#315Albums is a list of 315 albums that appear on both the Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list, as well as the 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die book, edited by Robert Dimery. At its best, it is a representation of some of the greatest music ever released; at its worst, it is a journey through the history of music that the majority see as important, influential, and/or relevant. If nothing else, these albums are worth experiencing at least once to get a better understanding of music, which is why we are working to complete all #315Albums.
No. 008
“[Can’t Buy a Thrill is] distinguished by three top-level cuts and scattered moments of inspiration.”
Artist: Steely Dan
Album: Can’t Buy a Thrill
Released: 1972
Label: MCA
Rolling Stones Ranking: 240
This is exactly why I decided to take this journey! Can’t Buy a Thrill blew me away. I had no idea I was such a Steely Dan fan, but I knew three songs from this album, and fell in love with all three again. On top of the known singles, though, the rest of the album is arguably just as strong. I disagree with the Rolling Stone quote from above as I found the entire album inspired, from the wonderfully tacky album artwork, through the last track. There’s just so much fun to be found in this release. I listened it to twice in one day, and then went out and found it on vinyl the next weekend. I loved this album, and thought I had no idea who Steely Dan was, outside of hearing the name, beforehand. This has been my favorite album of this journey so far, and I can’t wait to hear the other two albums on this list from him (Pretzel Logic, and Aja, which I bought on vinyl alongside Can’t Buy a Thrill).
Cinefessions’ #315Albums Rating: 91%
Image and quote courtesy of Rolling Stone Magazine.
Branden has been a film fan since he was young, roaming the halls of Blockbuster Video, trying to find the grossest, scariest looking VHS covers to rent and watch alone in the basement. It wasn’t until recently, though, that Branden started seeking out the classics of cinema, and began to develop his true passion for the art form. Branden approaches each film with the unique perspective of having studied the art from the inside, having both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in acting. He has been a film critic since 2010, and has previously written for Inside Pulse Movies, We Love Cult, and Diehard Gamefan. His biggest achievement as a film critic, to date, has been founding Cinefessions and turning it from a personal blog to a true film website, housing hundreds of film and television reviews, and dozens of podcasts.
