968. Savane - Ali Farka Toure.

Whilst Malian music is unsurprisingly not a strength of mine, the whole point of this project was to introduce ourselves to a greater variety of music.

Our initial exploration of this album was slightly intimidating, with a metacritic score of 94 - obscenely high. We try and avoid such research before listening to albums, to reduce any subjectivity (laughable really), but in this situation it added a real level of excitement. Unfortunately, this excitement ended up being slightly ill-founded.

The depth of sound, for what is an acoustic 'Blues' album (to put it in a language I can grasp), is impressive, with a lush variety of instrumentation. Given the unfamiliarity of many of the sounds to my Western-saturated ears, it was both intriguing and simultaneously comfortable, with rhythms and melodies that were simple enough. 

Toure's voice has a wonderful mellifluousity to it, as demonstrated on Erdi, Machengoidi and Penda Yoro. Beto shows off his guitar work, with a wonderfully Blues-y feel to the track. However, it is only really on the title track that they both come together for me. 

Whilst I did not mind listening to the album, I found it hard to concentrate for the duration, and even after several listens couldn't easily distinguish the songs. This is no doubt in no small part due to my lack of musical education and awareness, and my reliance on distortion pedals in appreciating songs, but I had hoped for a bit more. 

Chloe's album rating: 6
Chloe's favourite track: 4. Savane
Olly's album rating: 6
Olly's favourite track: 3. Beto

Next week is 496. Black Metal by Venom.

767. Live Through This - Hole

A band I'd been introduced to as a teenager, their lead singer (Courtney Love) was infamous, primarily because of her oft-complex relationship with Kurt Cobain. Whilst not a huge Grunge fan, I appreciated the importance of this relationship in shaping a seminally important musician, but probably didn't take the time to fully invest in this particular album. 

The opener kicks things off with real energy and no little angst. It captures the anger, speed, distortion, and limitations of the grunge scene fairly well. However, the rest of the album does indicate an element of flexibility that many bands at the time couldn't match. From the slow yearning of Doll Parts, to the outright pseudo-satanic intro of Credit in the Straight World.

The album reminds me of Sleater-Kinney, with a little more variety, and slightly less of a Pop-y vibe. The mis-titled album closer Rock Star (replaced by the song Olympia too late for the cover art to change) is a superb piece of music, which is stunning in its simplicity. 

It is worth noting that this album was released a few days after Cobain's suicide, adding a dramatic edge to the title, and certainly giving the album additional publicity. 

The album is a pretty good one overall, and certainly better than my distant memories recalled. There is a decent variety to the tracks, and certainly Love's lyrics and vocals are more deserving of praise than they have historically garnered. 

Chloe's album rating: 6
Chloe's favourite track: 1. Violet
Olly's album rating: 6
Olly's favourite track: 12. Rock Star

Next week is 968. Savane by Ali Farka Toure.

51. Highway 61 Revisited - Bob Dylan

One of the classic Dylan albums, and one of the few I actually know pretty well, it's hard to have listened to music without knowing at least a couple of these tracks at some stage. 

The opener is one of the most famous Dylan songs, which means it is also one of the most famous songs full stop, and with good reason. The ramshackle drumming and wheezy instruments, alongside the most singalong of Dylan's choruses, make this a song which really captures the time of social upheaval. The story of a man falling from grace presents the flipside of a changing world, where it felt like your parents' background would not dictate your future. Tombstone Blues is more acerbic, with a sharpness to the lyrics and snare drum, and many of the songs that litter this seminal album demonstrate Dylan's lyricism, even if it isn't always as sharp musically.

The outstanding track for me, however, has always been the one off this album that is criminally underrated for me. Ballad of a Thin Man is lyrically bizarre, but musically utterly captivating. The minor chords, and claustrophobic delivery, beautifully capture the frustration of Dylan's interactions with the media. As his fame grew, it became harder for him to experiment, hence the 'Judas' moment where his adoring fans turned against the man he had naturally become. The track seems to capture his belief that Art shouldn't have to answer to the public or press, and whilst I'm not always sure I agree, it is as compelling a case as you'll hear outside the Old Bailey.

Overall, this album is very good, but I can't quite see why it is so revered. As a poet, Dylan is exceptional (it was his Chronicles autobiography that introduced him to me - I've rarely read as well written a book), but I've always found his music slightly too simplistic. Whilst this is clearly partially a product of the times, his experimentation is more lyrical than musical, and it is the latter which always interests me more.

Chloe's album rating: 7
Chloe's favourite track: 1. Like a Rolling Stone
Olly's album rating: 7
Olly's favourite track: 5. Ballad of a Thin Man

Next week is 767. Live Through This by Hole.

166. Songs From a Room - Leonard Cohen

It is hard not to love a bit of L-Co, as no-one has called him, ever. Whilst depressing may undersell him, there is an honesty and integrity to what he does, including touring after his accountant/lawyer left him broke, and with no other  way of raising money.

Bird on a Wire is always going to take some beating as he standout on the album, and the delicacy of the string section over the acoustic guitar hints at the subtlety of the album as a whole. The lyrics are semi-oblique, but conjure vivid images, and the music seems to support them, rather than distract from them. 

Folk is at its best, in my opinion, when there is a real narrative, and that's what you get with many of the songs contained on this album. From Story of Isaac through to The Old Revolution, it leaves you wanting to know more about the characters, and their back stories. It's as close as I've ever really got to engaging with poetry properly, and I don't feel the need to explore beyond this.

Overall, it's not a stellar album, but it is absorbing, in a way that many albums cannot manage. I felt that I knew the tracks well after only a few listens, yet gained more upon each subsequent listent. I don't naturally choose folk-pop music as a go to, but when I'm in the mood in the future, I can well imagine reaching for this particular one.

Chloe's album rating: 6
Chloe's favourite track: 2. Story of Issac
Olly's album rating: 6
Olly's favourite track: 2. Story of Isaac

Next week is 51. Highway 61 Revisited by Bob Dylan.

871. Moon Safari - Air

A cool as fuck French duo who specialise in dance music? Alas, not Daft Punk, but a decent band nonetheless, and an album that I've some knowledge of.

It's hard to have avoided the work of Air if you watched TV in the 90s - their songs graced many an advert at the time. Laid-back but not quite minimalist, there is a blissed out vibe to much of the album, almost teasing you with its nonchalance. Unfortunately, this makes me feel that the duo have undersold their talent. There are some stand-out moments, that bassline on Sexy Boy being one, but they never seem to make the most of what they have, letting the song drift away too much. Le Voyage du Penelope defies this slightly, with a more consistent approach, but this is a bright spot.

As a background album, or one to put on when working, the album works well, and it is in no way offensive. It is decently crafted, but perhaps a bit too clinical, lacking some joie de vivre in my opinion. It probably shouldn't be compared to Daft Punk, as that is a lazy approach, but it suffers in comparison, which is what I mentally do every time I hear it.

Chloe's album rating: 6

Chloe's favourite track: 3. All I Need

Olly's album rating: 6

Olly's favourite track: 10. Le voyage de Penelope

Next week is 166. Songs From a Room by Leonard Cohen

360. Mothership Connection - Parliament

Having seen Parliament/Funkadelic live I was interested to know what their studio-work would be like. Live, it had been chaotic, albeit not being helped by the terrible sound quality at the O2 in Kentish Town. 

If you are looking for funky grooves, then this album does not disappoint. Every track has a great bassline, and the majority are recognisable as samples in moe recent tracks. But, what surprised me, was the depth of the music, which was not only innovative but also more varied than I'd expected. Unfunky UFO, for example, has an exceptional horn section, razor sharp drumming, and also a compelling call and response. 

That the band have influenced others is no surprise - from Hip-Hop to r'n'b, references to the act are easy to come across. For example, Outkast's homage to Supergroovalisticprosifunkstication is apparent on their similarly titled track off Aquemini (thanks Chloe for that spot).

This is an album that really grows, from a decent starting point. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it, and it shows that funk has a lot more depth than I would otherwise have given it credit for. Put pretty much any of these songs on at a party, with a great sound system, and people will rapidly move towards the dancefloor, even if they're not aware they're doing it - that's a thumbs up in my book. 

Chloe's album rating: 7
Chloe's favourite track: 2. Mothership Connection (Star Child)
Olly's album rating: 8
Olly's favourite track: 1. P-Funk (Wants To Get Funked Up)

Next week is 871. Moon Safari by Air.

88. Groovin' - The Young Rascals

Knowing the title track, and having always enjoyed it off the 'Heartbeat' compilations that were ever-present in my formative years, I was interested to hear what a whole album of blue-eyed soul would offer.

A Girl Like You sets things off with a nice bit of brass, and Find Somebody has an almost Psychedelic-era Beatles vibe to it - think a slightly more ponderous version of Tomorrow Never Knows. As you get deeper into the album, you start to realise why the Young Rascals have failed to continue to exist in the modern consciousness; they are pretty derivative. I'm So Happy is fine, but that is an adjective that could be applied to most of the album. It's all nice, and, ok, and even a bit good in places, but it is also pretty forgettable. Not Bonnie Raitt forgettable, but not impactful. 

To put this in context, would I rather have this album or pretty much any of the Beatles' singles were I stuck on a desert island? It would almost certainly be the latter, as there is more depth in one Beatles' song (Yellow Submarine aside) than in any of these tracks.

All the elements are there for this album to be superb: Horn section - check. Harmonies - check. Mid-60s songwriting - check. It just doesn't seem to come together very cohesively, although it is an enjoyable enough escape. If I had a radio show, I might throw in one or two of their tracks (due to its cracking trumpet), but they don't stretch to a whole album of interest, by my reckoning.

Chloe's album rating: 6
Chloe's favourite track: 1. A Girl Like You
Olly's album rating: 5
Olly's favourite track: 6. Groovin'

Next week is 360. Mothership Connection by Parliament.

649. Nick of Time - Bonne Raitt

'Who?' was the resounding question when this album was selected. However, with Suzanne Vega still in our immediate memory, this was not necessarily the precursor to disappointment we might otherwise have expected.

A country singer whose career was on the decline before this album, I can only imagine how 'meh' her previous albums must have been. It is not that the music is bad, it is simply that it is hard to concentrate on for the duration of a single song, let alone album. Forgettable doesn't quite cut it - I'd listen to it on the way into work, and then realise that I was on track 8 without ever having engaged with it.

The title track is indicative of this, with a mellow vibe that would make most of a Radio 2 playlist sound edgy. Lyrically, there are some nice touches, but the overall sound is just autopilot MOR. Several tracks sound like Shania Twain demoes that never made the cut, examples that spring to mind are Thing Called Love and Too Soon To Tell, which is at least clever in framing the breakdown of a relationship as a retrospective.

I cannot imagine ever revisiting this album, and really can't recommend it to anyone, unless you're a big fan of pop-country that isn't very good. I picked out Have a Heart as my favourite, and can't really recall why, listening to it a few days later.

Chloe's rating: 5
Chloe's favourite track: 9. I Will Not Be Denied
Olly's rating: 4
Olly's favourite track: 7. Have a Heart

Next week is 88. Groovin' by The Young Rascals.

307. Crime of the Century - Supertramp

I wasn’t surprised to see a Supertramp album in the 1001, but I was surprised that the one we selected was not Breakfast in America (though that is on the list too). As a result, and having drawn a blank on the tracklisting, my expectations were middling to low.

Whilst certainly a quirky band, I was surprised to see them labelled as prog. However, in true prog fashion, the band was a variation on their initial line-up by this, their third album. It kicks off with School, which is a superb intro, with a pretty upbeat guitar and piano line throughout the first half that descends into a riot of energy and noise. Bloody Well Right follows that up with a more standard structure, a singalong chorus, and a pounding guitar line.

The album is experimental with a small e, with more variations upon safe themes than outright bonkers numbers. Asylum is a good example of this, with a sprawling majesty that never threatens to go too far off the beaten track. Dreamer teases with some falsetto at the outset, but then settles into some more comfortable harmonies and some nice squelchy keyboard offsetting the cutting synth.

I enjoyed this album a lot more than I'd expected to. It's more sensible a piece of work than I'd expected, with a fair amount of kookiness thrown in too. It's not a classic album that makes you want to ignore any other music for a week, but it is a pleasant distraction and one I imagine I will return to on occasion. It certainly means that I can no longer consider Supertramp a one album wonder.

Chloe's album rating: 6
Chloe's favourite track: 4. Asylum
Olly's album rating: 7
Olly's favourite track: 1. School

Next week's album is 649. Nick of Time by Bonnie Raitt.

495. 1999 - Prince

A friend of mine has a ritual of listening to every Prince album on an annual basis. Whilst no stranger to music based routines, this level of dedication has always impressed me. I really only know the big hits and so I was quite excited to see what hidden depths this album would reveal.

One of my favourite things about this album was the look on Daphne's face when the vocoder intro begins - confusion doesn't even come close. As it then drops into 1999, she looked on safer ground - this kind of singalong funk is Prince's absolute bread and butter. From the tack-sharp percussion to the almost overuse of effects, there is so much great stuff in this song that it needs the charisma of Prince to hold it all together. To then break into the superb Little Red Corvette is as brilliant as it is audacious. This is Prince at his fun-focussed, party-loving best.

My slight issue with this album is that it shoots its load too soon. To put the best songs as one or two will only ever leave a sense of disappointment by the end. There are good moments, and perhaps it just needs longer to dig through all the effects, samples and beats, but Delirious is just too frenetic for me, and Let's Pretend We're Married runs in a similar vein. Automatic is just too long and lacking in direction (this from a Prog fan!), and whilst Lady Cab Driver has a superb guitar riff, the "this is for..." section is slightly sexually bizarre, even by Prince's standards.

I really wanted to love this album, and when it is good, it is superb. However, it just lacks the consistency of a great album. Maybe I miss the point with it; perhaps an album about excess and fun should be in itself excessive? That notwithstanding, when the excesses fail to move me, as many of these songs did, when I was so willing to be moved, that has to be seen as a slight disappointment.

Chloe's album rating: 7
Chloe's favourite track: 1. 1999
Olly's album rating: 6
Olly's favourite track: 2. Little Red Corvette

Next week's album is 307. Crime of the Century by Supertramp. 

330. Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen

An album I have loved for many years, we couldn't have selected it at a better time given the hot weather we are experiencing.

Thunder Road is one of the great opening numbers, and I have a special place in my heart for it after Nick Hornby's eloquent description of its universality in his book 31 Songs. The idea of escaping the mundanity of everyday existence for something bigger and better is a powerful story. Hornby, unsurprisingly, does a stellar job of encapsulating it, and I recommend you dig the book out if you get a chance.

Other songs worthy of note include Backstreets, which manages to somehow give a nod to each instrument on it, and the utterly divine Jungleland, which is one of the Boss's lyrical high points "The Poets round here don't write nothing at all/ they just stand back and let it all be." The title track is clearly great, and has a bit of everything, in a sonic sense, including what sounds like a rattlesnake.

The summary of the album in the book is accurate - it is overblown, and trying too hard to be epic; it is the playbook for every Bon Jovi album. It takes itself too seriously, and tries to throw too much into 39 minutes. It should be an utter car crash, but somehow it is not. Bruce single-handedly manages to control the thing throughout, through sheer force of will, and so it is an utter triumph. To achieve this level of mastery on your third album is astonishing.

Chloe's album rating: 9
Chloe's favourite track: 1. Thunder road
Olly's album rating: 9
Olly's favourite track: 8. Jungleland

Next week's album is 495. 1999 by Prince.