Label: Verve
Rating: 9/10
Favourite Track: Wowie Zowie
Saturday 31 October 2015
69. The Mothers of Invention- Freak Out!
Label: Verve
Rating: 9/10
Favourite Track: Wowie Zowie
68. Paul Revere and the Raiders- Midnight Ride
Label: Columbia
Rating: 7/10
Favourite Track: I'm Not Your Stepping Stone
67. The Mama's and The Papa's- If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears
Label: RCA Victor
Rating: 9/10
Favourite Track: California Dreamin'
_coverart.jpg/220px-Face_to_Face_(The_Kinks_album)_coverart.jpg)
65. The Monks - Black Monk Time
Label: Polydor
Rating: 8/10
Favourite Track: Drunken Maria
64. Bob Dylan- Blonde on Blonde
Label: Columbia
Rating: 10/10
Favourite Track: Visions of Johanna
63. The Byrds- Fifth Dimension
Label: Columbia
Rating: 6/10
Favourite Track: Eight Miles High
61. The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds
Label: Capitol
Rating: 10/10
Favourite Track: God Only Knows
60. The Beatles - Revolver
Label: Parlophone
Rating: 10/10
Favourite Track: I'm Only Sleeping
59. The Who - My Generation
Label: Brunswick
Rating: 7/10
Favourite Track: My Generation
58. Bob Dylan- Highway 61 Revisited
Label: Columbia
Rating: 10/10
Favourite Track: Desolation Row
57. The Byrds- Mr Tambourine Man
Label: Columbia
Rating: 8/10
Favourite Track: Mr Tambourine Man
56. Bert Jansch - Bert Jansch
Label: Transatlantic
I listened to this album not knowing what to expect, except thinking it would probably be a bit like Nick Drake. Of course, whilst that is true to some extent, it does Jansch a disservice to suggest he's just a watered-down comparison to Drake. Vocally, Jansch is far from perfect and the lyrics aren't much to shout about, but his guitar playing (all acoustic) and instrumentals are lovely. Unforunately whilst I can hear the merits of the album, the songs generally did nothing for me.
Rating: 6/10
Favourite Track: Angie
55. The Beatles - Rubber Soul
Label: Parlophone
The start of the Beatles holy trinity, this album goes a long way to showing why The Beatles are loved, not only by their fans, but by music critics and all. Imagine a band like McFly suddenly producing something that Radiohead were capable of, and you'll understand how innovative the Beatles were at their peak. The album is packed full of brilliant tracks, and musical perfection.
Rating: 10/10
Favourite Track: In My Life
54. B.B King - Live at the Regal
.jpg)
Label: ABC
B.B. (Bluesy Bluesy) King has long been one of those artists who I've heard lots about, but if you asked me to I couldn't name his 'signature' song, or even any of his songs. For all I know this album doesn't contain his best tracks, but it's a good album nonetheless. B.B. King has a good rapport with the audience, which goes a long way to giving live albums extra points. He teases and caresses Lucille as though she were his wife, and the music is beautiful.
Rating: 7 stars
Favourite Track: Please Love Me
53. John Coltrane - A Love Supreme
Label: Impulse!
As far as jazz albums go, this is one of the most beautiful I've ever heard. I can't remember what influenced me to buy the album whilst I was at university, but I'm extremely glad I did. The album is experimental, like all good jazz albums should be, but it's also very accessible.
Rating: 9/10
Favourite Track: Psalm
52. The Beach Boys- The Beach Boys Today!
Label: Capitol
Not The Beach Boys debut, but the first album deemed important enough for this list. This record marks the point where Brian Wilson begins to take the band from California Surf Rock, to something more sophisticated. I liked the album, it shows that the Beach Boys are keeping pace with their rivals, and occasionally outshining them. Sadly the album is let down by the final track, which is just pointless.
Rating: 7 stars
Favourite Track: When I Grow Up (To Be A Man)
Friday 30 October 2015
51. Otis Redding - Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul
Label: Stax
Otis Redding had one of the coolest voices in soul. He's up there with Marvin Gaye when it comes to pure vocal talent, and it would be interesting to hypothesise on how his career would've developed had he not Buddy Holly'd it back in 1967 (days after he'd finished recording his signature song (Sitting On) The Dock of The Bay. There is nothing speciail about the music on this album, but there doesn't need to be.
Rating: 7/10
Favourite Track: A Change is Gonna Come
50. Bob Dylan - Bringing It All Back Home
Label: Columbia
At his peak Bob Dylan was a fucking genius. In 2002 I bought a Greatest Hits compilation and it took me ten seconds of Subterannean Homesick Blues to realise that. Everything about this album is worth discussing - the electric/acoustic split, his voice, the fact that the lyrics piss over anything John Lennon or Paul McCartney could ever dream of writing. This album is the sound of Bob Dylan climbing to the top of the mountain, and he hasn't yet reached the peak.
Rating: 10/10
Favourite Track: Love Minus Zero/No Limit
49. The Sonics - Here are The Sonics
Label: Etiquette
Arguably the root of punk and garage rock, this album is important just for those reasons alone. After years of perfectly clean performances, the Sonics were arguably a breath of fresh (dirty!) air. The record isn't brilliant, but it's great to listen to.
Rating: 7/10
Favourite Track: Psycho
48. Jerry Lee Lewis - Live at the Star Club. Hamburg
Label: Philips
I've never been a huge fan of live albums, despite there being some crackers on here so far. I always feel as though the energy is let down by the recording. Give me a studio version of a song anyday! Sadly this album is no exception. It didn't help that half the songs were missing, and the ones that were there were titled incorrectly but I don't think I'd have enjoyed it even if it was all correct. There were some good songs, but sadly the rest did nothing for me.
Rating: 3/10
Favourite Track: Great Balls of Fire
47. Buck Owens and his Buckaroos - I've Got a Tiger By The Tail
Label: Capitol
If the album is as good as it's title, this will be an 8+. Sadly Spotify didn't seem to have it.
Thursday 29 October 2015
46. The Rolling Stones- The Rolling Stones
Label: Decca
Titled 'England's Newest Hitmakers' in the USA, this is The Rolling Stones debut album and was recorded a year after The Beatles entered the Abbey Road studios to record the remaining tracks for their debut LP. Unfortunately, a year is a long time in pop and by the time the Stones released this, the Beatles were already re-inventing the wheel. Having said that, despite it's flaws, the album goes along way to showing why the Stones were the 2nd biggest band of the decade. What they lack in originality, they make up for in passion and energy. Fun fact: This album peaked at number one in the UK charts, being bookended by 'With the Beatles' and 'A Hard Day's Night'.
Rating: 7/10
Favourite Track: Can I Get A Witness
45. Dusty Springfield- A Girl Called Dusty
.jpg/220px-A_Girl_Called_Dusty_(Dusty_Springfield_album_-_cover_art).jpg)
Label: Phillips
Dustine Springfield puts me in a good mood, but she is incredibly uncool in certain circles. This just makes her even cooler in my eyes. This album is the only one if hers in the list, which makes you wonder why they didn't include 'Dusty in Memphis' instead? Having said that, as an introduction to Dusty this is a very good album. 'Anyone Who Had a Heart' even had my teary-eyed.
Rating: 8/10
Favourite Track: Anyone Who Had A Heart
44. Solomon Burke - Rock 'n' Soul
Label: Atlantic
According to Wikipedia, Solomon Burke fathered 14 children, and by the time he died he had (in addition to the 14 children), 7 step-children, 90 grand-children and 19 great-grand children. Christmas was obviously expensive. This albums starts of very well, but immediately starts to meander and I felt like it was struggling to keep my attention. When it's good, it's very good, but there's just not enough of the good. There's a possibility that it could grow on me, but based on the first listen it wasnt something I'd actively look out for again.
Rating: 6/10
Favourite Track: Cry To Me
43. Jacques Brel - A L'Olympia 1964
Label:
Despite it being my least favourite subject (P.E. doesn't count!), I managed to get an A in GCSE French, which either suggests I am a natural francophile, or the exams were very easy. Unfortunately I've forgotten most of said language, even though my girlfriend is fluent in it, and I have family living over there now. Looking like his either just been dumped, or his plane is late, Jacques Brel perfects the look of 'bored young man' on the front cover of this album, and even though I couldn't make head nor tail of the lyrics, I really enjoyed the way it just screamed cigar smoke and continental Europe at you. The only negatives? The language barrier. which is my fault and I don't think Spotify had the tracks in the correct order.
Rating: 7/10
Favourite Track: Amsterdam
Wednesday 28 October 2015
42. The Beatles - A Hard Day's Night
Label: Parlophone
Chaaaaaaaaaaang!!!!! Whenever nobody asks me to choose my favourite Beatles album from their early days (i.e. the days where moptops overruled the moustaches) I always pick 'A Hard Day's Night'. It's their first made up entirely of originals, and if anything it proves how much better they were at songwriting than any of their contemporaries. Every song on here packs at punch, with the first knock-out blow of the title tracks opening chord (probably the most discussed chord in popular music!) to the resigned farewell of 'I'll Be Back', this album has me falling in love with The Beatles again and again.
Rating: 10/10
Favourite Track: I'll Be Back
41. Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto - Getz/Gilberto
Label: Verve
The second album from Stan Getz, and this time he's with Joao Gilberto. I enjoyed the first offering and this was even better, because there were vocals (even if they were in Portugese). There's not much to say about the album other than the fact it was a welcome relief after the dross that was James Brown.
Rating: 7/10
Favourite Track: So Danco Samba
40. James Brown - Live At The Apollo
.jpg/220px-James_Brown-Live_at_the_Apollo_(album_cover).jpg)
Label: King
Yet another live album for me to sink my ears into, and one I'd actually heard of after years of noticing it whilst working at HMV. Unfortunately, it's the worst of the ones I've heard so far even though it has the highest reputation. I didn't like it, and felt no connection. Sorry James.
Rating: 3/10
Favourite Track: Night Train
39. Charles Mingus - The Black Saint and The Sinner Lady
Label: Impulse
The more I listen to jazz, the more I begin to love it. Of course, there are some albums that I just don't 'get' (I'm thinking of 'A Kind of Blue here'), but there are others (Time Out and the current one being reviewed) which make sense straight away. What stands The Black Saint apart from the ones I've listened to thus far is the sheer variety of the pieces, and the way Mingus manages to pull them all together. Want a section that sounds like it was written for a film noir score? Yep! Want some dude going crazy with a trumpet whilst the drummer ramps up the beat? Of course! Feel like a little spanish guitar just for kicks? You betcha! Whilst some jazz albums can feel a little predictable (ironically), this had me on the edge of my eardrums.
Rating: 8.5/10
Favourite Track: Track B - Duet Solo Dancers
38. Sam Cooke - Live at the Harlem Square Club
Label: RCA
For years I'd been wanting to buy a Sam Cooke compilation with all his hits on, but none of the ones I saw ever drew me in. I knew next to nothing about the man but for some reason what I'd heard made me want to investigate him more. Eventually I managed to track something down and it regular gets a spin on my CD player. It is, however, nowhere near as good as this. It's sad to remember that a man with such talent and ability to captivate an audience was only two years away from his death because this collection of tracks proves what a fantastic artist he was.
Rating: 9/10
37. Phil Spector - A Christmas Gift For You
Label: Phillies
It's very difficult to judge this album without judging Phil Spector himself, but it's something that I've chosen to do. Whatever your subsequent opion of Spector, there is no denying the fact that he was one of the greatest producers of the 20th century. To many 'hip and trendy' music fans, this is their favourite Christmas record, and whilst it is good, you'll be better of with the usual compilations of Wham, Band Aid and Wizzard if you really want to get into the festive spirit. Have this as a back-up, but don't expect it to be the go to album when the family are round for the holidays.
Rating: 6.5/10
36. Bob Dylan- The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
Label: Columbia
Bob Dylan is (along with The Beatles) my favourite artist of th 1960s. I think you either love him, or you can't stand him and I'm firmly in the former camp. Everything about this album is iconic. It's not the first Dylan album, but it's the first classic and the is the one that propelled him to stardom (mainly because of 'Blowin in the Wind'). I first heard the album about fifteen years ago during my initial Dylan discovery and I've loved it ever since. It's the album that every other folk artist afterwards tried to make.
Rating: 9/10
Favourite Track: Masters of War
Tuesday 27 October 2015
35. The Beatles - With The Beatles
Label: Parlophone
The first album on the list that I've actually owned prior to beginning this project, and one I'm rather familiar with. Therefore I see no point in listening to it again just to review it. Out of the 'early' Beatles albums (say everything up to Help) this sits comfortably in the middle. There are some great tracks on this album - 'All My Loving', 'You Really Got a Hold On Me', 'All I've Gotta Do', but also a couple of duds. So great, but not perfect.
Overall: 8/10
Favourite Track: You Really Got A Hold On Me
.jpg/220px-Night_Life_(Ray_Price_album).jpg)
33. Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd - Jazz Samba
.jpg)
Label: Verve
I had another pleasant surprise with this album, and it was party from start to finish. I have no idea who Stan Getz is, but feel as though I've heard of Charlie Byrd before, though I can't think why. The title of the album is actually misleading, the songs are neither jazz nor samba, but instead Bossa Nova.
Overall: 7/10
Favourite Track: Samba de Uma Nota So
32. Booker T & The MGs - Green Onions
Label: Stax
Most people are aware of Booker T & The MGs because of the title-track on this album, me included. And that is a bad thing because it means they're probably not familiar with the rest of the tracks on here (unless they've heard the original/cover versions with vocals. Out of the current crop of instrumental albums that I'm working my way through, this is by far my favourite. At under 3 minutes, none of the songs outstay their welcome and some of them even sound like they belong to the fairground.
Overall: 8/10
Favourite Track: One Who Really Loves You
30. Bill Evans - Sunday At The Village Vanguard
Label: Riverside
According to the information contained in the book, this album is 68 minutes long, however, because most of the tracks repeat themselves I decided to skip half the album. My research of Bill Evans led me to discover that he was the pianist on 'A Kind of Blue', which made me concerned I'd not like the album. However, I actually enjoyed this album. It's considered a jazz classic and I can understand why, it also allowed me to 'nearly' finish 'The Pickwick Papers'
Overall: 6/10
Favourite Track: Gloria's Step
29. Muddy Waters - Muddy Waters At Newport
Label: Chess
Overall: 8/10
Favourite Track: I Got My Mojo Working
Next Album: Bill Evans - Sunday At The Village Vanguard
28. Jimmy Smith - Back At The Chicken Shack
Label: Blue Note
The front cover is terrible, and sadly the dog is long dead. Going into this I'd never heard of Jimmy Smith, and the album art does nothing to suggest what kind of music he might perform. To put it simply, the album was smooth. It mainly consisted of lots and lots of Hammond Organ, hi-hats and bass scales. That's not to say I didn't like it, in fact I rather enjoyed it. I just think it was a little linear for my taste.
Overall: 6/10
Favourite Track: When I Grow Too Old To Dream
Next Album: Muddy Waters - Muddy Waters At Newport
27. The Everly Brothers - A Date With The Everlys
Label: Warner Bros.
Now, I'm no expert when it comes to dating, but it's advisable not to date two guys at the same time if you can help it. It's probably recommended that you don't date two guys who are likely to know each other; I'd even go as far as saying you shouldn't date brothers. You should definitely not date brothers at the same time so they both feel inspired to write a whole album about you and then screw them over by leaving them both for some other dude at the end of it. Yes Cathy, I'm speaking to you!
I am a big fan of The Everly Brothers, so I was looking forward to this, and it did not disappoint. It was short, sharp and to the point. The harmonies are glorious and I could listen to the record again and again. The only thing preventing it from getting 5/5 is because, at under thirty minutes, it feels a little short. No doubt one of the reasons why Cathy left them both for the clown.
Overall: 8.5/10
Favourite Track: Love Hurts
Next Album: Jimmy Smith - Back At The Chicken Shack
26. Miriam Makeba- Miriam Makeba
Label: RCA Victor
Unfortunately this album wasn't available on Spotify.
Next Album: The Everly Brothers- A Date With The Everly Brothers
25. Elvis Presley- Elvis is Back!
Label: RCA
If the first Elvis album in the list is the one to play during the party, this second offering is the album to play when you've walked your date home for the night and gone in for a cup of coffee. It begins with the upbeat 'Make Me Know It' and immediately slows down with Elvis's cover of 'Fever', which is a surprising highlight. I can only presume the criteria for songs on this album were 'ones you can dance in the kitchen too'. It's probably not 'cool' to admit it, but this was far better than his self-titled debut in the sense that it was more structured and less all over the place.
Overall: 7/10
Favourite Track: The Girl of My Best Friend
Next Album: Miriam Makeba- Miriam Makeba
24. Joan Baez- Joan Baez
Label: Vanguard
Taking us softly into the 1960s is the charming self-titled debut from Joan Baez. I must admit, I came to this with skepticism, and although it dragged a little towards the end, it was by no means the terrible record I was expecting. She can certainly sings, and although the songs are generally what you'd expect from a folk album, there are no space-fillers. Surprisingly it ends with a song sung entirely in Spanish, I've no idea what the song is about though.
Overall: 7/10
Favourite Track: All My Trials
Next Album: Elvis Presley- Elvis Back!
23. The Dave Brubeck Quarter - Time Out
Label: Columbia
I've not logged into this blog for nearly four years, so it's difficult to remember how I felt about Time Out when I first listened to it. However, the fact I bought it suggests I enjoyed it quite a lot. Therefore, I won't review the album again, and instead I'll go straight into the 1960s with Joan Baez.
Overall: 8/10
Favourite Track: Take Five
Next Album: Joan Baez - Joan Baez
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
