Reviews by pops

Lou Reed in 'giving the people what they want' shocker. No wonder he had to make a depressing concept album about an abusive relationship next to put everyone off again. (The joke's on him though, because I like Berlin too.)

By the song Dead, Drunk and Naked, if you'd told me that this band weren't really American, let alone Southern, I would have believed you - even the name Drive-By Truckers sounds like a parody. And there was still so, so much of this absurdly long album left to go.

There She Goes deserves its ubiquity, but I think the whole 'Lee Mavers is the great lost genius of British pop' mythology raised my expectations a bit too high for this.

It's not that I don't see where the U2 haters are coming from - Bono's messiah complex, the wheels coming off circa Pop, that automatic iTunes download, yada yada yada. But Sunday Bloody Sunday is still a remarkable sounding record, and this whole album reminds you why U2 became big enough to get on our collective nerves in the first place.

Is one of the secrets behind Elton John and Bernie Taupin's decades-long songwriting partnership that were both equally keen to pretend they weren't English? Between writing songs from the perspective of a Native American warrior and whatever is going on with Elton's already transatlantic accent on Holiday Inn, there were some real choices made on this album. Luckily, there are some incredible tunes too - Levon in particular is up there with Tiny Dancer.

It ran out of steam slightly towards the end, but I enjoyed this sleazy stomp a lot. I might prefer Iggy Pop’s version of China Girl to Bowie’s.

A friend made a painting for me based on the cover of Forever Changes, which is one reason why I have a soft spot for this album. It’s also just a gorgeously off-kilter psychedelic banger.

This is such a touchstone - I know in my own reviews here, I've already used a variation on "this was supposed to be [artist]’s What's Going On." As well as proving that I'm not that original, I think the fact that you can use this album as shorthand for a socially conscious masterpiece says it all.

For his next album, Jah Wobble brought in more guest singers, which was a wise move. I quite liked some of the music, but whether he's singing or doing spoken word, his vocals are definitely a sticking point.

One of the many remarkable things about Kid A is that it went platinum in multiple countries. Radiohead’s ‘we’re sick of being successful, let’s get experimental’ album was still an honest-to-God hit back in the days when people had to part with their hard-earned cash for a CD. So, although I can understand why someone wouldn’t like Radiohead in general and Kid A in particular (full disclosure: I'm a fan of both), I‘m less sure how anyone could argue that it doesn’t deserve a place on this list.

I like U2 - I own a couple of their albums, I've seen them live and enjoyed it - and I think Stuck In a Moment You Can't Get Out Of is one of their best songs. And yet, I'm surprised this is on the list. It was definitely a return to form after Pop, but it's not doing anything that Joshua Tree or Achtung Baby didn't do first.

My general attitude towards Arcade Fire is that I like them, but I don't love them, so it's four stars from me.

Although definitely gothic, this was also a lot catchier than I was expecting. With the benefit of hindsight though, you don’t brings in Jim Steinman as a producer if you’re allergic to fun.

I wasn’t totally sure what this album was trying to achieve. She has an incredible voice and the fact she worked with country greats on it suggests she genuinely loves this music but something about it has a tongue-in cheek feel that made it all a bit kitsch?

Giles “son of George” Martin believes Abbey Road does so well on streaming because the way it was recorded means it sounds more modern than the other Beatles albums. Obviously it’s a five-star classic and there's always a degree of hair-splitting when it comes to your favourite Beatles album, but I am intrigued to know if he’s right and that’s a factor in why it’s currently rating higher than Revolver and Sgt Pepper.

In the immortal words of Marge Simpson, you just don't say no to the Red Headed Stranger. I enjoyed this a lot, and I love Nelson's voice - it's so effortless but so evocative.

Rod Stewart genuinely has one of my all-time favourite voices, and yet I couldn’t really call him one of my favourite artists because he’s recorded some right old dross over the years. Give him a bit of bluesy 1970s rock though, and he's so good that I'm slightly disappointed when Ronnie Lane sings lead instead. No offence Ronnie, but Rod would have knocked You're So Rude out of the park.

The Wikipedia summary says David Peschek of Mojo called Sulk "their florid, hysterical masterpiece". I agree with florid and hysterical at least.

It's not doing anything particularly groundbreaking, but I enjoyed this as a soulful, laidback hip hop album. I also now know Common as someone other than that bloke from John Wick 2.

This feels like the midway point between the kitschy 60s pop of Life and the rockier sound of Gran Turismo, and for me that’s the Cardigans’ sweet spot.