1000 Greatest Albums of all Time

 762 Bloc Party - Silent Alarm (2005) Studio Album - Indie About the Act: Bloc Party are an Indie band from London, who, being formed in 1999, were maybe a bit late to be labelled Britpop, but have a sound quite like Britpop.  They have had members, various, and albums, five. They have been liked by critics but not stellar in sales. About the Album: This was the debut album of the band. My History with this Album: None. Review: I had heard of Bloc Party but had assumed they were hip-hop. I was wrong. This is kind of britpoppy rock, with similarities to Blur and suchlike, but possibly more similarities to later rock like The Killers and that crowd. The singer sounds like Brandon Flowers, and also like Robert Smith of The Cure.  The music is mostly energetic rock, with the drums and bass featuring strongly, and rightly. The drum patterns and bass lines are generally quite interesting, which gives a strong musical backbone, with some more predictable guitar work, mostly of t...

 763 Jethro Tull - A Passion Play (1973) Studio Album - Prog Rock About the Act: Jethro Tull have been in existence since 1967, with a 5-year break recently. They were named after an 18th Century agriculturalist. They are a British band, and could be thought of as a curiosity, had they not been so successful. Folk in Britain comes in two main varieties, English Folk and Celtic Folk (mostly from Scotland and Ireland, but Northumberland and other places also join in). English Folk has developed a distinctive nasal style of singing. Jethro Tull have managed to successfully merge English Folk, Heavy Rock, and at times Classical and Progressive elements. They have managed to change styles with the times, while maintaining their Folk-Rock core sound. Their frontman, Ian Anderson is a charismatic, mad wizard, who sings lead vocals and plays the flute (famously on one leg). He took flute playing into some quite inventive sounds, and with Heavy Rock (and sometimes otherwise) backing, writes...

 764 Toots and the Maytals - Funky Kingston (1975) Studio Album - Rocksteady/Reggae About the Act: Toots and the Maytals are a band from Jamaica, playing music in the sak/rocksteady/reggae spectrum. They are credited with inventing the word "Reggay". They started in 1962 and have mostly been active since, with a decent number of members and past members (including Toots Hibert). Wikipedia lists 24 studio albums from them A brief (and over-simplified) history of Reggae, Rocksteady and Ska: Ska came first, and emerged in the 50s in Jamaica. It is named after the off-beat emphasis, often played on a high-tone guitar, so the rhythm kind of goes un-ska, um-ska, um-ska. Songs tend to be fast. Rocksteady (the least well-known name in the three genres) emerged in 1966, has a similar rhythm to Ska, but a slowing down of the pace. It is named after a dance style which matches the style and pace, and a track names Rocksteady by Anton Ellis. Quite a bit of Rocksteady is labelled as Regga...

 765 The Beach Boys - Smile 2011 Version (2011) Studio Album - Pop About the Act: So, I was really tempted to pull out some cliché about living under a rock if you hadn't heard of the Beach Boys, you probably have, but given that I have just done a quick research on them and found out lots of stuff I didn't know, I'll attempt to give you a really potted overview. They were formed in California in 1961, by brothers Carl, Brian and Dennis Wilson, cousin Mike Love and friend Al Jardine. They pioneered, and are most famous for their surf sound in the early 60s, happy, shiny songs about surfing with complex vocal harmonies, in a style related to doo-wop. Then The Beatles happened, and the so-called British Invasion. At this point the popularity of surf music waned, and although it's simplistic, the Beach Boys attempted to keep pace with the increasing complexity and maturity of pop that was emerging. Out of all of the American bands, they probably did the best job of this. T...

 766 The Beach Boys - Smiley Smile (1967) Studio Album - Barbershop Pop About the Act: So, I was really tempted to pull out some cliché about living under a rock if you hadn't heard of the Beach Boys, you probably have, but given that I have just done a quick research on them and found out lots of stuff I didn't know, I'll attempt to give you a really potted overview. They were formed in California in 1961, by brothers Carl, Brian and Dennis Wilson, cousin Mike Love and friend Al Jardine. They pioneered, and are most famous for their surf sound in the early 60s, happy, shiny songs about surfing with complex vocal harmonies, in a style related to doo-wop. Then The Beatles happened, and the so-called British Invasion. At this point the popularity of surf music waned, and although it's simplistic, the Beach Boys attempted to keep pace with the increasing complexity and maturity of pop that was emerging. Out of all of the American bands, they probably did the best job of th...

 767 Thin Lizzy - Jailbreak (1976) Studio Album - Heavy Rock About the Act: Thin Lizzy were a hard rock band from Dublin, who existed from 1969 to 1983, and then in several stints since, despite the death of frontman Phil Lynnott in 1986. Phil was unusual in being a Black Irishman. Also the band spanned the political and religious differences in Ireland at a time when the "troubles" were at their height. They created 12 studio albums. About the Album: This was the band's 6th album, and their most successful one, the only one to be certified in the USA. My History with this Album: None, although I know quite a few of the songs. Review: Thin Lizzy have this great sound, hard rock with double lead guitars, a really tight rhythm section, and great and distinctive voices. You have probably heard at least one Thin Lizzy song, as they had quite a few hits. This album contains my favourite Lizzy track, The Boys Are Back In Town. It makes good use of the dual guitars playing lead ...

 768 Jethro Tull - Minstrel in the Gallery (1975) Studio Album - Prog Folk Rock About the Act: Jethro Tull have been in existence since 1967, with a 5-year break recently. They were named after an 18th Century agriculturalist. They are a British band, and could be thought of as a curiosity, had they not been so successful. Folk in Britain comes in two main varieties, English Folk and Celtic Folk (mostly from Scotland and Ireland, but Northumberland and other places also join in). English Folk has developed a distinctive nasal style of singing. Jethro Tull have managed to successfully merge English Folk, Heavy Rock, and at times Classical and Progressive elements. They have managed to change styles with the times, while maintaining their Folk-Rock core sound. Their frontman, Ian Anderson is a charismatic, mad wizard, who sings lead vocals and plays the flute (famously on one leg). He took flute playing into some quite inventive sounds, and with Heavy Rock (and sometimes otherwise) b...

 769 Talking Heads - More Songs About Buildings and Food (1978) Studio Album - Art Rock About the Act: From 1975-1991, Talking Heads existed. They were from New York and they played music that was very distinctive. I have heard them described as Post-Punk, New Wave, and Alternative Rock. I guess I could describe them as Art Rock and be happy doing so. They were fronted by an eccentric character, David Byrne, and they made a huge impact on music, with a strong sound and idiosyncratic music. They grew and shrank in size, sold lots of records, and wowed the critics. They created 8 studio albums, and the hugely-well-regarded live album Stop Making Sense (and another lesser-known live album). About the Album: This was the band's second studio album, and their first to use Brian Eno as a producer. My History with this Album: I think I must have first heard this album in a car, on the way to a walk at Simonside, in the mid-80s. I was aware of Talking Heads, and was enjoying it. I distinct...

 770 The Long Blondes - Someone To Drive You Home (2006) Studio Album - Pop Punk About the Act: The Long Blondes are from Sheffield. They are not blondes, and they don't look particularly long. Of the five of them, three are female. They were active from 2003 to 2008 and squeezed out a couple of albums in that time. About the Album: This was their first album. My History with this Album: None Review: This was my first experience of this band. As I often do, I listened "blind" first, and thought they were American. They have a kind of American sound. Also, WIkipedia has then down as Indie Rock, but I would classify them as Pop Punk. Justification: they remind me of No Doubt crossed with Blondie, and then maybe with some more raw rockiness thrown in, like Souixie and the Banshees. They sound punk, but they don't dress punk, and the margins of difference between some of these styles are thinner than the hair on the back of my head. So, musically, it's kind of raw and...

 771 Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend (2009) Studio Album - Indie Pop About the Act: Vampire Weekend are a band from NYC, 2006-now, pretty stable line-up, 4 albums, critical acclaim. About the Album: This was their debut album My History with this Album: None Review: There's a whole slew of these bands that I think of as "alt rock", and I tend to lump them all together. I have heard of Vampire Weekend, but didn't know anything about them (actually they seem to be the sort of band that would get airplay by Jo Wiley on Radio 2, along with Florence and the Machine), and I'm not sure I have heard any of their stuff before. Actually, their sound is quite distinctive. The sound is kind of indie rock (mostly in the vocal delivery) crossed with poppy/art rock elements, but then married to a whole lump of African sounds. If you are reading all the reviews (I think one or two people are) you will have seen my review of The Indestructible Beat of Soweto - well take a whole ...

 772 Bob Dylan - Love and Theft (2001) Studio Album - Blues/Jazz About the Act: Bob Dylan is a singer/songwriter/artist who is one of the most influential and successful songwriters in the world ever. He has had an enormous cultural impact, especially in his native America. He started in 1961 as a folk singer coming out of the beat generation, and annoyed a lot of his fans when he embraced electric instruments in 1965/6. He toured and recorded with his band "The Band". He explored country music in the early 70s, became a Born-Again Christian in the late 70s and produced several Christian-related albums. His career has meandered a bit since then but he is still active. About the Album: This was his 31st studio album, and the first recorded with a new band, the Never Ending Road Tour Band. My History with this Album: None Review: This is Bob Dylan, so the defining characteristics are his voice, which at this stage in his career sounds like he hasn't cleared his throat in 20...

 773 Gillian Welch - Revival (1996) Studio Album - Americana About the Act: Gillian Welch is an American singer/songwriter, born in NY but "from" Nashville, Tennessee. Her music is a mixture of Country, Bluegrass and related folky/traditional stuff. Her first album came out in 1996 and she has released 5 since. About the Album: This was her debut album. My History with this Album: None Review: Years ago, the Coen Brothers made a film set in historical America called O Brother Where Art Thou. I saw it and loved it. One of the things I loved about it was the soundtrack, which featured what was called in the film "Old Timey Music" - a kind of blend of Appalachian Mountain music, Bluegrass and Church music - not black gospel but I guess white gospel. Through this I discovered Alison Krauss, a Bluegrass singer with a great voice, who featured on three of the songs. I have some Alison Krauss albums, and she is both one of the few Country Music artists that I find acceptab...

 774 Santana - Supernatural (1999) Studio Album - Latin Rock About the Act: Santana is a American Latin Rock band fronted by guitarist and vocalist Carlos Santana. Carlos is of Mexican origin, and the band's sound, while having evolved through the years, has always had an element of Latin America about it. They have been constantly active since 1966, and are still producing albums and touring. They have had quite a large turnover of members, with the only constant being Carlos.  About the Album: After big success in the late 60s, Santana settled into a less high-profile existence. Eventually, Carlos got sick of being less popular and approached the guy who had originally signed them to their label (Colombia) and persuaded him to sign them to his new label, Arista, and to get involved in a big push for popularity with more accessible songs and guests. The result was this album, the eighteenth by the band. The move worked, it was hugely successful, selling in excess of...

 775 Love - Love (1966) Studio Album - Garage Rock About the Act: Love were an American band, actually still are. They were formed in 1965 when Arthur Lee, who had been roadying for The Byrds decided to form a band which blended the Folk Rock of the Byrds with the heavier rock he had previously played. And so Love was born. They had a "classic line-up" and some breaks and some reunions, and a significant number of changes of personnel. I believe that none of the original members remain. TO be honest they are probably getting on somewhat. They released 7 studio albums between 1966 and 1974 and none since. What have they been doing? Presumably touring.  About the Album: This was the band's first album. My History with this Album: None Review: So this album feels like the record label were desperate to get a hit single out of them, and the tactic for doing so was to emulate other successful bands of the time, and to spread that net wide in case something worked. It's wha...

 776 The Beach Boys - All Summer Long Boys (1964) Studio Album - Surf Pop About the Act: So, I was really tempted to pull out some cliché about living under a rock if you hadn't heard of the Beach Boys, you probably have, but given that I have just done a quick research on them and found out lots of stuff I didn't know, I'll attempt to give you a really potted overview. They were formed in California in 1961, by brothers Carl, Brian and Dennis Wilson, cousin Mike Love and friend Al Jardine. They pioneered, and are most famous for their surf sound in the early 60s, happy, shiny songs about surfing with complex vocal harmonies, in a style related to doo-wop. Then The Beatles happened, and the so-called British Invasion. At this point the popularity of surf music waned, and although it's simplistic, the Beach Boys attempted to keep pace with the increasing complexity and maturity of pop that was emerging. Out of all of the American bands, they probably did the best job of ...

 777 Tim Buckley - Happy Sad (1969) Studio Album - Psychedelic Folk About the Act: Tim Buckley was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter who was moderately successful and active as an artist from 1966 to 1975. He started out doing folk, transitioned into jazz and psychedelia and then into funk. About the Album: This was Tim's third album, and the first in a new move away from straight folk. It was also the first where he wrote all his own lyrics. My History with this Album: None Review: I've heard of Tim Buckley, but I've always kind of confused him with Jeff Buckley, which is crazy because I know quite clearly who Jeff Buckley was. He did "Hallelujah" and a brilliant album of stuff before he sadly died. I know Tim Buckley did an album called Starsailor. So I listened to this pretty blind, not really knowing what era, where he was from, what style this was supposed to be. My immediate thought was American West Coast, early 70s. There was a reason for this, ...

 778 Various Artists - The Indestructible Beat of Soweto (1985) Compilation Album - World Music About the Album: This album preceded Paul Simon's Graceland album, and did a lot to lauch these styles of South African music into a wider stage. Apparently the styles featured are Mbaqanga, maskanda, mqashiyo and isicathamiya. To me it sounds like South African bouncy pop stuff. My History with this Album: None Review: If you know Graceland (Paul Simon), the general sound of this will be familiar. It is a bouncy thing with jangly guitar, and simple, repetitive chord sequences. To be honest, since this album was released there was an explosion of interest in World Music, and if you have been at all interested in that, then you have heard music like this. It is a range of artists, most of whom I don't think I have heard of (apart from the great Ladysmith Black Mambazo), and while they differ in sound, the general style is consistent. Most of the songs are in non-English languages, a c...

 779 Don Henley - The End of the Innocence (1989) Studio Album - Rock About the Act: Don Henley was a founding member, drummer and co-lead vocalist for the Eagles. He has also had a pretty successful solo career, particularly in the 80s when he created several hits. About the Album: This was Don's third studio album. It sold a gazillion copies and was his most commercially successful solo album. My History with this Album: None, although I know a couple of tracks. Review: I knew Don Henley, I know the hit "The Boys of Summer". I have heard the opening track "The End of the Innocence before but don't know it well. I hadn't clocked that "New York Minute" was on this album, and to be honest, didn't know that it was a Don Henley song, just that I really like it. I must have heard it before it was featured in an episode of The West Wing, but remember it from that. As the album opened, with The End of the Innocence, and I was listening to the piano so...

 780 Le Tigre - Le Tigre (1999) Studio Album - Electro/New Wave About the Act: Le Tigre were a socio-political feminist LGBT-facing band from New York. They ran from 1996-2007, and briefly again in 2010 and 2016. They were seemingly the brainchild of Sadie Benning, a multimedia artist. They have released 3 studio albums. About the Album: This was the band's first album.  My History with this Album: None Review: I music entertainment, or is it art? Or is it both? What do we mean when we say "entertainment", and what do we mean when we say "art"? Does it matter? Can you tell I am feeling philosophical? Or maybe I am just stalling because I don't know what to say about this album. Arguably, entertainment is something you do for pleasure, and many people listen to music for pleasure. If you are listening to music you enjoy, I guess arguably that makes it entertainment. Art seems to be something that is particularly difficult to describe. It seems to be generally...