1 October 2013 (Day 274)– What’s My Favourite Patti Smith [Band] Album Ever

Today’s playlist consists of my favourite Patti Smith (including Patti Smith Band) albums.  

Patti is another act who has released a number of albums of a staggeringly high quality throughout her career.  Along with Bob Dylan and not many others, she is one of the few lyricists who can be described as a proper poet.  (I’m not a poetry scholar at all, but it’s clear from a lifetime of listening to popular music that her lyrics adhere more closely to the form than most other songwriters.)  With long term accompanist Lenny Kaye she has put those lyric to music encompassing  garage rock, 70’s punk and modern alternative rock of the highest order, along the way becoming one of the first American acts (if not the first) to incorporate reggae rhythms into her work.  Her influence has been immense with a range of acts, notably R.E.M.s Michael Stipe, openly acknowledging their debt to her and the number of women who’ve been inspired by her career is probably incalculable.

Unfortunately, by listening to my favourite albums in chronological order today, this posting will probably give the misleading view that her best work was released in the 1970s. This is not the case.  Her “comeback” album Gone Again as well as Gung Ho and last year’s Bunga are all albums of the highest quality and her covers album Twelve is one of the better examples of this type.  But any appreciation of her work must start with one of the most startling debut albums ever released:

(# 642) Patti Smith Group – Horses (1975)

Some of the best moments in rock have resulted when acts have thrown away the rule book.  Horses is one of those albums.  For a new singer/songwriter, it starts with a cover of the Them/Van Morrison classic Gloria with revised verses and the potentially suicidal couplet of “Jesus died for somebody’s sins/But not mine” to open proceedings.  Yet even by the time this raging track has finished one already knew that a major act had been unleased.  The reggae accented Redondo Beach and the stark poem/ballad Birdland follow highlighting the band’s versatility whilst keeping the first time listener off balance.  Free Money starts off as though it’s a continuation of Birdland only to return to the white hot rock of the opening track.  The remaining tracks more or less stay faithful to the approach set by most of these tracks culminating in the album’s original final track Land, effectively a bookend to Gloria.   The album has since been reissued with Gloria’s B-side tacked on to end.  It is a live version of The Who’s My Generation which provides ample testament to the original band’s raw power.

(# 643) Patti Smith Group – Radio Ethiopia (1976)

This album copped quite a bit of stick when it was originally released but it is very hard now to find anything that warrants that today. Certainly the original closing two tracks, the live 10 minute noise fest, Radio Ethiopia and Abyssinia would have sounded alien to many listeners at the time of release but I’d like to think that many of the present day noise merchants such as My Bloody Valentine have taken inspiration from it. (Put another ways, these tracks were way ahead of their time.)   Ain’t It Strange features a strong mix of punk and reggae, the equal of anything coming out of England at the time, Pissing In A River is a stately number that features some wonderful guitar work from, I assume, its co-author Ivan Kral and Pumping (My Heart) is as exciting as anything on the debut album.  The reissued album’s closing track is the rather serene Chiklets which makes an effective contrast with what precedes it.

(# 644) Patti Smith Group – Easter (1978)

Apart from Twelve, this is easily the most commercial album Smith has ever released and she was suitably rewarded in terms of record sales.  The straight ahead rock of Till Victory is a good opener with Space Monkey and effective means in reducing the tempo.  It sets up her best known song Because The Night, the number co-written “with” Bruce Springsteen.  The mournful Ghost Dance follows which, in turn, sets up the album’s centrepiece.  Babelogue is an exciting piece of poetry that detonates Rock N’ Roll Nigger, a raging tune that is best experienced live.  (It concluded her set when I saw her on her first Australian tour in 199 and included Patti doing a complete circuit of the stalls of the Palais Theatre.)  The original album is concluded by three incredibly strong rock tracks, 25r=th Floor, High On Rebellion and the tile track.

(# 645) Patti Smith Group – Wave (1979)

This is an incredibly underrated album which seems to have been unfairly compared to Horses and Easter by most critics.  The opening two tracks Frederick and the oft covered Dancing Barefoot, both apparently about future husband Fred “Sonic” Smith, are impeccable.    This is followed by a compelling reading of So You Want To Be A Rock N Roll Star that tears strips off most versions I’ve heard of this Byrds chestnut.  Revenge is an epic tune that features some great guitar work.  (Although not credited, I wouldn’t be surprised if the guitarist is question was Television’s Tom Verlaine.) Citizen Ship is a strong number like the trio that closed Easter and Seven Ways Of Going sounds like an attempt to outdo some of the wilder material Fred Smith’s band The MC5 released on High Time.  One of the two bonus tracks now appended to the reissued version is 54321/Wave, a rare exercise in frivolity and is all the better for it.

30 September 2013 (Day 273)– What’s My Favourite R.E.M. Album Ever

Back to work and back to my quest to determine my favourite album.

Today’s playlist focuses on R.E.M. the band that has, in my opinion, released more classic albums than any other.  For this exercise it might have been simpler to list their albums that I didn’t really consider for inclusion.  (For the record the answer is a mere two – 2004’s incredibly dull Around The Sun and their final album, Collapse Into Now.) Ignoring the albums, I’ve already played this year – their superlative second album Reckoning and the grossly underrated, one-day-it-will-be-regraded-as-a-classic Accelerate – I found time today to play five albums.  EVEN THEN, I couldn’t fit in albums highly regarded by fans and critics alike in the guise of Fables Of The Reconstruction, Green or Out Of Time.  Nor could I find time for Up, an album that must rank amongst the bravest ever released by a major act and which gets better with repeated listening.  But I did find time to play the following:

(# 637) R.E.M. – Murmur (1983)

The first time I heard of R.E.M. was when this, their debut album, was voted Rolling Stone’s album of the year.  I immediately hunted it out at the University's music library and was entranced by its sound, at least until the slightly more conventional sounding Reckoning came along.  And I have no idea why this persists, even today, 30 years later.  After all, the songs make no sense; the lyrics are indecipherable and none of the members came close to being regarded as masters of their instruments.  Even the album title and cover gives little away.  Everything though is summed up by the brilliant propulsive opener Radio Free Europe from the faint strange noises at its start, slightly sped up beat, glistening guitars and crazed singalong chorus.  Moral Kiosk, Catapult, Sitting Still, 9-9 and West Of The Fields rocked in more of less the same manner and the remaining tracks, led by the enigmatic Pilgrimage and Laughing were bewilderingly entertaining.  Among such company, Talk About The Passion, with just about the only clearly enunciated vocals on the album appeared to make profound sense.  In retrospect, what you got was an uncanny calling card that was to summarise a stunning career before it had even begun.

(# 638) R.E.M. – Lifes Rich Pageant (1986)

By the time this album had been released, R.E.M. had reached exalted status in my record collection priorities meaning their albums were automatically purchased on the day of issue.  The last thing I expected after the mainly acoustic, downbeat but incredibly satisfying Fables Of The Reconstruction was this beast, containing powerhouse rock, with a direct and clear production sound courtesy of John Mellencamp’s producer Don Gehman.  This was the first time the lyrics on a R.E.M. album could be heard clearly on every track presumably due to Michael Stipe’s delivery of a suite of songs with a distinct moral compass.  Begin The Begin and These Days provided the startling one two opening punch with lyrics clearly commentating on how Stipe viewed Regan’s America,  Fall On Me the gorgeous ballad, Cuyahoga the socially aware tune and Hyena the throwback to Murmur.  The strange Underneath The Bunker concluded what was a flawless first vinyl side.  The remaining tracks offered greater diversity from the acoustic The Flowers Of Guatemala, the folk rock I Believe, the much harder Just A Touch  and the simply strange Swan Swan H.  Fortunately, a cover of Superman, voiced by Mike Mills, was on hand to end things on a truly unrepresentative note.

(# 639) R.E.M. – Document (1987)

Lyrically this was Lifes Rich Pageant Part Two, however, Gehman’s production was ditched in favour of an edgier, much more nuanced sound.  This perfectly complemented, often ambitious material such as Finest Worksong with its horns ,the typewriter strokes in Exhuming McCarthy and the use of something resembling electronic rhythms in Lightnin’ Hopkins.  The One I Love has been misinterpreted by generations as a companion piece to Pageants’  Fall On Me (Honestly, how can anyone misinterpret, This one goes out to the one I love/This one goes out to the one I left behind/A simple crutch to occupy my time ?)  and the otherwise entertaining It’s the End Of The World As We Know It was to be blatantly solemnised by far less talented songwriters who failed to see its humour.    A cover of Wire’s Strange added a bit of raunch and with Fireplace indicated the band was absorbing English post punk sounds.  King Of Birds and Oddfellows Local 151 again ended the album on an odd note but subtly positioned the band and acclimatised their audience to the subsequent offerings on Green and Out Of Time.

(# 640) R.E.M. – Automatic For The People (1992)

The electric guitars were largely put away for this album in favour of an, at times, lush acoustic sound which brilliantly suited the material.  The opening cut Drive is full of mystery and intrigue almost as though the band were trying to educate us as to how Murmur would have sounded if they had recorded it at this moment in time.  The remainder of the album mixed up sly pop tunes such as Try Not To Breathe, The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight and Monte Got A Raw Deal, the mega ballads Everybody Hurts, Man On The Moon and Nightswimming,  sweet material such as Sweetness Follows and Find The River and a couple of instrumentals.  Somehow, they sequenced the album into such a seamless whole that even the one track with the loud electric guitars, Ignoreland, does not sound out of place.

(# 641) R.E.M. – New Adventures In Hi-Fi (1996)

This album, their last featuring the original quartet, was recorded on the run in a variety of locations whilst on tour.  Amazingly, it sounds like Murmur in reverse, a sort of unintended retrospective look back over their career.   The superb opener How The West Was Won And Were It Got Us and closer Electrolite would have slipped in brilliantly into the Automatic For The People running order.  The Wake Up Bomb would have slotted into Lifes Rich Pageant , Undertow on Document, Departure on Monster, Zither on Out Of Time and so on.  If there is a complaint with this album it is that it goes on for a bit too long.  But being the artists they were, the band never made this mistake again. 

28 & 29 September 2013 (Days 271 & 272) – The Miseducation of otis.youth Pt.6

Grand Final Saturday.  As the Western Bulldogs have never got there in my lifetime, I find music shopping is a great therapy as the supporters of the two teams lucky enough to make it, celebrate and make their way to the MCG.  I'll shop, sulk and generally annoy "M" until such time as game starts and only then can I lose myself in the game.  Naturally, I switch off after the final siren (after all their is the season's Premier to be acknowledged) but before the cup is presented (which is a sacred moment for the team, their supporters and no one else).

Sunday arrives and I know that Summer is around the corner.  "M" and I celebrate by heading into town thus ensuring a) another weekend without music, as well as b);

The Miseducation  of Otis.youth - Part 6

“M” quite literally walked into my life (actually my office).   First impressions weren’t all that great; she didn’t like me at all.  Not that it mattered.  No one, including yours truly, could fail to notice what looked like a giant engagement ring on the appropriate finger.  As I thought she was off limits, I reverted to my usual John Cusack as in Hi-Fidelity easy going character, and this eventually did the trick.  Around two years later she succumbed to the acquired taste that is otis.youth.

Despite the efforts of the boom box in my office, music did not play a major role in our courtship with my complete and utter failure to play anything in my collection that led to any expression of, even begrudging, enthusiasm.  I put this to one side as I gradually became aware that our sense of spirituality and what’s important in life were for all intents and purposes identical.  Before I knew it, I had proposed fully realising that the most unlikely scenario in my life was to be writ large; I was going to share that rest of my life with someone whose musical taste did not remotely resemble mine. 

But ultimately this did not matter as we found ways and means to overcome the void.  Lazy Saturday mornings in bed listening to music we loved never eventuated; instead we discovered our taste in movies and TV was practically identical.  Friday and Saturday nights in pubs attending gigs likewise didn’t occur and we found other activities to take its place.  Music shopping?  Initially, I relied on shopping strips or supermarket malls where I could shop for music whilst “M” hunted clothing or shoe bargains. Now there’s the internet.

Not that this was ever going to get in the way of our getting married.  As many people have written, marriage is just about the hardest thing that two people could undertake.  It is a commitment that requires patience, understanding, love and the ability to compromise.   I knew that I was ready to get married – and that my love for “M” was unshakeable – when I realised how easy it was to painlessly give up certain parts of my music life.  The biggest compromise was my gig going.  In the entire time we’ve been together, I’ve not seen more than five gigs in any given calendar year until this year when I’ll get to six and for half of that period I’ve seen no more than three per year. 

I’m still adding items to my collection, but I’ve found ways of doing this more efficiently.  This means I do this using far less time and, crucially, without it impeding much on our time together.  Mind you some of these developments were forced upon me with the closure of so many fine record shops.  These included the Last Record Store in Collingwood, Au Go Go Records and HMV in the City, and the loss of another via the merger of Collectors Corner and Missing Link Records also in the City.  The Brashs and Sanity chains are also completely or largely gone and even many of the department stores have dramatically cut back on stock.  For the most part only JB HI-Fi remains as does the legendary Greville’s records in Prahan, Polyster in the City and Fitzroy and a small number of second hand stores.

The internet has also helped, although it took a long time before I embraced it.  The catalyst came for a period of over 2011/12 when Amazon removed postage charges for deliveries to Australia.  Added to the then high state of the Australian dollar, I used this as the opportunity to order a mass of material that is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to get here. I closed my account when the reintroduced postal charges.  Since then, I turned my attention to my music library and have been expanding that, taking advantage of sites that also don’t charge postage.  I need to work fast; once the dollar starts to depreciate, I’ll close my account.

None of this stopped my musical explorations.  In the first decade of this century I started to delve into World Music once I’d accumulated enough of the key reggae albums.  This was an area I’d always had an interest;  I did go across to Adelaide for the first Womad Festival there in 1992 and I started collecting Fela Kuti albums as a result of listening to Talking Heads.  But over the last decade BJ turned into something of an authority on the music and pointed me into all sorts of interesting directions.

My explorations into the world of German experimental music (or Krautrock) were all my own doing and represents “M”s greatest musical legacy to me.  Before she entered my life, my knowledge of this field was limited to the mighty Kraftwerk as well as a couple of minor Can albums I’d been able to snag.  It started to take off when I returned to “M”s home city to visit her parents and get engaged.  As per usual standard operating procedure when I arrive in a new city, I poke around her hometown’s music stores.  It wasn’t (and still isn’t) all that inspiring.  However, she took me to a weekend market which seemed to specialise in music, movies and electronics.  There were so many music stalls there I felt I arrived in heaven.  At one of these stalls I bought Can’s Tago Mao and Future Days, a disc of John Peel Sessions and Kraftwerk’s hard to find in Australia first two albums.  From there I was hooked and over the course of the years since have added the master works from the likes of Cluster, Harmonia, Popul Vuh, Aamon Duul II, La Dusseldorf, Tangerine Dream and, of course, Neu!

But the biggest impact from these trips has come from my decision to purchase the one thing in my life that is welded to me today almost as securely as “M” – my iPod.  It's impact on my listening and purchasing patterns were to become significant.

27 September 2013 (Day 270)– What’s My Favourite Elvis Costello Album Ever (Pt 1?)

Now I jump from the frying pan into the fire.  Having been relatively non committal about a favourite Sonic Youth album, today I turned to one of the most prolific recording artists of the last 30 years, Elvis Costello.  Comparing albums from the various stages of his career is bad enough; there’s the early angry young man albums, country albums such as Almost Blue, National Ransom or the grossly underrated Profane And Sugarcane, the jazz  ballad heavy North, the strong mature rock albums such as When I Was Cruel or Brutal Truth, tremendous B-sides and rarities albums such as Out Of Our Idiot or Cruel Smile and stonking live albums including the legendary Live At El Macambo and the recent The Return Of The Spectacular Spinning Songbook.  And then there are the generously extended versions of the first dozen albums or so and the double album versions of most of these.

THEN there’s the collaborative albums and nobody collaborates like Elvis.  There’s The Juliet Letters with string quartet The Brodsky Quartet, Il Sogno a classical album performed by the London Symphony Orchestra, the wonderful hook up with Burt Bacharach Painted From Memory (featuring the incomparable God Give Me Strength), another with New Orleans legend Allen Toussaint (The River In Reverse) and even a collaboration with Swedish mezzo soprano Sophie van Otter.  And now comes news that his next albums will be credited to Elvis Costello And The Roots.  No wonder I’m not looking forward to this!

As it turns out, all of my favourite Costello albums are either those attributed to either Elvis solo or to his work with the Attractions or The Imposters, in other words his straight ahead rock and or country work.  I suspect that he finds cranking out these albums comes a little too easy for him and his various stylistic diversions are intended to stretch himself musically.  Yet it all works; there are very few dud albums across his entire catalogue and he always appears to emerge re-energised after his musical diversions ready to rock out or engage his country muse.

But, as it also turned out, I turn out not doing justice to the man today.  I thought I’d get through about seven albums today having no commitments whatsoever yet I’m seemingly besieged by ad hoc issues for much of the day and barley get through four albums.  It means I can’t rave about his latter day classic with The Imposters, The Deliver Man, his mid period masterworks Blood And Chocolate and Imperial Bedroom or my dark horse, the lush yet biting Punch The Clock.  But I did get to play:

(# 633) Elvis Costello – My Aim Is True (1977)

This was a short sharp blast from a major new talent.  Backed by American act Clover , which was to eventually mutate into Huey Lewis’ News ( listen especially for their distinctive harmonies right at the start of Welcome To The Working Week), Costello fired off a dozen quick fire shots of what was essentially British pub rock with a punk attitude and really not all that different to Graham Parker.  Pay It Back, in particular, could easily be mistaken for a Parker track.   No Dancing has a distinct American East Coast feel but the early classic tracks – Working Week, Miracle Man, the lovely Alison, (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes and Mystery Dance all have a verve that simply couldn’t be denied.

(# 634) Elvis Costello And The Attractions – This Year’s Model (1978)

In which our newly found hero delivers another short sharp blast aided by a terrific backing band and even stronger lyrics.  No Action, The Beat, You Belong To Me and, especially the mighty Pump It Up all benefit from  a stronger guitar presence but its Steve Nieve’s organ that really places itself as the cedntral element of The Attractions soundscape.  (I Don’t Want To Go To) Chelsea, Living in Paradise and Night Rally see Elvis attempting different rhythms and moods.  Crucially these are placed towards the end of the albums as if already warning the listener to expect change.

(# 635) Elvis Costello And The Attractions – Get Happy! (1980)

The one word that cannot be used to describe this 20 track album is short.  (The two disc version of this album clocks in at a whopping 50 tracks!)  The sound is now a little denser which is great news for the rockier numbers  such a Love For Tender, the furious The Imposter, High Fidelty, I Can’t Stand Up For Falling Down, 5ive Gears In Reverse and I Stand Accused.  But interspersed amongst these tracks is a great deal of diversity as Costello really starts to reach out into various directions; both Secondary Modern and Temptation are underpinned by a wonderful backing that recalls Booker T And The MG’s, King Horse incorporates a lush piano feel, New Amsterdam a vaguely fairground sound, Human Touch utilises ska to great effect and Riot Act provided the slowed down dramatic closer. 

(# 636) The Costello Show – King Of America (1986)

A kind of folk, acoustic rock album with distinct country leanings, I seem to remember this album pretty much dividing critics on its original release.  Much of the venom appeared to be reserved for the, admittedly ill-advised, cover of Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood but the rest of the album worked remarkably well.  (And live with The Confederates, these tracks went down a treat.  I enjoyed the first night I saw in Melbourne so much I had no hesitation in returning the following night.)  Brilliant Mistake was a tremendous opening and fed beautifully into the acoustic rockabilly of Loveable.  Glitter Gulch and The Big Light were convincing Gram Parsons inspired acoustic honky tonk romps and I’ll Wear It Proudly and Poisoned Rose strong ballads.  Jack Of All Parades and Sleep Of The Just both stately numbers in the same mould as Brilliant Mistake ensured the album ended on a strong note.

At the end of the day I'm none the wiser.  I think I can reasonably leave out the first two albums, which today would probably have been combined into a single CD.  And as much as I love the remaining two, I think I'll need to defer a decision until I played the other 4 albums I mentioned previously. 

16 September 2013 (Day 269) – What’s My Favourite Sonic Youth Album Ever

I seem to have hit upon a comfortable run at the moment where I’m able to play 4 or 5 albums a day.  This ideally suits my campaign in writing about the candidates for my own personal top 100 albums of all time (that I’ve heard of course).   To date I’ve gone through a number of different categories – acknowledged classics, live albums, Australian albums, stuff that I like that others don’t necessarily and now I’m onto another category.  This is acts that have produced a number of top notch albums that I’ve always had difficulty in separating.   It also help me correct some of my listening patterns in my year to date, as I catch up on some of my favourite acts.

This leads me to today’s act, the .youth of my adopted name, Sonic Youth.  I first became aware of the band when I bought a vinyl copy of the Sister album, having been alerted to it by a Rolling Stone review.  It was probably the first of the major noise and feedback drenched albums to make an impact and was instrumental in my finally developing an appreciation for the first Jesus And Mary Chain album Psychocandy as well as putting me in the frame to better appreciate the Velvet Underground.  I next went backwards, hearing EVOL and Bad Moon Rising but found I appreciated Sister better, hearing in tracks like Hotwire My Heart, (I Got a) Catholic Block and White Kross the first true signs of conventional song structures and even some melody that were to emerge in their next proper album, the landmark double album;

(# 629) Sonic Youth – Daydream Nation (1988)

Lauded by absolutely everyone, this album packs quite a wallop.  It opens with a sensational trio of tracks; the ferocious Teenage Rocket gives way to the aural blitzkrieg that is Silver Rocket.  The Sprawl that follows provides a respite of sorts before the assault continues with awesome tracks such as Cross The Breeze, Eric’s Trip, Hey Joni and Kissability.  If the album has a fault it is that it goes on for a tad too long;  Trilogy, which closes the album cannot sustain interest for its length and simply peters out ending the album on a puzzling note and a couple of other tracks could have been cut. Had that been done, this would my vote as their best album and probably by a wide margin.  The band also toured Australia for the first time behind this album and the show I saw at the Old Greek Theatre on 20 January 1990, culminating in a thunderous version of The Stooges I Wanna Be Your Dog, was magnificent.  And, as if to complete the circle, the last time I saw them was on their final Australian Tour of February 2008, when they played this album in sequence warts and all with its power undiminished.

(# 630) Sonic Youth – Goo (1990)
(#631) Sonic Youth – Sister (1992)

These are the two albums I’ve have the greatest difficulty in separating.  Arguably the two most popular albums in their catalogue, between them they contain some of their most enduring music.   Goo contains the raging Dirty Boots, Kim Gordon’s ode to Karen Carpenter Tunic, Kool Thing a lesson that thought provoking lyrics and a near commercial tune can exist hand in hand, the screamingly propulsive instrumental Mildred Pierce, My Friend Goo and the convincing closer Titanium Expose.  The sound is rough but in a manner that suits the material brilliantly.

Sister, on the other hand, could very well be described as Goo with a cleaner production sound.  The opening four tracks are brutal and probably could have done with the dirtier Goo sound; still, very few albums start as convincingly as the combination of 100%, Swimsuit Issue, Theresa’s Sound-World and Drunken Butterfly attests.  Sugar Kane is the hit single equal of Dirty Boots, Youth Against Fascism nearly succeeded as well and the closing duo of Purr and Crème Burlee is absolutely inspired. 

Realistically, I could pick either in my top 100 but would feel uneasy about leaving out the other.  But then, if I did that, I would be forced to include;

(# 632) Sonic Youth – Murray Street (2002)

 Sonic Youth recorded quite bit after Dirty including experimental releases (the SYR series), strong albums such as A Thousand Leaves and Washing Machines and what is arguably their worst album, 2000’s NYC Ghosts & Flowers.  Perhaps sensing they needed a rethink, they added Jim O’Rourke and produced this absolute gem.  On it they found the absolute perfect match of melody and noise, personified by The Empty Page and Rain On Tin.  Both of these tracks see the band finding an initial smooth grove that they ride until arriving at moments of utter guitar chaos before slinking effortlessly back into the same groove as if nothing had happened.  Epic tracks in the guise of the 11 minute Karen Revisited and the enigmatic 9 minute closer Sympathy For The Strawberry are not that far behind.  The subsequent album Sonic Nurse provided more of the same wonderful sounds.

 

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.

24 September 2013 (Day 267) – What's The Best Album Ever? More Candiates Pt.1

I started today thinking I’d be playing the albums that would fight for the number 1 spot should I ever attempt to compile a list of my 100 best/favourite albums of all time.   But as I was scrolling my iPod in the general direction of the albums in question, I noticed yet more albums that I haven’t even mentioned.  Thus, for the next couple of days I’ll be playing those starting with an album most people wouldn’t think of including:

(# 621) Lou Reed – The Blue Mask (1982)

From what I can see, most pundits when assessing Lou Reed’s solo career tend to praise his early albums such as Transformer, Berlin and the live Rock n’ Roll Animal.  No problems here, they’re all top notch albums but this approach undervalues the wonderful albums he’s made in the middle and latter parts of his career including the relatively cheerful New Sensations, the superb New York and the thought provoking Ectasy.  But towering over all of this is this generally unacknowledged gem comprising a ten largely sparse sounding tracks but crucially played by the best backing band he’s ever had – guitarist Robert Quine, long term bass player Fernando Saunders and drummer Doane Perry.  For the most part the album is built on the interplay between the two guitarists, which in a nod to old style recording techniques, Reed acknowledged by placing his and Quine’s guitars on different sides of the stereo mix.  (And for those who know about these things, the sound of a record is an all consuming passion of Reed’s.)  It’s almost redundant to state that this album sounds magnificent on headphones.  But none of this would matter if it wasn’t for the batch of A grade tracks which Lou brought to the sessions.  My House, Women and, especially Average Guy all seem to be statements about Lou’s life at that moment.  Underneath The Bottle and The Gun about some of his greatest fears which are put on a global level with Waves Of Fear and personalised with his memories about The Day John Kennedy Died.  Yet everything pales against the gut wrenching majesty of the title track.  An explosive mediation about torture set against squealing guitars and a faint martial beat, it horrifically anticipates post 9/11 claims of PoW mistreatment by a good 20 years and might very well be the single best track he’s ever recorded.

(# 622) Led Zeppelin – “Untitled” (aka Four Symbols; aka Led Zeppelin 4; aka ZoSo) (1971)

Talk about a moment frozen in time.  Actually this landmark album is titled by the four symbols on label but which can’t be replicated by present day computer keyboards.  The gatefold cover showing a picture of an old man in a building being demolished is difficult to replicate in a CD jewel box.  Even its contents; hard rock played with a distinct blues feel and surrounding hippie vibes appears old hat, a relic.  And yet, the album is one of those timeless masterpieces that people today tend to downgrade when compiling top 100 lists; certainly Physical Graffiti has this covered in terms of ambition, scope and probably scale of achievement but this album is the epitome of hard rock.   Black Dog and Rock And Roll might very well be the best one-two punch opening of any album ever released.  The Battle Of Evermore and Going To California are tripped out hippie musings, whilst Misty Mountain Hop and Four Sticks rank among their most unacknowledged triumphs.  What’s left is the heartbeat of the album, the two epics that closed each side of the original vinyl release. When The Levee Breaks, which closes the album, is absolutely brilliant, a number that demonstrates how well the band drank at the font of the blues.  Powered by John Bonham’s most brutal drumming performance, Robert Plant’s vocals are so convincing that his solo career travels into world music truly comes as no surprise whatsoever.  The other track is Stairway To Heaven, a track that needs absolutely no comment on my part such as been the way its ingrained itself into rock’s consciousness.

(# 623) Otis Redding – In Person At The Whiskey A Go Go (recorded 1966/released 1968)

My oh my oh my.  I part name myself after the great man and forget to include this.  This is a live album recorded in LA in the club on the Sunset Strip.  Although he was yet to appear at Monterey, the excitement in the room is palpable and the fans lap up what is effectively a greatest hits set.  I Can’t Turn You Loose is an explosive opener leading into ballads Pain In My Heart and Just One More Day.  The tempo picks up with Mr. Pitiful before exploding into his cover of The Stones (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.  After a few more numbers, the closing trio of tracks , These Arms Of Mine, Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag and Respect leave the audience and listener begging for more.  Another aalbum of tracks from the same show was released as Vol. 2 but really, what the world is truly waiting on is the entire show in sequence.  But if you really want to know why so many listeners love listening to this man, listing to (Sittin’ On The) Dock Of The Bay,  watch his Monterey Performance and his Norwegian show on the Stax Respect Yourself DVD and get this album.

(#624) The Replacements – Let It Be (1984)

The Replacements emerged from Minneapolis at around the same time as its other two venerated musical exports, Husker Du and Prince.  Their early albums, all released on independent labels, saw them played a turbocharged, though at time juvenile, brand of alternative rock that was always exciting and featured the often brilliant lyrics of chief lyricist Paul Westerberg.  This was the last of these albums and is arguably their best.  Proceedings are kicked off by the cheerful chugging I Will Dare, We’re Comin’ Out is sloppy fun, the ballad Androgynous is convincing as is a faithful cover of Kiss’ s Black Diamond.  Side two features the largely instrumental Seen Your Video which outlines their anti video stance, the childish Gary’s Got A Boner and another fine ballad Sixteen Blue.  But the masterstroke is the album’s final cut Answering Machine.  Effectively the first solo Westerberg solo track, it is a masterful lament of someone facing the agonising dilemma of whether to leave a good night message on an answering machine to a loved one who is not home.