#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. 054
“…The title track is a monument to the rock-aristocrat decadence of the day, and a feast of triple-guitar interplay. ‘Every band has their peak,’ Henley said. ‘That was ours.'”
Artist: The Eagles
Album: Hotel California
Released: 1976
Label: Asylum
Rolling Stones Ranking: 37
There is a reason I mentioned this Eagles album on my introduction post to this entire journey: without it, I probably never would’ve started trying to expand my knowledge of music. Hotel California was the first vinyl record I ever spun, and it blew me away. I found myself upgrading my all-in-one turntable that I got for Christmas from my wife just a few weeks later to something more legitimate. I have listened to this albums countless times on vinyl since, and listened again three more times before writing up my thoughts. From the opening notes of the title track, to “Life in the Fast Lane”, through the final track, “The Last Resort”, it doesn’t get much better than this 1976 release. This is absolute must-listen material for fans of rock, and is one of my favorite albums of all-time.
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.
