Pleasure on the Carpet or: Long Way to the Top (Eugeology Entry 39)

05 Thursday Oct 2017

Tags

AC/DC, Bon Scott, Cininnati, Eddie Blair, Eugene B Sims, Eugeology, Jon Lowder, Kenny Soule, Larry Uzzell, Mark Downing, Nantucket, North Carolina, Pee Wee Watson, The Who, Tommy Redd

Salutations™!!

A decent album last time. I was glad I heard it but it wasn’t my all-time favorite or anything. Yes, Jon and Eugene are still one more back again. Let’s get going on this week.

#39 – Long Way to the Top by Nantucket.

©Epic Records

Okay. Let me first start by saying a few things. One, I am hanging my head in shame. Two, I am in awe. Three, where… in the honey-baked Hades have I been? On the negative, let me say something, too: I have never liked “It’s a Long Way to the Top” from AC/DC. I just don’t really care for AC/DC in any form of the band. There are songs, yes, but for the most part, meh. Okay, there. That’s out of the way. Movin’ on…

Oh. My. Goodness. You get past that AC/DC cover (the whole album was dedicated to Bon Scott who had passed away before the album was released in 1980) and this album is alive!!! Caveat: I’m writing this on a Monday where I usually write on Thursday mornings. I’ve already listened to it my standard six times with number seven happening right now. As I said, I hang my head in shame because I had always thought that them being from North Carolina and having the name Nantucket they were a Southern Rock band and I don’t like that stuff. Yes, I am aware that Nantucket isn’t in the south. I think they really are a Southern Rock band, but this album isn’t very “suth’en.” I don’t even know that I’d actually call this a hard rock band as much as I’d call it a hard rocking pop rock band. I can only go by this album, though.

There are serious themed songs and some very not-serious songs; a little tongue-in-cheeky. The non-serious would be “Time Bomb,” “Rugburn” and “Zella” a final hidden track written about a dog. “Time Bomb” is about a jealous guy who thinks some other dude is after his woman and he starts threatening to go all “Al Capone” on him if he even gets near her house. “Rugburn” is about a guy meeting a girl but he’s too poor to have furniture but he thinks the carpet is comfortable and you can guess what happens.

Some serious stuff on the album, but probably the most serious is “50 More” which, from what I can tell, is about the Who concert in Cincinnati where several people died after a stampede when the arena only opened two doors to a general admission show and people were rushing to get the best spot in front of the stage. The lyrics go, “Fifty more through the door. Let em in, rock and roll. Twenty-five push outside, gettin’ hard to control. Understand it’s the end. Tragedy Ohio.”

There is cool saxophone all over this album from Eddie Blair is also the keyboard player. That’s not something you get from a lot of Southern Rock. What I love the most are the phenomenal harmonies and unpredictable melodies. They’re not what you’re expecting on your first listen and they’re both complex and fun. Larry Uzzell’s vocals are indicative of some range and dynamic presence. He has smooth transitions to those high parts and he gets a little gruff in spots and a little more tender when the time comes.

Tommy Redd – the guitarist and main songwriter – wrote some great tunes. Mark Downing’s leads aren’t showy but, these songs don’t really need that. I believe the tunes are meant to speak for themselves and not showcase virtuosity. Kenny Soule is a bouncy drummer that is, yes, my favorite word for drummers, solid. There are runs and fills and they’re great, but like Downing, it’s not showy. Pee Wee Watson’s bass work is pretty riffy and it’s cool. Listen to “Turn the Radio On” for a little showcase for PWW.

Where have I been, indeed? This is perhaps one of my favorite albums that Eugene has thrown on us. I don’t dislike any songs on here. Some I like more than others, but none that I dislike. And, so, I’ll admit, going back and listening again, I even started bobbing and singing along to “It’s a Long Way to the Top.” I can’t say enough about how I love when the harder tension is broken by lighter melodic harmonies. If I’m picking my faves, then I’ll have to go with “Time Bomb,” “50 More,” “Media Darlin’,” “Over and Over Again,” “Tell Me,” “Rescue” and my absolute favorite, “Rock of the 80’s.” That’s seven and there are only 12 (13 if you count “Zella”) tunes, so basically the whole thing. I’m looking for this on vinyl. I want this, badly. Thank you so much, Eug for assigning it. Again, I apologize to the “music gods” for avoiding this until now. I am ashamed…

Eug and Jon need to catch up!!

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“It’s gotten so meticulous. Almost ridiculous. Rock of the 80’s. Let’s have some fun. Rock of the 80’s. Bring out the sun. Rock of the 80’s. Let’s have some fun.
Let’s have some fun.” – “Rock of the 80’s” (Redd)

Making Up Monday or: The Haul 6/24/17

26 Monday Jun 2017

Posted by TGBII in Records

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Tags

.38 Special, Barbra Streisand, Blood Sweat and Tears, Charade, Cole Porter, Duran Duran, Elliott Smith, Fiddler on the Roof, Foreigner, George Segal, Goldfinger, Henry Mancini, Howard Jones, Jim Croce, John Barry, John Lennon, K-Tel Records, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Mary's Gourmet Diner, Mikis Theodorakis, Miklos Rozsa, Phil Collins, Plastic Ono Band, Prince, Purple Rain, Robert Palmer, Robert Plant, Shadow Springs, Sly and the Family Stone, Stevie Nicks, The Who, To Sir With Love, Underdog Records, Windsor Run Cellars, Zero Mostel

Salutations™!!

Here I am, making up or catching up after the weekend’s seemingly non-stop party. It started as usual with breakfast at Mary’s Gourmet Diner and then heading over to Underdog Records, where we picked up some great stuff before heading to Windsor Run Cellars and then Shadow Springs wineries (they’re owned by the same cool folks). Then on to Willows Bistro for great food and beverage. Here’s the haul for this week:

Prince And The Revolution – Purple Rain (anniversary edition, new)
Elliott Smith – Figure 8 (numbered limited edition, #429 out of 2,016 on green smoke clear vinyl, NM)
Elliott Smith – XO (numbered limited edition, #52 of 2,016 on dark smoke clear vinyl, NM)
Lennon / Plastic Ono Band – Shaved Fish
Robert Palmer – Riptide
The Who – Who Are You
Stevie Nicks – Rock A Little
Howard Jones – Dream Into Action (I had this on cassette right after it came out, I love the album version of “No One is to Blame.” The hit version was remixed by Phil Collins. Speaking of Phil Collins)
Phil Collins – Hello, I Must Be Going!
38 Special – Special Forces
Robert Plant – Shaken ‘N’ Stirred
Sly & The Family Stone – Greatest Hits
Mikis Theodorakis – Zorba The Greek (Original Soundtrack)
Various – Armstrong Presents Cole Porter’s Kiss Me Kate – Original ABC Television Sound Track
Jim Croce – I Got A Name
Various – Music Power (A K-Tel compilation album from 1974 that my mother had when I was a child; I knew it right away)
Foreigner – Double Vision
Lynyrd Skynyrd – Nuthin’ Fancy (yeah, I am not a fan of Skynyrd, but I dug it when we reviewed it for Eugeology)
Miklos Rozsa – Ben-Hur Deluxe Edition
Duran Duran – Duran Duran
Various – Zero Mostel In Fiddler On The Roof (The Original Broadway Cast Recording)
John Barry – Goldfinger (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Henry Mancini – Charade
Barbra Streisand, George Segal, Blood, Sweat & Tears – The Owl And The Pussycat (Comedy Highlights And Music From The Soundtrack)
Various – To Sir, With Love Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

It was a light week for us, but still a lot of fun! If you’re wanting to get into (or back into) record collecting, then Underdog Records is the place to start. Old stuff, new stuff, reissues, equipment, etc. You should also use Discogs to catalog your collection!

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Yeah, I know it’s kind of strange. Every time I’m near you I just run out of things to say. I know you’d understand. Every time I tried to tell you the words just came out wrong. So, I’ll have to say I love you in a song.” – “I’ll Have to Say I Love You in a Song” (Croce)

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

22 Thursday Dec 2016

Posted by TGBII in Music Review, Uncategorized

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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 1bluealbumcover wheelhouse. 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 1whosnext Times” 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 and 1fmacrumours 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_innervisions bombastic, 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 1plasticono Spector 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)

Another Fool Like Me or: Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right (RS Part 41)

21 Friday Oct 2016

Posted by TGBII in Music Review

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Bob Dylan, Buddy Holly, Elton John, Elvis Costello, Hank Williams Sr., Miles Davis, Prince, Sly and the Family Stone, The Who, The Zombies, Underdog Records

Salutations™!!

Back at it again! The Rolling Stone Top 500 Albums of All-Time. A bit of a roller coaster, that last one. And here we go with the last 100 entries of the countdown. Hitting it and running it down, we’ll manage 401-410th and we’re starting with…

#100 – Odessey and Oracle by The Zombies. First thing, I’m not the one that spelled Odyssey wrong. Just so you know. Beautifully layered vocals and trippy psychedelia is 1odessey-and-oracle-the-zombies-650x650 smeared all over this gem. Keyboardist Rod Argent and bassist Chris White wrote all the tunes of this album, telling great stories. This album is well written and the sonic quality of it seems to be way ahead of its time. It sounds like it could have been written about 5 to 10 years later. All the musicians on the album are beyond competent and are masterful of their instruments. Usually, I’d pick out a few songs and say those are better than others or this one I didn’t like. I’m certainly not going to do that here. The entire album from front to back is great. I am going to pull one out and discuss that, though. One of my favorite tunes of the ’60s, the entire decade, is “Time of the Season.” I have always wanted to cover that in a band and I never turn it when it comes on. I have to look at this album as a complete, singular unit but that song stands out as a fantastic peak of the mountain. I don’t know why I thought one of the CSN boys was in this band. They weren’t and that’s okay. I still love the album. I want to find it on vinyl. I DUG this album. Great start of the segment.

#99 – There’s a Riot Going On by Sly & the Family Stone. You can’t go wrong with Sly and his (their) funkamentary sound. I know I’ve said this at least 100 times but I’m going to say it again: Larry Graham is a certified bad arse! He makes the bass lines sound effortless and rudimentary and there is nothing rudimentary about them. It’s smooth and velvety goodness at it’s finest. This one doesn’t seem to burst at the seams with energy. It’s a little more laid back, at least from what I’m hearing so far. That’s odd since the title of the album is talking about a “riot.” That doesn’t take away from anything, at all. No, noway, huh-uh, forget it. It’s great stuff. I believe the frontman, Sly, was on a “train” at the time. I’m not sure which drugs but I’ve heard cocaine and PCP. The title is a response to Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On album. Well, a riot, that’s what. The conventional Family Stone backing vocals are there, so you know it’s them. There’s a lot of weird mixings happening here. Some instruments are fading and coming back some are directly out front and never leave. I don’t know what it is… it’s just different. And that’s okay. The second half of the album, I’m a little less enthused about. Once they get to Side 2, it seems to lose every bit of luster it had. It was like Sly just threw something together. Best stuff? Of course “Family Affair,” as well as “Luv N’ Haight”and “Poet.” The ending tune is a rehashed version of “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)” called “Thank You For Talkin’ to Me Africa.” Meh. While it’s not what I’m used to from Sly, it’s a darned fine album at least on Side 1. I don’t think it should be ranked higher than Stand! (#121) or FRESH (#186). I dug it until the 1elvis-costello-this-years-model midway point. Overall? Dug – it’s Sly and the Family Stone. A bit of kinship I have with this album is it was released on my first birthday. So I’m exactly one year older than it is.

#98 – This Year’s Model by Elvis Costello. This is Declan McManus, indeed. This is the first album with “The Attractions and his second overall. I’m sometimes confused with the US vs. UK versions of these albums. They’ll have singles released from them and then leave that single off of the other version. If it’s selling, why change it? I don’t get it. Anywhat! This is good Elvis. Some of it, to me is what I’d have guessed to be early 80s alternative, a little post punk era. I’ll admit that I’ve just recently (within the last 10 years) gotten into that genre and at that only focused on a certain handful of artists to find out more about. So, this was released in 1978 and, to me, sounds ahead of its time. I think because I was only 7 going on 8 at the time, and had my head stuck in KISS’ collective arses, sometimes that era I can’t get away from the Bread, Ambrosia and Abbas of the world. My loss, but now I’m finding it, I’m happy with that. Bruce Thomas’ bass playing is great, solid and tasteful. Great work and the production (thanks Nick Lowe) is spot on. Sometimes instruments get buried and there’s nothing that I can tell that is buried as all the instruments come through vibrantly. The stuff that I liked the most? That’s easy. Start from the beginning and go through the end. That’s the best part. If I was picking, “Pump It Up,” “(I Don’t Want To Go To) Chelsea,” “Lip Service,” “Living in 1bob_dylan_-_the_freewheelin_bob_dylan Paradise” and “Radio, Radio.” Absolutely, I DUG it!

#97 – The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan by Bob Dylan. I don’t know why I didn’t realize that rhymes until I read it out loud in my “announcers voice.” I find it funny now. Also, I will again admit my horrifically skewed ignorance to a lot of music and say that I was one of the Dylan detractors that thought he was awful, how can people listen to this crap, what the heck is this, how did someone that sings that badly make it, and it goes on and on. Let me say up front, that I still he sings horribly, but it’s part of the charm and I get that, now. Let’s put aside the voice, as if it never happened and focus on the songs and the stories. That is where Dylan is a genius and that is where I kick myself often as to being a dumbarse about his talents. I also have to step back and think of the time when this came out, the popularity of it. For that time, it was more important to get the message across, to be that voice of a generation, however you can, than it was to be polished and pretty, be it in looks or voice. Thought provoking and meaningful, playing off social and foreign dissension and strife, this is some wonderfully dark themed music and it’s timeless. Most of the social and foreign policies that he was addressing are still standing like a giant in the streets of our society now. That and the songs have been recorded, beautifully, by other artists. The worst part of this album, for me, is why is it at #97 and not at least top 20? My absolute favorite song on this album and one of my favorites of all time is “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right.” I had never heard it until my now wife put it on a “mixtape” for me. It was basically the story of her exodus from her previous disaster of a marriage. Basically, I spent time trying to do right by and be what was needed for you and you didn’t appreciate it and just wasted my precious time. Don’t worry, it’s all right, don’t think twice about me, I’m out. The poetry of it all, that song and others like “Blowin’ in the Wind,” “Girl From North Country,” “A Hard Rain’s A Gonna Fall” and so on, beyond the musical aspects, is eerily beautiful and deep. I have it on CD and would love to find it on vinyl. Didn’t “dig” it, I LOVED IT!

#96 – Tommy by The Who. I had to reset my thoughts on this. At first I was going to pontificate on how it’s overrated and I don’t get it. Well, that may not be untrue, but after listening to it, I have gained a whole new respect for it. I watched the film and was just confused to why it was so hyped. It bored me to tears. But, listening to it without the distraction of the visual, I find it a lot more enjoyable than I originally thought. Musically, it’s brilliant and lyrically/storytelling, it’s really good. I don’t know that I actually like the story or if I even care about the story, I did like listening to the album once it got into the meat of it. The first little bit, I found myself answering emails, checking Facebook, etc. I think it was around “Christmas” and its “See me, feel me, touch me, heal me” parts, that I really started listening. I know that’s a central theme in the story and it really came into the forefront from there. I know they had a single by the name of “See Me, Feel Me” but I don’t know if it was just a single release or what. I like how they tied that and “Go To The Mirror!” and other various aspects into the last song, called, “We’re Not Going To Take It.” I suppose with a concept/rock opera that you need to revisit themes, or variations on a theme (or several themes) to make the story work. I like it and I get it. So, instead of my 1bitches_brew initial reaction of “blah blah blah blah” I actually enjoyed the album. I’d listen again, but when I can pick and choose what to listen to. Dug.

#95 – Bitches Brew by Miles Davis. If you’re looking for something quick and easy? This is not it. If you’re looking for something with short and to-the-point tunes, this is not it. If you’re looking for something with wicked and haunting melodies in the form of instrumental storytelling from one of the most innovative and influential horn players in the history, then this is it. It’s chilling, almost like you’re waiting for something bad to happen. The production is also amazing. It adds to the mystique of the album. The accompanying musicians, such as John McLaughlin, Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea and Larry Young, show virtuosity abounds and to witness it being recorded would have been beyond cool. I mean, this is Miles Davis, right? The embodiment of cool? I love the title, too. I believe some of his jazz fans felt betrayed by this album, as it seems to be a departure from what he was doing previously. But, it grabbed a new and sophisticated rock audience. He’s not laying back being cool here, though; he’s blasting the horn in dynamic, tempestuous phrasings. It does truly sounds like there are witches brewing evil concoctions and there’s an unsettling cloud approaching, slowly, menacingly. The first two tunes alone are over 47 minutes. They lull you in, immerse you in the dissonant sounds and then begin to bludgeon you violently before laying back, when you think you can’t take any more and giving you the false sense of “it’s all okay” before again irascibly assaulting you with a sonic strike. It’s a beautiful nightmare that you lovingly endure for 90 minutes wondering where you’ll end up next. It’s hard to say the best songs as I think they’re all hiding in plain sight waiting to pounce on you. There are two bass players playing, not only two different styles of basses (one electric and one double), but different rhythms. It creates a weird tension that is prevalent throughout much of the album. Sometimes it’s two electric basses playing different pieces at the same time. That’s innovation, brother! Then you have up to three electric pianos, pianos or keyboards playing at the same time, again, all different parts. They’re panned across the panned sonic spectrum.At times it sounds like chaos and at others it sounds as if you’re floating in an open sea. It’s a lot to take in at once and I actually thought my mind was going to blow out the side of my skull a few times. I’ve written all of this before I’ve gotten beyond the third tune, “Spanish Key.” Upon listening to the rest of it, it was par for the course, but still better than much of what came before it on this countdown. It’s reckless abandon is part of it’s indubitably perfect charm. Great stuff. I LOVED it.

#94 – 40 Greatest Hits by Hank Williams, Sr. Nope.

#93 – Sign o’the Times by Prince. I am looking for an accessible copy of this album. Again, it’s one that I don’t have and don’t know that I want to go out and purchase it new. I’m hoping to find it used. I checked with my buddy Jonathan down at Underdog Records, to see if he had a used copy on vinyl. That would have been cool. Chances are this will be released before that happens. I’ll report back on it in a future post, but don’t worry, I’m not abandoning it. 1gbybr

#92 – 20 Golden Greats by Buddy Holly & The Crickets. Nah.

#91 – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road by Elton John. To me, it is the Elton John album. One of my all-time favorite EJ songs is on this album: “All the Girls Love Alice.” That in itself is worth a high rating. But, several of EJ’s biggest hits is on this album as well: the title track, “Candle in the Wind,” “Bennie and the Jets,” “Saturday’s Alright for Fighting.” Great stuff, that. Again, the inclusion of those tracks, alone, would make this a high rating album. Then you have the peripheral “hits,” like: “Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding,” “Alice” (that I mentioned before) and “Harmony.” There’s 17 songs on this double album and there’s no down-time whilst listening. It’s all worth every minute. Chasing reggae in “Jamaican Jerk-Off,” or the old-timey inspired “Grey Seal,” or the no nonsense ballad, “I’ve Seen that Movie Too,” there’s a bit of many styles all over this album…. Sorry, I had to break for a minute to sing along with “Alice.” Such a great song. Sad, but great! Anywhat! I really LOVE this album.

So, wow… with the exception of two compilations and one that is currently AWOL, that leaves 7, I actually LOVED 6 of them and still dug the last (Sly). We’ve crossed the starting line to the top 100, now and things should be getting hot and juicy on the way in to #1. I’m looking forward to what’s coming and am excited for the stuff that I’ve listened to on this segment. Don’t worry, I’ll catch up with the Prince album, much like I had to do with Harrison’s All Things Must Pass (#433), when I didn’t have access to it online but owned a copy of it. I gotcha, Dear Reader… I gotcha.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“All the young girls love Alice. Tender young Alice, they say, come over and see me. Come over and please me. Alice, it’s my turn today.” – “All the Girls Love Alice” (Taupin/John)

Fade Out or: At Last! (RS Part 39)

16 Thursday Jun 2016

Posted by TGBII in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Cream, Derek and the Dominoes, Etta James, Joni Mitchell, Kanye West, Radiohead, Rolling Stone Top 500 Albums, The Byrds, The Mamas & the Papas, The Rolling Stones, The Who

Salutations™!!

Man, we’re moving right along on this. The numbers get smaller and smaller. Well, duh! That’s what we do with countdowns, dude! Okay, last time was pretty good, finishing it off with a bang!!! I enjoyed that. So, let’s move on ahead with the latest installment and segment of the Rolling Stone Top 500 Albums of All-Time. Kick it!

#120 – Sweetheart of the Rodeo by The Byrds. I was excited when I saw it was The Byrds. Then it started. I am not a fan of alt country and “classic” country rock. This most certainly wasn’t what I was looking for with The Byrds. It’s really more like Hillman, McGuinn & Parsons. It’s not even good country. It’s like something you’d see in a “road house” movie. I can’t understand why anyone would want to listen to this. There’s nothing redeeming about it that I can even say, other than the last tune, “Nothing Was Delivered.” That was okay. I found myself checking emails updating blog posts while it played. I was glad when it was over. This is awful. Hated it and did NOT dig!

#119 – At Last! by Etta James. Thank you Etta James for helping me get that taste out of my mouth from the previous entry. Ugh. I love me some Etta James. That classic soul/R&B and yes, even blues, voice is smooth and powerful. Drips from her face and into my ears like 1atlast little drops of honey onto a biscuit. She’s so powerful that you can hear the diaphragm inside the microphone cringe. No joke; she pegs the needle in many of the songs, especially in “My Dearest Darling.” I’m running out of adjectives and adverbs to describe how amazing she is. No one that has been to a wedding in the last 30 years hasn’t heard “At Last!” and that’s never a bad thing. She feels this music and in return you have no choice but feel it, at least as long as you’re listening. Again, I’m starting to ramble. This is a great album and you absolutely should get lost in it. DUGx1000!

#118 – Late Registration by Kanye West. I can’t stand seeing or hearing anything about Kanye West. There I said it. Now, that being said, this doesn’t suck. The musicality (at least in the beginning of the album) is pretty interesting and he’s not his normal annoying self. Jamie Foxx’s Ray Charles imitation is pretty cool on “Gold Digger.” I really wish Kanye wasn’t such a snot rocket because he actually has some pretty cool influences. And, 1Late_registration_cd_cover I think what he’s trying to do with this album is respectable. I just can’t get past his diarrhea of the mouth; in real life, though, not on this recording. I believe notoriety, for good or bad, has an impact on people’s success. While it turns a lot of people off that he is how he is, some really like his outspokenness. And, as they say, any press is good press. His storytelling is quite intricate. Plus, there’s a few “skits,” scattered throughout the album, that center on a fictional fraternity called Broke Phi Broke, that prides itself on a non-worldly and simple lifestyle. Kanye’s “character” sneaks to do some of his “art” to make some money and also buys clothes and takes a bath. These things are against the rules of the fraternity. A few of my faves on here would be “Heard ‘Em Say,” “Roses,” “Bring Me Down” (featuring Brandy), “Addiction,” “Diamonds from Sierra Leone” (that features Shirley Bassey’s “Diamonds are Forever”), “We Major.” There’s actually some good vocals on this album, too. It’s not exactly hip-hop but certainly not not-hip-hop.There are a lot of pop elements involved here, as well. I dug it and I think you will, too.

#117 – Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs by Derek and the Dominoes. This album was released 11 days before I was born. I’ve continually expressed my dislike of Eric Clapton throughout this countdown, but on this one I’m going to be a little nicer. I think it’s because he’s not doing rehashed blues tunes and, for the most part, he’s written most of the songs. I had heard “Bell Bottom Blues” before but only in passing. When I actually take time to listen, that’s a great song. Later and throughout the recording you can definitely hear the Duane Allman influence. I especially hear it in “Why Does Love Got to be so Sad?” That sounds like an Allman Bros song to me. The cover of “Have You Ever Loved a Woman?” is exactly what I didn’t want to hear on this album. That rudimentary, boring and predictable bluest of the blues. But, then I was completely blown away by the cover of Jimi Hendrix’ “Little Wing,” which I don’t know that I’ve ever heard the original of. Yeah, I’m not at all a Hendrix fan, either. Surprise! Probably not so much at that. The guitar lick for “Layla” is very iconic and I’ve never turned that one when it came on. I was once writing a song on piano and thought it was pretty cool until I realized I was working, very hard, on writing the end of “Layla.” I was quite disappointed. It was the same key and everything. Oh well, darn you Eric Clapton and Jim Gordon for beating me to it! I totally wasn’t expecting “Thorn Tree in the Garden.” I was looking for some airbrushed man and woman walking through a field like on the old K-Tel Records TV commercials. I like it. Overall, this wasn’t a bad album but I think they could have left off about 4-5 songs and it would have been just fine. It’s the start of a run of mid- to late-’60s and early-’70s classics on the countdown. I didn’t not dig it, let’s leave it at that.

#116 – Out of Our Heads by The Rolling Stones. To be clear, this is the US version of this album. The UK version leaves off three very important songs: “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” “The Last Time” and “Play with Fire.” The Brits have a hard time, I guess with songs that were already singles being put on a new album. Who knows? Technically, you could call this a compilation album, but because the compilation is with songs that were recorded within a six-month period and included among other songs that were recorded for this collection, I’ll include it. Out of 12 songs, only 6 of them were written internally: aforementioned “Satisfaction” and “The Last Time,” “The Spider and the Fly” and “One More Try” along with and two Nanker Phelge written tunes: “Play with Fire” and “The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man.” Nanker Phelge is the pseudonym that the Stones used when writing as a collective (in this case it’s Jagger, Richards, Watts, Wyman and Jones). The rest of the songs are rehashed covers. While they’re decent versions, I’m not overly impressed. I found myself watching to see how much more time was left before it was over. So, the songs that the UK version left off, really is the only 1The_who_sell_out_album_front thing that is really worth my time listening to on this version. Did not dig (as a whole).

#115 – The Who Sell Out by The Who. I love the “radio” aspect of this album. It’s like it’s being broadcast. Since I’m such a fan of MadMen and Heinz Baked Beans were a vital part of the story line for a while, that’s great to see and hear them mentioned (at least by title). In the middle of all the silly (which I love) there are some really great songs in here. “Odorono” is fantastic as is “Armenia City in the Sky.” The Who sometimes has a difficult time grabbing me, on this one, at least from what I’ve heard of it so far, it has captured me and I’m really, really paying attention (and enjoying it). I could go through and pick my favorites, as I started out (above) and list them but that would be pointless. Let’s just say there are no fillers here. This is 100% pure, grade A USDA choice beefiness as far as albums go. Front to back. This is a gem of an album. The concept is magical and inspiring, the cover a hoot. I can’t even pick an absolute fave. It’s all great! The sprinkling of “commercials” throughout the “radio broadcast” are ingenious. I LOVE this album!

#114 – Disraeli Gears by Cream. This album was released just 35 days prior to the previous countdown entry in 1967. It features “Strange Brew” and “Sunshine of Your Love.” Psychedelic sure but bluesy-rock, too. I’ve come to find most of the psychedelic stuff is heavy with some serious reverb. And, most bluesy-rock stuff, I just can’t get into. Anywhat! The album spikes and wanes with me, personally. While there are times that Jack Bruce’s vocals are annoying with that falsetto, there are others where it’s not so bad. I just think it’s overdone. “SWLABR” is pretty good, I like that. The two hits, I like those. Overall, though, I don’t get it and don’t really care to get it. I don’t get the big deal that is Cream and I know I’ll get rolled for that. Damien or Ed or Eugene will nail me for it. I just don’t understand the appeal. Ginger Baker is a great drummer and Jack Bruce is a great bass player. Don’t get me started on the hack that Eric Clapton is. I did REALLY enjoy “Mother’s Lament” though. I listened to that one twice, after all it’s asked at the end of it: “you wanna do it again?” Otherwise, outside the first two songs and the last, it was a yawnfest. Did not dig (as a whole).

#113 – Court and Spark by Joni Mitchell. Okay. Another thing for me to get rolled about, but on the other end of the spectrum. My only exposure to Joni Mitchell was “Woodstock” (which I didn’t care for), “Big Yellow Taxi” (I liked the Counting Crows version better as 1xcourt far as I know) and “Help Me” (and I didn’t even know that was her). Again, not something I went out looking for and I had absolutely no exposure to it as a kid. Now, all that being said. This gal is going places! “Help Me” is on this album and I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I guess I had never paid attention before. A lot of it reminds me of Lynn Ahrens’ work on Schoolhouse Rock but it was around the same time as this and yes, I LOVE Schoolhouse Rock. I don’t know if it was listening to this more laid-back stuff after the mostly crap that the Cream album was, but I really enjoyed this album. This is making me want to go back and listen to the aforementioned songs that I dismissed to give another chance. I like the singer-songwriter and folky aspect, but there’s also hints of jazz and soft rock in there. I like it. The whole album is great and just like The Who previously, I’d be amiss to pick just a few. I’d like to own both of them on vinyl. DUG!

#112 – If You Can Believe Your Eyes And Ears by The Mamas and the Papas. Some of the most well-known Mamas and the Papas tunes are on this album. And, really, some of the best harmonies you’re going to hear, ever. The folksters were very well represented with this album. It’s definitely a ’60s thing. I know I say this a lot but I can picture people listening to this while smoking pot, lying upon a heavy-shagged rug of avocado green or burnt orange surrounded by lava lamps and wearing pastel pink lipstick, mini dresses of white and pink polka dots with white go-go boots or plaid bell bottoms with turtleneck sweaters. Man, I feel I really missed it. That would have been groovy. Yeah, I said it. There’s not only the folk singer aspect, there’s genuine pop music at play. A Lennon/McCartney tune, “I Call Your Name,” is on here and they do it Beatle-esque justice, I’d say. Lots of orchestration, which was “in” at the time, lines the whole album. “California Dreamin'” could possibly be one of the best songs ever written. Yes, I said that, too! Their version of 1RadioheadTheBends600 the Phil Spector/Jerry Leiber penned “Spanish Harlem” is quite excellent, too. I could see Ma Mère listening to this as she liked the folk stuff and while this isn’t Peter, Paul and Mary, it’s still good stuff! I like this album a good bit! Dug!

#111 – The Bends by Radiohead. This is my first listen of Radiohead since the VSS show. My opinion of most of the Radiohead stuff changed after experiencing that. Let’s see how it affects my opinion of it while listening fresh. “Planet Telex” is a great start. However, “High and Dry” is the embodiment of a fantasmic and stellar song. It reminds me of my buddy, Patrick and sounds like the way he’d write. He’s the one that did the entire Ok! Computer album as the lead singer and is the songwriter extraordinaire of Vel Indica. Thom Yorke is a bit out there but sometimes “out there” is where you need to be, am I right? Take for instance, “Fake Plastic Trees.” It brings a lot of weird imagery but you can picture it, every bit. Why is that I almost cry when I hear this song? I really almost cried listening to it here. I mean with lyrics like: “A green plastic watering can for a fake Chinese rubber plant, in the fake plastic earth that she bought from a rubber man, in a town full of rubber plans to get rid of itself,” how can you not cry right off the bat? And the way Yorke sings it just adds to the sadness, but beautifully, if you can believe that. “Bones” reminds me of some Love & Rockets; not a bad thing. Really, at this point, I should just stop picking good ones and talk about my least favorites. Okay, here goes. __. And that’s it. It’s a spectaculicious specimen of music and I’ll go on record to say, that I love this album. L.O.V.E. it!! Dug doesn’t even do it justice.

I don’t remember such a divisive segment in the whole lot. There may have been but I don’t remember it. There is the third that I loathed (Disraeli Gears, Out of Our Heads, Sweetheart of the Rodeo), while there is the third that I liked or didn’t mind (Late Registration, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, If You Can Believe Your Eyes And Ears). That leaves the third plus one that I absolutely fell in love with (At Last!, The Who Sell Out, Court and Spark and The Bends). It was a weird, but rewarding segment, I’ll say. And, as I get closer to the top, I’m sure I’ll be conflicted with why some of the entries are where they are vs. should they even be on the list. We’ll see. Until then… I’m out.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“She lives with a broken man, a cracked polystyrene man, who just crumbles and burns. He used to do surgery for girls in the eighties, but gravity always wins.” – “Fake Plastic Trees” (Radiohead)

Man Out of Time or: Why Does Everybody Have a Bomb (RS Part 34)

01 Monday Feb 2016

Posted by TGBII in Music Review

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Tags

Bob Marley & The Wailers, Elvis Costello, Linda Rondstadt, Marvin Gaye, Metallica, Otis Redding, Patrick Ferguson, Prince, Radiohead, Rolling Stone Top 500 Albums, The Who, Vagabond Saints Society

Salutations™!!

I’m so sorry it took so long to get to this segment of Rolling Stone Top 500 Albums of All Time, which has to be better than the last. That was a real clunker to me. Not saying they were bad albums, I’m saying they didn’t do much for me. I’m not dwelling, mind you. We’re moving on. And, again, sorry for the delay.

#170 – Live at Leeds by The Who. The disclaimer here is I’m only listening to the tracks on the original LP release in which there was only six songs. I’m trying to follow what Rolling Stone is counting as the “album” and there’s no indication otherwise, so I’m going by the original. I am sure I’m missing on a lot, but that’s how the entire countdown has been, 418S0AS2T0L thus far. There’s plenty of energy flowing in this concert. I’m sure the whole thing (thirty-three songs) would be a great listen but who has the time? Seriously, it’s back to the previous point: the original was only six songs. The songs, “Young Man Blues,” “Substitute,” Eddie Cochran’s “Summertime Blues,” Johnny Kidd’s “Shakin’ All Over,” an amalgamation of “My Generation/See Me, Feel Me/Listening to You/Underture…” and so on, and a seven minute jam on “The Magic Bus.” Like I said, it seems powerful from this little sampling. I will probably take time to listen to the rest later but this is for “now,” for those who will start throwing out “Dude, you really need to listen to all of it” at me. I really like this and I’m not a big fan of The Who. Dug!

#169 – Exodus by Bob Marley and the Wailers. 1976. Jamaica. It was in December that there was an assassination attempt on Bob Marley, and his wife Rita’s, life, leading to his own exodus from his homeland. This album, which was recorded both before the attempt in Jamaica and after where later sessions were done in London, is laid back and political as well as sexual. I enjoyed listening to the album and found “Natural Mystic,” the title song, “Jamming,” “Waiting in Vain,” “Three Little Birds” and “One Love/People Get Ready” to be my favorites. Definitely have gotten into some Marley. I’ve not really gotten into the rest of the reggae world but really like Bob’s stuff. I definitely dug it.

#168 – My Aim is True by Elvis Costello. The 1977 Album of the Year according to Rolling Stone and was Costello’s debut album. This album was thrown together by Costello and 1myaimistrue producer Nick Lowe, I’d say in a hurry: approximately 24 hours total. It’s raw but well produced, not slick. It captures energy and has an open ambient sound as if it’s recorded in an open room. Extra plate reverb on the vox create the effect. Nice. It should also be noted that this was prior to the Attractions becoming his permanent backing band. It was recorded with members of a group called Clover which had to be credited as “The Shamrocks” (if credited at all) due to contractual obligations/restrictions. This album contains “Alison,” “(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes,” “Watching the Detectives” (US version only) and “Less Than Zero” which is the first single released by the Stiff label. I also thought “Blame It on Cain” was pretty cool, too. I’ll definitely say I dug it.

#167 – Master of Puppets by Metallica. As the years went on, Metallica started becoming stale and I started referring to them as Me-Suck-lick-a. I’ve also always stated that this is my least favorite of the “Black and Before” era Metallica. Truth be told, that’s only 1Metallica_-_Master_of_Puppets_cover because I’ve really never given it a chance. Between Ride the Lightning, “Black” (Metallica) and …In Justice For All this was just what I listened to the least, then Kill ‘Em All. This was Cliff Burton’s exodus album, though tragically. I can’t get over the speed of his finger picking style, at least at that time. Thinking on the time, this wasn’t “normal” to me. His bass solo in “Orion” showed his melodic side. I will admit that I was a bigger fan of Jason Newstead (basically for putting up with Lars’ and James’ crap and his resilience in the face of his parts basically being erased from “Justice”), but Cliff was great on this. This is also the first major label album for the band: Elektra Records. The production is slick as all get out but somehow raw at the same time. Some of the songs are epic (three songs over eight minutes) with the shortest being 5:12 (“Battery”). I think my favorite song on this is “The Thing That Should Not Be.” Somehow, it just sounds mean. Differently than most of the other songs. All of them are definitely punching you in the face but this one sounds evil. I think it’s the tone, the subject matter (Cthulhu) and weird solo, etc. It all comes together to create a beautifully chaotic mess. I think Metallica used more complex rhythms on this album as compared to the prior ones. “Disposable Heroes” has some of the fastest rhythms that I’ve heard on any Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, etc. album. It’s smoking fast. Word has it that Lars Ulrich actually took some drum lessons for this album. I know that Kirk Hammett took direction from Joe Satriani on how to better record his parts. I think I treated this album unfairly in the past. I am listening to it now and find that it’s actually a really good album. With its themes of drug use (title song), mythical creatures, politics and anti-war sentiments (“Disposable Heroes”), insanity (“Welcome Home (Sanitarium)”), false prophets (“Leper Messiah”) and so forth, this album is what Metallica was all about “pre-Load.” I don’t know after that because like Samson, once they cut their hair, they lost all power. Honestly, the hair had nothing to do with it, but when they cut it, the music started sucking. So… meh. But, this album? It gets a definite dig. I really liked it.

#166 – Imperial Bedroom by Elvis Costello. Two Declan MacManus’ in one segment. Hmmm. This album really set my appreciation of EC out right. It was upon talking with Doug Davis (who got me interested in doing this list) and Ed Bumgardner a few years back about EC and this album that got me really paying attention. As I’ve mentioned before I was late to the “alternative/new wave” scene by about twenty-five years or more. So, probably one of the only good things that came from an unfortunate relationship with an ex-girlfriend was a real introduction into this genre. But, I was with The BCPF when I heard this. It’s a well-written album. “Shabby Doll” is one of my faves. I believe it involves a man that’s falling for a promiscuous woman. Bruce Thomas is a fantastic bass player. “The Long Honeymoon” is about perceived infidelity. I love that song’s flamenco/jazz stylings. It’s quite melodic and a little sexy. “Man Out of Time” starts off (and ends) kind of weird, but it becomes a great song with great musicianship. Really, I could say that for just about every song on this album, really. “Almost Blue” sounds like a piano bar singer’s accounting of a real life love gone bad. It’s laid back and jazzy. I can almost see whispering smoke floating around a darkened, but not pitch, room with candles or tea candles on tables with blood red-tinted linens. I’m especially pleased with the chorus of “Human Hands.” The song as a whole is good, but that chorus, though! “Little Savage” sounds like it could, musically, be a sequel to “Radio Radio” from This Year’s Model. Like I said in the beginning of this long-winded review, I think this is a very well-balanced and fantastic album. I liked it the first time I heard it. I like it now. Dig!

#165 – Let’s Get It On by Marvin Gaye. Well, this album is sexy. The Barry White kind of sexy but on a different spectrum. Where Barry is all low and deep bassin’ the women out of their underwear, Marvin is heart-felt yearn and implores the ladies into his boudoir for nothing shy of TLC. If “getting it on” wasn’t good enough for the title track, he wants you to “Come Get to This” and “Keep Gettin’ It On.” He’s not hiding or masking the fact that he’s wanting to love you and love on you and he will do just about anything “Just to Keep You Satisfied.” It’s word play, yeah, but there seems to be a theme to this album from its title to its final notes. This may be ironic if you know what was really going on in his life. He wasn’t doing a lot of “loving” since in real life he allegedly suffered with impotence, emotional distress and a brief separation from his wife, Anna Gordy (yes Berry’s sister). He was going through a lot, but he churned out a great record, this. Another great thing was that he at least co-wrote all of the songs on this LP. The song “Distant Lover” showed the beautifully tragic personal issues and his inflection and voice in that song sang sadness and sexiness all in one fell swoop. The musicianship is unparalleled and the songs are masterful. This is a great soul record. Scratch that, this is a great record. Definitely some really great stuff here. DUG!

#164 – The Very Best of Linda Rondstadt by Linda Rondstadt

#163 – 1999 by Prince. Another Prince album that, luckily, I at least own and have the 1999_cover opportunity to listen to since the Purple One signed his exclusive deal with Tidal and I don’t pay for that. This, to me, is the penultimate Prince album as far as quality goes. Some may disagree with me on that, in fact, I expect that. The first is Purple Rain as that was the height of his popularity and power. This, is the one, that at least for me, broke him into the mainstream. For You, Prince, Dirty Mind and Controversy all had quality stuff on it, but this was the climb. Mostly on the fact that not only was radio playing the snot out of the title track and “Little Red Corvette,” but because MTV, BET, Night Flight and Night Tracks were all playing the videos of them ad naseum. I did “Little Red Corvette” for the Vagabond Saints Society Presents Purple Rain show November before last, acoustically. I remember when I listened this (on cassette, I borrowed it from a friend) when I was a kid, “Let’s Pretend We’re Married” was one of my favorite tracks because I was thirteen or fourteen and that was the first time I ever heard someone use the word “f**k” on a musical album. And, I somehow, in my sheltered childhood, realized what pretending to be married actually meant. There was a lot of sniggering going on then, for sure. “D.M.S.R.” was a bit of a oddity for me, not because of the song or what the letters mean (dance, music, sex, romance), but that in the first CD pressing, it was simply not there (there was a disclaimer explaining the reasoning). I hadn’t been into collecting CDs long and didn’t realize they had to do that. Compression and mastering being what they are today, that’s not the case; it’s included. And it’s actually one of the best dance songs that Prince ever did. I’d have rather them get rid of something else and kept that as it was one of my faves. The song order threw me off, too, on the CD because on the cassette version, “Free” was the last on the first side. It was moved to even up the sides, I guess. I think that was commonplace with 8-Tracks, too. My short attention span being what it is (awful) some of the lengthy songs start to lose me, but it’s still great stuff. Even though Prince had his “band” together – if you look closely in the “football” in the “1” in his name on the cover, it says “and the Revolution” – Dez Dickerson is the only other person playing any of the instruments, which in his case is the guitar solos. Prince plays and programs every other instrument that happens on the album. Lisa Coleman and Jill Jones (the ones you see in the videos) do most of the backups but this is where Wendy Melvoin joins in and does some backup on “Free.” Like I said, this album is his second greatest, to me. I’ll be honest and say that this is the first time that I’ve really ever listened all the way through since I was a kid. I listened to the first four songs and that was about it. This listen, though, is fantastic and I certainly will also say, I DIG it!!

#162 – OK Computer by Radiohead. Yeah. There are several Radiohead songs that I like, just not a whole lot. There are plenty that I can tolerate and even say, “well that’s cool.” Vagabond Saints Society will be doing OK Computer in its entirety with Patrick Ferguson (of Vel Indica) doing all the vox for the album. There will be guest singers doing other 1OKComputer Radiohead songs after (or before) that album’s finale. To me, their best song was “Creep.” Low and behold that’s what I’ll doing for the show. Okay (computer), enough of that. My past utterances in this album’s direction could have been misguided or just a sign of immense stubbornness or even ignorance. The two tracks that immediately stand out first are “Paranoid Android” and “Karma Police,” of course. But, there’s so much more to it like “Let Down,” “Exit Music (For a Film),” “Electioneering,” “No Surprises” and “Lucky” (which truly may be the dark horse of the album. 1997 was still the “infancy of the modern home computer” and the track “Fitter Happier” was a representation of tech-speech patterns in compu-self-help and a good one, at that. I know that at least “Paranoid Android” was inspired by Marvin Paranoid Android from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy but I’m thinking more of it could have been, too. Reading up on it, I noticed the influences were all over the place for this album, but I think that they reigned it in to a cohesive package. This departure from where they were (previous two albums) defined much of what Radiohead would be and is today; for better or worse. I think overall, as I stated previously in the section, I have judged thee unfairly, O Radiohead. I doth dig thy OK Computer collection.

#161 – The Dock of the Bay by Otis Redding. A compilation album of many of this singles plus B-sides.

This segment was quite lengthy. I apologize for that but for some of the albums, I had a lot to say. Eight “digs” and only two compilations. That’s a pretty good segment, if you ask me. And I’m sure by now, you’re really wishing I’d just shut up. So that’s what I’m going to do! See you next segment!

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Listening to you, I get the music. Gazing at you, I get the heat. Following you, I climb the mountain. I get excitement at your feet.” – “See Me, Feel Me” (Townshend)

Is This the Real Life? or: The Things That Pass for Knowledge I Don’t Understand (RS Part 27)

14 Monday Sep 2015

Posted by TGBII in Music Review

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Tags

Howlin' Wolf, Jackie Wilson, Madonna, Patsy Cline, Queen, Simon and Garfunkel, Steely Dan, The Byrds, The Kinks, The Who

Salutations™!!

Yay! Back to a Monday! The last segment of Rolling Stone Top 500 Albums of All Time had some cheers and jeers from me; some good, some really bad. I’m hoping that this segment is better and I’m not going to keep you waiting any longer. Let’s do it!

#240 – Can’t Buy a Thrill by Steely Dan. I’m a “fan of the Dan.” Without even listening through this (which I have on vinyl, I believe), it has three of my faves on it. “Do It Again,” “Reelin’ in the Years” and my new/for now favorite Steely Dan song, “Dirty Work,” which isn’t even Donald Fagen singing. I think early on, they let others do some singing. I like Fagen and his voice but I don’t know how I’d feel about “Dirty Work” if it was him singing. This was when Steely Dan was actually a full band and not just Fagen and Walter Becker with a lot of session backup. That’s later and when you hear some Michael McDonald in there, but not on here. I love the jazz and Latin styles mixed with rock elements which is what made the Dan famous. The album is wrought with such good songwriting that it’s hard to believe that this album was the band’s debut. Although I list “Reelin’ in the Years” as a favorite, I have to say that I really don’t get the repetition of the choruses. At least the first and second choruses. There is a slight different harmony in the repeat of each but I think that could have been saved for the end. It’s not my song and I have no say and really it doesn’t take away from the song overall, but it’s just unnecessary, I think. Still a great song. Overall, this is a great jazz rock album. Heck, just a great album, in general. Good stuff. I dug it! (And I did listen through it…)

#239 – Like a Prayer by Madonna. This album came out just as I was preparing to graduate high school. There’s a lot of memories on this. It’s not the album as a whole, by the way, as much as it is the time that this came out. The big hits, “Cherish,” “Express Yourself” and the title track are the ones I really remember. “Dear Jessie” was released as a single but I don’t remember it at all. It’s not a bad song, though. I just don’t think it was single material. “Oh Father” and “Keep It Together” are both singles that gained some modest success and, truthfully, I had forgotten about them. I was glad to be able to revisit them, especially “Oh Father.” Over all the album is pretty good, even featuring a song with, and co-written and co-produced by, Prince (“Love Song”). It’s not Like a Virgin or even True Blue but it was good. I’d listen again. Dug.

#238 – Howlin’ Wolf by Howlin’ Wolf.

#237 – My Generation by The Who. Maybe I’m becoming desensitized. Or, perhaps I don’t get The Who. I don’t know. This isn’t bad, but I don’t see the big deal. I like the title cut and the rest of it is certainly makes for good music but I’m not moved by it. I will say that Entwhistle is a beast on bass. I knew that before this but I thought I’d reiterate the point, in case you may have missed it. There are some songs to really dig, though. The title track, “The Kids are Alright,” “It’s Not True,” “A Legal Matter.” The latter is Pete Townshend’s turn for lead vox. I wonder if I’m actually hearing some influence of that song in Meat Loaf’s “Paradise by the Dashboard Light?” I don’t know but I do hear some similarities in there. “The Ox” is an assault on the piano, the bass, the piano (thanks to Nicky Hopkins) and the guitar. I really liked that one. Overall, it was okay, not great and didn’t suck. I dug it.

#236 – Mr. Excitement! by Jackie Wilson. Comp.

#235 – The Ultimate Collection by Patsy Cline. RS is making this segment easy on me. But, I would rather see albums here. I don’t like wasting the entries, but I am not going to do compilations. At least not right now.

#234 – Bookends! by Simon & Garfunkel. What is this!? Synths and such on a S&G album!? Nice! I love how it starts softly with “Bookends Theme” and then beats you in the face with “Save the Life of My Child.” Same awesome harmonies that they’re known for but with some depth. Not that there is ANYTHING wrong with the acoustic stuff, but this was (at least so far) a little bit of a departure and I really like that. I am a huge fan of “America” and I didn’t mind when it was used in the American Express commercials. Truthfully, I had never heard it until then and it made me go back and find the song. The BCPF, who is a fan of a lot of ’60s folkie stuff knew it and told me about it. I liked it. I still like it. “Overs” is a great jazzy acoustic number. “Voices of the Old People” is basically a recording by Art Garfunkel as captured at two rest homes. It’s kind of sweet and kind of sad. I have the S&G three-disc box set called Old Friends and the song of the same name is quite awesome. It, combined with “Bookends Theme (Reprise)” closes out the “Side One” with a little closure. Bookends, if you will. We’re back to some unexpected mellow rock with “Fakin’ It” to start what would be “Side Two.” S&G’s harmonies are out of this world; simple yet oddly complex. It’s hard to discern who is singing or what’s going on with the harmony but only that it works like a satin overlay of the music in the background. “Mrs. Robinson,” I’d venture to say, is probably their best known song, widely due to The Graduate soundtrack. I’m sure that “Bridge Over Troubled Water” or “The Boxer” fights for that top spot, but that’s what I think. That’s another place where the harmonies blend to make one voice so well. I still am more a fan of the Bangles version of “A Hazy Shade of Winter” than I am of the S&G version but, still, it’s a great version. It seems that Art is belting it on this song, which is opposite of what I’m used to from them but that’s okay, I like it. What’s amazing to me is that while Side One has some awesome tunes, including “America,” there were only four singles released and all of those were on the second side: “A Hazy Shade of Winter,” “At the Zoo,” “Fakin’ It” and “Mrs. Robinson.” Was that a conscience decision or by chance? I don’t know, but I’m not complaining. This is one outstanding album and I’m glad I heard it. I will say that I had to listen to it on YouTube because it wasn’t available on Rhapsody and having to go through the ads every other (and sometimes every single) song was quite annoying. It disrupts the continuity of the album, but what can you do? I LOVED this one. Three thumbs up.

#233 – Mr. Tambourine Man by The Byrds. A Bob Dylan cover band! I’m kidding. But, out of twelve songs, four of them are Dylan songs. That’s a third of the album. It’s not a bad thing, I just know there were a few other Dylan songs they covered. Then again, most everyone from that era was, in some way or another. One thing about Dylan, he’s a great storyteller and songwriter, even if I think he’s a horrible singer. I don’t think I’ve really known a bad Dylan song, just badly done Dylan songs (most of them by him). The title track, “Spanish Harlem Incident,” “All I Really Want to Do” and “Chimes of Freedom” are his on this album. Now, as I was saying, none of the songs are bad and, hey, it wasn’t him singing here. Anywhat! Great instrumentation. But, those harmonies, though! It’s hard to beat them even though The Beatles, CSN and at one point Grateful Dead tried, really hard. This was their debut album and while I think this is great, it gets slicker as they go on in their recordings. I’d say of the songs on this album, the Dylan songs stand out the most and probably the ones that people would associate or remember the most about this album. I dug it but it doesn’t contain my favorite Byrds’ tunes.

#232 – The Kink Kronikles by The Kinks. Yet. Another. Anthology.

#231 – A Night at the Opera by Queen. Omagosh! I love this album. Then again, I love Queen, so… There is a lot of of the classic old music hall style of theatrical music here and the effects and trickery they use in the recording but a few of the things that makes me love this band so. The songs flow from one to another almost like a concept album, but without actually being one, that I can tell. It’s pointed, it’s funny, it’s nonsensical, it’s witty, it’s serious, it’s hateful. It’s magic. Brian May and Roger Taylor get their turn at some lead vocals but that doesn’t dilute Freddie Mercury’s role, not in the slightest. It shows diversity and humility. From the aforementioned music hall, Queen also does folk shuffle (“’39”), hard rock (“I’m in Love with My Car”), rock and roll (“Sweet Lady”) radio-friendly (“You’re My Best Friend”), Dixieland jazz (“Good Company”) and of course, what I’d consider the Queen song, “Bohemian Rhapsody.” That song is just masterfully executed. Not a flaw in it that I can tell. It peaked at number 9 in 1975, yet it peaked at number 2 in 1992 after being featured in the (I thought it was) funny film, Wayne’s World. I could probably write a whole blog post on this song; heck this whole album, really. “The Prophet’s Song” is an epic demonstration in the magic of tape delays. And when I say epic, I mean all 8:20 of it. There’s a lot of biblical references about floods and all that. When I hear “Love of My Life,” I can’t help but think of Freddie’s tribute show after he died. Extreme, the hard funk band did an eerily creepy (and somewhat off-key) version of it for that show. There are plenty of Queen albums that I like but this has to be one of my two or three faves. To say I dug it would be an understatement.

This segment was excruciating, mostly due to the excessive greatest hits inclusions. In my personal listening and collection, I have plenty of them, but that’s because I didn’t want whole albums. This is a different situation. Four of the ten albums were greatest hits, anthologies, collections. Nah. Thankfully, the ones that weren’t were all good to great to excellent albums. And, hey! There were no Grateful Dead or Velvet Underground on this leg. Thank (enter deity here)! I’m going to leave you here, Dear Reader and move on to the next segment. Go listen to A Night at the Opera and Bookends!

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Let us be lovers, we’ll marry our fortunes together. I’ve got some real estate here in my bag. So we bought a pack of cigarettes and Mrs. Wagner’s pies and walked off to look for America.” – “America” by Simon and Garfunkel (Simon)

Talkin’ About a Revolution or: No Dead Reign O’er Me (RS Part 24)

20 Monday Jul 2015

Posted by TGBII in Music Review

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Blood Sweat and Tears, Crosby Stills and Nash, Paul Simon, Ray Charles, Rolling Stones, The Grateful Dead, The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Who, Tracy Chapman

Salutations™!!

Wow, it took a long time to get through this one. Then again, I did go through surgery, picked up a new podcast production gig and life, so it’s reasonable to say, it’s been hectic. A fairly balanced segment last time, I’m hoping for the same this time as I explore the next section of the Rolling Stone Top 500 Albums of All Time. I don’t have anything really to pontificate on prior, so let’s get to it, shall we?

#270 – Some Girls by The Rolling Stones. One of, if not the favorite album of mine of the Rolling Stones. I think because I really love “Miss You,” “Far Away Eyes,” “Shattered” and “Beast of Burden,” I would say that about this album. I love when Doug Davis does it in his Mystery Dates shows. It’s right there in the disco time and “Miss You” does fit in that realm, but it’s not a disco album, although it is quite slick like one. It’s a full album that I have on my iPod from RS and was a big come back for them as they’d kind of fallen into a rut. My only complaint about this album is that it should be much higher on this list. I’d say it really needs to be Top 50 at least. I’ll admit that I don’t listen to a lot of the “filler” songs, usually, but I’m digging them during this session and with that, forty minutes is like the perfect length of album for me. I truly DIG this with extreme prejudice!

#269 – Psychocandy by The Jesus and Mary Chain. What the heck is this!? Let me clarify. I like the songwriting and songs and even the singing and stuff, but the production…? I don’t know if they were being “clever” or what but this is atrocious. It sounds like it’s in a cave and it’s hard for me to discern anything, really, about what is going on. The songs, like I said, are fine, but I really can’t handle listening to it. Is everything by them like this? I hope not. Did but didn’t dig it.

#268 – Paul Simon by Paul Simon. I’ve always like Paul but didn’t know much about him other than the “hits.” I do have Old Friends, the Simon and Garfunkel Box Set. The BCPF got me to really pay more attention to him. I am a huge fan of Graceland, too, which comes much later in the list. MUCH later. “Mother and Child Reunion” starts this off and it’s very much what I’d think would be the sound from early-1970s New York City. I have a fascination with that time and regional period that I just can’t explain. It’s a bit on the reggae side but that’s not a bad thing, here. Simon is a fantastic songwriter and he doesn’t disappoint with this. A lot of styles are in play here, from jazz to folk to Americana to the aforementioned reggae. The crowd favorite “Me and Julio Down by the School Yard” is one that you’ll hear others play in acoustic solo shows. “Peace Like a River” and “Duncan” are more hints at Simon’s near-genius songwriting skills. He’s a great storyteller. “Papa Hobo” is a good example of such. And the NOLA-like Jazz ditty, “Hobo’s Blues” fun. I love the electric piano on “Congratulations,” the finale track. Larry Knechtel does great work on the e.p as well as the organ work on that song. A great finishe, I say. Quite a good listen. I’d listen, again. Dug.

#267 – Quadrophenia by The Who. This is not Tommy, is it? I’m thinking they’re trying too hard to redo that rock opera. This is good and I can totally get on board with catching your niche. I just think this pales to Tommy and Who’s Next. I think I may have heard “The Real Me” and I know I have “Love Reign O’er Me.” I had that on a greatest hits album. Yeah, I have greatest hits albums, I’m not against them, but I’m not going to review them. I’m just not… so stop trying to get me to. I digress! This isn’t moving me as much as I feel it should be. It’s Quadrophenia after all!? The album does rock and has a lot of feeling, I think I’m just disappointed with it. I know I’ll get flogged for that comment but that’s just how I feel about it. Dug-ish.

#266 – Child is Father to the Man by Blood, Sweat & Tears. After a nice (yet oddly placed), classical- or circus-like “Overture,” the album goes to “I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know,” a blues-laden, prog love song that, in my opinion, is more enjoyable than anything that was on the Quadrophenia album before. It’s a beautifully written and executed tune that is full of life and luster. That’s not surprising since there’s only like forty-three people in the band. That’s an exaggeration… there’s only eight but whole orchestral sections involved in the recording. This album is so “summer of love”ish which is to say it sounds so “1967” (it really is from 1968) and the love is still flowing at this point. Oddly enough, after this album, Al Kooper, the founder and band leader, flew the “koop” if you will. While BS&T are still touring today, none of the founding members are in the band. It also reminds me of what I’d figure this-era Chicago would sound like with the horn and orchestral sections. I’m not too familiar with this era of prog rock, but I like what I’m hearing here. Great harmonies are on this album, too, along with great melodies and rhythm section work. “My Days are Numbered” is a great example of all that. And Jeez! I love the lounge stylings of “Without Her.” Even Donald Duck makes an appearance in “House in the Country.” I think that it may be a hair too long but at least all the songs are interesting; each a bit different than the next, all while maintaining a canon or uniformed “belonging.” I’d love to hear it on vinyl. I really, dug it.

#265 – The Genius of Ray Charles by Ray Charles. I don’t mind the blues aspect if it’s topped off with an icing of swing-pop and jazz. Plus, I’m a sucker for “standards.” Said standards include “Let the Good Times Roll,” “Alexander’s Ragtime Band,” “Come Rain or Come Shine,” “Tell Me You’ll Wait For Me.” What’s cool, too, is not only is Ray singing, he’s playing the piano for all of it as well. His voice is, in 1959, in top shape and he’s killing it here. Another cool thing is the first half (side one) is big band pop standards and the second half (side two) is orchestral pop standards. This was kind of critically-panned when it came out but, obviously since it’s on this list, more modern critics find it to be a classic and I would dare to say “masterpiece.” That’s what I’m going with, so there! Definitely, DUG!!!

#264 – Workingman’s Dead by Grateful Dead. Thank you Stephen Stills and David Crosby for teaching this band about harmonies. “Uncle John’s Band” could have been a CSN song. I’ll be honest, I didn’t know what this song was called, even though I have it on a 70s collection. I skipped The Dead on principle; principle I don’t like the “culture.” Hey! I’m not proud of it, just the way it was. And, I already thought this was CSN. Now, I know. They go back to slightly off-key harmonies in the next song (“High Time” which is probably about right), but they gave us a good one to start off. I know that “Cumberland Blues” is a staple but I don’t really see why. Oddly enough, I do like “Black Peter” as it’s laid back and melodic. Reminds me of someone playing down in the bayou whilst others sip lemonade under a big weeping willow tree or something. I don’t know that’s just the imagery that I get from it. I like that one a lot, actually. And, the final song, “Casey Jones,” if I were going to pick a Dead song to say was my “favorite,” I’ve always considered that one it. All that being said, I think the band is just meh. I think this album is just meh as well. Exceptions being “Uncle John’s Band,” “Black Peter,” “Casey Jones.” Meh.

#263 – Tracy Chapman by Tracy Chapman. She has such a strong voice, not only the beautiful sound what comes from her face but for the awareness and support for her causes. She would have been just as “at home” in the late ’60s singing protest songs. At least she would have fit in, nicely. I have always loved “Fast Car” and had it on “Cassingle” in 1988, when it came out. Was fascinated by the imagery she portrayed and the songwriting itself. She’s so very talented. That song is probably the biggest hit of her career. Definitely until “Give Me One Reason” many years later. She wanes poetic a capella with “Behind the Wall” in a lament of wondering and worry. “Baby Can I Hold You” is a fantastic ballad that reached #19 on the charts in 1989 and was even covered by the champion songwriter, Neil Diamond in 1992. There are no clunkers on this album. It’s solid beginning to end. Loved it!

#262 – Crosby, Stills & Nash by Crosby, Stills & Nash. It’s funny that this is on the same segment as Workingman’s Dead since it was during the recording of this that Crosby and Stills stayed at the ranch where the Dead were hanging out and taught them the harmonies in “Uncle John’s Band” and this is followed by another Dead album. Weird. Anywhat! This is some of the most famous and unique (and best) harmonies in music. They set some standards in that department and it all started right here. “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes” starts it off and is the first intro to the casual album listener to what will become “that sound.” I also loved “Wooden Ships.” The rest of the album, by all means not ordinary, seemed to vanish into the background for me, though. It was all good, but nothing captured me. Am I becoming too desensitized to the process? I mean, I think I really should have felt better about this album. I dug it but am somewhat disappointed in myself for not liking it better.

#261 – American Beauty by Grateful Dead. *Sigh… Another Grateful Dead album. Other than “Truckin’,” I am not plussed by anything on here. I’m not putting it down and I’m not saying they’re not decent songwriters but it’s just not moving me. “Candyman” isn’t too bad, neither is “Operator.” I don’t hate it, though. I don’t really know what else to say. There’s just not a lot I feel I can say about it. Again, I’m not being critical. I think I’m being exactly the opposite. Meh.

So, two Grateful Dead albums in this segment and both were just “meh”s. I hope I’m done with them, although I figure they’ll sneak at least one more in here on me. Five really good ones, two that I was iffy about, two Grateful Deads and one really confusing (Jesus & Mary Chain). Half were really good so, I think this is a very fine segment, indeed. Four of these (Simon, CSN, BS&T, Chapman) were debut or debut solo albums. That’s pretty cool, I think. I would love to find the Ray Charles on vinyl and the BS&T, as well. My favorite Stones album (so far). Yep this was a fun, yet drawn out listen (it’s about three weeks in the making). So, here’s hoping the next segment of Rolling Stone Top 500 Albums of All Time is at least this good!

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“I was driving home early Sunday morning through Bakersfield, listening to gospel music on the colored radio station. And the preacher said, ‘You know you always have the Lord by your side.’ And, I was so pleased to be informed of this that I ran twenty red lights in his honor. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Lord.” – “Far Away Eyes” by Rolling Stones (Richards/Jagger)

The Second Hundred or Hit Hit Miss Hit

18 Monday May 2015

Posted by TGBII in Music Review

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Bob Dylan, Buzzcocks, Don Henley, James Brown, Jeff Buckley, John Lee Hooker, Lou Reed, Lucinda Williams, Massive Attack, Muddy Waters, New Order, Nick Drake, Nirvana, Pink Floyd, Police, Rolling Stone Top 500 Albums, Roxy Music, Sonic Youth, Talking Heads, The Beatles, The Modern Lovers, The Smiths, The Who, Tom Waits, White Stripes, Wu-Tang Clan

Salutations™!!

So, we’re down another hundred albums on the Rolling Stone Top 500 Albums of All Time. As the title reads there were hits and misses. I’ll say, though, that there were many more hits than misses. There were good segments, there were great segments and there was one particularly uninspired segment.

Let’s start with that. For the most part the 10 album segments were at least decent; dare I say good? Segment 12, however (nos 390-381) was a wasteland of dirge to me outside the two opening albums, Elephants by White Stripes and End of the Innocence by Don Henley. What else is on there, you may ask? Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) by Wu-Tang Clan, Love and Theft by Bob Dylan, A Quick One by The Who, More Songs About Buildings and Food by Talking Heads (which I did give a “dug”), The Modern Lovers by The Modern Lovers, Smile by The Beach Boys. The award for the weirdest thing I’ve come across on this list is also in this segment. It’s called The Indestructible Beat of Soweto and was by the always vague “Various Artists.” This was a cornucopia of African music, which isn’t a bad thing, just isn’t my thing. And the most perplexing part was why? Why even include that on this list? And if you’re going to include it (and again, why would you?), why put it that high. Put it at #500 if it absolutely must be on this list. It’s not a bad album, just… why?!?

Let’s do my faves and least faves. I will say I left off the obvious, any of the Beatles, The Police, the above mentioned End…Innocence, etc. Basically, the stuff that I already know I loved, I left off this because the point is to be introduced to things that I a) didn’t have a clue existed or b) that I wouldn’t have sought out on my own.

So the least faves first, and these are in no particular order:
*Lucinda Williams – Car Wheels on a Gravel Road (#305). I hated that album. It was her ridiculous over-exaggerated “cuhn-treh” (country) accent, I think.
*Roxy Music – For Your Pleasure (#396). I think I was just expecting more from these guys. It was a major disappointment, especially from the album that was supposed to Ferry’s favorite. Ick.
*Pink Floyd – Piper at the Gates of Dawn (#347). I love Pink Floyd or should I say I love Pink Floyd from Dark Side on. Don’t give me extra weird Floyd.
*Muddy Waters – At Newport 1960 (#348). I. Hate. Traditional. 12-Bar. Blues. Why, if you’re putting this on a list, is it this high?.
*Wu-Tang Clan – Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (#387). The “N” word for the “N” word’s sake is over done and I am just over it. This was as bad as listening to Raekwon in the first hundred. Ick, again.
*Sonic Youth – Daydream Nation (#328). I think this was more like Sonic Noise than Sonic Youth. I don’t know just didn’t dig it.

A pause for compilations. There are six, that I can find skimming on here. As I’ve said, and it seems to be confusing at times, I do like greatest hits and compilation collections. I do. I just don’t want to rate them as albums because I only do live albums (and at first I didn’t want to do that) and studio releases, not record label money-grabs. However, I did rate a few, just not all of them, the compilations are: Sun Records Collection by Various (#311); Ultimate Collection by John Lee Hooker (#377); In the Jungle Groove by James Brown (#329) that I didn’t rate. The three I did rate are: Substance by New Order (#362); Singles Going Steady by Buzzcocks (#360); Louder than Bombs by The Smiths (#369). Okay, they’ve gotten enough time from me.

My faves. Again, this is a truncated list and the ones that I rated “dug” with emphasis (in no particular order):
*Nick Drake – Pink Mooon (#321). Just a beautiful album. There’s not a lot to really even say.
*Lou Reed – Berlin *Bjork – Post (#376). She’s quirky and weird and I like it that way.
*Massive Attack – Blue Lines (#397). Chill music mixed with Soul/R&B. Yes, please.
*Jeff Buckley – Grace (#304). Beautiful from the beginning to the end. Sad a talent like this left the way it did.
*Tom Waits – The Heart of Saturday Night (#339). Tom Waits. A hit or miss with me usually but this was a younger, on-key Tom and it tripped my trigger.
*Talking Heads – Stop Making Sense (#345). Remember when I said I did review live albums? Well this is one of my favorites from the list thus far.
*Nirvana – Unplugged in New York (#313). Yes. I said that. Nirvana. In my faves. Nirvana! The beauty of this list right here.

There are probably many, many more I could put on here. For the most part I’d say it was (out of a hundred) about 80-85% likes, at least moderately. That’s really a pretty good rating. Even the ones that I really didn’t care for, I could put in the 80-85%. If I just count the ones that I listed above it would be only 6% dislike, but I know there are others and then some of lesser degree. I enjoyed this segment, though, and I think that I was getting into the meat of the list and the same is going to be for the coming segments. Then, theoretically, I’ll be getting into the crème de la crème as the countdown winds down. So read on, Dear Reader, read on! And, if you disagree with me, as I’m sure you do, let me know. Send me your thoughts, one way or the other, I look forward to hearing from you.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“A classic record proves itself over time.” – Joe Levy, Music Editor, Rolling Stone

Henley and Stripes or: Not Much Else (RS pt 12)

28 Wednesday Jan 2015

Posted by TGBII in Music Review

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Bob Dylan, Don Henley, Jack White, Rolling Stone, Steely Dan, Talking Heads, The Modern Lovers, The Who, Top 500 Albums of All Time, White Stripes, Wu-Tang Clan

Salutations™!!

Last 10 were pretty decent, let’s see how this one shapes up!!

#390 – Elephants by White Stripes. You can’t watch any sporting events without hearing “Seven Nation Army.” There’s a reason, too. It’s a great tune. “There’s No Home For You Here” just tears into you from the get go. Then it slows down to allow you to breath (the first slow point in the album) before it stands you up and punches you square in the face, again. Jack White, like him or not, is a good song writer and this album proves it. According to an interview in Guardian, Jack says that the production of the album was done completely without computers or editing software with all the equipment being from 1963 or prior. Meg takes over on “In the Cold, Cold Night” and showcases her haunting velvety voice. I love the squirrel story behind “Little Acorns.” I love the snark and sharpness of “Girl, You Have No Faith in Medicine.” In “It’s True That We Love One Another” Jack and Meg do a trio with Holly Golightly (yes, that’s her real name-ish). Kind of some weird love triangle, which if you consider the “Whites” it’s a whole bunch of weirdness to begin with. But this song, is hilarious and well written. I dig it and the album! Good stuff.

“The End of the Innocence” by Don Henley

#389 – The End of the Innocence by Don Henley. When this came out in 1989, I knew right away who was playing the piano on the title track. That sound is Bruce Hornsby. No denying. The song itself is a reflection of the world at that time. Lots of Reagan and lots of crap. Armchair warriors (Oliver North, etc.). A deeper song that itinitially exhibits. I researched it to see how it pertained to that time after listening a couple more times recently. Deep. “The Last Worthless Evening” is a song about yearning. Despair for loves lost and comfort is what I hear, but it could be more elaborate than that, considering who wrote the song, and for whom. The rumor is Michelle Pfeiffer. Who knows for certain, but some of the evidence stacks up when you hear his account. “New York Minute” is another favorite of mine from this album. Henley is a great story teller. It tells how things can change in the blink of an eye, it’s here and gone, or in a New York Minute where everything happens even more rapidly. “The Heart of the Matter” was a song that I did in a band when I was fresh out of high school with a friend of mine who is unfortunately no longer with us. All in all, this album is top notch and when you research how many guests there are on this – I mean, really!? Axl Rose!? – it was a great co-op and has quality to show for it, too! DIG x∞!!

#388 – The Indestructible Beat of Soweto by Various Artists. Um… Well. I’m a bit perplexed. It’s cool, I think. A shload of South African musicians doing their thing. It’s certainly different. I’m wondering if the “Rooney Rule” was put into action just to have something on the Top 500. I don’t mean that racist, but really it ranks higher than a Beatles album, many other great albums on this list. Is it really Top 500 material? I would say “who am I to judge?” but, really, that’s why I’m taking time to do this critique and I say, no, I don’t think that it is. I think they just picked something to appeal to everyone. Sometimes, political correctness gets in the way of truth. It’s good for what it is, but I don’t think it belongs here. I mean no offense if anyone chooses to take some with this. Just stating my opinion. For the record, I did listen to the whole thing. It ended up being background for other activities, but I did listen. I like Peter Gabriel and this sounds like it could be included in some of his world music stuffs, if that helps? Didn’t really dig, or did I? I don’t know.

#387 – Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) by Wu-Tang Clan. Well, it’s pretty much what I expected: lots of blaring curse words and use of the dreaded “N” word for no real reason. Asked in the second song: “How do you like me now?” I don’t. It’s just a long conversation about themselves with “music” scattered throughout. I don’t get it. I struggled through it, but somehow made it through… because that’s what I do. This is just hard to listen to. Do NOT dig.

“Pretzel Logic” by Steely Dan

#386 – Pretzel Logic by Steely Dan. I love Steely Dan. Starts off great with the radio hit “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number.” After that, yes, it’s Steely Dan, but most of it isn’t my favorite bit of SD stuff. “East St. Louis Toodle-Oo” is ok and “With a Gun” is a right fine song. I like that one. “Charlie Freak,” too. I thought I was a bit disappointed with the output, but it ended righteously. Overall, it’s ok, but that doesn’t turn me away from Steely Dan, just know that this album (which I own) isn’t my favorite of theirs, but hey, it’s not Wu-Tang Clan. Dug, moderately.

#385 – Love and Theft by Bob Dylan. Released on September 11, 2001, the first song, “Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum,” at least, is pretty cool. Ol’ Bob’s voice has gotten a bit strained and even more rough than it used to be. It’s almost like a bad Tom Waits imitation. Not horrible, and the songs are well written, but it’s somewhat sad to hear him singing like it’s painful. Then, a few songs into it, the mood changes and it’s 12-bar blues mumbo jumbo that, as I have mentioned several times, turns my stomach, literally. I don’t mind the jazzy blues stuff, like “Floater (Too Much to Ask),” but the 12-bar blues, I can’t stand. The more I listen to this, I’m thinking it was put on the list just on Dylan’s name alone? I’m not saying it’s bad, but it’s not better than some of the albums that have rated lower. I don’t think this is one of the “greatest of all time,” not by a long shot! Didn’t dig.

“A Quick One” by The Who

#384 – A Quick One by The Who. I don’t know how the critics liked this one, the sophomore album by The Who, but upon the first little bit, I really like “Boris the Spider.” That’s great production right there. Very nice! Now, after that, it gets a little sketchy. Some decent stuff, but not a lot of “striking” stuff. Some of it, too, makes me scratch my head in a “what in the wide world of sports is this!?” manner. “Cobwebs and Strange” at least gets its name right. “Don’t Look Away” is good ’60s rock and roll, though. “A Quick One, While He’s Away” is a 9 minute song. I don’t know many 9 minute songs that I actually like; I think it’s my attention span to blame. This 9 minute song isn’t bad, but I don’t really care one way or another. This album certainly utilized that “Happy Trails” duh-da-duh duh, duh-da-duh duh (think Van Halen’s version) riff a lot. What’s this?! The Batman theme song? Why yes, yes it is. Okay, then. Now, here is a good song: “Happy Jack.” I really like that song, and “My Generation/Land of Hope and Glory.” All in all this album, to me is a bunch of fluff. It started off good, but had a long bout with drag until the end. Somewhat dug.

#383 – More Songs About Buildings and Food by Talking Heads. Two sophomore albums back to back on the countdown. I hope this one is better than the last. It’s funky. It’s David Byrne. A weird one, him. That’s okay, though. I like weird. Brian Eno is co-producer, so that just adds to the weird. I like “With Our Love” and it’s funky disco-esque stylings. “Artists Only” is magical and I like that. In truth a lot of this album is pretty good, but nothing that I’d say I’d go back to listen to much of. I have Sand in the Vaseline: Popular Favorites and as much as I talk about greatest hits albums on here, I do like them for what they are at least supposed to be: all substance and no filler. I just don’t think they belong on this countdown. My point is, comparing this to that, I’ll stick with that. But, this is nothing I can say with “bad.” I love the marching of “Stay Hungry.” It’s energetic and funky. With the addition of Al Green’s “Take Me to the River,” it’s not a bad album at all, really. Just not my thing. Dug.

#382 – The Modern Lovers by The Modern Lovers. Some early punk, this. Not the “in-your-face” kind of punk but the laid back, take no regard for the critics kind of punk. I can’t put my finger on what this reminds me of. Something that came later. I’ll think of it once I post this, I’m sure. “Astral Plane” is a good one as is “Old World.” Somewhat minimalist, which is a good thing. You don’t want to “over do it. Apparently, Pablo Picasso was never called an @$$hole, at least according to the song. I can see that, PP was pretty cool. I’m not sure that I like the odd and curious “Hospital.” I can definitely hear a Velvet Underground influence, which does kind of diminish its appeal to me as I think VU is a complete waste of time. I’ll catch heck for that, I’m sure. I wonder if this album wasn’t recorded in the order it is on the track listing because it seems to get tired as it goes on. At one point the lead singer, Jonathan Richman seemed to bargle through his lyrics. I couldn’t understand what he was saying at times. Meh. Started ok and then lost me. Why is this on the “greatest of all time” list? Dug, I guess.

“Smile” by The Beach Boys

#381 – Smile by The Beach Boys. Never have I been a Beach Boys fan. This isn’t swaying me. Give me The Beatles any day. This is kind of crappy to me. Again, I know I’ll get hell for it, but this is nothing more than background noise to me. I hear the harmonies and I appreciate them, but there’s nothing really memorable here. And to think that it got a lot longer than the original mess that this is, scares me. Again, there’s nothing wrong with it, but nothing that stands out to me that I couldn’t hear done ten times better on a Beatles album. It does get credit from me as one of the few “compliation/anthology” albums that I’ll listen to for this list. At that, I’m only listening to the first three “movements” and not the bonus content, etc. I don’t hate it but don’t care to ever hear it again. The one bright spot was “Good Vibrations.” I really dig that song. The rest…? There will be plenty of Beach Boys later in this list, I’m sure. Luckily, plenty more Beatles, too. Meh.

So for this leg, it started with 2 great albums, Henley and White Stripes and then flowed forth eight examples of mediocrity or, gasp, full-on crap! Let’s hope the “next ten” goes better than this.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“And I thought of all the bad luck,
And the struggles we went through
And how I lost me and you lost you
What are these voices outside love’s open door
Make us throw off our contentment
And beg for something more?” – Don Henley, “The Heart of the Matter” from The End of the Innocence

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Tag Archives: The Who

Pleasure on the Carpet or: Long Way to the Top (Eugeology Entry 39)

Making Up Monday or: The Haul 6/24/17

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

Another Fool Like Me or: Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right (RS Part 41)

Fade Out or: At Last! (RS Part 39)

Man Out of Time or: Why Does Everybody Have a Bomb (RS Part 34)

Is This the Real Life? or: The Things That Pass for Knowledge I Don’t Understand (RS Part 27)

Talkin’ About a Revolution or: No Dead Reign O’er Me (RS Part 24)

The Second Hundred or Hit Hit Miss Hit

Henley and Stripes or: Not Much Else (RS pt 12)