(# 685) Creedence
Clearwater Revival – Cosmo’s Factory (1970)
Prevailing wisdom always seems to place either of the Green
River or Willie And The Poor Boys albums ahead of this one but I disagree. One of the great pleasures of listening to
CCR are those occasions where John Fogarty
lets his guitar rip on some of their lengthier tracks and this album
contains arguably their two best efforts.
The first is the opening cut Ramble Tamble which starts off as though
its going to be over in a couple of minutes like Fortunate Son but which soon
mutates into a heavy instrumental that I’ve always felt wrapped up far too
early, even at seven minutes. The other
is a peerless interpretation of Run Through The Jungle containing long snaking
guitar lines that perfectly fit the lyrics and, at eleven minutes, is perfectly
judged. The remaining tracks constitutes
a master class in their patented brand of Southern influenced short, sharp
rockers. Travelin’ Band, Lookin’ Out My
Back Door, Up Around The Bend and Who’ll Stop The Rain are all exemplary and
Long As I Can See The Light is the perfect closer. Beautifully chosen and performed covers –
Before You Accuse Me, Ooby Dooby, and My Baby Left Me – all contribute to close
to the perfect package.
(# 686) Pixies –
Doolittle (1989)
Move forward 20 years and Boston’s Pixies proved that there
was a market (at least in the alternative world) for albums teeming with shorter
numbers. Of the 15 tracks on this album,
only three are longer than three minutes and two of these (No. 13 Baby and Hey)
are among its not so memorable numbers.
Naturally, the third of these tracks, Here Comes Your Man, is one of the
albums high points. But this album’s
reputation as one of the canons of alternative rock is well earned, containing
a succession of enigmatic but incredibly catchy tracks that places the focus firmly upon Frank Black’s words, his
and Kim Deal’s singing, and most importantly, Joey Santiago’s influential
guitar playing. Debaser, Wave Of
Mutilation, Monkey Gone To Heaven, and Mr, Grieves along with Here Comes Your
Man are now all regarded as genre classics and closing track Gouge Away also
features a memorable bass line that may very have provided the inspiration for
Deal’s other band, The Breeders’ hit Cannonball.
(# 687) Tom Waits –
Rain Dogs (1985)
I could have very easily devoted a day to Tom Waits as I
have for a select range of other acts. I
could have included Heartattack And Vine,
Swordfishtrombones or Mule Variations just for starters but ultimately I
always plump for this as it was the album that opened my eyes to his work in
the first place. It’s also just about
the most accessible entry point for anyone wanting to explore his
catalogue. Singapore is a wonderful
evocative opener which beautifully makes way for Clap Hands. Cemetery Polka.
Jockey Full Of Bourbon, Tango Till They’re Sore and Big Black Mariah use a
variety of musical forms to great effect, instrumentals Midtown and Bride Of
Rain Dogs provide intriguing interludes and Hang Down Your Head, Gun Street
Girl, the grand ballad Time, Downtown Train and the wonderful closer Anywhere I
Lay My Head sound perversely commercial despite the exotica.
(# 689) MC5 – Kick
Out The Jams (1969)
For anyone wanting to know why, despite the plethora of
absolutely brilliant live albums I’ve played this year, I haven’t yet suing the
praises of this one, all I can offer is….err…oops! The opening one two punch of Rambling Rose
and the title track, interspersed by the legendary exhortation to “Kick Out The
Jams Motherfxxxers! “ is one of the great starts to any live album. Come Together ups the tempo to unimaginable levels and Rocket Reducer No. 62 (Rama Lama Fa Fa Fa)
maintains it. Unsurprisingly the pace
flags off a bit afterwards but is replaced by the incredibly heavy sounds of Motor City Is Burning and I Want
You Right Now. Closing number Starship
is an acquired taste but is fascinating
in how it foreshadows a number of subsequent musical developments.
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