Customer Reviews
MOVE OUT OF THE 1960s, PLEASE. 
2008-07-16
Fun reading, covering the decades from the 1950s into the 21st century, but I have some serious disagreements with many of the LPs listed here.
The editors and authors are obviously baby-boomers who never got past the Summer of Love mentality. There are WAY TOO MANY releases from the late 60s that are fawned over. The Electric Prunes! Come On! And NOTHING by Ravi Shankar is a "must hear". Ravi's best release was the sperm that created Norah Jones.
However, I do have to make this sobering observation: I have listened to more of the 1950s releases than I have the 1990s releases.
Profoundly misguided - authors lack understanding of Western Music History 
2008-07-13
This guide is useless. Do not read it. The period it covers is highly over-rated. While some music from the last half of the 20th c. was important, most of this period can be disregarded. In 200 years no one will recognize Rolling Stones or Bob Dylan.
The last half of the 20th c. was a mostly unredeemably coarse age for music.
Mick Collins
music-book 
2008-06-20
Very nice. I was expecting a book like this for many years. Nowadays i've a portuguese version, but now i'm waiting my order in an english version.
Trash 2008-05-16
This is the definition of _________. This book is really retarded, based on the fact that they think these albums MUST be heard before you die. I do own some of these albums, and I love them a lot.
Let's think straight here. There are NO albums you MUST hear before you die. Sure, I think it would be a missed opportunity to miss out on Daydream Nation, Rain Dogs, Loveless, Paul's Boutique, and The Fat of the Land (all albums from this waste of paper), but following this book religiously can do really bad things. Here's an example:
Imagine a recent music recruit, tired of listening to soulja boy and lil jon, is finally ready to get into all kinds of music. He's been wanting to do this for his whole life, but his friends convinced him otherwise. So once realizing those "friends" are a bunch of stupid mother__________, is lost. But, there is something that catches his eye. It's this book. Looking at it, he realizes that he owns some of the albums in here. Even better, the apparent diversity of it makes him think this book has all the music he will ever need.
His whole life, he follows this book like the bible. After 70 years, he finally listens to them all. He didn't like all of them, but it's okay. He felt he knew everything, and died.
But what he didn't know, is all the bands that he would have loved even more, passed him by because he was too busy listening to albums that he didn't really like amongst all the gold albums he actually liked (from this book). He missed 311 (worst...scenario...ever), Check Your Head, Amon Tobin, Gatsby's American Dream, Rubycon, Meshuggah, Dillinger Escape Plan, Soul Coughing, Neutral Milk Hotel, a handful of classical artists, John Zorn's Naked City, Mr. Bungle, world music, and The Orb. And those were just a handful. But he was too busy following this book like the bible he never got to experience music that would have brought him happy days.
That's an example of the dangers of getting into books like these. Sure, those bands may not be ones you prefer, but it's just a _________ example.
Seriously, think for yourself. Of course, you shouldn't really be on this page if your so _________ obsessed with the concept of thinking for yourself. Then again, shouldn't you be able to realize if reading a review is good yourself, instead of automatically embracing the fact that you shouldn't be reading reviews because they brainwash you?
Alright, just kidding. What's next?
1001 - not enough 2008-03-19
Great book, but I have no clue why there is no album of the Dave Matthews Band in it, no Crash, no Under the table and dreaming , no Before these crowded streets..... so don't die after these 1001 albums, there are definetly some missing !
Great gift for music lovers 2007-12-28
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die is a highly readable list of the best, the most important, and the most influential pop albums from 1955 through 2003. Carefully selected by a team of international critics, each album is a groundbreaking work seminal to the understanding and appreciation of music from the 1950s to the present. Included with each entry are production details and credits as well as reproductions of original album cover art. Perhaps most important of all, each album featured comes with an authoritative description of its importance and influence. Among the critics involved in selecting the list are some of the best known music reviewers and commentators, including Theunis Bates (music writer for Time and urban editor at worldpop.com), Jon Harrington (staff writer at MTV), Seth Jacobson (writer for Dazed & Confused), as well as many others.
Something for Everyone, but Sometihng Missing For Everyone 2007-08-01
A good overall resource. There is an obvious bias towards rock music, which is understandable, as that's what's been most popular in the years coinciding with the advent of the record album. A few warnings: If your looking for jazz titles since the 50's or classical, you won't find much here. Most of the popular favorites are here (Sgt.Peppers,Thriller,etc.), but there are glaring omissions in each genre:Kenny Rogers' "The Gambler", Black Sabbath's " Master of Reality",and Earth,Wind & Fire's
"Spirit" are examples. Also, where's Foreigner and Journey at? Still, you'll find a lot of hidden treasures here. Maybe you'll enjoy discovering something you otherwise would not have heard.
Interesting 2007-06-15
While it's not a perfect list, it's an interesting book with some good albums listed. One of the good things about it is that it doesn't stick to one genre or only to a few bands. It has rap albums, techno albums, rock albums, pop albums, many kinds. Though it isn't a really perfect list, I can think of many albums that would fit in the list perfectly, and it's a mystery why Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake are in it. But all in all it's an interesting book and has made me delve deeper into my parent's CD and Vinyl collection to find some gems.
No Cher. No Musicals. No Good 
2007-06-02
I have 3 books of series (books, movies , and this one), this one by FAR is the worst! I mean the selections they have there are totally unreasonable. I mean, you CAN'T die listening to some CD by "Korn" but you can perfectly die without listening to Cher's "Believe". I am a big "Cher" fan and there were none of her CDs in here. They should also have some musicals in there like "Evita", "Phantom Of The Opera", "Chicago" ,and "Wicked". But seriously no Cher!?!?!?!?
BIG FUN - COULD BE EVEN BETTER ! 
2007-05-06
I bought my first album "My Generation" in 1965 and have been a dedicated follower of rock ever since. Last time around, I awarded the latest Rolling Stone Guide one star - but this one is a completely different matter. The well informed authors have brilliantly succeeded in writing a book that will be of great pleasure to both the rock nerd and the common man. I have a few comments, though.
1) You should stick to rock. I suspect that you are trying to guide open-minded rock fans into the wonderful world of jazz, but the topic is way too big and the selections will be very haphazard.
2) I question the decision to give each decade the same amount of space. Surely the 60s and 70s are much more worthwhile than later decades?
3) More than once I thought : "Gee, I thought I was the only person in the world aware of this forgotten gem!" But there is also some ugly omissions - have you ever heard about a group called LITTLE FEAT?? And these ones you should definitely hear before you die : Jack Bruce/Songs for a tailor, Family/Music in a Doll's House, 801 LIVE, Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Procol Harum/A Salty Dog, Captain Beefheart/Clear Spot & Shiny Beast, Spirit-Spirit of 76, King Crimson/Red, Fripp/Exposure,Walker Bros/Nite Flights, Scott Walker/Climate of Hunter,Meters/Rejuvenation, the Searchers' late 70s albums for Sire, Richard & Linda Thompson/Shoot out the Lights, Jefferson Airplane/Crown of Creation, Ry Cooder/Paradise & Lunch, Yazoo/Upstairs at Eric's, Thunderclap Newman/Hollywood Dream, Graham Parker/Squeezing out Sparks, Bill Bruford/Feels Good to Me, Don Ellis at Fillmore, Bobbie Gentry/Delta Sweete & Local Gentry, Joe South/Introspect, Bill Withers/Still Bill, Colin Blunstone/One Year - and these are only the results of a quick brainstorming! And I also found a few artists very over-represented : Black Sabbath, Queen, Bee Gees, Morrissey, ELP, Metallica, and loads of (c)rap and out-dated techno.
But all in all : A very good job!
