25 September 2013 (Day 268) – What's The Best Album Ever? More Candiates Pt.2

Picking up from yesterday, I had time to play another 4 albums that would most likely make a top 100 of my favourite albums.  The day started with two jazz classics, the first of which is:

(# 625) Oliver Nelson – The Blues And The Abstract Truth (1961)

I knew nothing about saxophonist Oliver Nelson when I bought this album, having been seduced by the impressive roster of jazz greats who appear on this album and are listed on the cover – Bill Evans, Eric Dolphy, Paul Chambers and Freddie Hubbard.  It contains some of the smoothest jazz you’re ever likely to hear with each track seemingly employing at least two saxes in unison.   The opening cut, Stolen Moments, is one of those instantly recognisable pieces of jazz you’ve heard but for which you didn’t know the title, Teenie’s Blues is launched by a beautifully understated double bass solo courtesy of Chambers and the theme of Hoe-Down should be fairly apparent.   

(#626) Johnny Griffin – A Blowin’ Session (1957)

This is another jazz classic that employs a superstar cast list.  Joining Griffin on sax is both John Coltrane and Hank Mobley as well as Lee Morgan on trumpet, Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers again on bass and Art Blakey on drums.  As the title implies, the emphasis is on the saxes and trumpet.   Two versions of Jerome Kern classics are included, a solid version of All The Things You Are and an insanely fast version of The Way You Make Me Feel Tonight.  The highlight is the wonderful closing number Smoke Stack which gives time and space to everyone and my edition of the album contains an alternate version that is truly different to the final take.

(# 627) Green On Red – Gas Food Lodging (1985)

Green On Red were one of the mainstays of the US West Coast “Paisley Underground” of which I was so enamoured during my university years.  This is their finest full length album, a wonderful rock album with tinges of country that is the closest any band has ever come to sounding like Neil Young’s Crazy Horse.  That’s What Dreams Are For is an effective opening and an accurate signpost of what is to come.  Black River and Easy Way Out are strong ballads that wouldn’t sound out of place on albums by The Band and Hair Of The Dog is a tremendous rocker.  But the real fireworks, and the Crazy Horse analogies, are to be found late.  Sixteen Ways is an organ driven rocker in which a man laments the death of his children.  The Drifter is next, a tough sounding number that positively surges into Sea Of Cortez that brings what appears to be a mini trilogy to a satisfying and noisy conclusion.  A relatively faithful rendition of Pete Seeger’s We Shall Overcome brings the album to a satisfying end.

(# 628) The Psychedelic Furs – The Psychedelic Furs (1980)

The Psychedelic Furs’ debut album is a classic resulting in an unfortunate case of a band forever trying to surpass its brilliance.  The album maintains a dark brooding sound throughout which never suffocates the music and is superbly anchored by Richard Butler’s deep rough sounding vocals.  The epic throbbing India is a magnificent calling card leading to the Joy Division meets The Cure stylings of Sister Europe.  Fall (a track that sounds much like Mark E Smith’s band) and We Love You keep the excitement level high and Imitation Of Christ returns the quality level to the high settings of the opening tracks.  Pulse and Flowers are raging propulsive numbers that help end the album on a high note.  It is very much an album of its time yet remains strangely timeless.