When I started writing this series of Listens To! posts, my idea was to:
A: Listen to the tonnes of albums I have acquired over the years that I hadn’t bothered to actually listen to yet and give my thoughts as I listened for the first time.
B: Catch up on those artists that I was aware of/liked certain songs by, but whose albums I had never listened to in their entirety.
C: Potentially get some new favourites based off what I heard or by recommendations from my billions of readers.
I have really only dealt with 3 artists so far – Bowie, Bryan, and Bon. I have decided to branch out a little, as I am getting tired of going through Bowie at the moment. To get some focus, I decided to go to 2000 Edition of Colin Larkin’s All Time Top 1000 Albums because it looks fairly comprehensive (and as there are a few extra sections listing top 100 albums by genre which cover selections left out of the main 1000 which I will also try to cover). I am going to post the list below but I won’t discuss whether or not I agree with the list (at least not here), cry because something is missing, or complain that there is too much REM (Auomatic fot the people 6th best album ever? No, no, NO). The reason I am going through this list is:
D: Because there are a tonne of albums which always appear on best of lists which I have never heard. As a musician, music fan, and human with working ears, I feel that I should give these a go.
Now, most of the albums that I haven’t heard I will be aware of, and will likely have heard at least a couple of songs from each. For example – I’ve never listened to Sign O’ The Times by Prince, but I know the title track. I don’t know if I will go through the list in order or dip in and dip out with whatever takes my fancy. Feel free to join me in my journey and let me know which albums you haven’t yet heard. I hope to gain some new favourites and maybe you will too. I know it will be a challenge in some places, as there are plenty of ‘artists’ below who I can’t stand (I’m looking at you country, jazz, Sinatra…). For now, I present the list. The ones in bold are albums I have already heard and will not be covering in my usual stream of conciousness fashion. *Note* as of 2015 I have adding a basic score for each album I have heard – 1: Should definitely be included in Top 1000 albums. 2: Could be included. 3: Should not be included.
601 – 800
601. Smiths – Strangeways, Here We Come
602. AC/DC – For Those About to Rock, We Salute You
603. Roxy Music – For Your Pleasure
604. Thompson, Richard & Linda – Hokey Pokey
605. Zappa, Frank – Apostrophe (‘)
606. Family – Music in a Doll’s House
607. Jefferson Airplane – Volunteers
608. Silver, Horace Quintet – Song for My Father
609. Santana – Caravanserai
610. Aerosmith – Nine Lives
611. Hootie & the Blowfish – Cracked Rear View Mirror
612. James – Stutter
613. Siouxsie & the Banshees – the Scream
614. Squeeze – East Side Story
615. Raitt, Bonnie – Nick of Time
616. Sinatra, Frank – Come Fly With Me
617. Public Enemy – Fear of a Black Planet
618. Wilco – Being There
619. Presley, Elvis – Elvis Presley (1956)
620. Flying Burrito Brothers – Gilded Palace of Sin
621. Joel, Billy – 52nd Street
622. Beatles – Please Please Me (2)
623. REM – Document
624. Teenage Fanclub – Grand Prix
625. Traffic – Low Spark of the High Heeled Boys
626. U Roy – Dread Inna Babylon
627. Happy Mondays – Pills ‘n’ Thrills & Bellyaches
628. Rush – Permanent Waves
629. Johnson, Robert – King of the Delta Blues Singers
630. Morrison, Van – His Band & Street Choir
631. Eagles – Desperado
632. Joplin, Janis – Pearl
633. Enigma – Cross of Changes
634. Braxton, Toni – Secrets
635. Stone Temple Pilots – Purple
636. Fitzgerald, Ella & Louis Armstrong – Ella & Louis
637. Zombies – Odyssey & Oracle
638. Mayall, John – A Hard Road
639. Cocker, Joe – With a Little Help From My Friends
640. Human League – Dare
641. Tosh, Peter – Equal Rights
642. Fitzgerald, Ella – Sings the Rodgers & Hart Songbook
643. Redding, Otis – Sings Great Soul Ballads
644. 10,000 Maniacs – In My Tribe
645. Wonder, Stevie – Music of My Mind
646. Cure – Wish
647. Offspring – Smash
648. Beach Boys – Holland
649. Jansch, Bert – Bert Jansch (1965)
650. Eminem – Slim Shady LP (1)
651. Springsteen, Bruce – Greetings from Asbury Park
652. Dylan, Bob – Time Out of Mind
653. La’s – La’s
654. Belle & Sebastian – If You’re Feeling Sinister
655. Brand Nubian – One for All
656. Bon Jovi – New Jersey (2) Reviewed here
657. Tangerine Dream – Phaedra
658. Spirit – Spirit
659. Gill, Vince – I Still Believe in You
660. Blood, Sweat & Tears – Blood, Sweat & Tears (2nd Album)
661. Captain Beefheart – Strictly Personal
662. Beach Boys – Friends
663. Davis, Miles – Complete Live at the Plugged Nickel
664. Stewart, Al – Love Chronicles
665. Thompson, Richard – Rumor & Sigh
666. Eels – Beautiful Freak
667. James, Etta – Tell Mama
668. Moody Blues – On the Threshold of a Dream
669. Metheny, Pat – Offramp
670. Black Crowes – Southern Harmony & the Musical Companion
671. Williams, Robbie – I’ve Been Expecting You
672. Eno, Brian – Another Green World
673. Thin Lizzy – Jailbreak
674. Grateful Dead – Aoxomoxoa
675. Wire – 154
676. Miller, Steve Band – Brave New World
677. Cash, Johnny – At Folsom Prison
678. Eagles – Eagles
679. Smith, Jimmy – Got My Mojo Workin’
680. Allman Brothers – Eat a Peach
681. Genesis – Duke
682. Eve6 – Eve6
683. Hill, Lauryn – Miseducation of…
684. Martyn, John – Bless the Weather
685. Styx – Grand Illusion
686. Deep Purple – In Rock
687. Coltrane, John – Impressions
688. Fairport Convention – Unhalfbricking
689. Forrest Gump – Original Film Soundtrack
690. Talking Heads – More Songs About Buildings and Food
691. Newman, Randy – 12 Songs
692. Def Leppard – Euphoria
693. Morrison, Van – It’s Too Late to Stop Now
694. Armatrading, Joan – Armatrading
695. Suede – Coming Up
696. Jethro Tull – Aqualung
697. Sonic Youth – Daydream Nation
698. Bowie, David – Space Oddity (2). Review here: https://carlosnightman.wordpress.com/2013/06/05/nightman-listens-to-david-bowie-space-oddity-david-bowie-1969/
699. Sugar – Copper Blue
700. Guy, Buddy – Damn Right I Got the Blues
701. Green Day – Nimrod
702. Dire Straits – Dire Straits
703. Barrett, Syd – Madcap Laughs
704. Band – Stage Fright
705. Amos, Tori – Under the Pink (2)
706. Style Council – Our Favourite Shop
707. Sade – Diamond Life
708. Costello, Elvis – Trust
709. Dixie Chicks – Wide Open Spaces
710. Bragg, Billy – Talking with the Taxman About Poetry
711. Hardin, Tim – I
712. Twain, Shania – Woman in Me
713. Smith, Jimmy – the Cat
714. Zappa, Frank – Joe’s Garage
715. Soft Machine – Volume 2
716. Newman, Randy – Randy Newman
717. Pearl Jam – Vitalogy
718. Little Feat – Feats Don’t Fail Me Now
719. Pink Floyd – Division Bell (2)
720. Everclear – Sparkle & Fade
721. Massive Attack – Mezzanine
722. Pretenders – Pretenders
723. Smashing Pumpkins – Adore
724. Marilyn Manson – Antichrist Superstar
725. Blur – Great Escape
726. TLC – CrazySexyCool
727. Hole – Celebrity Skin
728. Oldfield, Mike – Hergest Ridge
729. Korn – Follow the Leader
730. Folds, Ben Five – Whatever and Ever Amen
731. Mitchell, Joni – Ladies of the Canyon (1)
732. Beastie Boys – Hello Nasty
733. Big Star – Third/Sister Lovers
734. Fugees – the Score
735. Stills, Stephen – Manassas
736. Notorious BIG – Ready to Die
737. Pantera – Vulgar Display of Power (1)
738. Rush – 2112
739. Brooks, Garth – No Fences
740. Houston, Whitney – Whitney Houston
741. Bon Jovi – Crossroad: the Best of (3)
742. Cole, Nat ‘King’ – Love is the Thing
743. Jewel – Spirit
744. Aerosmith – Pump
745. Kiss – Destroyer
746. B-52’s – B-52’s
747. Monk, Thelonious – Solo Monk
748. Hot Tuna – Burgers
749. Queen – A Day at the Races
750. Beastie Boys – Ill Communication
751. Divine Comedy – Promenade
752. Beck – Mellow Gold
753. Pearl Jam – No Code
754. O’Jays – Backstabbers
755. Young, Neil – Harvest Moon
756. Buckley, Tim – Dream Letter (Live in London 1968)
757. Cream – Wheels of Fire
758. Brooks, Garth – Ropin’ the Wind
759. Rolling Stones – Tattoo You
760. Walker, Scott – Scott 4
761. Dylan, Bob – Desire
762. Weller, Paul – Heavy Soul
763. Metallica – Load (3)
764. Coltrane, John – Giant Steps
765. Harvey, PJ – Rid of Me
766. Stranglers – Rattus Norvegicus
767. Lovin’ Spoonful – Daydream
768. Pet Shop Boys – Actually
769. McGraw, Tim – Everywhere
770. Simon, Paul – Still Crazy After All These Years
771. Harvey, PJ – To Bring You My Love
772. REM – Eponymous
773. Blur – 13
774. Fatboy Slim – You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby
775. Cure – Boys Don’t Cry (1)
776. Mitchell, Joni – Hejira
777. Nirvana – Bleach (2)
778. Spears, Britney – Baby, One More Time
779. Green, Al – Let’s Stay Together
780. Matthews, Dave Band – Crash
781. Depeche Mode – Songs of Faith and Devotion Live
782. Moby – Play
783. Iron Butterfly – In a Gadda da Vida
784. McLachlan, Sarah – Surfacing
785. Davis, Miles – Porgy & Bess
786. REM – Monster
787. Boston – Don’t Look Back
788. Clapton, Eric – Unplugged
789. Pink Floyd – A Momentary Lapse of Reason
790. Crow, Sheryl – Globe Sessions
791. Redding, Otis – Dock of the Bay
792. Matthews, Dave Band – Under the Table and Dreaming
793. Folds, Ben Five – Ben Folds Five
794. INXS – Full Moon, Dirty Hearts
795. Joel, Billy – Piano Man
796. Everclear – So Much for the Afterglow
797. Rundgren, Todd – Something/Anything
798. Vega, Suzanne – Suzanne Vega
799. Adams, Bryan – Reckless (1)
800. Tool – Aenima
The Spac Hole 