434 of 1001 Albums: Marianne Faithfull's Broken English

Marianne Faithfull would release her most popular album Broken English to controversy and fame. It does have a very interesting sound, and for females you'll be hearing words spoken for what I know is the earliest I've heard a woman use as strong as language. I'm sure it occurred earlier, but the attitude you get on the cover art is the attitude you get inside the album.

History: The album would be welcomed by critics upon it's release, and hit charts as well. It would also cause controversy with it's lyrics, particularly in the song where a lover is caught in infidelity, and the singer depicts how she will punish him. The lyrics also go on to explore other themes such as those about a housewife who is Catholic, and most are a personal reflection of the singer.

415 of 1001 Albums: Meat Loaf's Bat Out of Hell

Meat Loaf was sort of a mixed bag at first when beginning the album. As the album goes the songs get better. The album feels more like it's letting itself become a rock opera instead of trying to go for what was in for the late 70's. There was a lot of struggle to get this album to go though, but a few decades later it seems like it was worth the work as people are still very familiar wit the tunes.

History: Love it or hate this album has went on to be one of the best selling albums of all time, and appeared on Rolling Stones' Greatest Albums of all time list. It also features legendary musicians like Todd Rundgren and  on the guitar and Max Weinberg from Bruce Springstreen's E Street Band. For a guy just working on his second album he had a lot backing it plus a lot of people who people who believed in what it had to offer to keep shopping it around to record companies.Thought the album now still sells very well it didn't start to be popular. Critically the album was received with mixed reviews and didn't really make too many waves on the charts upon it's release.

407 of 1001 Albums: Cheap Trick's At Budokan

Cheap Trick's At Budokan is an enjoyable album. It has a lot of fun tunes, and with it being live you get to here the enjoyment of the audience listening as well. To be honest though the recording lacks a little in quality, and it's not you will misplace for being a studio album. The live quality shows the guys skills, particularly on guitar though.

History: Well to explain much of it, this album was meant to be only released in Japan. With the huge success of the band's concert in Japan they performed a show at Budokan. With thousands of fans there the band was almost drowned out at times. The success though grew out of Japan with the album being import copies began selling popularly in the U.S. The album is well received by critics, and Rolling Stone lists it in it's 500 Greatest albums list.

405 of 1001 Albums: Elvis Costello and the Attractions' Armed Forces

It took me a really long time to finish this album. While Elvis Costello has a certain talent with his vocals and the instrumentals can be catchy, the music itself lacks a bit of that 50's rock charm that his other album I listened to had. His vocals just feel very different than the vibe of the tunes themselves. The music though this also features The Attractions, a backing band he commonly teamed up with to put together his album for this listen.

History: The reviews are mixed for the album. At the time of the release there was good feedback, but there were also some comments on how the production still wanted that pop charm. Over time the album has became more critically welcomed by recent critics. The album also has made a few pop culture references. This album would be the first that The Attractions were credited on the cover of the album for being apart of the music.

400 of 1001 Albums: Buzzcocks' Another Music In a Different Kitchen

The Buzzcocks are catchy, and have this fun beat to their music, but like Turbonegro I just find their to be a problem with the lyrics. It relies again on sexual lyrics, and then further gives you song titles that would be difficult to share as something you liked with others. It seems the remastered version released years later contains these very sexually graphic songs. Anyways, I did like the punk beat and how they put the English sounds into their tune as well.

History: This debut album from the band was a hit in Britain. The single "I Don't Mind" made the charts. The album has the artsy vibe intended from the band, but it also doesn't stir too much depth to get complex. The albums reviews are mostly positive or at least favorable. The album has a lot of instrumental talent despite the change ups on the album.

393 of 1001 Albums: Brian Eno's Ambient 1: Music for Airports

To get an understanding of ambient music first I looked up the definition so I would understand what the point of the album is. You don't have lyrics to give you the meaning, but what the music provides the listener is more so in the instrumentals created by the ambient sounds. Interestingly, music that is for background play usually is there to easy and be forgotten, but ambient on the other hand looks to be peaceful, but also stimulate the mind of the listener. It's no surprise that a lot of ethereal sounds are fused in to help the listener.

History: Brian Eno had been incorporating a quieter sound into his albums for the past few years with albums like Another Green World, but in Ambient 1: Music for Airports, he steps it up by beginning a series of albums just for an ambient sound. Robert Wyatt also was apart of the album contributing to the piano. The album also fused in the anxious sounds that would have then made people think of airports, and even landed it's tunes in an airport at some point during the 80's. The album has received mostly positive reviews with the exception of Spin, which only gave it 4 out of 10 stars.

391 of 1001 Albums: The Jam's All Mod Cons

The Jam are an interesting sounding band that uses a lot of influences from the pop scene of the British in the 60's like The Kinks and comes back around a decade later in the 70's to make this album, which is a lot of fun and it's very light. It's a far cry from the heavy stuff I've been having to listen to. The songs are very short though, and I don't think always stick around long enough, and it's a good thing to feel that way because it means they are good enough to.

History: "Down in the Tube Station At Midnight" would become a pop song sensation in the U.K. and hit the tops of the chart. All Mod Cons find this album garnering the band more attention than previous efforts did, and adding to the attraction they were getting for being apart of the mod revival scene. Whether they liked that or not is another thing though. They did play the title of the album to the mod trend though and used a popular saying in Britain at the time to title their album from "all modern conveniences." It's catchy and memorable.

367 of 1001 Albums: Steely Dan's Aja

Steely Dan definitely is sounding different from when they started, and I would even say a lot more jazzy. You can still recognize it's Steely Dan, but one who sounds like he has perfected his style more. This would also go on to be the group's best selling album they would release. Not only was this album a hit with audiences though, but the Library of Congress added it to the United States National Recording Registry for the trademarks of being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically important".

One of the members would describe this album to be two distinct sounds of jazz and pop, and I do agree. I think this is what makes the album a lot better because these two styles of music can be a lot of fun especially in the 70s, so it makes the album fun. "Black Crow" kicks off the album, and while a good start to set up the album it definitely isn't the one that stuck with me after listening.

366 of 1001 Albums: Elvis Costello's My Aim Is True

After hearing Elvis Costello's name for so long, I was curious about his music would sound. It was very different than I expected with the 50s rock n' rock vibe that was put in well with the 70s.  This album had a rough start though as Costello had a difficult time getting a label to pick it up, and on top of that when the album was released the backing band, The Clovers, weren't even credited due to some contract difficulties. Years later though this album has become a classic, and inducted into a few Hall of Fames.

Costello gets the album started off well with "Welcome to the Working Week". With such a topic usually greeted with not too much excitement he makes his song pop with the fun sounds of the 50s. When you do the 50s though it can be a difficult sound to modify to fit another sound but he does that well by mixing the pop and rock aspect of it.

365 of 1001 Albums: Electric Light Orchestra's Out of the Blue

It's been awhile it feels since I've listened to an album I've enjoyed all the way through, and I didn't expect for the Electric Light Orchestra to be the next album I listened to that surprised me and really gave me something I enjoyed. Also, I couldn't help but get extremely excited to hear Mr. Blue Sky begin playing on the album. It always makes me think of the trailer to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. 

364 of 1001 Albums: David Bowie's Heroes

Heroes has got to be my favorite song from Bowie, so I was excited to just listen to the album to hear that song on the album it is from, which goes by the same name. This is also the second album in Bowie's Berlin Trilogy, and the only album of the three to be fully recorded in Berlin. It's definitely an extension of Low, and features even less of the fun sounds you might find on it. There are some real gems on the album though that make it all worth listening to.

"Beauty and the Beast" and "Joe the Lion" are funner songs on the album. They feature more funky sounds from Bowie as he strengthens the new sound he is experimenting with Brian Eno on. What I was really waiting for was to hear "Heroes" again. I'm not sure if my personal hype around that song made me a little less enthustiac about the rest of the album or not. It's one of the most covered songs though, and this is one of his most popular albums critically.

363 of 1001 Albums: David Bowie's Low

Bowie has had a distinct style and fame for the past decade in the 70s,  but since his last album Station to Station something has been evolving about the singer as far as music and style, and he takes that to a new level in Low. This would be the first in David Bowie's career with Brian Eno known as the "Berlin Trilogy", while not as fun as the past ones there is some interesting sounds and music explored in the album that still makes it one his most interesting ventures in music so far. It seems to be a more serious Bowie.

Most the songs are short, and without vocals. Instead Bowie lets the music do a lot of the talking itself. The "Speed of Life" kicks the album off instantly establishing this. You can also heavily hear the influence of Brian Eno happening. As the album goes on it does get more somber with songs like "Weeping Wall" toward the end.

362 of 1001 Albums: Chic Manish's C'est Chic

I've been wondering where all the disco is at. Chic Manish probably has one of the most popular R&B songs of all time with "Le Freak". Every since seeing the Frank Zappa album titled Freak Out! I have been wondering who sung the song with that chorus and, finally I have heard. Not only that but, the song made the band a popular club hit as well in the late 70s.

"Chic Cheer" gets the album started, but it isn't amazingly what got me into the album. Instead that will be "Le Freak", which comes right after it plays. I could tell the album was going to be a bit funner than the previous ones though. When "Le Freak" came on though it was a relief to finally know who sings it. For some reason the song is just a lot of fun and seems very representative of the disco that you heard from the 70s. Whenever they even refer to that period of the 70s it seems like they always lead in with that song.

361 of 1001 Albums: Brian Eno's Before and After Science

Admittingly, Here Comes the Warm Jets and Another Green World were more preferable, but Before and After Science took a long time for Brian Eno to craft with a total of two years elapsing before he would release it. Eno had formed many connections by 1977 though that he enlisted for the album though like members from Roxy Music and Genesis. The album almost takes a sci-fi sound on, and it brings in the first of what would be a huge sound in the 80s.

Many of the sounds on this album you would hear in music not too long after including the Talking Heads as he did work closely with them. "No One Receiving" kicks off the album in a serious but, very lively manner. The interesting sounds will instantly be noticed on the album.

360 of 1001 Albums: Bob Marley and the Wailers' Exodus

Some pretty traumatic things have happened to Bob Marley since the last album with the Wailers he did including an assassination attempt on his life, but Marley and the band stay as outspoken as ever on their 1977 release, Exodus. After being exiled to London after the attempt on his life he began the recording of Exodus. Overall, the basis for the album is the struggle for freedom he was trying for Rastafarians in Jamaica.

This album definitely seems to have even a stronger reggae flare to it on the album. It is the most popular of their albums and, still garners a lot of attention today from critics. While the album doesn't get started with one of the hits on the album but, instead "Natural Mystic", it won't be long before you hear tunes that might be enjoyed more if not already.

359 of 1001 Albums: Billy Joel's The Stranger

Billy Joel was something I wasn't sure what to think when I saw I would be listening to him. In recent years he has become popular for a lot of negative reasons that aren't his talents as a musician. This album though is quite good, and takes music to another place I haven't quite heard. It combines a lot of what has been happening in the 70s to take us into 1977.

"Movin' Out Anthony" was a good song to start with as it sounds different, and already proves out of the gate what Billy Joel's sound will be like on this album. The music almost provides a story atmosphere along with the music, but it's one of the songs further on down the album that turns out to be one of the most memorable of favorite of mine.

358 of 1001 Albums: Ramones' Self Titled

There was a lot of excitement when I saw the Ramones were the next band on the list I would be listening to. While liking the few songs I had heard I definitely hadn't heard enough to know if I liked the band. It was also exciting to see a few songs on the album that I had already heard before, and would be getting to listen to again. While the themes of Nazism, male prostitution, violence, and and drug use are a little different the album still sounds good, and it's no doubt these guys really spurred the punk genre.

"Blitzkrieg Bop" is the song that kicks off the album, and as most the songs on the album it at least gets you jumping and ready to hear the rest of the album. The third song is one of my favorites though, so I was definitely more excited to hear "Judy is a Punk". It's one of the better songs on the album, and one of my prior favorites even before hearing the whole album.

357 of 1001 Albums: The Eagles' Hotel California

This is the first album from The Eagles on the list,and  the first without founding member Bernie Leadon. The album is also one of the band's most popular, so after the switch up it made them more successful. Hotel California is a consistent album as far as sound, and does have one of the most memorable songs from the band.

"Hotel California" is a good way to start the album because it is the best song on the album. There is something about the song that fits California, and catches this chill vibe that helps you relax. It sounds good, but the rest of the album sort of lulls off. While you have a mix of fast and slow songs the songs sort of run together, and you may catch one that gets your attention every now and then. The guys do sound different though, but they sound like a revisit to the early 70s.

355 of 1001 Albums: Stevie Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life

I don't think an album has contained as many popular songs I've heard from one as this one. Also, it was more enjoyable than expected, and definitely a more mature and well crafted album than his previous ones. All of his album had been success though, and he was one of the most influential figures in pop music by 1976.  It's one of the few albums to debut straight at number 1. There are lots of fun tunes that merge the old sounds of Wonder with a few new ones as well.

The album is divided up into two sides that almost creates the effect of this just being two albums in one. The first side definitely has a different vibe than the second side you hear. "Sir Duke" was the song that did begin changing my perception of the album. It was a familiar sound, and slowly I began getting into the song. Most the songs are long enough to give you time to really see if you're into the music, or you're wanting to move on to the next one.

355 of 1001 Albums: Rush's 2112

There seems to be a fascination with making album covers that look sort of Sci-Fi in the 70s.  Rush though knows how to make an epic album with great guitars, and vocals to match though. It's very monumental rock music. Actually, the band was being pressured to not do another concept album from their record label after the previous failure of Caress of Steel, but the band did what they want, and proved them wrong. This is definitely one of the better concept albums out there.

The first of the album is "2112", which is compiled of songs into one. This really showcases some of the best moments of the whole album. The way it picks up and slows back down creates a great vibe. Geddy Lee does lead vocals, and honestly I haven't heard anything like his voice so far on the list. It's definitely bringing in more of the vocal sounds you'll here in the 80s too. These guys though have proven me wrong so far on my hesitance about prog rock though.