Does it deserve to be in the book?: Not at all. It's baffling how this record was chosen as one of the 1001 albums you must hear before you die. There are far better new wave records. It was a big enough album in the UK to go platinum, but it's hardly remembered as a smash hit.
Yeah, that's a... slightly random pick. Maybe it'll be removed eventually.
Yeah. I know there's been updates to the book in which albums have been cut in favor of new albums, but it looks like it's made the cut so far. The book in general is full of major head scratchers. No Four Tops, barely any Motown, no Ella, no Orbison, hardly any afrobeat or reggae, but they found room for 3 Dexys albums, 5 Byrds records, Limp Bizkit, Korn. But they also go ahead and please me with a Spacemen 3 album and 2 from Spiritualized. The book tries to cover a lot of different genres, but also has clear favorites, and glaring blindspots.
It tries, but it's a western list for sure.
It's been a while since I gave it a glance, but I remember there boldly being no Japanese records. Think Poland, Ghana, Portugal, Chile, Indonesia, and Russia are snubbed too. Plenty of other countries aren't represented obviously (Finland, Ethiopia, China, Haiti, Colombia, Korea, Mexico, etc. etc.), but all the aforementioned should have at least something in there. Unless I was really trying, I'm not even sure I could make a list of 1001 albums without including something from Japan tbh.
I think even Brazil, Mali, France, India and Spain had very little.
(not trying to make this sound like a 'everybody gets a prize! sort of thing, just adding some notes to your 'glaring blindspots' comment).
It's been a while since I gave it a glance, but I remember there boldly being no Japanese records. Think Poland, Ghana, Portugal, Chile, Indonesia, and Russia are snubbed too. Plenty of other countries aren't represented obviously (Finland, Ethiopia, China, Haiti, Colombia, Korea, Mexico, etc. etc.), but all the aforementioned should have at least something in there. Unless I was really trying, I'm not even sure I could make a list of 1001 albums without including something from Japan tbh.
I think even Brazil, Mali, France, India and Spain had very little.
(not trying to make this sound like a 'everybody gets a prize! sort of thing, just adding some notes to your 'glaring blindspots' comment).
Totally. When working with a number as large as 1001, there more than enough space to fit in records outside of popular western culture. I love Elvis Costello as much as the next dorky white hipster dude, but cutting all but one of his records in favor of stuff from other parts of the world would make for a far better book and listening exploration. _________________ http://jonnyleather.com
What the book says: Speeding off the rails, some young stars do drugs, or die—or wore yet—dally with Fred Durst. Four years after her breakthough at 19 with "wuthering Heights," the oh-so-English Kate Bush channeled her demons into a brilliantly unsettling album.
My assessment: Those opening drums of "Sat in Your Lap" set the stage for a darker heaver version of Kate Bush. The theatrical elements of her prior records remain, as her voice shifts dramatically, playing different roles throughout the songs. The maximalist progressive experimental pop of The Dreaming is a sensory overload in the best way, with each listen unveiling new details. It has all of the technical prowess and sense of adventure of prog while trading in some of the pretentious noodling for pop brevity and hooks. It's an album rich in atmosphere.
Does it deserve to be in the book?: Yes! Bush was already a star by this point, but this is the album that elevated her to legendary status, influencing the like of Björk, Julia Holter, and essential all art pop that came after. Nothing sounded quite like this before its release, and it still sounds fresh nearly 40 years later.
Favorite tracks: Suspended in Gaffa, The Dreaming, There Goes A Tenner
What the book says: Speeding off the rails, some young stars do drugs, or die—or wore yet—dally with Fred Durst. Four years after her breakthough at 19 with "wuthering Heights," the oh-so-English Kate Bush channeled her demons into a brilliantly unsettling album.
My assessment: Those opening drums of "Sat in Your Lap" set the stage for a darker heaver version of Kate Bush. The theatrical elements of her prior records remain, as her voice shifts dramatically, playing different roles throughout the songs. The maximalist progressive experimental pop of The Dreaming is a sensory overload in the best way, with each listen unveiling new details. It has all of the technical prowess and sense of adventure of prog while trading in some of the pretentious noodling for pop brevity and hooks. It's an album rich in atmosphere.
Does it deserve to be in the book?: Yes! Bush was already a star by this point, but this is the album that elevated her to legendary status, influencing the like of Björk, Julia Holter, and essential all art pop that came after. Nothing sounded quite like this before its release, and it still sounds fresh nearly 40 years later.
]
Why have I never gotten into Kate Bush? I love Julia Holter so you think it would be a no brainer, but she's just never clicked with me for some reason. I think Baystate has me listening to her 1980 album so we'll see how that goes.
Year: 1982
BEA Overall Rank: 5,996
BEA Year Rank: 104
What the book says: "Madness were on a high when they approached their fourth album. With "House of Fun" and the hits set Complete Madness having topped the UK chart, it seemed they could do no wrong. This confidence fueled a rich, dark album—the nuttiness of yore twisted into something slightly macabre, yet still exquisitely pop.
My assessment: Maybe it's just that I've been listening to a lot of the Kinks lately, but I never noticed until just how clearly Madness was influenced by Village Green era Kinks. With it's whimsical pop centered around British daily life narratives, The Rise and Fall may be the most obvious example of this. While they can't match the lyrical depth of Ray Davies, Madness does produce an album of incredibly memorable pop songs. The first half of the album is enjoyable as it can get, but The Rise and Fall does run out of steam a bit in the second half.
Does it deserve to be in the book?: As much as I enjoy Madness, the album is just too frontloaded and inconsequential to be considered essential, but everyone should listen to "Our House" at least once before they die.
Favorite tracks: Our House, Tomorrow's Just Another Day, Rise and Fall
Any thoughts on 2nd wave of ska in general Mecca (or anyone else)?
I'm going to jump into in a bit. It's never been my thing but always enjoyed it live at the surf bars I used to go to in Rhode Island. What do you think are the essential albums of the scene?
Any thoughts on 2nd wave of ska in general Mecca (or anyone else)?
I'm going to jump into in a bit. It's never been my thing but always enjoyed it live at the surf bars I used to go to in Rhode Island. What do you think are the essential albums of the scene?
The 3rd wave hit at the optimal time (middle-high school) for me to get really into that, but that was also the era before unlimited access to music. So I was interested in the 2nd wave, but most of my listening was to songs on mix tapes and cds rather than albums. By the time music downloading was a thing, I'd kind of lost interest. That being said, I think the debuts by The Specials, Madness and English Beat are all worth checking out. I've never felt strongly about Bad Manner or the Selector, but I know they were a big part of the scene. _________________ http://jonnyleather.com
Any thoughts on 2nd wave of ska in general Mecca (or anyone else)?
I'm going to jump into in a bit. It's never been my thing but always enjoyed it live at the surf bars I used to go to in Rhode Island. What do you think are the essential albums of the scene?
The 3rd wave hit at the optimal time (middle-high school) for me to get really into that, but that was also the era before unlimited access to music. So I was interested in the 2nd wave, but most of my listening was to songs on mix tapes and cds rather than albums. By the time music downloading was a thing, I'd kind of lost interest. That being said, I think the debuts by The Specials, Madness and English Beat are all worth checking out. I've never felt strongly about Bad Manner or the Selector, but I know they were a big part of the scene.
Ok! I'll start with those three. I'm thinking ONE ( or two tops) 2nd Wave ska album should make my 80s chart. Just need to do my homework and figure which one I like the best. Thanks, Mecca!
I pretty much agree with Mecca; the Selecter shone with On my Radio but that was about it. One Step Beyond is the real classic and to me the whole album is excellent, not only the singles. The Specials are a good second an The Beat (as we know them here) are not bad either.
What the book says: "It does not stand up as well as Off The Wall overall, but some of its meticulous fusions of pop, rock, and R&B manage to improve on even that template. "
My assessment: It's the best selling album of all time for a good reason. With the help of Quincy Jones, the 24 year old Jackson took pop music forward, out of the disco era. That said, it's certainly not a perfect record. With its subtle afrobeat infusion, "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" is still pop perfection. I can live without hearing Baby Be Mine and The Girl Is Mine ever again. After decades since inundated with overexposure to "Thriller", I'm no longer sick of it, and think it's quite a joy. While I can never again hear "Beat It" without picturing Weird Al in a fat suit singing Eat It, the song is an absolute banger. "Billie Jean" is even better. Michael's voice and phrasing over than bass groove is him at his absolute peak. "Human Nature" is totally cheesy. "P.Y.T." is a tight jam. The Lady in My Life once again proves that Michael's ballads are always pretty lame.
Does it deserve to be in the book?: As much as I think that half of these tracks tracks suck, the other half are fantastic and are a big piece in the story of pop music history. So yeah, the best selling album ever deserves to be in the book.
Favorite tracks: Billie Jean, Wanna Be Startin' Somethin', Beat It
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