amon Duul II.

I'm a big fan of Van Morrison all through the 70s, but... it's a live album. He's a dynamic performer to be sure, oozing with soul, and it was seeing his performance in The Last Waltz that really drew me to him in the first place, but I think that live albums simply shouldn't be a part of this list. I was actually more interested in hearing the covers here because I'd never heard him perform them before.