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Useless Things Need Love Too

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Tag Archives: Chuck Berry

Silent Sunday or: The Haul 1/20/18

21 Sunday Jan 2018

Posted by TGBII in Records, Silent Sunday

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

.38 Special, Aretha Franklin, Chuck Berry, Discogs, Duke Ellington, George Harrison, Grover, James Bond, John Klemmer, Louis Armstrong, New Birth, New Edition, Ringo Starr, Rosemary Clooney, Sesame Street, The Doowackadoodlers, The Stooges, The Zero Zero Seven Band, Underdog Records

Salutations™!!

It was a long Saturday and that’s a rarity for The BCPF and me. Because Willows Bistro opened back up, we didn’t eat until 7pm but, we had a lot of listening time from our haul from Underdog Records earlier in the day. This is what we got:

R-1014777-1250929298.jpeg

©Chess Records

  • George Harrison – All Things Must Pass – 3xLP box set. The BCPF has had a big tumultuous spell as of late and she’s seeing the daylight on the other side, so I made sure she got this, which she has been coveting for a while. It’s #433 on the RS List, which I think is a little low. New.
  • The Stooges – Fun House – #191 on the RS List. This is a new reissue and it is in 180g orange and black splatter vinyl.
  • Aretha Franklin – Lady Soul – #85 on the RS List. I have never been a huge fan of Aretha’s. I know, I know. I especially don’t like her later stuff and all that crazy vocal running she does that is back in fashion. But, this is early stuff and it’s really good. New.
  • Chuck Berry – The Great Twenty-Eight – #21 on the RS List. Yes, it’s a compilation. Yes, I skipped the compilations on the list when I was doing them. As I’ve had to explain, several times, I am a fan of compilations. I have many of them. But, for that list of the “greatest albums of all time,” I don’t consider them “albums.” Now, the pure definition of the word album is “a collection usually in book form of literary selections, musical compositions, or pictures.” But, for that list, I took album meaning a work of original releases that were carefully placed sequentially to tell a story or elicit an emotional response. To me, many compilations are nothing more than a record company’s take on what sells. I have no problem with that, but not on a greatest of all time list. No matter the reasoning. This is a VG copy.
  • Louis Armstrong – Plays W.C. Handy – VG+ remastered copy.
  • New Birth – Blind Baby – A while ago, I saw someone posting about five or six albums from this group. I came across one of their albums at Underdog and gave it a listen this past week. I liked it. I saw this on for $2 and I couldn’t pass it up. VG+.
  • The Zero Zero Seven Band – James Bond Thrillers!! – A VG copy of the Zero Zero Seven Band (get it? 007) doing a collection of James Bond scores. Partly the main themes and partly incidental scored music from the first three films.
  • Rosemary Clooney And Duke Ellington And His Orchestra – Blue Rose – VG+
  • New Edition – New Edition – VG+ from my early teens. A friend and I would sing “Cool It Now,” “Mr. Telephone Man,” “Lost in Love” and “Kinda Girls We Like,” repetitively. I had fun and The BCPF got to see me return to my childish side (again).
  • Grover – Grover Sings The Blues – Yes. Yes, this is Grover from Sesame Street. As I’ve said before I had several of these albums as a young child and I just want to hear them again. I don’t mind living in the past. I mean, all of this is from the past, right? VG.
  • Ringo Starr – Ringo’s Rotogravure – Ringo’s voice has a distinct sound; a tone. You know it’s him when he speaks or sings. This is rated at VG, but it’s actually in really good shape. The cover, one of the older cardboard style, is splitting a little at the bottom. I can’t really glue those back together. $1 bin find.
  • 38 Special – Tour De Force – I’ve been looking for the album with “If I’d Been the One” and this is it. Found it in the $1 bin. There’s a little damage on the cover, but the album is in decent shape, once I cleaned it. VG.
  • Various – The House At Pooh Corner And Now We Are Six – As you can tell, The BCPF and I are both suckers for children’s records. This is not to be confused with the song by Loggins and Messina. It’s a $1 bin find and is VG.
  • The Doowackadoodlers – More Wacky Doodlin’s – I don’t really know what this is, but it was $1 and the cover seemed funny. I cleaned it up and it is around VG quality. I may give it a spin later today before the games.
  • John Klemmer – Brazilia – Another thing we like is music from other countries. This is (obviously) Brazilian. It was $1 and is VG.

There were two other albums we got, one brand new and one a German version of Brahms’ Concerto for Violin and Orchestra but because The BCPF has a knack for getting/wanting albums that aren’t in Discogs, I can’t list them here. It is a long, drawn-out process when you have to submit them yourself. Perhaps I’ll do a few of the half dozen or so that isn’t in there during the games today? Also, Jonathan gave me a crateful of records that are either partially or very warped. I want to experiment with them and see if I can reshape them. I’ve watched a few YouTube videos about it and I want to try a few methods. It will involve the oven, which I know is a scary thought, but we’ll see. If they’re useless anyway, why not?

I have to watch the Underdog Records social media pages because Jonathan will post all throughout the day when he gets fresh used records in. My friends on the private Facebook page all clamor over the same genres and have similar wants. It’s fun. It’s like when I used to collect baseball and football cards. I wanted to buy to see if I got something my friends didn’t. It’s friendly. The point is, you should watch their social media to see what is “just in.”

There was a guy that had been coming in for a bit, even purchasing a few albums here and there. All the while, he’s not even had a turntable. He just wanted to collect. This week, Jonathan finally sold him a turntable because he has several for sale. Some of it is entry level (which makes sense if you’re just dabbling) and some of it is higher quality. Sometimes he’ll get some high-dollar stuff but mostly it’s entry and moderate level. But, he tests it and makes sure it’s good before he posts it. Sometimes there are A/V receivers and speakers for sale, too. Keep checking back.

And you can tell that I use Discogs to do my archiving. I purchased a record that I’ve been searching for from their marketplace last night. Stay tuned to see which one. Discogs is great to keep track of what you have and what your friends have. Delightful!

Until tomorrow, keep collecting and keep spinning…
Scorp out!

—
“What I feel, I can’t say. But my love is there for you, any time of day. But if it’s not love that you need, then I’ll try my best to make everything succeed. Tell me, what is my life without your love. Tell me, who am I without you, by my side?” – “What Is Life?” (Harrison)

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame or: Sing It Sister!

13 Wednesday Dec 2017

Posted by TGBII in Life as We Know It, Rant

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Ben Orr, Bon Jovi, Chaka Khan, Chubby Checker, Chuck Berry, Depeche Mode, Dire Straits, Eurythmics, Gene Simmons, Grandmaster Flash, Ice Cube, J Geils Band, Jaffa, Jimi Hendrix, Judas Priest, Kate Bush, KISS, Link Wray, Little Richard, LL Cool J, Mark Knopfler, Moody Blues, N.W.A., Nina Simone, Radiohead, Rage Against the Machine, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Rolling Stone, Rufus, Run-DMC, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, The Cars, The MC5, The Meters, The Zombies

Salutations™!!

So, I know the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is at times controversial, sometimes political and always polarizing subject. Some think it’s contrived, others a complete waste of time. I have been critical of their inability to nominate qualified artists over some that have been sketchy at best.

Now, I know opinion is a major boiling point in things like this. I don’t like this band so they shouldn’t be in there. How can they say that’s rock and roll!? Where’s KISS!? They let N.W.A. in? Those are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the HOF. I was guilty of that, as I’ve said (and said above). But, I have to look beyond my personal tastes (because there’s not account for that I’ve always been told) and look to the importance of the artist.

First off, what constitutes Rock and Roll? Is it just a genre of music that includes predetermined instruments with or without vocals? Or, does it go beyond that and stretch into attitudes as well? My admitted idol, Gene Simmons, sparked a bit of controversy last year over the inclusion of N.W.A. in the HOF. According to Rolling Stone, Gene said this to Ice Cube: “Respectfully, let me know when Jimi Hendrix gets into the Hip-Hop Hall of Fame. Then you’ll have a point.” Ice Cube shot back about Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Chubby Checker inventing rock and roll and, from what I can understand, Cube made it about race (but… wasn’t Jimi black?). Gene said in response: “You’ve got Grandmaster Flash in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Run-D.M.C. in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? You’re killing me. That doesn’t mean those aren’t good artists. But they don’t play guitar. They sample and they talk. Not even sing.” I don’t know that I agree with him on that part. Yeah, rap is a different animal altogether but I believe what Cube said in response to that part was all telling: “I respect Gene Simmons, but I think he’s wrong on this because rock & roll is not an instrument and it’s not singing. Rock & roll is a spirit. N.W.A is probably more rock & roll than a lot of the people that he thinks belong there over hip-hop. We had the same spirit as punk rock, the same as the blues.”

I want to focus on six words in that last part. Rock & roll is a spirit. 

It took me a long time to realize that. It wasn’t something that I liked, therefore it wasn’t something that needed to be in the Hall of Fame. Well, bullstein on that! Anyone can look at my music reviews on this blog in particular and tell that I am no expert on anything other than my opinion. My backstory and history and the music industry’s backstory and history don’t necessarily run in the same circles. I like what I like and I’m pretty staunch in those things, right or wrong, I’m there. What I like compared to what most others like is hit or miss (usually leaning more toward the “miss”) and certainly my ideas on what something should be is just a personal incantation. It’s not gospel or even informed a lot of the time. That’s one reason why with the Eugeology list, I have tried to pay very close attention, do some research and craft the proper responses and or thoughts for each entry. Rock and roll is a state of mind, or, well, spirit.

This brings us back to the HOF and the inductees for 2018 have been announced. First, let’s see who was actually nominated this year: The Meters, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, J. Geils Band, Rufus featuring Chaka Khan, Link Wray, Moody Blues, Dire Straits, Eurythmics, Judas Priest, Kate Bush, Rage Against the Machine, Depeche Mode, The Zombies, The MC5, The Cars, LL Cool J, Bon Jovi, Nina Simone and Radiohead.

I voted many times (you were allowed one per IP addy, per day) and my votes were always the same with one alternating. I voted for The Cars, Depeche Mode, Radiohead, Nina Simone, Dire Straits, and Eurythmics. I guess my newfound love for first wave/new wave was showing. However, three of those actually made it in. I wasn’t not for Judas Priest, The Zombies, Kate Bush or MC5 to get in, I would have been fine with them, as well. But, not who I was voting for this time. The final list was as such: Bon Jovi, Nina Simone, Dire Straits, Moody Blues, The Cars and listed as “an early influencer,” Sister Rosetta Tharpe.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe. I hate that title for her, “early influencer.” I’m not a fan of blues and I’ve made no bones about that, but man this lady could wail some serious blues guitar and she sang like nobody’s business. She belted her tunes with major conviction and regardless of whether she was relevant mostly in the 1940s or not, I believe if she’s worthy of being in, she’s worthy of being in. It doesn’t need a special category. At least not in that direction. She deserves to be here because she was influential to many of the top blues musicians, either directly or indirectly. I wanted a few YouTube vids to get myself more acquainted with her style and man, it was pretty great. Yeah, I just said that.

Nina Simone, it’s about danged time. She stood out. There was none like her. She was scary, too. She thought nothing of pointing out someone in the audience that was being an idiot or disruptive and she’d tear you a “new one” anytime she thought you were wronging her. Great musician and great raspy, yet smooth vocals. My first introduction to her was in the film Point of No Return (the Americanized La Femme Nikita) which wasn’t that great of a film but whatever. I also loved her version of “Black is the Color of My True Love’s Hair” (the Jaffa Remix). And, she’s a North Carolina girl! She’s from Tryon, NC.

The Cars were never known for their dynamic stage presence, but they wrote some catchy-arsed tunes. Their first album is darn near perfect start to finish and I really dug Heartbeat City, as well. They were the inspiration for a good many new wave and mainstream artists alike. One of my votes, I am glad they’re getting in. I hate Ben Orr won’t be here to see it.

Dire Straits. I was never a “fan” per se, but they have some serious moments. Brothers in Arms is a fantastic and powerful album from end-to-end, even if you leave in “Money for Nothin'” and “Walk of Life.” As overplayed as those songs were, they were well written and what guitarist isn’t at least a little bit jealous they didn’t write the opening riff of “Money?” I have to admit I didn’t know what that song was about until about two years ago. It snapped and I was like… wait! It’s about that!? I don’t know what I thought it was about, really. But, it’s a little twinge of jealousy from two working joes that they have to do all this heavy lifting and these “yoyos” playing their guitars get paid for nothing. Not true of course, but we all choose our “work.” Of course, their career is far beyond that album forward and backward. Mark Knopfler is a great guitarist and his work on the soundtrack for The Princess Bride was quite awesome. I’m glad they got in.

I really know very little of Moody Blues other than that sappy arsed “Nights in White Satin,” “I’m Just a Singer (in a Rock and Roll Band)” and 1986’s “Your Wildest Dreams.” I know I should know more. I will probably get educated on my lack of knowledge by those who read this blog. I would go as far as saying that I want to know more. I do have The Other Side of Life on vinyl (with the aforementioned “Your Wildest Dreams”). Perhaps that will go on soon. I know it’s a pale representation of the band’s collective work but you gotta start with what you’ve got, right? I guess.

Bon Jovi. Bon Jovi. Hmmm… Okay, I’ll admit it. I like Bon Jovi from New Jersey back. My favorite album from them is the first one, cleverly called Bon Jovi. It was piano/keyboard driven rock and I liked that. “Love Lies” and “Shot Through the Heart” are great. On CD the only one of those in the range I mentioned that I don’t have is 7800° Fahrenheit. I don’t know why, either. I know they get a bad rap when it comes to rock and roll. It was cheesy and hair bandy, sure. But, they sold records and they put on a good show. The songs, as juvenile and over-polished as they sometimes were, were well-written. I can’t complain about them, really. Plus, they outright beat the pants off the other nominees in the fan votes. I mean it wasn’t even close. The fan vote was easily twice as many as the next closest nominee if not three times. It was crazy. I knew they’d not have a problem getting in, so I never voted for them.

Well, that’s my thoughts on this. I will probably get wrung for it, but hey, it’s the way it is. What are your thoughts, Dear Reader? Who do you feel should be in the HOF that isn’t? Of what are your thoughts on the HOF in general? What could be done to make it a more legitimate accolade? Is it already legit? Answer me those things. Thanks in advance.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“I don’t mind you coming here and wasting all my time. Cause when you’re standing oh so near I kinda lose my mind. It’s not the perfume that you wear. It’s not the ribbons in your hair. And I don’t mind you coming here and wasting all my time.” – “Just What I Needed” (Ocasek)

Needles, Guns and Grass or: Living for the City (RS Part 48)

22 Thursday Dec 2016

Posted by TGBII in Music Review, Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Chuck Berry, Fleetwood Mac, James Brown, John Lennon, Joni Mitchell, Led Zeppelin, Robert Johnson, Rolling Stone, Rolling Stone Top 500 Albums, Stevie Wonder, The Who, U2

Salutations™!!

That last segment of Rolling Stone Top 500 Albums of All Time was pretty great, overall. I’m hoping this, the Top 30, will be just as fantastic. No time to waste, let’s hit it.

#30 – Blue by Joni Mitchell. The BCPF and I have recently learned the joys of Joni Mitchell. Yes, we had heard of her and heard her stuff, especially The BCPF as it’s in her 1bluealbumcoverwheelhouse. We just have gotten to know more about the music. Our summer Sundays on the lawn include dialing up some JM on Pandora and letting it play through. It wasn’t always her but when it was, we really enjoyed it. This was a catalyst for the whole modern singer-songwriter movement. Some people that guested on the album are James Taylor on three songs and Stephen Stills who played bass on the whole album. He does impressive work, too. I’m not quite sure what was going on, or the effect they were trying for during “This Flight Tonight” but it’s weird. I don’t not like it, it’s just weird. The title track is one of my faves from this album and “California.” Joni is a definite storyteller. It’s not just songwriting for the sake of writing a song, she has something to say and the lyrics are a vivid tale, not just rhyming babble. I like her piano playing, too. It’s simple but effective. “All I Want, “A Case of You” and “River” are also great tunes. I dug it!

#29 – Led Zeppelin by Led Zeppelin. From the first notes of “Good Times Bad Times,” it was on. This commercial hard rock was something new and exciting. Jimmy Page is pegged as a sloppy player a good bit and I’ll agree with that on his solos. But, I believe the man is one of the best rhythm and riff writers/players I’ve ever heard – refer to “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You” and “Black Mountain Side” (both the rhythm and lead parts). Robert Plant was only 20 when this album was recorded. He had mature pipes for that age. John Bonham was also only 20. I can only imagine what people thought of the powerhouse drumming that he put on aural display when they heard it for the first time. I know that I have always been blown away by it and I am used to hard and heavy music. I know it goes against just about everything I ever say when I talk about blues and all that, as, for the most part, this album is chock-full of the stuff I hate. I’m not talking about blues-based or influenced stuff. I’m talking stuff like “You Shook Me” and “I Can’t Quit You Baby,” both written by Willie Dixon, by the way, which are certainly not my favorite tunes on the album, but I don’t always push next, either. On this album, Zep wasn’t afraid to bypass radio intentions and just put out a really good album, this is also evidenced in the fact that of nine songs on the album, only three of them are under four minutes. When it was time to play something on the radio, Jimmy Page made adjustments to the running time of “How Many More Times” on the album credits to read only “3:30” even though it’s really 8:27. This was so the radio stations would play it. Of course, that could be rumor and I can’t verify it; it only applies to the old LP copies. I guess no one took the time to actually look at the record itself to see how long a song actually was back then. I can tell the difference in a four minute song and an eight minute one just by looking at it. I know professional DJs could have.  My faves on this album are “Good Times Bad Times,” “Communication Breakdown,” “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You,” “Dazed and Confused,” “How Many More 1whosnextTimes” and “Your Time is Gonna Come.” Understanding the importance and significance of this album is key. I’d rate Zep II or IV in front of this album on the list, if it were me. But, I still dig it good bit.

#28 – Who’s Next by The Who. To me, this is The Who. The earlier stuff is fine and good; not all of it my cup of tea. But, this is where The Who got me. From the first arpeggiator-produced notes of “Baba O’Riley” into “Bargain” and “Love Ain’t for Keepin’,” the first part of the album is priceless. I am also a big fan of the last three songs, “Going Mobile,” “Behind Blue Eyes” and “Won’t Get Fooled Again.” The last song being what KISS got to be known for on their reunion tours on, although, really, they should stop using it, if they still do, because it’s not the original lineup and they’re not “fooling” anyone with that (for the record: I don’t at all mind the new lineup how they are). I won’t say I’m a big fan of John Entwhistle but, man, “The Ox” is a beast! I own this album on CD and I got it used on vinyl, although I haven’t listened to it on that, just yet; time hasn’t permitted it. I love the cover which shows the members having just urinated on a big concrete protrusion jutted in the middle of a spoil pit. I don’t know what to say about this album other than I really like it, if for nothing more than it’s just a great album.

#27 – The Joshua Tree by U2. Yes. This. More of this, please. It, along with Achtung Baby!, my two favorite U2 albums. I like most of what they did after and I like what they did before but this was what set them off. It was good stuff and more mature than the previous stuff, not that it was immature, it was just an evolution in songwriting that took them to these new heights. Produced by Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno, it had a more direct sound than just a lot of echo and ambiance. The lyrics were more pointed than most and it showed off how much U2 loved the USA and how much U2 loathed them. Politically, we don’t really put off a positive vibe to the rest of the world. We’re standoffish and don’t play well with others. Socially, we tend to take our stance to either help or hinder other places, however it best works for our own advancement. Yeah, we get it. That’s just how we are. There are times it’s better and times it’s worse. We’re moody like that. That discontent is shown prominently in the song “Bullet the Blue Sky” which is one of my faves of the band. It’s a much better use of that riff than the oafish Ted Nugent in “Stranglehold.” This has a groove, the other… well it has Ted Nugent. No better reason not to listen than it being him. Anywhat! The song was originally written about our intervention into the Salvadorian civil war and how we handled it, according to an interview with Bono on the @U2 website. The other side of that, though, is the love of American gospel music, our freedoms, the people and the beauty of the land. The album’s title alone is all about the desert, the wide openness and the wonder of it all. The gospel-esque “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” showed the love of our southern-laced music. It wasn’t all just us, though, there were parts that were about other places, like “Where the Streets Have No Name.” It’s about identity and residence; how you can tell about a person from where they live. “One Tree Hill” was written for a fallen friend of Bono. “Mothers of the Disappeared” is about the families of the children who “disappeared” in El Salvador and Nicaragua. It means they were abducted, or probably more than likely killed for political gains. My favorite song on the entire album is “With or Without You.” Just the way Bono sings it combined with the ethereal guitar parts from The Edge, I find it to be a fantastic song and1fmacrumours reminds me of a time when I hated U2 (what I knew of them) because it wasn’t the other pop drivel I had come to love. I know better, now, considering them one of my top 10 acts, if not top 5. It doesn’t have a bad song on it. I LOVE this album.

#26 – Rumours by Fleetwood Mac. Make sure you spell it right… the British way. Another monster album. It seems this part of the list is where you’re going to start really getting into the meat of it all. I mean, it’s the top 30 albums of all time, right? So, yeah, a monster album. It is full, and I mean full, of awesome songs. From the opening, chugging notes of “Second Hand News” there’s not a dull moment or bad note, much less a bad song, through the fade out of “Gold Dust Woman.” The band, while probably in some constant state of f’ed up, was firing on all cylinders on this album musically. Mick Fleetwood was a solid drummer and probably still is, although at 69, I believe he needs a little backup on that. Christine McVie (whose maiden name is actually Perfect) is cranking, not tickling, the ivories throughout and while I never thought she had the greatest voice, she is a fantastic songwriter and pianist and a good singer. Lindsey Buckingham was always a mystery to me. I never knew he was that good of a guitar player but the coolest part is that he’s a finger picker. I don’t know if he ever uses a pick, it sounds like he probably does through the strumming part but his finger-picking style gives a different timbre to the tonality of his playing. It’s not as bright but is still quite prominent. I think that’s quite unique. I am always talking about the bass players and, well, John McVie (the “Mac” in Fleetwood Mac) is solidly planted at the bottom end. I use the bass line of “The Chain” to get levels when I play out. Not too tough but enough to get a tonal range. That and it’s fun. On this album he doesn’t “go off” but he’s the foundation of the sound. Stevie Nicks was there to be beautiful and raspy. I kid about that. She’s a great voice and songwriter and she was quite beautiful. She still is. “Songbird” is one of the most underrated songs, ever. Christine McVie is on it and that “good voice” is velvety and emotional. The same for “Oh Daddy.” That song is emotional and dark. The whole feel of the song is dark and beautiful. “I Don’t Want to Know” is a bounce-happy trip from Stevie and Lindsey written by Nicks back in the days they performed as a duo before joining Fleetwood Mac. Again, not a bad song anywhere to be found. It could easily be top 15, in my opinion. I love this album (I also own it on vinyl).

#25 – Live at the Apollo by James Brown. Okay, I don’t get it. Listening to this was about as much fun as watching a local church Christmas play. I understand that it was laying a precedence for the marketability of James Brown and it laid groundwork for the future of R&B music. And, I get that is should be on the countdown. I just think that place should have been in the high 400s. Not the 25th greatest album of all time. I couldn’t wait until it was over and it was less than 32 minutes long. This is not the fun and exciting James Brown that we come to know and love. This was just songs performed by a yeller and his three cronies. Now, that sounds harsher than I mean it. The James Brown I know was 1steviewonder_innervisionsbombastic, energetic and loud. This was early, I get it, but it just wasn’t fun to listen to, history and significance be darned. I just didn’t care for it. I did like “Night Train,” so there’s that.

#24 – Innervisions by Stevie Wonder. This album has my absolute favorite Stevie song on it: “Living For the City.” There’s just something about that song that has a great groove, a good story and his vocals are incredible. And the Fender Rhodes never sounded better. On the album is the very extended version of the song. It includes a black man being arrested for being black in the city that I’m assuming is NYC. It’s pretty telling, really. I never thought Stevie a political one but it was a jab at prejudice, I think. And, he plays every single instrument and sound on this song, that’s just amazing. The same goes for the opening track, “Too High,” too. His jazz drumming and synth bass playing is out of this world. Stevie’s vocals are airy on “Visions” and the song is beautiful; amazingly so.  I am seeing that Stevie connects all his songs in the mastering process. The fade out goes into the next tune, except when it’s time to change a side. The first time I ever noticed it was on the cassette for In Square Circle when I was a kid. I am pretty sure it happened on Songs in the Key of Life, too. As much as I really do like the Chili Peppers’ version of “Higher Ground,” it doesn’t hold a candle to the groove of this version. It’s slower, yeah, but it’s more groove. Again, Stevie does it all himself. Other greats: “All in Love is Fair,” “Golden Lady,” “Don’t Worry ‘Bout a Thing” and “He’s Misstra Know-It-All.” I’ve already alerted Jonathan at Underdog Records to keep an eye out for this coming in, used or otherwise. I really, really dug this album. Stevie at his best.

#23 – Plastic Ono Band by John Lennon. I have heard a lot of these songs but I’ve never heard this album, Lennon’s first “solo” album; released 21 days after I was born. A cool thing is Ringo Starr played drums on it. “Mother” is a bit creepy. After reading the story behind it, it is even more creepy. Lennon went through primal therapy with some quack that made him relive the hardest times of his childhood instead of analytical discussions. It brought some darkness out in him, for sure. “Hold On” is a good song, very stripped down to just guitar, bass and drums. Not really a fan of “I Found Out,” though. “Working Class Hero” is another dark and miserable song, but I really like it. It’s a precursor to grunge, I’d say. I don’t know if I’d be correct, but that’s what I’ll say. It’s a commentary on class and perception, I’m figuring. “Isolation” has some really cool chord progressions and dissonant chords. I dig it. I don’t know if he felt much isolation by this time. Phil 1plasticonoSpector plays piano on “Love,” which is a little bit of fresh air after all the depressing songs that precede it. I was thrown off by the little instrumental interlude before the end of the song; the song disappeared and came back. “Well Well Well” is just an abundance of screaming. I can’t find any redeeming qualities about it, really. Billy Preston plays piano on “God” where Lennon pretty much questions everything and I can’t blame him for that. It’s a beautiful song, though, musically. And the album ends as morbidly as it starts and keeps with the sad theme, “My Mummy’s Dead.” I like John Lennon. He’s never been my favorite Beatle, or even my second fave, probably. I’m used to his stuff being better than this. That doctor (and Yoko) really messed him up. Other than a few flashes, I really couldn’t get into this album. For the three or four songs I did like, I’ll say I dug it, but just barely.

#22 – The Complete Recordings by Robert Johnson. I know this is “classic” and I may go back and listen but it’s a compilation, so not on here.

#21 – The Great Twenty-Eight by Chuck Berry. Again, probably “missing out” but it’s a compilation. Didn’t want to end the segment on that, but oh well, it’s on the list that way.

So, for the most part, this was a dynamite segment! Leave off the James Brown and the two comps and I’ve got six really strong dugs or loves and a mediocre (to me) John Lennon album. I have two albums to go and 10 days to do it in. I hope to have it done and done right. I’m not streaking through, I’m just not dragging my feet. Okay, that’s all.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“This guy comes up to me, his face red like a rose on a thorn bush. Like all the colors of a royal flush. And, he’s peeling off those dollar bills; slapping them down: one hundred, two hundred. And I can see those fighter planes. And I can see those fighter planes. Across the mud huts where the children sleep, through the alleys of a quiet city street, you take the staircase to the first floor. Turn the key and slowly unlock the door as a man breathes into a saxophone. And, through the walls you hear the city groan. Outside is America. Outside is America. Across the field you see the sky ripped open, see the rain through a gaping wound pounding on the women and children who run into the arms of America.“ – “Bullet the Blue Sky” (Clayton, Evans, Herman, Mullen, Hewson, Toure)

 

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