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Andy Scott, Brian Connolly, Cheap Trick, Eugene B Sims, Eugeology, Exile, Heavens Sake, Iron Maiden, Jon Lowder, Mick Tucker, Mike Chapman, Music, Nicky Chinn, Robin Zander, Steve Harris, Steve Priest, Sweet, The Beatles, Tia Carrere, Tina Turner, Tony Basil
Salutations™!!
The selection last week was a good one. Again, not my favorite of Cheap Trick’s catalog, but still a good one. I talked with both Eugene and Jon about it this week. They’re going to try to catch up by the end of the year. I think they can do it! Listening isn’t the problem. Writing takes the most time. Oh well, speaking of writing, how about I just get on with it?
#36 – Desolation Boulevard by The Sweet.
©Capitol Records
Are you ready, Steve? Andy? Mick? Dear Reader? Well, alright, fellas… Let’s go!!! I have known, really, four songs from (The) Sweet: “Ballroom Blitz,” “Fox on the Run,” “Little Willy,” and “Love Is Like Oxygen.” Two of those tunes are on this album. The drummer from Heavens Sake was a big fan of the band and I have a greatest hits album by them because of him. So, yeah, I know of other songs, but those were the ones I listened to without skipping.
The caveat here is that this wasn’t what Eugene wanted to include in the list. It just so happened that this is really the only thing that is readily available on streaming services by the band. He felt like the band needed to be represented on the list and this is what we get. I tell you, Dear Reader, I couldn’t be happier with it. If this isn’t their best, then I have to hear the “best.”
I had never heard of “Ballroom Blitz” before Wayne’s World in 1992. Yeah, I was sheltered, I guess. I loved Tia Carrere’s version and when I first heard the Sweet version, I thought it was silly. Brian Connolly’s intro was weak and so “glam.” But, now, it’s not weak, nor is it silly. It’s very timely for when it was released and fits the entire image of that band. Because they were “glam.” They glammed pretty darn hard, actually. And, here’s the thing, “Ballroom Blitz” wasn’t really supposed to be on this album.
There were two versions of the album. There was the UK/European release on RCA Records (1974) and the US/Canada/Japan version on Capitol Records (1975), which is what we’re talking about today. The “original” UK/Euro version, considered by many as the version, didn’t have “Ballroom” and included the original version of “Fox on the Run” as well as most of the songs being written by the band. The Capital version, however, was comprised of five of the ten tunes written by the songwriting team of Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn (who also co-produced the album) in addition to some of the material brought from the previous Sweet album, Sweet Fanny Adams (where the song “Sweet F.A. comes from). Now, what does that mean? Not much, but I just found it interesting. Chapman and Chinn, by the way, wrote a slew of hit songs that you’d be familiar with (“Mickey” from Tony Basil, “Kiss You All Over” by Exile, “Better Be Good to Me” from Tina Turner, etc.) either together or separately. Looking through the early Sweet catalog, the whole thing is a bit confusing as to what they were actually doing. Just like The Beatles with their UK vs US albums. Confusing, I say. But, I digress…
The musicianship on this album is amazing. Brian Connolly’s vocals are the “sound” of Sweet. His range is pretty wide and he’s powerful. Reminds me of Robin Zander in a lot of places. Or should I say it reminds me of what Robin Zander sounded like a few years after this? Not just his vocals but the awesome harmonies that riddle each song from all four members. That is the Sweet sound.
Andy Scott is a riff-mastering axe slinger. This use of the whammy bar, the speedy licks, the power chord madness and boxy tone is classic Sweet. I’m surprised more people don’t talk about his playing. He is also the lead singer of “Into the Night,” which he also was the lone songwriting credit.
Drummer Mick Tucker is dynamic and makes it sound effortless. Whether he’s pounding the skins or lying low with a subtle but effective march beat, he’s throwing it down and you may not even realize you’re being pelted with drumming excellence. He switches back and forth between double time and standard with very little effort.
Steve Priest’s bass work is anything shy of rudimentary and is driving. His runs are amazing and I can hear an influence, perhaps, on Steve Harris from Iron Maiden here. Not necessarily the galloping aspects of Harris’ playing but the mindset. This is especially true on “Sweet F.A.” And, Priest is the lead vocals for my absolute favorite song on the album, “No You Don’t.” I just love the tone of his voice and the melody line. It’s great!
The album is almost 44 minutes long but it goes by much quicker than that. Even with two songs coming in at five minutes plus, it zings right through. I listened to this album 12 times from last Thursday through today (three times today) and I love it. I’ll look for it on LP. To say I’m a fan of it would be a massive understatement.
Whilst I believe all the songs are great, my top faves are: “The Six Teens,” “A.C.D.C.,” “I Wanna Be Committed,” “Solid Gold Brass” and my aforementioned absolute favorite, “No You Don’t.”
Eugene, I loved this album and thank you for introducing us. I can’t wait to hear your review of this, and I really, really want to hear Jon’s. I am thinking this may be a good one for him, but then again, he’s hard to read. To you, Dear Reader, you need to hear this album. You need to own this album.
Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!
—
“She got girls, girls all over the world. She got men every now and then. But she can’t make up her mind on just how to fill her time. But the only way she can unwind: A. C. D. C. – She’s got some other lover as well as me. A. C. D. C. – She’s got some other woman as well as me.” – “A.C.D.C.” (Chapman/Chinn)
many of them very well known, and not one single was released. Still the album went to #1 in both US and UK. I’m more a fan of the first disc overall but there are some songs on the second that I like even more. The recording sessions, which also produced tunes “Hey Jude” and “Revolution” (not to be confused with the acoustic-driven “Revolution 1” and avant garde “Revolution 9”), neither on this album (both were released as singles), was done after the infamous Transcendental Meditation trip to India with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Several things happened with that. One was the other people that were involved, including the wives of the band and Mia and Prudence Farrow. It was Prudence’s obsession with the meditation aspect that led to John Lennon writing “Dear Prudence.” Another thing was dissension within the ranks of the band, partly over direction and partly over Yoko Ono. Again, even with that going on, there are some fantastic tunes written here. Arguably, it’s some of George Harrison’s best stuff as a Beatle. “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” “Long, Long, Long” and “Savoy Truffle” are all great songs. “Piggies” isn’t bad, and it seems Charles Manson was a fan, as he referenced it in all the “Helter Skelter” mess, named for another song from this album. I could go into all the songs that I like but that would be a blog post all to its own. I’ll just say that I really like almost every single song. Perhaps if I’m taking the opposite route, “Why Don’t We Do It in the Road,” “Don’t Pass Me By,” “Yer Blues” and “Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey” are the ones I like least. Love it!
it says as much all through the choruses. I like that he laughs like it’s a big party the whole time, leaving that in the song, even though I really don’t know what it’s about. I don’t think I’m equipped to understand a lot of what Dylan is talking about, most of the time. When the Chicago Blues song, “Pledging My Time” came on I felt like throwing something. I really can’t stand that stuff. Thankfully it went by fairly fast and we get the long but wonderfully written “Visions of Johanna,” a song about contrasting lovers. One a bit of sexual and one a bit spiritual. The song is lovely. There are parts of “Most Likely You Go Your Way and I’ll Go Mine” that sound like a game show theme. It’s also very circus-ish. I heard the bluesy stuff at the beginning of “Temporary Like Achilles” and worry it will be another crapola song, but this wasn’t crapoloa. Yes, it is saloon-like but not in some gin joint kind of way. It’s a well constructed song and I love the line: “Honey, why are you so hard?” For the most part, for the highlights of the album, nothing on here stands out. The band being on the album to accompany Dylan (I believe called The Hawks with Robbie Robertson and Rick Danko of The Band) is pretty cool. But, this is not any better than most of the other Dylan albums on this countdown. In fact, I’d have taken just about any of them over this one. Even with headphones on, I found myself puttering around on the internet and checking emails and Facebook messages. It was okay, but certainly not top 10 material, to me. Meh.
49 of the countdown), but I doubt it. I’ve always found the “phony Beatlemania has bitten the dust” line, funny. Perhaps even more now that it is surrounded by Beatles album on the top 10. I had always put The Clash in the same category as, say, Ramones and Sex Pistols. They most certainly aren’t. Maybe their earlier days. Not this album, at least. Let’s get this out of the way, first: Paul Simonon is a bad, bad, bad arsed bass player. I listened to this album with headphones and his playing is all over it and it is so clear. Examples (well, the whole danged album, but if I must) would be: “Koka Kola,” “The Guns of Brixton” (which he wrote and sings lead on), “Lost in the Supermarket,” “London Calling” and “Lover’s Rock” to name just a few. Seriously, the whole album is like a Simonon session. Another thing about this, I never realized the harmonies (albeit rudimentary) were so good and the somewhat wide breadth of styles they touch the whole album. From 50s-style do-wop to harder rock, pure punk to jazz and all in between, it’s here. And the production! We’ve discussed how much I’m into that and man, it’s here. The songwriting on here, even beyond the style is really good. I own this on CD and have listened through once, about 8 years ago or so, and mostly dismissed it as “that punk crap.” I still think that of their earlier records, but this is some fantastic stuff. So, let’s revisit those first two lines of this entry: Does it belong in the top 10? I retract that whole statement and change it to, “yes it does.” I also want to add the words: “ab-so-f***ing-lutely!” This could stand to be one or two higher, perhaps? When the new year arrives, I’m heading to Underdog Records (the official vinyl store of The Less Desirables) to purchase this on vinyl and not any old used copy either. A shiny new one. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I LOVE this album ×∞ (that’s infinity, boys and girls).
Stones, so what do I know? I only enjoyed two songs from this album, “Shine a Light” and “Soul Survivor.” And, I’m not completely sure that last one wasn’t influenced by the fact it was the last thing I had to hear from it. I thought I owned it on CD, but I don’t. I remember the big hype about it in 2010 and I’m thinking that may be when I got it, if I did. I thought about purchasing it but I have had so many hit-or-miss moments with the Stones that I was gun shy about it. I could be and am probably wrong but I spent a lot of time listening to the local classic rock radio station here that has a mad on for some Stones and I can’t recall ever hearing any of these songs on there. They weren’t known for their expansive rotation. Pointing out two things about this list, again, because I’m sure I’ll be ripped about this one: If it must be on this list, it shouldn’t be this high; I’d not have it on there at all. Tattoo You and Some Girls are much better albums, to me. Which, brings me to my second point: this review process is about what I liked or didn’t like. It’s not necessarily a record of the merits or greatness of the album, that’s what Rolling Stone’s job was in compiling it. That being said, I don’t care if I never hear this again. Did not like.
players. Both are Motown legends, both members of the famous Funk Brothers and both are beasts. I can’t say which I liked listening to better. Another thing, I’ve mentioned I love concept albums and that’s what this is. It’s about the Vietnam War, but it’s not a protest album. It’s a love album. From the get go, Gaye is unrelenting on his love for fellow man and the disappointment of the treatment of vets returning home. In fact, the album is done from the perspective of a vet who was fighting for his country, coming back to a country that is intolerant, bitter and holds hatred for just about everyone. “What’s Going On,” while written about an incident seen on the Four Tops tour bus, pretty much sums up the feeling of 1971, which is, what is going on? I think that could be asked today, too. So much hatefulness, rancor, opposition to everything no matter if you really agree or not and so on. Gaye’s own brother was a Vietnam vet and wrote letters to Marvin and when he returned discussed what he saw. This was influential for the album, as well. Marvin Gaye has one of the sweetest, most purest voices I think I’ve ever heard and I am ashamed to say that I didn’t pay more attention to him before this. There’s much more to this man than “Sexual Healing” and his tragic demise. I’m not picking favorites on here, the whole album (nine songs, barely over 35 minutes) is my favorite song. I highly recommend this album, for sure. I LOVED it!
abandoned, pyromaniacal would-be lover (“Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)”); someone wondering where their life is going (“Nowhere Man”) to introspection, love and loss (“In My Life”). This album has a lot of things going on. French inspiration in the form of “Michelle” and I love the French for these are things that go together well. I have the book A Hard Days Write by Steve Turner and in that he says Paul had to ask a French friend of his how to say it and it worked out perfectly. The urgency of “The Word” pounds in some early “harder” rock and I love that. Lennon and McCartney seemingly wrote that while getting stoned, writing the lyrics on multicolored paper. I guess that was to add to the trip. And, wouldn’t “Run For Your Life” be considered a bit threatening? “I’d rather see you dead, little girl, than see you with another man.” Yep, sound kind of stalkerish to me. So, it’s a well-developed and beautifully flawed album all at the same time. As I said, it’s one of my top 5 Beatles albums of all time and it’s right where it should be, I think. Love.
it, but it has good moments. Of course, it wouldn’t be Dylan if there wasn’t some long-arsed song that went on for almost 12 minutes, right? That’s what you get with “Desolation Row.” I don’t know how he remembers all the words live. I also don’t picture him with teleprompters. Perhaps he didn’t do that one live? I do like how Dylan combined poetry with music. I think, too, that was the beauty of what he did. I know she was misunderstood and her poetry and songs weren’t that spectacular, but Jewel did the same thing 20 years later. I know that lyrics are basically poetry (sometimes, I don’t think “Got Love For Sale” from KISS is necessarily poetry), but he actually conveys that it’s poetry set to music. The legendary “Like a Rolling Stone” is on this album. Poor girl, I say. I like the title track and the slide whistle in it. It’s credited as a slide whistle but I don’t know if that’s what it is. They make these whistles that create that sliding sound but it’s according to how hard you blow. A slide whistle only goes so far and you have to use the slide. Novel concept, eh? There are plenty of good songs on the album, “Queen Jane Approximately,” “Tombstone Blues.” Both good songs. However, my favorite on here is “Ballad of a Thin Man.” I just like the darker, meaner, snarkier feel of the tune. It was cool to listen to. Overall, the album was still a mystery to me because I never know what the heck he’s talking about but it was better than the previous, as I said. Still, is it top 10? Not to me, nope. Put it in the 300s. I dug it, but don’t care to hear it again.
song I had heard on the local classic rock station but didn’t know what it was. I actually had to call the station and ask Pete Bunch what it was. He didn’t make fun of me, but I could tell he was amused. That song was “Eleanor Rigby.” The instrumentation, in fact, was sans any of the Beatles, only a double string quartet. I did a rock version of that tune about 15 years ago. I need to see if I can dig it up off an old computer or something. I can’t find it otherwise. I’d like to “release” that for people to hear. The sound quality itself was pretty crappy but I really liked my arrangement of it. The production of this album is lush. Sometimes albums from this era has a thinner sound to me, even from the big boys. Part of it, I’m sure was the absence of the big open “live” recordings and reliance on more multi-track recording which allows for better isolation. Listening to this through headphones the width of the sonic field is magical. Panning and depth are amazing here. The first appearance of “Yellow Submarine” was here, too, almost a full two years before the film and soundtrack of the same name came out. The harmonies here are so full and masterful, too. The harmonies of Lennon and McCartney are historic, of course, but when you add in Harrison’s harmonies, it’s out of this world; complex. “Tomorrow Never Knows” is an oddity because with the exception of a few notes here and there, the song’s instrumentation is only in the key and never moves out of this key; just tablas, bass and backward sitars in an Indian style. I’m not a fan of the Indian stuff on most Beatles albums, so “Love You To” isn’t a fave. I’d say on this album, it’s the only song I don’t really care for (not the last time you’ll read about that in a Harrison tune). I could write an entire post on this album, so I’ll stop on it now, but I’ll also say that some of my actual favorite songs are (in addition to “Taxman” and “Eleanor Rigby”): “She Said, She Said,” “And Your Bird Can Sing,” “For No One,” “Got to Get You into My Life” and “I Want to Tell You.” To say I love this album is an understatement, indeed.
don’t mind it, but, this isn’t as full as the Beatles albums. Not to me, anyway. This is only the second time, ever, listening to this album. I own it on CD and listened through once, saying to myself, wow this is the great album everyone keeps talking about? Okay, then… I’m listening to the mono version because I believe that was the original release. I don’t know the difference in mono version vs stereo, other than the obvious aural spread. I do find funny, the fact that people get twisted out of shape when they find out that other than vocals and a few random instrumental moments, the Beach Boys didn’t play on this album. This, my friends is the magical work of the “Wrecking Crew!” Remember them? I did a review of the documentary a few months back and I’ve talked about on this list finding out they’ve been on it has really perked me up. That’s some saving grace for me on this. Some. Any electric bass you hear, that’s the legendary queen Carol Kaye. She’s awesome! Is it really a Beach Boys album or is it a Brian Wilson solo album? The first single, “Caroline, No” was released as by him, I think. I don’t know. There’s good songs on this album, it’s just a different monster all together. Some of those good songs would be: “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” “Here Today,” “I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times.” Really, though, I am repeating myself: I don’t get it. I’m not saying it’s a bad album. I’m saying it, in no way, to me, is comparable to Sgt. Pepper. Not in song quality, not in sonic quality. There’s good songs on this album, it’s just a different monster all together. Some of those good songs would be: “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” “Here Today,” “I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times.” I will admit, I went back and listened to parts of the stereo mixes and it sounded much better; more full with more depth. Rumor has it that Paul McCartney heard this and wanted to reproduce it. If that’s the case he totally out-tripped the coverage. Sgt. Pepper went leaps and bounds over this. I told you last segment that I was going to question something in this segment and this is it. Now, Top 20? Yeah, probably. So, I’ll say I dug it, but not for this spot. And, the winner is…
could put in here to describe it. The orchestra warming up at the beginning indicates you’re in for a show, an exhibition, a spectacle! And, the sound of the roaring orchestra at the very end of “A Day in the Life” lets you know that you’ve just been knocked on your arse, perhaps both literally as well as figuratively. I do hate that George Harrison’s only vocal/written tune is one of the two I don’t like, but really, George, I don’t like your Indian-influenced tunes. I don’t discard it all of the time, just in the case of “Within You Without You” and “Love You To” from Revolver. And, for once, a Ringo-voiced tune isn’t a throwaway token song. “With a Little Help from My Friends” is one of the cornerstone staples of this album. A tune that also was covered, famously by Joe Cocker (I covered that version for the VSS “Woodstock” show) and the theme song to a successful television show, The Wonder Years. Storytelling by the Beatles, in my opinion is only bested by Bob Dylan, perhaps Springsteen at times. But, the Beatles stories are bold as in “She’s Leaving Home” (which is one of my favorites on here), “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!” and “A Day in the Life,” which is at times my absolute favorite Beatles song. That fluctuates its superlative status based on my mood. The production itself, again, rumored to be the result of Paul hearing Pet Sounds and wanting to best it, is completely lush and brilliant. George Martin, you beast! I think when the Beatles decided to throw away the “can we reproduce this live” worry, they opened their minds, their music and their craft to whole new, astronomical levels. It’s an aural, moving piece of art that I can never get tired of listening to. It finds its way onto my listening rotation at least once every six to eight months. Before I got the remastered box set and transferred it all to my iPod, my old copy of this was really, most literally, worn down. I didn’t take too good of care of it. I gave it to someone, perhaps The BCPF or my buddy Brian, I’m not sure who got what. I can write whole posts about this but it would be a lot of redundant descriptors, adverbs and adjectives; more than is ever needed. The bottom line is, this is the greatest album of all time. It’s the greatest album that will ever be. I can say that because the art of putting an album together is basically done and I don’t see this being beaten. So, I love it. I own it. I have a dilapidated old, used, saved from a fire vinyl copy that I will change in the next few months with a shiny new version. It’s chock-full of greatness and it was even completely covered by Cheap Trick. That makes it even more cool, right? Right. Ladies and gentleman… may I introduce to you, the (album) you’ve known for all these years: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. 
what we did. This album had seven singles (out of nine total songs) and all seven went top 10 on the Billboard charts. The only two that didn’t was “Baby Be Mine” and “Lady In My Life.” I didn’t realize that “The Girl Is Mine,” with Sir Paul McCartney, was the first single released, in October 1982, a month before the album was released. I always liked that song and listened to it, but didn’t realize it was first. It reached #2. Up next was “Billie Jean.” That was the first one I remember hearing on the radio. I was just starting to listen to the radio because we had finally gotten a station to listen to. I’d been in my KISS hole up until then. I always thought he was saying “Billie Jean is at my door.” Louis Johnson of Brothers Johnson provided that fantastic bass line. It never stops. Those are always the ones that give me the most trouble, the repetitive ones. The song reached #1. “Beat It” next and it had a true all-star personnel list. Hidden for a while was Eddie Van Halen, but those who knew his style heard it in the solo. I wasn’t familiar with him so I didn’t, but when I figured it out, it all made sense. Steve Lukather played all the leads other than the solo and was the bass player. Steve and Jeff Porcoro plays keys and drums respectively. Another #1. “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin'” came out next. Not my favorite. I did like the “mama say mama sah…” part and I still haven’t figured out why we have to bring vegetables into it. It only reached #5. “Human Nature” only went to #7. “P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)” only went to #10. “Thriller” went to #4. This is a monster album and it continues to climb on the all-time sales list. I really, really enjoy this album. Let’s even go with a little light “love.”
me, certainly not. Top 100? Probably not. Top 500? Maybe. But, it’s not up to me and it’s here. At times it’s like he is just wailing and not in a good jammin’ kind of way. So, it’s here and I don’t much care for it. Beautiful, but boring. Did not dig.
off by The BCPF that I took time to listen to what was going on. I’ve only known her for a time going on seven years, so that means that I just came around a mere couple of years ago, or so. I purchased it. I listened and thought, okay, it isn’t so bad. But, listen to it in headphones, if you haven’t before. If you’re not too familiar with the album (uh huh really) give it a listen that way. Your mind will be blown how well produced (no, it’s not just noise like I thought) this disc is. And it’s not all gloom and doom that I always thought, either. Cobain was a lyrical genius. Was he the modern day John Lennon like his followers want to portray him as? Well, perhaps modern day, but not exactly. There’s only one of those. I’ve not even touched any of the songs, yet. The opening notes of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” is a light setup for the punch in the mouth the rest of the album is going to be. It’s a teaser at the beginning and an onslaught to follow. The title was from a friend of Cobain’s who wrote on the wall the he smelled like the deodorant that his then-girlfriend wore. He was trying to rip off the Pixies. “In Bloom” has great harmonies and was fun to play on Guitar Hero. I love the flanged intro and feel of “Come As You Are.” That whole song feels dark but not necessarily foreboding. “Lithium” is a search for sanctuary in religion upon contemplation of suicide. But, it’s a great song. “Polly” is a good departure from the previous five songs, a little more melodic. After that, it gets a little noisy and less organized. There’s still good stuff there but it doesn’t compare to the first side of songs. Well, the first part, I don’t think this was on vinyl until reissues recently. Dave Grohl is a beast of a drummer, even without a lot of fills – he was pretty much kept at bay; and bad arse harmonies. Same with Krist Novoselic. A mediocre bass player, at best, but solid, all the way. I’m going to kick myself for this, but I believe it should have been about 5 positions higher on this list. Not quite top 10 but close. I love this album. Yes, I just said that.
arpeggiated mandolin parts in that. Overall, I liked it, although after a bit it started sounding run together. I think it is definitely where it needs to be on the list, and I’ll say “dug’ but I’m not in a hurry to listen to it, in full, again for a bit.
favorites. This was the last one to be recorded by the Fab Four. Yes, Let It Be came out afterward but that had mostly been recorded by the time these sessions started. Contention was high in the studio and tempers flew. After the recording of this was completed, John Lennon left, albeit secretly, and Sir Paul left publicly a year later. One purpose of this list for me was to explore more the “album form.” That’s why I don’t do compilations, no matter how important those may have been (at least in some cases). Of course, I’m a huge fan of the production, I love production. Another reason I am not usually a fan of live albums. But, it’s the construction, dedication to, and execution of the album, itself. This, to me, is one of the best and well constructed albums, ever made. The track listing is nearly perfect. From the “shoot” and bass line at the beginning of “Come Together” it’s a non-stop barrage of all things musical and really, all things Beatles. You get a little bit of everything here. Slow, heavy, pop, blues, everything. I won’t go into a song-by-song analysis because as I write this I’m already 2200 words in on this post. But, it should be noted that side two is basically a medley of unfinished songs that McCartney pushed together to create its famed weirdness. A lot of it makes perfect nonsense. Some of my favorite Beatles songs are on this album: “Come Together,” “Something,” “Here Comes the Sun,” “You Never Give Me Your Money,” “Golden Slumbers,” “The End” (telling wasn’t it?) and “Her Majesty.” The Vagabond Saints Society did a fantastic job with this album even though it was all a core band deal (I was part of the opening act). So, yeah, I could see this higher in the countdown, possibly even top 10 but, I’m satisfied with its placement here. I LOVE this album.
this album must be on the list, give them spot #500. I will never understand the appeal of this 49 minutes I will never get back. I’m sorry, baby, I just do not dig it. Hate is a strong word but the most descriptive I can use politely.
with, I wish that I had. I really, really like this. It’s beautiful, it’s hard, it’s fresh (even 50 years later) and it’s sad. It’s easy to listen to and melodic. The production is slick and the orchestration, lush. Love, it turns out, was the first rock band to sign with Elektra Records. I was thrilled to find out that a few of the tracks on the album were accompanied by Wrecking Crew folks: Carole Kaye (bass), Billy Strange (guitar) and Hal Blaine (drums) all played on “Andmoreagain” and “The Daily Planet,” while Don Randi (piano) played on those same two songs and “Bummer in the Summer.” This is perfect late-60s psychedelia and fits that mold quite well. It’s also a bit weird. I mean the song “Live and Let Live” talks about snot caking on his pants and it’s hardened into a crust of crud. All this in what I can only figure is a metaphor for bureaucratic baloney, but isn’t it all bureaucratic baloney? I believe that it is. Some of my favorite things on this are “Alone Again Or,” “Andmoreagain,” “The Red Telephone,” “Live and Let Live” and “You Set the Scene” (although that one went on a bit long). I haven’t heard of it before but I dug it!
favorite Beatles album; nowhere near, but it’s darn fine. I dug it!
down on the list, really. The songs are all well written (three co-written by her ex-husband Gerry Goffin, two with lyricist Toni Stern). The musicianship is immaculate, as well. She’s a great pianist and the accompanists are tight and near perfect while still keeping the feel of the album groovy. Even a song that gets on my nerves like you wouldn’t believe, “You’ve Got a Friend,” I love when she does it (it’s James Taylor’s version I get annoyed with). James Taylor plays on almost every song, too. He’s playing acoustic guitar and singing backup on most of it. If you’re wondering the name of the cat on the cover, it’s Telemachus. I can’t say exactly what it is about this album that I love so much. I just know that the first time I listened to it, I listened to it three times in a row and all without doing anything else other than reading lyrics to the songs. I really love this album. I bought it used on vinyl from my buddy Jonathan at Underdog Records but it had a lot of skips. He hasn’t located me another used copy, yet. It’s hard to say what my faves are because I love them all, but I’ll go with “Where You Lead” (I am a Gilmore Girls fan after all), “So Far Away,” “I Feel the Earth Move,” “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” and “It’s Too Late.” Again, I love this album. And, again, it should have been higher.
timey jug band. At least after the first side, I didn’t have to hear Helm doing lead. For whatever reason, this time listening to “The Weight” made me hear the song in a different light. I liked “Wheel’s on Fire,” “Chest Fever” and “We Can Talk.” Really, overall it wasn’t a bad album at all. Some of it even reminded me of The Beatles. I dug it, surprisingly.
seven and a half minute opus, “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.” I said it was better than Beggar’s and I’ll stick with that, but I’ll say it was just by a skosh. Meh (except for “You Can’t Always…,” and “Gimme Shelter.”)
absolutely nothing about them. In fact, other than maybe in passing, I’ve never even heard of them. Yes, I know that floors you, Dear Reader, and yet, comes as no surprise, whatsoever. All that said, I really wish I still didn’t know who it was and I really wish I hadn’t heard this. I remember being in high school, having only played the bass for about 2 years and getting together with a bunch of other high school musicians who also hadn’t played very long and never in a “band.” What we pulled out of our arses noodling around on instruments we barely knew our way around sounded 800x better than this. The mere fact that Frank Zappa had anything to do with it makes me question my respect for him and that was spotty to begin with. I did some research to find out more about the album before I passed harsh judgement but nothing in my readings made me feel any better about this. All I read was about how important it is and how the Magic Band was a “well-rehearsed” band for these recordings. The construction site across from the studio makes better music than this when they’re running the cement mixer, running a brick saw, riveting aluminum studs and hauling stuff around the building on heavy equipment. This is an hour+ that I will never get back. I don’t care about the “importance” of it, it sucks. Pure and simple. It’s gawd-awful. The fact that it’s on this list at all, much less Top 60? That is an atrocity. There’s no explaining to me how important or fantastic it is, because no matter the significance, there’s no changing that I got a headache from it and wanted to step in front of a passing city bus while and after listening to it. I hated this.
sat this high, in my opinion. I’ve never made it a secret that I don’t like the bluesier stuff. This was a return to their roots (read: more blues) than the nearest previous stuff. To ME, this is less Stones than I’m used to. I know, too, that it was the last album released while Brian Jones was alive. So, there’s some kind of creepiness there, although I’m used to hearing stuff from people who have passed on. I remember listening to Pearl, it was creepy knowing that Janis had died after recording it, even one song instrumental because she died mere days before the scheduled vocal session. Creepy. Okay, sorry. To me, this album drags, almost the whole time. I like “Sympathy for the Devil” (one of my favorite Stones songs) and “Street Fighting Man.” But, the rest, meh. I can look back on this entire list and find almost any other Stones album and put it before this one. I’m not saying it doesn’t belong on the list, I get its importance. I just think most of the other albums on this list should, could or would be higher. Even the last that we listened to, Sticky Fingers, much better album than this. Tattoo You, Some Girls, all should have been higher than this, certainly higher than they were. I don’t get it, other than that roots mess. Meh, at best.
instruments but most of the instrumentation was done by him. Of course, he had guest players and this there was a great deal of them: “Maniac” Mike Sambello, Nathan Watts, Raymond Pounds, George Benson, Minnie Riperton, Herbie Hancock, just to name a few. The guest list was extensive. It’s jazz, it’s rock, it’s R&B, it’s soul, it’s everything. Great ballads, jammy jazz riffs and swinging horn sections, oh yeah! “Sir Duke.” ‘Nuff said with that. Well, maybe not ’nuff said. This album would be worth it alone just for that tune. Luckily, there’s a shload more on here to enjoy in addition. How in the world did I not know that Coolio totally ripped off Stevie with “Pastime Paradise?” I was like what the heck is that!? And, Coolio had any room to get upset when ‘Weird Al’ used “Gangsta Paradise” as one of his parodies? Yeah, perhaps he had permission from Stevie to use it, but still, it was only partly his to complain about. This version is the best of all of them, I say. I have to say, too, that synth basses in 1976 were actually more advanced than I realized. Stevie plays the crap out of it, too. The runs are like someone actually playing bass. When it is bass, it’s Nathan Watts.”I Wish,” “Isn’t She Lovely” and “Joy Inside My Tears” are some of my faves on this album. I have the video for the Classic Albums series on this album. I’ll have to break that out and watch it again. Great album from a great artist! DUG!
and “Money Honey.” This was the first rock and roll record to sell one million copies, which makes sense since it was one the first rock records. I dug it!
Garfunkel. Another album released in the year of my birth, 1970, this one is older, by 10 months. It’s the fifth album and is the swan song for the duo, each going their own way. I’m thinking it was a bit contentious, who’s with me? The album starts with the sweet “lean on me” themed title track. There were rumors that the song was about drugs (“silver girl”), but it wasn’t. Apparently, it’s about Peggy, Paul Simon’s then-wife. I love the overall feel of this album. There’s tension and there are times you can sense it but even with the deteriorating relationship of the duo going on they’re able to keep it together and make it work, even renting a house in L.A. while Art was filming Catch-22. They experimented with sounds and effects, much used during the song “Cecilia,” which is one of my favorite S&G tunes. “The Boxer,” another fave, is probably the one that took the longest to record. From what I understand, it started in 1968 and was recorded in several places over the course of almost two years. While he was the more prolific of the two, I think Paul Simon was jealous of the growing popularity of Art Garfunkel. “The Only Living Boy in New York” was the product of feeling lonely in NYC while Art was filming in Mexico. The last tune on the album, “Song for the Asking,” from what I’ve read, was like Simon and Garfunkel, each trying to reconcile and keep the channels open for future opportunities to work together. I believe they only did spot reunions after that. A landmark album that instead of boosting the duo was the sunset for them. Simon, of course, went on to monster success as a solo guy and Art didn’t do too bad, as far as I can tell. It’s a great album. Great, well-written tunes and it’s S&G, hard to go wrong with that, yeah? DUG!