1000 Greatest Albums of all Time

 851 Iggy Pop - The Idiot (1977) Studio Album - Art Rock About the Act: Iggy Pop is an American from Muskegon, Michigan. He was the frontman for the 60s proto-punk band The Stooges, who had little commercial success but gained a reputation for extreme antics on stage, mostly by iggy, involving self-mutilation and exposure.  After the band split in the mid 70s, Iggy went on to have a successful solo career. He is still alive and still going, despite being in his 70s. He usually performs bare-torsoed.  Between the Stooges, one collaboration, and lots of solo albums there are 25 studio albums in total. About the Album: This was Iggy's first solo album. It came at a time when he and David Bowie wanted to get clean from heroin addiction, so they had quite the USA and gone to Europe, mostly Germany. It is produced by Bowie, who also played quite a bit of the instrumental parts, wrote the music for the tracks, and did backing vocals. In fact some people regard it as more of...

 852 The Police - Outlandos D’Amour (1978) Studio Album - Pop <Album Picture> About the Act: British Pop band featuring Geordie Sting on bass and vocals, American Stewart Copeland on the drums, and  Lancastrian Andy Summers on guitars, who had previously been in Zoot Money's Big Roll Band, The Animals and Soft Machine and had played live with some big names.  They burst onto the scene in 1978 and lasted in their first stint until 1984. They have had a couple of reunions since.   About the Album: This was the band's first album. My History with this Album: I have had a copy on cassette for many years, and have listened to it occasionally. I know the three hit singles really well. Review: Some critics have hailed this as one of the best debut albums ever, and I am inclined to agree. It is a barnstormer of an album! It is full of energy, musicality and subtlety, and sounds amazing. The music is a kind of cross between Punk and Reggae (and probably did quite a...

 853 Brian Eno - Another Green World (1975) Studio Album - Art Rock About the Act: Brian Eno is from Sussex, England. He started his musical career as a synth player in Roxy Music but left because he didn't like Bryan Ferry. He then made some solo albums before pioneering Ambient Music (it was he who coined the phrase). He has created his own stuff, produced lots of high-profile albums, composed the opening sting for Windows '95 and despite this claims to not be a musician. He also indulges in other art forms, particularly installation art. About the Album: This was Brian's third studio album, and according to sources, is the start of his exploration into ambient music. It was very well received by critics. My History with this Album: I have a copy, but have paid little attention to it. Review: There are 5 songs and 9 instrumentals, and as I listened I could hear shades of Talking Heads and Robert Fripp and David Bowie and other things... all of which happened later, and mo...

 854 Jimmy Eat World - Bleed American (2001) Studio Album - Pop Punk/Alternative Rock About the Act: Jimmy Eat World are an American band from Mesa Arizona, who started as a punk band in 1993 and expanded their sound to embrace more alternative rock and emo sounds. They have had a stable line-up, an impressive number of labels, and 10 studio albums. About the Album: This was the fourth album by the band, and their most commercially successful. They funded the recording themselves and then went looking for a label.  My History with this Album: None Review: Pop Punk has a rich history. If you know any of these acts, you might have an inkling about it: Garbage, Transvision Vamp, and the closest in sound to this album: No Doubt. It's kind of like punk sounds - fast and clipped, with overdriven guitar, and simple chord sequences, but the vocals are clear and intelligible, (and generally not too outrageous) and lots of compression is used to keep it all from being too punchy. Oh, an...

 855 Ramones - Adios Amigos (1995)  Studio Album - Punk About the Act: The Ramones were an American punk band that existed from 1974 to 1996. They were one of the most influential punk bands in the New York punk scene in the late 70s. They have been recognised in many lists as being of the most significant rock bands, well, ever.   Unlike other punk bands who's style often included colourful dyed hair, the Ramones adopted long hair and leather jackets as a kind of uniform. Also, all members of the band adopted stage names with the surname "Ramone" even though they were not related. The "classic" line-up was Dee Dee Ramone, Joey Ramone, Tommy Ramone and Johnny Ramone, all of whom are now dead.   Their music was categorised by fast beats, raw, simple rock and short, abrupt songs. Later, they diversified into more poppy music. About the Album: This was the band's 14th and final studio album, the name suggest they knew they were breaking up (one member left dur...

 856 Ministry - ΚΕΦΑΛΗΞΘ (Psalm 69) (1992) Studio Album - Industrial Metal About the Act: Ministry are an American band from Chicago. They stated out in 1981 as a synth-pop band but turned to metal as their hair grew out. They are considered to be pioneers of industrial metal. The one constant member has bee Al Jourgensen. They had a gap between 2008 and 2011, but are back in business. They have created 14 studio albums. About the Album: This album's official title is ΚΕΦΑΛΗΞΘ, but it is often known as Psalm 69: The Way to Succeed and the Way to Suck Eggs. The album is probably named after chapter 69 in Alistair Crowley's book "The Book of Lies" which has the same title. It was their most successful album commercially. Because of the success of their previous studio album, the label gave the band an outrageous advance. By the time they had spent it all (mostly on drugs) they had produced one song, and demanded more money. The recording was beset with fighting between ...

 857 Scott Walker - Scott 4 (1969) Studio Album - Baroque Pop About the Act: Scott Walker was the front man of the Walker Brothers, they were not brothers and they were not called Walker. They had an active career in the 60s, but partway trough, Scott Walker started to release solo albums. There increasingly came from a darker place than the Walker Brothers songs. After a hiatus he came back as an Avant Garde act. About the Album: This was Scott Walker's fifth solo album, following Scott, Scott 2, Scot 3 and Scott: "Scott Walker Sings Songs from his T.V. Series". Maybe after this he decided it was too confusing because he started having more imaginative names. This was the first of his albums that was entirely self-penned, although he was obviously heading in that direction. My History with this Album: None, I didn't even know that Scott Walker was a Walker Brother. When I started it playing I had no clue what it would be. Review: There are a category of singers from ...

 858 The Mahavishnu Orchestra - The Inner Mounting Flame Orchestra (1971) Studio Album - Jazz Fusion About the Act: The Mahavishnu Orchestra were an experimental Jazz-Rock band that had three stints at existence, with different (and at times changing) line-ups. The main man of the thing was a guitarist called John McLoughlin, also known as “Mahavishnu”. John had played with Miles Davis in his Electric period albums, and, with some others that were around Miles at the time, branched out into more Rocky and less Jazzy areas. The Mahavishnu Orchestra at times included Billy Cobham, who was also with Miles Davis, Jan Hammer, who composed the Miami Vice theme, Jerry Godman, Jen-Luc Ponty and more obscure names like Narada Michael Waldon. John was heavily influenced by Eastern music, and was a devotee of an Indian Guru for a while. The music from the band uses elements of Eastern music, and is very complex, featuring improvisation and scripted passages and generally features the musician...

 859 The Residents - Duck Stab/Buster & Glen (1978) Studio Album - Avant Garde About the Act: "The Residents are an American art collective best known for their avant-garde music and multimedia works". So says Wikipedia.  A group of high school friends in Shreveport Louisiana started making amateur home recordings in 1965. In 1966 they decided to travel to San Francisco to join the budding hippie movement. However, their truck broke down in San Mateo, California, so they decided to stay there. They named themselves "The Residents" after a rejection slip sent to them by Warner Bros. Over the years they have made many Avant Garde  art works of varying strangeness, including releasing around 50 albums. Who they are is a secret, they don't give interviews, and at times their work has been deliberately provocative. About the Album: Side 1 is Duck Stab, side 2 is Buster & Glen. Side 1 was previously released as an EP that sold well, by their standards, an...

 860 Tindersticks - Tindersticks(1993) Studio Album - Chamber Pop About the Act: Tindersticks are a band from Nottingham, England, they have existed since 1992 and have issued 13 studio albums in that time, and some soundtracks too. About the Album: This was their first album, and a double one. Confusingly, their second album was also called "Tindersticks". Hmmm. My History with this Album: None, except I feel like I have heard it before. I wonder if it is one I listened to by accident sometime while I was reviewing. Review: The singer, Stuart A. Staples, mutters most of the time. The musical backing is simplistic and textured, sometimes using non-usually-rock orchestral instruments as backing, and things are not always in tune. The mixing is curious at times. You would think it doesn't work. Granted, I think it may not be to everyone's taste, but I enjoyed it. I'm not sure why. I started sceptical , but it won me over. The singing reminds me of Nick Cave, or mayb...

 861 Dr. Dre - 2001 (1999) Studio album - Hip Hop About the Act: Dr Dre is a rapper. producer and label owner. He was part of NWA who were a seminal rap group from the 80s. He has produced on, and appeared on, many albums, but only has 3 solo albums. very much spread out in time. About the Album: This was his second album. It has a huge plethora of guests (I think every single track has a guest rapper) and guest producers. It is conceived like a movie, and has the now almost obligatory sound effects and acted vignettes between tracks. It sold really well and reviewed really well too, although some reviewers found the subject matter and language distasteful. My History with this Album: None Review: This album made me sad, and I guess a bit angry. Musically, and production-wise it is finally a hip-hop album I can enjoy and admire. Maybe I have been broken in now, but there is definite music here in the backing, sometimes quite funky. Some great use of predominantly synth sounds ...

 862 The Black Keys - Brothers (2010) Studio Album - Garage Rock About the Act: The Black Keys are a duo from Ohio, USA, and have existed since 2001. They have released 9 studio albums. About the Album: This album came after a difficult time between the pair, and was their first big commercial success. It was partly recorded at the famous Muscle Shoals studio. My History with this Album: None Review: It reminds me of The White Stripes - a thought I had before I knew they were a duo. I think this is because of the prominence of the drums. Unlike Meg White of The White Stripes, Patrick Carney is an accomplished drummer. The sound is "garage", partly because it is stripped-back and fairly empty, partly because the production is deliberately raw and gives that feel of being in a garage, with appropriate reverb and use of distortion - particularly on the voice.  It's also described as "Blue Rock" and I can hear that - it's not strongly jumping on the Blues Bandwa...

 863 Big Star - #1 Record (1972) Studio Album - Rock About the Act: Big Star were an American Rock band from Memphis Tennessee. They existed from 1971-75 and then from 1993-2010. They have had 4 studio albums. They were apparently influential, but I hadn't heard of them. About the Album: This was their first album. It was well received by the critics but had poor distribution so didn't sell well. My History with this Album: None Review: Take a pinch of this, and a pinch of that, and, well, so much of music can be described as "that bit sounds like such and such, and that bit sounds like somebody else" - but I guess that if you know the references it can help you get the idea. There's a bit of the Beatles, a bit of The Byrds, a bit even of Led Zep. The band take it in turns to sing. Some of the songs are rocky, some are more acoustic numbers. The songs are not fluff, but not instant winners either. There are some moderately interesting words, some moderately intere...

 864 Frank Zappa - Lumpy Gravy (1968) Studio Album - Sound Collage About the Act: It’s hard to know what to say about Frank Zappa. There has been a lot written about him and it would be easy to parrot a lot of that. If you want to dig into his history, there’s plenty to go at. He was prolific. Between 1966 and his death in 1993 he released 62 albums. Since then, 50 more albums have been released. Oh, he was American, I guess that’s relevant. He had a band in the early days, The Mothers of Invention. Soma albums are credited to "The Mothers of Invention" some to "Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention" and after the band was disbanded, they were just credited to him. He is musically hard to describe, some of his output could be classified as Prog, some as Jazz-Rock, some as Avant-Garde Classical, and often it owes more to German Cabaret than anything. It can be complex, and he was an amazing guitarist, who surrounded himself with amazing musicians. He apparently go...

 865 Prefab Sprout - Steve McQueen (1985) Studio Album - Sophisti-Pop About the Act: Prefab Sprout were a band from County Durham (UK) who were popular in the 80s. They were formed in 1978 and are officially still going, although only as a solo project for the front-man Paddy McAloon. About the Album: This was the band's second album and it is very critically acclaimed.  My History with this Album: None Review: I once almost met Prefab Sprout several times. I had the distinction of being tasked with switching on their equipment in rehearsal rooms in south Tyneside for a week, they liked it to warm up before they arrived. I was working for a guy who had a unit in the same complex and somehow I ended up being Mr. Switch-On. So, "Sophisti-Pop", eh? I met that word about 10 minutes ago as I was Wikipediaing  the band. Apparently it is a brand of pop in the 80s that blends in elements of jazz and soul. That does describe this music. Left to my own devices I might have called i...

 866 MC5 - Back in the USA (1970) Studio Album - Proto-Punk About the Act: I imagined MC5 to be a Rap posse. They were not. They were a Garage Rock (and Proto-Punk) band from Michigan, whose main stint of existence was from 1964 to 1972, in which time they influenced a lot, made three albums, and then came back later for a couple of reunions.  One of their guitarists, Fred "Sonic" Smith married Patti Smith for a while. About the Album: This was the second album by the band, and their first studio album, It was deliberately less raw than their debut, and sold less well, and also reviewed less well. My History with this Album: None Review: So, as I often do, I have done a bit of digging. First of all, I found that although this album was released after the Beatles' Back in the USSR, the title song was a hit for Chuck Berry n the 50s, so The Beatles Song was probably named after it. The other digging was that this is described as "Proto-Punk", but was released in 1...

 867 Patti Smith - Easter (1978) Mostly Studio Album - Punk/Rock About the Act: Patti Smith is a long-haired Hippie Punk Freak-Powered American Poet, performance artist, author and singer-songwriter and musician. She started to be a poet and other things in the late 60s, and turned to Rock in the mid-70s. She was a seminal influence on the New York Punk Scene.  About the Album: This was the third album by The Patti Smith Group and their break-through album. "Because The Night", which was co-written by Bruce Springsteen became a major hit for the band. My History with this Album: None, although I know "Because the Night" Review: The Patti Smith Group are mostly about Patty Smith, the singer/poet who fronts the band. This album is curious, and at times hard to describe. There is the major hit Because the Night, there are rock songs, and punk songs, and I guess Punk Rock songs, and a live track, preceded by a live poem/rant. There is one track that sounds like a sit-in...

 868 Battles - Mirrored (2007) Studio Album - Math Rock About the Act: Battles are an Experimental Rock band from New York, and have been in existence since 2002. They have been slowly losing members since their inception, when they had 4. They now have 2. About the Album: This was the band's first album, while they still had 4 members My History with this Album: None Review: Before embarking on this titanic undertaking to review the best 1000 albums ever (according to some lists), I did a similar thing with Prog Rock, and so listened to quite a lot of complex, self-indulgent music. I came across the genre Math rock in that enterprise.  This, however, is the first time I have come across Battles. The music is complex, often overlaid with different complexities. Especially rhythmically, it engages the brain as you try to analyse it. Generally, don't think of this as dance music, or soul music, or emotion music, but head music. There are times when the idea of harmony ...