1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die was first published in 2005 by Universe Publishing. Edited by Robert Dimery, it contains a chronological list of albums chosen by a panel of music critics to be the most important, influential, and best in popular music between the 1950s and the 2000s. It was reissued in 2008 with a revised list, and again in 2011, 2013 and 2016. From first publication the list has been a topic of much debate, with some disagreement regarding albums left out or included; however, it is widely regarded as a very useful starting point for the main musical references of the late 20th century. As the 2005 book is the first and has the most impact, that is the list I've used here.
I'm working my way through the list, and also comparing it with other lists.
Brought forward= 870
Albums marked $ are ones I agree with (10)
Albums marked @ are ones I am considering adding to the list (24)
Albums marked + are ones I have added to the list (13)
Albums marked ?? are ones I am wondering should be removed (-12)
Albums marked @ are ones I am considering adding to the list (24)
Albums marked + are ones I have added to the list (13)
Albums marked ?? are ones I am wondering should be removed (-12)
Albums marked XX are ones I have removed (-37)
Running total: 917
84 short.
Albums marked RS are on Rolling Stones 500 Greatest Albums
Albums marked MC are on Mojo's 100 Records That Changed The World
Albums marked C4 are on Channel 4's 100 Greatest Albums
Albums marked NM are on NARM The Definitive 200
Albums marked G50 are on The Guardian 50 Albums That Changed Music
Albums marked UC are on Uncut's 200 Greatest Albums Of All Time
Albums marked NME are on NME's 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time
Albums marked Q are on Q's 100 Greatest Albums Ever (2006)
[HH] = Hip-hop/rap
***
2000
$ Linkin Park – Hybrid Theory (NM) Best selling band in the nu metal scene. This is one of the best selling albums in the world. Probably the most balanced, varied, mature, and approachable of the nu bands. Like a blend of Faith No More and Nirvana. The lyrics are rather direct and simple expressions of angst and resentment without the depth and poetry of Nirvana - but that directness and simplicity is part of what gives the band its large audience. It's not great stuff, but it's listenable, and I understand the appeal. If there is to be an album that represents nu this is probably it. Score: 5
@ Nelly - Country Grammar (NM) Pop-rap (hip-hop)
@ Shaggy - Hot Shot Attractive blend of rap (hip-hop), reggae, and pop. This is his best known and best selling album.
@ Idlewild - 100 Broken Windows A sort of post-Nineties band carrying the mixed influences of Nirvana and REM on their shoulders. It's an attractive mix, done intelligently.
?? Björk – Vespertine See Debut 1993
?? Common – Like Water for Chocolate Hip-hop rapper.
?? Badly Drawn Boy – Hour of Bewilderbeast Debut album of low-fi singer-songwriter. Modest appeal. Mildly interesting.
?? Doves – Lost Souls
Radiohead – Kid A (RS) (Q)
P.J. Harvey – Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea (Q)
Erykah Badu – Mama’s Gun Neo soul I like this. Reminds me of someone. Funky. Wah wah pedal. Try also the debut Baduizm (1997)
Eminem – Marshall Mathers LP (RS) (C4) (NM) (Q)
Radiohead – Amnesiac (Q)
Silver Jews – Bright Flight Interesting and likeable. There are a number of artists producing work like this around this time. Needs looking into. On the whole I'm not seeing this as a significant recording, but I am drawn toward it.
$ Bebel Gilberto – Tanto Tempo Very pleasing modern bossa nova. Worth hearing.
$ Goldfrapp – Felt Mountain Trip hop incorporating music ideas and echoes from a variety of styles including Sixties film music. Interestingly done, and with an attractive dark edge. Though not as popular as their/her later albums, this is widely seen as the best Goldfrapp album (so far).
+ Papa Roach - Infest Considered part of nu metal, though more rock than nu, and are positively melodic and pop compared to the rest of the pack - kinds remind me of the under-rated Terrorvision. Infest is an understandably big selling album, and - along with Hybrid Theory - represents nu in the 2000s.
***
2001
$ The Beta Band – Hot Shots II Rather minor trip hop / folktronica. I'm getting into this.
@ Various - Best of Giorgio Moroder Moroder is significant as an early user of moog, but his most significant work is as writer and producer, such as with "I Feel Love" sung by Donna Summer, which is sadly linked with her name rather than his, so it is difficult to get an album which really sums up his achievement. Putting this here as a placeholder more than anything else....
@ Bob Dylan - Love and Theft (RS)
@ Shakira - Laundry Service (NM) Hugely successful Latin-pop artist with interesting Arabian influences. This was her first English language album, and so the album which really launched her globally. There's a lot going on here - some slick pop, but also interesting rock riffs and Arabian rhythms. It veers from Eurovision pap to indie rock. Worth keeping here for a while to consider alongside Jennifer Lopez (and her main album On The 6) and Gloria Estefan.
@ Alicia Keys - Songs In A Mirror Neo soul.
@ Tool - Lateralus (NM) Progressive metal, apparently.
@ Muse - Origin of Symmetry (Q) Acclaimed and respected. This, their second album, is the first to gain serious critical attention. Gosh, very much like Radiohead. This kind of goes to show just how significant Radiohead are in the 21st century. Popping here to consider the band seriously. Also consider Absolution (2004), the album that broke them in America, and is - as such - the most popular album among Americans. Still Radiohead influenced (is that the right word?), but with some Queen influenced prog-rock added. Hmmm. Perhaps not that album. And finally, consider Black Holes & Revelations (2006), where the band are trying to move away from the Radiohead-copyists tag, but the end result is to enter into the "overblown" and "pretentious" negative aspects of prog-rock rather than the awe-inspiring originality, daring, and genuine musical talent of Radiohead. I think there are attractive moments in Muse, but they are very much in Radiohead's shadow, and don't produce anything genuinely original, inspired, or moving. Hmmm - the Black Holes album is growing on me.
?? Bruce Springsteen – The Rising
The Strokes – Is This It (RS) (MC) (C4) (G50) (NME) (Q)
Gotan Project – La Revancha del Tango Electronic tango. Yeah, kinda quirky and likeable, but how significant is this?
The White Stripes – White Blood Cells (NM) (Q)
Röyksopp – Melody AM
Super Furry Animals – Rings Around the World
Ms Dynamite – A Little Deeper
Johnny Cash – American IV: Man Comes Around
The Flaming Lips – Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
Doves – Last Broadcast
Missy Elliott – Under Construction
The Roots – Phrenology Hip-hop
Justin Timberlake – Justified
The Vines – Highly Evolved
The Hives – Your New Favourite Band
$ Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (NME) (Q)
$ The Coral – The Coral Neo-Psychedelia band which, in common with other early 21st century bands, utilise a range of genres and influences (particularly from the late Sixties and from BritPop), and produce moderately interesting music that sadly lacks focus, and can drift. Album contains the single "Dreaming Of You" which has echoes of The La's. Their second album produced four Top 20 singles including "Pass It On". Score: 5 1/2
@ Bob Dylan - Love and Theft (RS)
@ Shakira - Laundry Service (NM) Hugely successful Latin-pop artist with interesting Arabian influences. This was her first English language album, and so the album which really launched her globally. There's a lot going on here - some slick pop, but also interesting rock riffs and Arabian rhythms. It veers from Eurovision pap to indie rock. Worth keeping here for a while to consider alongside Jennifer Lopez (and her main album On The 6) and Gloria Estefan.
@ Alicia Keys - Songs In A Mirror Neo soul.
@ Tool - Lateralus (NM) Progressive metal, apparently.
@ Muse - Origin of Symmetry (Q) Acclaimed and respected. This, their second album, is the first to gain serious critical attention. Gosh, very much like Radiohead. This kind of goes to show just how significant Radiohead are in the 21st century. Popping here to consider the band seriously. Also consider Absolution (2004), the album that broke them in America, and is - as such - the most popular album among Americans. Still Radiohead influenced (is that the right word?), but with some Queen influenced prog-rock added. Hmmm. Perhaps not that album. And finally, consider Black Holes & Revelations (2006), where the band are trying to move away from the Radiohead-copyists tag, but the end result is to enter into the "overblown" and "pretentious" negative aspects of prog-rock rather than the awe-inspiring originality, daring, and genuine musical talent of Radiohead. I think there are attractive moments in Muse, but they are very much in Radiohead's shadow, and don't produce anything genuinely original, inspired, or moving. Hmmm - the Black Holes album is growing on me.
?? Bruce Springsteen – The Rising
The Strokes – Is This It (RS) (MC) (C4) (G50) (NME) (Q)
Gotan Project – La Revancha del Tango Electronic tango. Yeah, kinda quirky and likeable, but how significant is this?
The White Stripes – White Blood Cells (NM) (Q)
Röyksopp – Melody AM
Super Furry Animals – Rings Around the World
Ms Dynamite – A Little Deeper
Johnny Cash – American IV: Man Comes Around
The Flaming Lips – Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
Doves – Last Broadcast
Missy Elliott – Under Construction
The Roots – Phrenology Hip-hop
Justin Timberlake – Justified
The Vines – Highly Evolved
The Hives – Your New Favourite Band
$ Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (NME) (Q)
***
2002
$ The Coral – The Coral Neo-Psychedelia band which, in common with other early 21st century bands, utilise a range of genres and influences (particularly from the late Sixties and from BritPop), and produce moderately interesting music that sadly lacks focus, and can drift. Album contains the single "Dreaming Of You" which has echoes of The La's. Their second album produced four Top 20 singles including "Pass It On". Score: 5 1/2
@ Imperial Teen - On Indie pop band making interesting and attractive music.
@ The Decemberists - Castaways & Cutouts Working in the same folky-pop area as Belle and Sebastian. Pleasant stuff. I may not keep it, but it's worth thinking about. Reminds me of The Levellers in places.
+ Avril Lavigne - Let Go (NM) Power pop that has generally been accepted by the critics, so has an air of legitimacy. The critics call it "pop punk" as the term "punk" conveys respectability. I like it because it's power pop - there's nothing punk about songs like "I'm With You".
+ D'Angelo - Black Messiah Interesting - more funky than the two previous releases. The Prince influence is clearer - though, for me, D'Angelo is more funky and interesting and soulful than Prince. Score: 6
+ The Subways - The Subways (2015) Infectious power pop. Score: 5 1/2
+ Various - Now That's What I Call Classic Rock This is a very useful four hour sampler of most of the commercial pop-rock (or "classic rock") that prevailed during the Seventies and into the Eighties. With this you don't need to listen to albums by Bon Jovi, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Kiss, Bad Company, Status Quo, Steppenwolf, Slade, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, ZZ Top, Boston, Meat Loaf, Blue Oyster Cult, Whitesnake, Judas Priest, Survivor, Deep Purple, Lenny Kravitz, Nickelback, etc. Score: 5
+ Steve Winwood – Winwood Greatest Hits Live A useful and attractive summary of the career of a sadly neglected early British soul singer and keyboardist. Score: 6 1/2
XX Emmylou Harris – Red Dirt Girl This is too muddled for me.
XX Madonna – Music (RS) Around the year 2000 a few albums with elements of folk and electronic music (folktronic) were released - this, and albums by Beth Orton and Dido. I prefer Dido's music.
XX Red Snapper – Our Aim is to Satisfy British acid jazz instrumental trio.
XX OutKast – Stankonia (RS) More hip-hop. Not a style of music that I have a lot of interest in or sympathy for. At times it can really lift, but mostly it is too inward looking and self-referential, like heavy metal. I'm not seeing any historic or social significance in this Southern version of hip hop - the subtleties of that distinction are for hip hop fans only. In the wider context of the world, this album has little resonance.
XX Mike Ladd – Welcome to the Afterfuture Hip-hop / rap. There are melodic moments, and some interesting moments which lift Ladd above the average hip hop slums, but he's too underground to be worth listening to. There are other hip hop artists who are melodic, interesting and big time.
XX Limp Bizkit – Chocolate Starfish & the Hot Dog Flavored Water Prominent nu metal and/or rapcore band mixing rap with heavy metal. This is not a style I like, combining as it does two music styles I dislike, and that the intention is to alienate in the crudest way possible (loud riffs and loud screeching and loud swearing) so it comes across as rather inarticulate teenage screeching rather than anything meaningful. This album is very limited - their 1997 debut, Three Dollar Bill Y'all $, is better and generally more highly regarded, but even that is too limited. This is very small stuff indeed.
XX Giant Sand – Chore of Enchantment A modest alternative country (or alternative country-rock) band. Reminds me a bit of Beck and a bit of the Meat Puppets and a bit Magic Numbers. The significant artists in this genre appear to be Uncle Tupelo, Wilco, Son Volt and Bottle Rockets.
XX Coldplay – Parachutes (C4) (Q) A pop-rock band with indie elements - sounds like Radiohead's younger, more commercial brother with bits of U2 guitar. For me this has a sense of Smashing Pumpkins' commercial "indie by numbers" approach of lifting ideas from other bands and utilising them without adding anything other than a melodic gloss that gives them a commercial appeal, but says nothing meaningful. I understand the commercial appeal, but this leaves me cold. Lacks authenticity and significance. Go listen to Radiohead for the real thing.
XX The Avalanches – Since I Left You The opening track stunned me with it's archaic sweeping disco sounds and simplistic PM Dawn / Da La Soul echoes. I couldn't believe that anyone could produce such old fashioned and derivative mawkishness in the 21st century, let alone that the album from which this sound came could be acclaimed as one of the best of the 21st century. By the second track, with its echoes of Nineties dance bands like Saint Etienne and Eighties commercial hip hop bands like The Beastie Boys, I was in despair. Nothing that came after changed my mind.
XX Elliott Smith – Figure 8 Troubled individual who appears to have become something of a cult figure, as such people often do.
XX Ute Lemper – Punishing Kiss German chanteuse, known for her interpretations of Kurt Veil, works with The Divine Comedy on songs written by those influenced by Veil such as Costello, Nick Cave and Tom Waits. Lacks a bit of drive and impact, but interesting. Hmmm - perhaps not as interesting as it could be....
XX Air – Virgin Suicides: Original Motion Picture Score
XX U2 – All That You Can’t Leave Behind (RS) (NM) (Q) This is partly a return to the sound of U2's acclaimed albums such as Unforgettable Fire, Joshua Tree, and Achtung Baby, with Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois coming back for production duties and creative guidance. The result is patchy, but the big sound and the romance is back in places, and there are classic-period U2 songs like "Beautiful Day" and "Stuck In A Moment", along with the electronic type Achtung Baby type songs like "Elevation", but on the whole the album is marred by its lack of focus, lack of commitment and authenticity, and a feeling that the band are stepping backwards to try and recapture something they lost - which was a particular feature of a number of long term artists on reaching the new millennium. Many of the songs and performances are average at best, such as "Wild Honey" - a rather dull country rock piece, and "New York" - a derivative Lou Reed piece. All in all a listenable album, but not a terrific one. Score: 5
XX Ryan Adams – Heartbreaker Starts off like Blonde On Blonde era Bob Dylan indicating Adam's tendency to rely too heavily on his influences, this is nevertheless an attractive solo debut. Not quite bold enough to really stand out, the album is pleasant enough to listen to. Score: 5
XX MJ Cole – Sincere UK garage, an electronic genre, which sounds a bit jazzy. Quite bright and melodic, but lacking authenticity and emotional depth. It's more about the melodic ideas and rhythms than about organic music. This is the sort of stuff that a computor could compose. Score: 4
@ The Decemberists - Castaways & Cutouts Working in the same folky-pop area as Belle and Sebastian. Pleasant stuff. I may not keep it, but it's worth thinking about. Reminds me of The Levellers in places.
+ Avril Lavigne - Let Go (NM) Power pop that has generally been accepted by the critics, so has an air of legitimacy. The critics call it "pop punk" as the term "punk" conveys respectability. I like it because it's power pop - there's nothing punk about songs like "I'm With You".
***
2003
?? Morrissey – You Are the Quarry Same sound as The Smiths. It's an OK album, but there's little difference between this and all his other albums. But it's sharper. Score: 6
@ Dido - Life For Rent
@ The Black Eyed Peas - Elephunk
@ Death Cab For Cutie - Transatlanticism Indie rock and/or indie pop band that developed from from small-time solo project to Grammy-nominated rock band. This is their breakthrough album. Pleasant, but quite small. I'm not hearing anything here that I've not heard before.
@ Kelli Ali - Tigermouth The female singer from Sneaker Pimps. Her voice has the same attraction as on Becoming X. While the rhythms are not as enticing, there is still a lot of appeal - and indicates what a shame it was for the band to drop her. Their own follow up work without her was musically interesting, but without her voice, lacked appeal.
@ British Sea Power - The Decline of British Sea Power Indie rock that feels a little out of its time.
?? Björk – Medúlla See Debut 1993
?? OutKast – Speakerboxxx/Love Below (C4) (NM) I really like "Hey" - imaginative, creative, full of musical references, and great fun. The other stuff is patchy, but there's some interesting and pleasing tracks.
?? Arcade Fire – Funeral (NME) I'm still not quite there with Arcade Fire.
Radiohead – Hail to the Thief
The White Stripes – Elephant (C4)
Dizzee Rascal – Boy in da Corner
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Fever to Tell
50 Cent – Get Rich or Die Tryin’ (NM)
The Mars Volta – Deloused in the Comatorium
Rufus Wainwright – Want One
Devendra Banhart – Rejoicing in the Hands Modern folk. Interesting. It would be worth exploring this genre a little more.
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – Abattoir Blues/Lyre of Orpheus
N*E*R*D – Fly or Die Funk hip-hop.
The Beta Band – Heroes to Zeros Likable. Yes maybe.
Ozomatli – Street Signs Latin Hip-hop - quite poppy and likeable.
Kanye West – College Dropout Highly respected and hugely successful pop singer and rapper. (Hip-hop)
CeeLo Green – Is the Soul Machine Hip-hop
TV on the Radio – Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes Indie rock.
Liars – They Were Wrong, So We Drowned
Rufus Wainwright – Want Two
MIA (UK) – Arular
Beck – Guero
The White Stripes – Get Behind Me Satan
$ Scissor Sisters – Scissor Sisters Intelligent, melodic, thoughtful pop music, which has been labelled pop rock, whatever that means. Sounds like disco pop to me.
$ The Zutons – Who Killed the Zutons?
$ Calexico – Feast of Wire Indie-rock/country/folk There's a bit of Beck and a bit of Seventies country-rock. OK.
$ Franz Ferdinand – Franz Ferdinand Part of Post punk revival. The band have a distinctive sound.
+ Dolly Parton – Ultimate Dolly Parton Parton is the most famous and successful country star, and Coat of Many Colors (1971) (RS) is widely seen as her most notable album. She has, though, been more notable for her singles than her albums, and Ultimate Dolly Parton, released in 2003 gathers together those songs most associated with her, and includes the best song on the Coat of Many Colors album - the title track.
+ Beyonce - Dangerously In Love (NM) Beyonce burst out as a global solo artist with the breathless "Crazy In Love". Spoiled from perfection by the intrusions of the lyrically poor Jay-Z, but otherwise a brilliant piece of energetic musical theatre. The rest of the album doesn't quite meet that height, but contains fascinating African rythyms, and is bright, assured, and intelligent.
@ The Black Eyed Peas - Elephunk
@ Death Cab For Cutie - Transatlanticism Indie rock and/or indie pop band that developed from from small-time solo project to Grammy-nominated rock band. This is their breakthrough album. Pleasant, but quite small. I'm not hearing anything here that I've not heard before.
@ Kelli Ali - Tigermouth The female singer from Sneaker Pimps. Her voice has the same attraction as on Becoming X. While the rhythms are not as enticing, there is still a lot of appeal - and indicates what a shame it was for the band to drop her. Their own follow up work without her was musically interesting, but without her voice, lacked appeal.
@ British Sea Power - The Decline of British Sea Power Indie rock that feels a little out of its time.
?? Björk – Medúlla See Debut 1993
?? OutKast – Speakerboxxx/Love Below (C4) (NM) I really like "Hey" - imaginative, creative, full of musical references, and great fun. The other stuff is patchy, but there's some interesting and pleasing tracks.
?? Arcade Fire – Funeral (NME) I'm still not quite there with Arcade Fire.
Radiohead – Hail to the Thief
The White Stripes – Elephant (C4)
Dizzee Rascal – Boy in da Corner
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Fever to Tell
50 Cent – Get Rich or Die Tryin’ (NM)
The Mars Volta – Deloused in the Comatorium
Rufus Wainwright – Want One
Devendra Banhart – Rejoicing in the Hands Modern folk. Interesting. It would be worth exploring this genre a little more.
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – Abattoir Blues/Lyre of Orpheus
N*E*R*D – Fly or Die Funk hip-hop.
The Beta Band – Heroes to Zeros Likable. Yes maybe.
Ozomatli – Street Signs Latin Hip-hop - quite poppy and likeable.
Kanye West – College Dropout Highly respected and hugely successful pop singer and rapper. (Hip-hop)
CeeLo Green – Is the Soul Machine Hip-hop
TV on the Radio – Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes Indie rock.
Liars – They Were Wrong, So We Drowned
Rufus Wainwright – Want Two
MIA (UK) – Arular
Beck – Guero
The White Stripes – Get Behind Me Satan
$ Scissor Sisters – Scissor Sisters Intelligent, melodic, thoughtful pop music, which has been labelled pop rock, whatever that means. Sounds like disco pop to me.
$ The Zutons – Who Killed the Zutons?
$ Calexico – Feast of Wire Indie-rock/country/folk There's a bit of Beck and a bit of Seventies country-rock. OK.
$ Franz Ferdinand – Franz Ferdinand Part of Post punk revival. The band have a distinctive sound.
+ Dolly Parton – Ultimate Dolly Parton Parton is the most famous and successful country star, and Coat of Many Colors (1971) (RS) is widely seen as her most notable album. She has, though, been more notable for her singles than her albums, and Ultimate Dolly Parton, released in 2003 gathers together those songs most associated with her, and includes the best song on the Coat of Many Colors album - the title track.
+ Beyonce - Dangerously In Love (NM) Beyonce burst out as a global solo artist with the breathless "Crazy In Love". Spoiled from perfection by the intrusions of the lyrically poor Jay-Z, but otherwise a brilliant piece of energetic musical theatre. The rest of the album doesn't quite meet that height, but contains fascinating African rythyms, and is bright, assured, and intelligent.
***
2004
$ The Streets – A Grand Don’t Come for Free (C4) Interesting new form of delivery articulating the young man on the street. Bold, direct, inventive, and sometimes hugely emotional. Good stuff. Score: 6 1/2
@ Usher - Confessions (NM) Popular and pleasant smooth RnB singer.
?? Mylo – Destroy Rock & Roll Quite likeable and quirky electronic soundscapes, but doesn't advance on what Beaver & Krause were doing, nor it is as interesting or melodiously structured - it's a little simplistic in places, like DJ music.
+ Madeleine Peyroux - Careless Love Lovely!
+ Kasabian - Kasabian Pretty much a Nineties tribute band covering the sound of Stones Roses, Happy Mondays, Primal Scream, Oasis, etc. Quite slight, but easy listening, and in the absence of the originals, quite popular. Score: 4
+ The Magic Numbers - The Magic Numbers Thoughtful and affecting folk tinged pop. Score: 6
?? Mylo – Destroy Rock & Roll Quite likeable and quirky electronic soundscapes, but doesn't advance on what Beaver & Krause were doing, nor it is as interesting or melodiously structured - it's a little simplistic in places, like DJ music.
+ Madeleine Peyroux - Careless Love Lovely!
+ Kasabian - Kasabian Pretty much a Nineties tribute band covering the sound of Stones Roses, Happy Mondays, Primal Scream, Oasis, etc. Quite slight, but easy listening, and in the absence of the originals, quite popular. Score: 4
***
2005
+ The Magic Numbers - The Magic Numbers Thoughtful and affecting folk tinged pop. Score: 6
+ Various - 1980 Forward: 25 Years of 4AD Well organised compilation of one of the most significant small record labels. Score: 6
+ Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
+ Antony and the Johnsons - I Am A Bird Now
+ Amy Winehouse – Back to Black (NME) I was slow to get Winehouse. I didn't warm to her first album, Frank (2003) as it was rather old school jazz ballads, so I wasn't compelled to engage with anything from her second album as it appeared the same old, same old. And I felt confirmed that she was being over-hyped when she and Mick Ronson covered the Zuton's excellent "Valerie" with their own over-slick, superficial version: "Valerie". But over time, particularly seeing her perform live on TV, I could see that there was something very special about this singer. This album is very different to the jazzy debut. This incorporates soul and RnB - blending Motown, Sixties girl groups, and modern RnB with smoky jazz ballad vocals. The lyrics are brutal, vulnerable, honest, and so universal. This is not some tin pan alley falsely writing about falling in and out of love, this is a women writing about a very real and hurting relationship, and it's devastating impact on her. This album could never have been made if Winehouse had never met her Blake and had a stormy relationship while drinking, loving and listening to the Sixties juke box in the Hawley Arms in Camden. She was emotionally involved and somewhat disturbed, and everything that was was - her vulnerability, her brass, her intelligence, her tenderness, and her desire to be loved came out in the album. Score: 8
@ Snow Patrol - Eyes Open Very popular band in the class of Radiohead and Coldplay that employed stadium rock styles with dream pop. This contains "Chasing Cars" their most successful song, and possibly their finest moment.
@ Juana Molina Un Dia Interesting and attractive
+ The Ting Tings - We Started Nothing
+ Bob Dylan - Tempest
+ Frank Ocean - Channel Orange
2013
+ Various - Pure... Psychedelic Rock Jefferson Airplane, The Byrds, Spirit, etc. An intriguing selection - some omissions (no Beatles, no Doors, no Cream, no 13th Floor Elevators, no Hendrix, etc), and some odd inclusions (Lou Reed, Lemon Pipers, Delaney & Bonnie, etc), but a sort of blurred snapshot of a period of music in which a range of bands were playing around with the concept of psychedelic music.
2014
+ Antony and the Johnsons - I Am A Bird Now
***
2006
+ Amy Winehouse – Back to Black (NME) I was slow to get Winehouse. I didn't warm to her first album, Frank (2003) as it was rather old school jazz ballads, so I wasn't compelled to engage with anything from her second album as it appeared the same old, same old. And I felt confirmed that she was being over-hyped when she and Mick Ronson covered the Zuton's excellent "Valerie" with their own over-slick, superficial version: "Valerie". But over time, particularly seeing her perform live on TV, I could see that there was something very special about this singer. This album is very different to the jazzy debut. This incorporates soul and RnB - blending Motown, Sixties girl groups, and modern RnB with smoky jazz ballad vocals. The lyrics are brutal, vulnerable, honest, and so universal. This is not some tin pan alley falsely writing about falling in and out of love, this is a women writing about a very real and hurting relationship, and it's devastating impact on her. This album could never have been made if Winehouse had never met her Blake and had a stormy relationship while drinking, loving and listening to the Sixties juke box in the Hawley Arms in Camden. She was emotionally involved and somewhat disturbed, and everything that was was - her vulnerability, her brass, her intelligence, her tenderness, and her desire to be loved came out in the album. Score: 8
@ Snow Patrol - Eyes Open Very popular band in the class of Radiohead and Coldplay that employed stadium rock styles with dream pop. This contains "Chasing Cars" their most successful song, and possibly their finest moment.
***
2008
@ Juana Molina Un Dia Interesting and attractive
+ The Ting Tings - We Started Nothing
***
2011
+ Adele - 21 Not quite Amy Winehouse, but a smooth and popular singer who sings with honesty and an attractive soft emotional rasp in her voice. The final track on the album, "Someone Like You" is a modern classic. Score: 6 1/2
2012
+ Bob Dylan - Tempest
+ Frank Ocean - Channel Orange
2013
+ Various - Pure... Psychedelic Rock Jefferson Airplane, The Byrds, Spirit, etc. An intriguing selection - some omissions (no Beatles, no Doors, no Cream, no 13th Floor Elevators, no Hendrix, etc), and some odd inclusions (Lou Reed, Lemon Pipers, Delaney & Bonnie, etc), but a sort of blurred snapshot of a period of music in which a range of bands were playing around with the concept of psychedelic music.
2014
+ D'Angelo - Black Messiah Interesting - more funky than the two previous releases. The Prince influence is clearer - though, for me, D'Angelo is more funky and interesting and soulful than Prince. Score: 6
2015
+ The Subways - The Subways (2015) Infectious power pop. Score: 5 1/2
+ Various - Now That's What I Call Classic Rock This is a very useful four hour sampler of most of the commercial pop-rock (or "classic rock") that prevailed during the Seventies and into the Eighties. With this you don't need to listen to albums by Bon Jovi, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Kiss, Bad Company, Status Quo, Steppenwolf, Slade, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, ZZ Top, Boston, Meat Loaf, Blue Oyster Cult, Whitesnake, Judas Priest, Survivor, Deep Purple, Lenny Kravitz, Nickelback, etc. Score: 5
2017
+ Steve Winwood – Winwood Greatest Hits Live A useful and attractive summary of the career of a sadly neglected early British soul singer and keyboardist. Score: 6 1/2
+ Ed Sheeran - ÷ (Divide) Folk-pop with loose elements of hip-hop. Hugely popular modern singer-songwriter. Limited lyrics, but simple and affecting and easily understand by a wide audience. Music is again simple and direct, but - like Elton John - he can create a popular tune. His simple approach makes him sound like a busker at times, but the hip-hop touches he puts in gives him a vibrancy and immediacy that aids his popular appeal. There's a popular timelessness about his songs. They are very tin pan alley, but nicely done. Score: 5
Rejected
2000
XX Emmylou Harris – Red Dirt Girl This is too muddled for me.
XX Madonna – Music (RS) Around the year 2000 a few albums with elements of folk and electronic music (folktronic) were released - this, and albums by Beth Orton and Dido. I prefer Dido's music.
XX Red Snapper – Our Aim is to Satisfy British acid jazz instrumental trio.
XX OutKast – Stankonia (RS) More hip-hop. Not a style of music that I have a lot of interest in or sympathy for. At times it can really lift, but mostly it is too inward looking and self-referential, like heavy metal. I'm not seeing any historic or social significance in this Southern version of hip hop - the subtleties of that distinction are for hip hop fans only. In the wider context of the world, this album has little resonance.
XX Mike Ladd – Welcome to the Afterfuture Hip-hop / rap. There are melodic moments, and some interesting moments which lift Ladd above the average hip hop slums, but he's too underground to be worth listening to. There are other hip hop artists who are melodic, interesting and big time.
XX Limp Bizkit – Chocolate Starfish & the Hot Dog Flavored Water Prominent nu metal and/or rapcore band mixing rap with heavy metal. This is not a style I like, combining as it does two music styles I dislike, and that the intention is to alienate in the crudest way possible (loud riffs and loud screeching and loud swearing) so it comes across as rather inarticulate teenage screeching rather than anything meaningful. This album is very limited - their 1997 debut, Three Dollar Bill Y'all $, is better and generally more highly regarded, but even that is too limited. This is very small stuff indeed.
XX Giant Sand – Chore of Enchantment A modest alternative country (or alternative country-rock) band. Reminds me a bit of Beck and a bit of the Meat Puppets and a bit Magic Numbers. The significant artists in this genre appear to be Uncle Tupelo, Wilco, Son Volt and Bottle Rockets.
XX Coldplay – Parachutes (C4) (Q) A pop-rock band with indie elements - sounds like Radiohead's younger, more commercial brother with bits of U2 guitar. For me this has a sense of Smashing Pumpkins' commercial "indie by numbers" approach of lifting ideas from other bands and utilising them without adding anything other than a melodic gloss that gives them a commercial appeal, but says nothing meaningful. I understand the commercial appeal, but this leaves me cold. Lacks authenticity and significance. Go listen to Radiohead for the real thing.
XX The Avalanches – Since I Left You The opening track stunned me with it's archaic sweeping disco sounds and simplistic PM Dawn / Da La Soul echoes. I couldn't believe that anyone could produce such old fashioned and derivative mawkishness in the 21st century, let alone that the album from which this sound came could be acclaimed as one of the best of the 21st century. By the second track, with its echoes of Nineties dance bands like Saint Etienne and Eighties commercial hip hop bands like The Beastie Boys, I was in despair. Nothing that came after changed my mind.
XX Elliott Smith – Figure 8 Troubled individual who appears to have become something of a cult figure, as such people often do.
XX Ute Lemper – Punishing Kiss German chanteuse, known for her interpretations of Kurt Veil, works with The Divine Comedy on songs written by those influenced by Veil such as Costello, Nick Cave and Tom Waits. Lacks a bit of drive and impact, but interesting. Hmmm - perhaps not as interesting as it could be....
XX Air – Virgin Suicides: Original Motion Picture Score
XX U2 – All That You Can’t Leave Behind (RS) (NM) (Q) This is partly a return to the sound of U2's acclaimed albums such as Unforgettable Fire, Joshua Tree, and Achtung Baby, with Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois coming back for production duties and creative guidance. The result is patchy, but the big sound and the romance is back in places, and there are classic-period U2 songs like "Beautiful Day" and "Stuck In A Moment", along with the electronic type Achtung Baby type songs like "Elevation", but on the whole the album is marred by its lack of focus, lack of commitment and authenticity, and a feeling that the band are stepping backwards to try and recapture something they lost - which was a particular feature of a number of long term artists on reaching the new millennium. Many of the songs and performances are average at best, such as "Wild Honey" - a rather dull country rock piece, and "New York" - a derivative Lou Reed piece. All in all a listenable album, but not a terrific one. Score: 5
XX Ryan Adams – Heartbreaker Starts off like Blonde On Blonde era Bob Dylan indicating Adam's tendency to rely too heavily on his influences, this is nevertheless an attractive solo debut. Not quite bold enough to really stand out, the album is pleasant enough to listen to. Score: 5
XX MJ Cole – Sincere UK garage, an electronic genre, which sounds a bit jazzy. Quite bright and melodic, but lacking authenticity and emotional depth. It's more about the melodic ideas and rhythms than about organic music. This is the sort of stuff that a computor could compose. Score: 4
2001
XX Norah Jones – Come Away with Me (NM) Pleasant soft jazz tinged ballads from Ravi Shanker's daughter. Nice, but not quite Madeleine Peroux.
XX Jay Z – Blueprint (NM) I've only heard bits of this as his music is not available on the internet. He's one of the richest men in the world, but it seems his greed and selfishness knows no bounds. This is considered his best album, and he is one of the best-selling hip-hop/rap artists. What I've heard is unimaginative and unpleasant.
XX Drive-By Truckers – Southern Rock Opera Alternative country. There's got to be better than this...
XX Gorillaz – Gorillaz The Gorillaz is Damon Albern and various musicians exploring rock/pop hip-hop behind the facade of a cartoon or fake group. Not a new idea - think Alvin & The Chipmunks, The Archies, The Monkies, The Partridge Family, The Banana Splits, The Wombles, Spinal Tap, etc. But the critics got behind it, and liked it. I think Albern's involvement made this possibly the first "serious" fake group, and as "virtual" became a trendy word in the 80s through the development of virtual reality, calling Gorillaz a "virtual group" made them seem more on trend than they actually were. As rock/pop it was dull and as hip-hop it was dull. And putting two dulls together did not stop the dullness, just hid it slightly.
XX Coldplay – A Rush of Blood to the Head (RS) (NM) (Q) The band are very popular, and this is a more considered album than the debut, Parachutes, but still remains a slight and superficial copy of other bands, such as Radiohead and Muse. Pleasant, melodic, but not significant.
XX Gillian Welch – Time (The Revelator) Rather ordinary country folk.
XX Jurassic 5 – Power in Numbers Hip hop reminiscent of Da La Soul. OK, but nothing new or significant here.
XX The Bees – Sunshine Hit Me Neo-Psychedelia band which, like a number of early 21st century bands, incorporates music from various genres and time periods, including, unusually, country and reggae. Likeable, but modest.
XX Ryan Adams – Gold Opens like "Tommy" by The Who and the 70s rock influences continue. Pleasant but too derivitive and trivial. Score: 4 1/2
XX Destiny’s Child – Survivor Survivor is a popular modern RnB album. Bright and appealing, it is equally vapid and trivial - a cheap bauble. Score: 3 1/2
XX Jay Z – Blueprint (NM) I've only heard bits of this as his music is not available on the internet. He's one of the richest men in the world, but it seems his greed and selfishness knows no bounds. This is considered his best album, and he is one of the best-selling hip-hop/rap artists. What I've heard is unimaginative and unpleasant.
XX Drive-By Truckers – Southern Rock Opera Alternative country. There's got to be better than this...
XX Gorillaz – Gorillaz The Gorillaz is Damon Albern and various musicians exploring rock/pop hip-hop behind the facade of a cartoon or fake group. Not a new idea - think Alvin & The Chipmunks, The Archies, The Monkies, The Partridge Family, The Banana Splits, The Wombles, Spinal Tap, etc. But the critics got behind it, and liked it. I think Albern's involvement made this possibly the first "serious" fake group, and as "virtual" became a trendy word in the 80s through the development of virtual reality, calling Gorillaz a "virtual group" made them seem more on trend than they actually were. As rock/pop it was dull and as hip-hop it was dull. And putting two dulls together did not stop the dullness, just hid it slightly.
XX Coldplay – A Rush of Blood to the Head (RS) (NM) (Q) The band are very popular, and this is a more considered album than the debut, Parachutes, but still remains a slight and superficial copy of other bands, such as Radiohead and Muse. Pleasant, melodic, but not significant.
XX Gillian Welch – Time (The Revelator) Rather ordinary country folk.
XX Jurassic 5 – Power in Numbers Hip hop reminiscent of Da La Soul. OK, but nothing new or significant here.
XX The Bees – Sunshine Hit Me Neo-Psychedelia band which, like a number of early 21st century bands, incorporates music from various genres and time periods, including, unusually, country and reggae. Likeable, but modest.
XX Ryan Adams – Gold Opens like "Tommy" by The Who and the 70s rock influences continue. Pleasant but too derivitive and trivial. Score: 4 1/2
XX Destiny’s Child – Survivor Survivor is a popular modern RnB album. Bright and appealing, it is equally vapid and trivial - a cheap bauble. Score: 3 1/2
XX Beck – Sea Change (RS) A highly acclaimed later Beck album. The opening track, "The Golden Age", is very pleasant - some of the feel of later Radiohead about it, but more structured and harmonious; however, the rest of the album never quite lifts. There is a slight Meat Puppets feel about this, but lost under middle of the road country pop. Score: 3 1/2
XX Christina Aguilera – Stripped - I get that she's a popular, but this is a bit over-produced, and feels like she's trying a bit too hard to be popular. She has a better voice and more musical ambition than her contemporary and rival Britney Spears, but like Spears, she mainly sells herself on her sexuality, and went hard on this album to project herself as a mature sex symbol like Madonna, rather than a more dubious teen sex symbol. By Stripped she has her name as contributor to the songs, though it is unclear exactly what and how much she contributes. I find her debut to be more likeable, honest and authentic - Christina Aquilera (NM) (1999); many critics prefer her 2006 album, Back to Basics. Score: 3
XX Lightning Bolt – Wonderful Rainbow Noise rock.
XX Amy Winehouse – Frank This was replaced by Back to Black in the 2008 edition.
XX The Darkness – Permission to Land The Darkness were a fun joke - a bit like Spinal Tap. But there's no authenticity, and nothing lasting here.
XX The Libertines – The Libertines (C4) The Libertines were a better idea than they were a band. They looked cool, acted cool, and got lots of attention for being beautiful, wild, interesting, sexy, and - well - cool. During the early 2000s there was another resurgence of popularity in young white bands playing fast RnB - this has variously been called British RnB, garage rock, punk, or any variation of that, including "post" or "revival" or even both - "post punk revival". The most successful of these were The White Stripes, The Hives, and The Strokes. The Libertines, for all their cool, and the media's love of Pete Doherty (and his on/off relationship with Kate Moss), didn't seem to quite cut it. Their first album, Up The Bracket (2002), is sharper than this, but even that I'm not sure about.
XX The Thrills – So Much for the City Sounds like the Magic Numbers, but not as good.
XX Kings of Leon – Youth & Young Manhood Rather average rawk. People do like this sort of thing, but there are bands who have done it better for years. Very early Seventies feel to this. Boring.
XX The Killers – Hot Fuss Pop rock. Listenable and clearly commercial - hugely popular. Lacks depth and artistic merit and authenticity for me. Polished and professional, but ultimately empty.
XX The Icarus Line – Penance Soirée This is post-hardcore, not an important (or pleasant) music style, and not a band that's important to that style. (Though the band sound more like alternative rock - but that doesn't help much, as they are still little known, and there's nothing here that's not been done before).
XX Kings of Leon – Aha Shake Heartbreak There is no album that by general consensus is the best or most representative of Kings of Leon, but this one features most often on best of lists, and is apparently the favourite of most hard core fans. It is more modern than their debut, and less commercial than the album from which "Sex Is On Fire" comes, so I can understand the appeal. Listenable stuff without really doing much.
XX Brian Wilson – Smile This is good, but The Smile Sessions released in 2011 is the real thing.
XX Christina Aguilera – Stripped - I get that she's a popular, but this is a bit over-produced, and feels like she's trying a bit too hard to be popular. She has a better voice and more musical ambition than her contemporary and rival Britney Spears, but like Spears, she mainly sells herself on her sexuality, and went hard on this album to project herself as a mature sex symbol like Madonna, rather than a more dubious teen sex symbol. By Stripped she has her name as contributor to the songs, though it is unclear exactly what and how much she contributes. I find her debut to be more likeable, honest and authentic - Christina Aquilera (NM) (1999); many critics prefer her 2006 album, Back to Basics. Score: 3
2003
XX Lightning Bolt – Wonderful Rainbow Noise rock.
XX Amy Winehouse – Frank This was replaced by Back to Black in the 2008 edition.
XX The Darkness – Permission to Land The Darkness were a fun joke - a bit like Spinal Tap. But there's no authenticity, and nothing lasting here.
XX The Libertines – The Libertines (C4) The Libertines were a better idea than they were a band. They looked cool, acted cool, and got lots of attention for being beautiful, wild, interesting, sexy, and - well - cool. During the early 2000s there was another resurgence of popularity in young white bands playing fast RnB - this has variously been called British RnB, garage rock, punk, or any variation of that, including "post" or "revival" or even both - "post punk revival". The most successful of these were The White Stripes, The Hives, and The Strokes. The Libertines, for all their cool, and the media's love of Pete Doherty (and his on/off relationship with Kate Moss), didn't seem to quite cut it. Their first album, Up The Bracket (2002), is sharper than this, but even that I'm not sure about.
XX The Thrills – So Much for the City Sounds like the Magic Numbers, but not as good.
XX Kings of Leon – Youth & Young Manhood Rather average rawk. People do like this sort of thing, but there are bands who have done it better for years. Very early Seventies feel to this. Boring.
XX The Killers – Hot Fuss Pop rock. Listenable and clearly commercial - hugely popular. Lacks depth and artistic merit and authenticity for me. Polished and professional, but ultimately empty.
2004
XX The Icarus Line – Penance Soirée This is post-hardcore, not an important (or pleasant) music style, and not a band that's important to that style. (Though the band sound more like alternative rock - but that doesn't help much, as they are still little known, and there's nothing here that's not been done before).
XX Kings of Leon – Aha Shake Heartbreak There is no album that by general consensus is the best or most representative of Kings of Leon, but this one features most often on best of lists, and is apparently the favourite of most hard core fans. It is more modern than their debut, and less commercial than the album from which "Sex Is On Fire" comes, so I can understand the appeal. Listenable stuff without really doing much.
XX Brian Wilson – Smile This is good, but The Smile Sessions released in 2011 is the real thing.
***
Previously:
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| The Eighties |
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The Nineties |
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| 21st Century (This One) |
