Wednesday, March 30, 2011

87. Joan Baez - Joan Baez



87. Joan Baez - Joan Baez (1960) 85/100.  My only experience with Joan Baez has been from the Woodstock '69 soundtrack and I knew that Forrest Gump's Jenny wanted to be her so to say it is limited is an understatement. This is pretty good.  I am not a complete nOOb to folk music but wouldn't exact call myself a connoisseur either.

I can appreciate her talent on this.  That being said, if you were having a kegger with 25 of your friends, this probably wouldn't be the album that you would throw on, at least not if you would like them to hang around more than through Silver Dagger.  This belongs more in a coffee house hanging with hipsters sipping a latte while chain-smoking Camel Wides.

I liked her version of House of the Rising Sun.  All My Trials is a good tune.  I dug the lyrics to John Riley.  Rake and Rambling Boy reminded me of this....




TIL, Joni Mitchell (who had made a lot of bold statements including Janis Joplin's jealousy of her and that Bob Dylan is a fake and a plagiarist) claims that Joan Baez was so competititve with her that Baez would have broken Mitchell's leg Tonya Harding style in the 60's.  Whether true or not, I found it interesting.

Without Baez, I think later artists such as Tori Amos, Ani DiFranco, and Sarah McLachlan would have been different music.  This is not something I could see msyelf listening to over and over but a good listen when in the right mood.  Listened: 3/30/2011
Favorite Tracks: House of the Rising Sun, All My Trials, John Riley

#86. Sunday at the Village Vanguard - Bill Evans

86. Sunday at the Village Vanguard - Bill Evans (1961) 87/100.  More jazz.  This time, a jazz pianist [immature chuckle].  Listening to it I kept thinking that I was really digging the bass and then came to find out that the bass player, Scott LaFaro, died in a car accident ten days after this recording and they picked the tracks that were LaFaro's strongest to make the album.  LaFaro was just 25 years old and had only been playing bass for six years.  To imagine if he had lived a full-life what he could have done to change the way the bass would be played.  Thinking like this puts a different spin on this whole review that could make me get all existential about the depravity and injustices of the world and how delicate life is but I won't go there.

Of the jazz albums I have listened to for the 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, this stood out, with Miles Davis, as some of my favorites.  Perhaps it was the LaFaro legacy that had planted some subliminal seed in my head, but I really enjoyed this not only for the bass (which is the standout) but for the piano.  Most jazz piano players I have encountered sound like background music at an overpriced restaurant to give the idea of ambiance but they are simply hacks who would have no problem switching from classic jazz to Billy Joel or Elton John if you put a dollar in their tip cup.  This wasn't like that.  This was, and I have tried to come up with the proper term that doesn't sound so cheesy, cool.

I realize that they wanted LaFaro to stand out but, in all honesty, this isn't a Bill Evans album as much as a Scott LaFaro album.  Bill Evans acts more like a part of the backup band helping to keep fill around the bass.  What really angered me the most about this album was the number of people talking during the performance.  What the hell is wrong with them?  My Man's Gone Now and Alice in Wonderland were standouts but the whole album is solid.  Listened: 3/30/2011.
Favorite Tracks: My Man's Gone Now, Alice in Wonderland

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

85. Sound of Silver - LCD Soundsystem

85. Sound of Silver - LCD Soundsystem (2007) 89/100.  I am brand new to LCD Soundsystem and this is another recommended by my friend Mark.  LCD Soundsystem is an interesting blend of dance, electronic, and punk with a little New Wave thrown in.  For this review, I will just go ahead and put down my thoughts as I listen so most will probably be in the present tense (deal with it) as I will be writing the review while listening.  The dance track Get Innoculous! starts out the album and is a solid track.  North American Scum is a stand out and a direction I would love to see the album turn (I guess I am in a punk mood).  Someone Great has a powerful 80's New Wave vibe that I surprisingly didn't mind seeing as I have not had much luck on this list with New Wave music at all.  Perhaps my New Wave shell is starting to crack and by the end of this list I will be walking around looking like Adam Ant.  All My Friends was ok, kind of forgettable but catchy at the same time.  However, I would put it as the low point of the album thus far.  The beat of Us v Them (not to be confused with the Pink Floyd song Us and Them) is great and the lyrics are damn good.  I am finding the songs that seem to lean more on the punk side are standouts for me.  Speaking of which, I really like Watch the Tapes as well.  Some more of that punk feel to it.  Sound of Silver gave me a little bit of a WTF moment. A strong trance feel behind it, which was pretty cool.  I don't really see how it fit in with the rest of the album but I guess that is punk of in itself.  New York, I Love You but You're Bringing Me Down really made me think of Bowie's Ziggy Stardust.  It just had the type of vibe - Five Years, etc.

Overall, for someone who isn't a big fan of dance music, LCD Soundsystem made the dance tracks, not only listenable, but enjoyable.  There are a lot of types of music and a lot of types of influences on this but put together nicely.  I have to say in the end, I liked this.  I think that I need to give it at least another listen or two before I can make a well informed decision so I may follow this up after I have completed all 1001 with a second review (and a second score) when I can digest the tracks.  Listened: 3/29/2011.
Favorite Tracks: North American Scum, Us v Them, Go Innoculous!



#84. Appetite for Destruction - Guns N' Roses

The original cover for Appetite that was removed because it was too graphic.

84. Appetite for Destruction - Guns N' Roses (1988) 98/100.  Whenever I think of Appetite for Destruction, I think of lines from the movie Casino, "but in the end we fucked it all up. It should'a been so sweet, too.  But it turned out to be the last time that street guys like us were ever given anything that fuckin' valuable again."  How could a band as big and as popular as Guns N' Roses blow it so badly over the course of six years?  They were like the Brewster's Milliions of music.

I had recently read Watch You Bleed: The Saga of Guns N' Roses by Stephen Davis which, more or less, showed a lot of what I already knew - Axl was, and still is, a bipolar, primadonna, control freak and Slash was, and still is, pretty cool.  What I didn't know is the type of control that Axl had on the entire band and his threats to fire people repeatedly kept the band going and failing over time (probably when they shouldn't have seeing as the amounts of drugs some of them were doing).  Well that coupled with Axl's inability to get on the damn stage anywhere near show time led to their failure.  

As for Appetite, well it still holds up as one of the best rock albums of all time.  Some things I learned from the Davis book, Patience was originally going to be on Appetite but they (smartly) decided against it leaving Sweet Child O' Mine to be the only pseudo ballad on the album.  My Michelle was written as an homage to a friend of the band supposedly similar to My Song by Elton John.  While she later claimed to appreciate its honesty, she was looking for, "...and you can tell everybody this is your song" and got, "...your daddy works in porno now that mommy's not around".  The sex acts that can be heard in Rocket Queen were real from drummer Steven Adler's girlfriend who spent some time with Axl during the recording session.  Apparently, this act, brought a rift between Adler and his woman causing her to get heavily into drinking and drugs and also added fuel to a fire between Adler and Axl.  Speaking of Adler, if you have ever watched Celebrity Rehab on VH1, the whole Guns N' Roses experience wasn't exactly good for his drug use.  In retrospect, you could easily make an argument that the loss of Adler played a burden on the Use your Illusion albums as they switched from a predominant punk drummer to an old fashioned, hard-rock drummer.  The drumming alone on the Illusion albums set a completely different tone than those of Appetite or Lies.

Anyway, I can spend hours discussing the problems with Guns N' Roses and the members of the band (both that era and current) but it is a moot point.  These days, Chinese Democracy ended up being an ok Axl Rose solo album (but listed as a Guns N' Roses album), Slash and the others are working on side projects after Audioslave disbanded and we are stuck to look at the memories of a once great album.

Welcome to the Jungle in a lot of ways is the low point of the album for me.  Not that it isn't a good song, it is - just overplayed almost to a fault.  It's so Easy, Mr. Brownstone, My Michelle, and Rocket Queen are all favorites of mine but there isn't a song on this album I don't enjoy and appreciate.  They went from the most dangerous to the most decadent to the most destructive band in the world in six years and, in the end, Appetite for Destruction stands as their only true accomplishment.  Listened: 3/29/2011
Favorite Tracks: All of it.

#83. Tres Hombres - ZZ Top


83. Tres Hombres - ZZ Top (1973) 90/100.  Another suggestion from a friend and, like most fans of rock n' roll, I am a fan of the pre-long beard, pre-synth ZZ Top.  I was familiar with a bunch of this from covers and, of course, La Grange, one of their most popular, but a good half the album was new to me.

Starts out great with Waitin' for a Bus, a good blues track.  I instantly loved Jesus Just Left Chicago (I was familiar with the Phish cover but it honestly doesn't do ZZ Top's version justice (sorry Page; don't hate on me Phishheads)).  Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers has moments of cheesiness that I found a little distracting but enjoyed the guitar work.  I was new to Master of Sparks and it was pretty good and, for some reason, I was reminded of Foreigner's Double Vision who, in my opinion, was influenced by this track ((Foreigner influenced by ZZ Top) and by influenced, I mean ripped them off - I'm looking at you Lou Gramm).  Hot, Blue and Righteous was a good ballad with a Love Hurts type of vibe to it.  Move Me On Down the Line, Precious and Grace, and Shiek are good, old fashioned rock n' roll tunes played with that "ZZ Top sound".  La Grange, not only named after the town next to mine growing up (Illinois not Texas though), is a classic tune.  How can anyone listen to that without singing along, "a haw, haw, haw, haw"?  Have you Heard? is a great, mellow blues track and ended up being one of my favorites from the album.

Good bluesy rock album that I will be picking up soon.  Listened: 3/29/11
Favorite Tracks: Jesus Just Left Chicago, La Grange, Have You Heard?  

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

#82. Jack Takes the Floor - Ramblin' Jack Elliot

82. Jack Takes the Floor - Ramblin' Jack Elliot (1958) 68/100.  This was ok.  I like folk music but this just bored me.  I found myself zoning out from it more often than not.  But, being a big Dylan fan, I can see how Ramblin' Jack was a strong influence for him.  Grey Goose annoyed me.  Bed Bug Blues is a good tune.  Same for Cocaine.  Not something I would go out of my way to listen to again.  Shortest.  Review.  Ever.  Listened: 3/22/2011
Favorite Tracks: Bed Bug Blues, Cocaine

Thursday, March 17, 2011

#81. Brilliant Corners - Thelonious Monk


81.  Brilliant Corners - Thelonious Monk (1957) 75/100. As I just talked about in my Crickets review, there is a lot of jazz on the list in the 50's and 60's.  Thelonious Monk is more of that jazz.  I am going to be honest, this really didin't do much for me.  Maybe I am getting a little burned out on the jazz seeing as it isn't a genre of music I listen to exclusively but I really enjoyed Jimmy Smith and Miles Davis a lot more than Thelonious Monk.  This was just bland in comparison.  Now, to reiterate all of my jazz reviews, if I were a musician, I am sure I would get a lot more out of this than I did.  The saxaphonist for the album mentioned that the title track for the album was so complex, they had to edit the final version together.  I didn't hear that at all.  Later, doing a little research (and by research I mean look it up on Wikipedia (which if you are one of my students, Wikipedia still does not count as research - do as I say, not as I do)) found that this was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame due to its historical significance and was the album that was considered his breakout album.  Not really my cup of tea but I can appreciate the talent of the musicians.  Listened: 3/17/2011
Favorite Tracks: Brillian Colors,   Bemsha Swing

#80. The Chirping Crickets - The Crickets

Note: Is that Gary Busey as Buddy Holly?  You bet your ass it is!

80. The Chirping Crickets - The Crickets (1957) 90/100.  TIL (because I am ignorant to rock n' roll history, I suppose) Buddy Holly was in a band prior to performing just as Buddy Holly and that the name of that band was The Crickets.  On top of that, some of the most popular songs that I would have attributed to Buddy Holly were actually The Crickets.  So, now that I have shamed my knowledge of 50's rock n' roll, on to the review.  Oh Boy!, Not Fade Away, Maybe Baby, That'll be the Day are all Crickets tracks from The Chirping Crickets.  And, they are all really good classic rock n' roll songs.  It makes me wonder how Buddy Holly was elected to the role of rock n' roll descendant from the 50's and not Big Bopper, Richie Valens, or even Jackie Wilson according to the powers that be at the 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.  There are a lot of jazz albums from that era on the list but not too many classic rock n' roll.  Having grown up with my mom being a big country music fan (a genre of music I am not overly fond of - especially late 80's/early 90's country) we always could compromise my metal and her country with the oldies channel on the radio and stuff like this so I may have a soft spot in my heart for it.  It is that soft spot that made me give it such a high rating.  Not something I would listen to all of the time but really good stuff.  Just great, old fashioned, rock n' roll.  Listened: 3/17/2011
Favorite Tracks: Oh Boy!, Not Fade Away, That'll Be the Day

#79. Velvet Underground & Nico - Velvet Underground & Nico

79. Velvet Underground & Nico - Velvet Underground & Nico (1967) 94/100.  This has been a favorite of mine since my college days (which would have been quite awhile).  I got my first taste of the Velvet Underground & Nico from the (not very good and not even remotely factual) film The Doors by Oliver Stone.  The film featured Heroin and Venus in Furs plus showed an eerie Crispin Glover performance of Andy Warhol (TIL, not only was he responsible for the cover of the album Velvet Underground & Nico and listed as producer but also acted as the band's manager - Andy Warhol, not Crispin Glover) and the scene featuring Nico in the elevator (which is self explanatory).  A few years later, I would purchase the full album and it hasn't left rotation in my collection since.  While Heroin and Venus in Furs will always be favorites (now for almost nostalgic reasons), other favorites include I'm Wating for the Man; Run, Run, Run; European Son.  The sound on the album is as original as it comes.  That can be attributed by the production and Lou Reed's ostrich guitar (tuning all of the strings to the same note).  The album is also as dark as it comes for the time.  Drug references are all over the place, BDSM, prostitution - not normal topics of conversation in mainstream music in 1967.  A great, great album.  Listened: 3/16/2011
Favorite Tracks: Heroin, I'm Waiting for the Man, Venus in Furs, European Son

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

#78. The Clash - The Clash

78. The Clash - The Clash (1979) 90/100.  I am going to review the American release of The Clash that actually came out in 1979, not the one that the 1001 Before You Die folks want me to, which is the 1977 UK release.  Some of the songs are a little different but I have the American version so that is the one I will review.  This was a first time listen to me and really my first real introduction to the original wave of British punk.  I have to say, I like the original wave of British punk, or at least my introduction.  The first two tracks didn't really pull me in - they were sort of average (or a learning curve for this type of music).  So, right off the top of my head, I wasn't a huge fan of Clash City Rockers or I'm So Bored with the USA.  It did turn around right around Complete Control.  That, White Riot, (White Man) in Hammersmith Palais (who knew that a harmonica had a place in punk rock), the cover of I Fought the Law, Career Opportunities, Jail Guitar Doors, and Garageland were all standouts as fabulous tunes.  A great introduction to a new type of music.  Listened: 3/16/2011
Favorite Tracks: Complete Control, White Riot, (White man) in Hammersmith Palais

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

#77. Palo Congo - Sabu

77. Palo Congo - Sabu (1957) 84/100.  This is a second trip down the Latin jazz aisle for me and this project.  The first was Machita's Kenya  (http://geekyclowns1001albums.blogspot.com/2011/01/14-kenya-machito.html) but this had a different type of groove going on that I enjoyed more than Kenya.  I just dig the conga, it is such a great sounding instrument and a whole album that has the conga as the central instrument is ok in my book.  One small problem is the fact, I couldn't understand one word on the album so I couldn't really judge it on any sort of lyrical merits.   To reiterate what I mentioned in Kenya's review, there are probably a lot of small musical intricacies here (as in most jazz) that are wasted on my non-trained ear.  A good listen.  TIL, he died at age 49 of a gastric ulcer which I didn't know it was possible to die of an ulcer so a double TIL found that about 6,000 Americans die of stomach ulcer-related complications every year.  Listened: 3/15/2011
Favorite Tracks: El Cumbanchero, Choferito-Plena, Aggo Elegua

#76. The Chronic - Dr. Dre

76.  The Chronic - Dr. Dre (1993) 96/100.  "Hey, did what's his name get at you yesterday?"  The Chronic, the album that launched Snoop Dogg's career and, as I hinted on my Doggystyle review, (here - http://geekyclowns1001albums.blogspot.com/2011/01/33-doggystyle-snoop-doggy-dogg.html), one of my favorite hip-hop albums so it was an easy listen for the afternoon.  All of the album is solid from beginning to end.  Dre mellowed out hip-hop beats here (compared to N.W.A., Public Enemy, Beasties, etc. from the era) and made a lot of albums that follow in the 90's take on his style.  He also used this as a soapbox to go after former N.W.A. band mate Eazy-E and Ruthless Records.  Fuck Wit Dre Day, Let Me Ride, Rat-Tat-Tat-Tat, and High Powered are personal favorites but there are no bad tracks on here.  Listened: 3/15/2011
Favorite Tracks: All of it

Friday, March 11, 2011

#75. Foo Fighters - Foo Fighters

75. Foo Fighters - Foo Fighters (1995) 90/100.  "Fingernails are pretty, fingernails are good.  Seems that all they ever wanted was a marking."  Wtf you talking about Dave?  TIL, Dave Grohl wrote and played all of the instruments on the first Foo Fighters album (with the exception of one track where someone else played guitar).  That in itself is rather impressive.  If memory serves, Billy Corigan did the same for Siamese Dream.  Anyway, neither here nor there. I was actually surprised how much of the Foo Fighters album I had heard before. The first three tracks This Is a Call, I'll Stick Around, and Big Me have been all over the radio for over a decade-and-a-half.  The problem is, I didn't know the song titles.  This was a first time listen for me which I found to be surprising seeing as I am a big Nirvana fan.  I liked this.  I'll Stick Around and X-Static were solid tracks.  My personal favorite off the album is Floaty.  I really enjoyed its arrangement.  A good album from start to finish and worth a listen to anyone new to the Foos.  Listened: 3/6/2011
Favorite Tracks: This Is a Call, I'll Stick Around, Floaty

Monday, March 7, 2011

#74. Pyromania - Def Leppard


74.  Pyromania - Def Leppard (1983) 82/100.  Back in 2007, I was out of town, a good two hours from home visiting friends.  One evening, I ended up at a local bar with a some friends including a friend of a friend who was the biggest hippie looking guy I had ever seen in my life.  As the night wore thin (and the alcohol wore on) we decided to hit up another locale and my newly acquainted hippie comrade offered to drive.  I began to look forward to the heady music I was in store for in the car ride to wherever the hell they took me.  We hopped in and started out.  I eased back waiting for my musical bliss to kick in.  But, I was in dismay when I had to ask, "is this Pyromania?"  He turned to me and was like "FUCK YEA" and I was like "HuH?".  That story came to mind when I began to listen to Pyromania this morning.  I like to think of Def Leppard like the movie Roadhouse, you know it is going to be cheesy but you can't help but sit back and enjoy it.  So Pyromania, or Def Leppard when everyone had two arms, was one of those albums that I bought in junior high after Hysteria came out and took the world by storm.  I liked Hysteria so much I had to grab Pyromania.  I hadn't seen my CD since I was probably a sophomore in high school - Metallica, Megadeth, and Guns 'N Roses took over and this poppier, "I wanna rock"-esque 80's music just seemed too tame when compared with Dave Mustaine screaming, "Peace sells...but who's buying."  Overall, I suppose this was a good album.  I always really liked Too Late for Love and Rock of AgesFoolin' isn't too bad, same goes for Die Hard the Hunter.  I could have done without Comin' Under Fire and Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop).  Speaking of which, what was with Def Leppard and using rock in song titles early in their career - On Through the Night: Rock Brigade; Pyromania: Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop); Adrenalize: Let's Get Rocked.  I guess they rocked and wanted everyone to know it.  Listened: 3/7/2011
Favorite Tracks; Too Late for Love, Rock of Ages, Foolin'

#73. Achtung Baby - U2

73. Achtung Baby - U2 (1991) 92/100.  One thing I learned thus far is that I never gave U2 nearly enough credit.  I always was a fan of The Joshua Tree (review forthcoming) and I have mentioned that I was taken aback at how good All That You Can't Leave Behind was (review here - http://geekyclowns1001albums.blogspot.com/2011/02/55.html).  This was another one that I was impressed throughout.  There is no reason to mention One and Mysterious Ways.  Those two tracks are unbelievably popular.  Even Better Than the Real Thing and Trying to Throw your Arms Around the World are also pretty damn popular tracks.  Considered to be their turnaround album after being critically crucified for Rattle and Hum, Achtung Baby redefined how U2 made albums.  Do I think it is as good as The Joshua Tree?  Hell no.  Do I think it is as good as All That You Can't Leave Behind?  Yes.  I guess at this point, I can officially consider myself a U2 fan. Listened: 3/6/2011
Favorite Tracks: Mysterious Ways, Trying to Throw Your Arms Around the World, One

#72. Being There - Wilco

72.  Being There - Wilco (1996) 91/100.  Being from Chicago, Wilco is mentioned as one of the great Chicago bands and gets a decent amount of airtime on Chicago radio.  That being said, I never really listened to too much of their music outside of the radio and a live show or two I have accrued over the years.  The opportunity never really came along until doing this 1001 Albums I Must Hear Before I Die.  I really liked Being There.  Wilco has a great ability of mixing several different genres of music together and making it work.  There is a little country in there, a little psychedelic, and a whole lot of rock styles.  I actually listened to this several times in a row when I first put it in.  I enjoyed it that much (that and my washing machine died so I had plenty of time to kill using someone else's washing machine while they were out of town).  Misunderstood, Hotel Arizona, and Someday Soon were good tracks.  I think that double albums are not fair for this whole thing seeing as this would actually make it 1002 Albums I Must Hear Before I Die.  I highly recomend this one.  Listened: 3/5/2011
Favorite Tracks: Misunderstood, Hotel Arizona, Someday Soon

#71. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - Elton John

71. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - Elton John (1973) 90/100.   I suppose if you look at one album that you could attribute the most fame to Elton John's (I refuse to call him Sir Elton John, just seems corny) career, it would be Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.  Look at the song titles on here, Candle in the Wind (the Marilyn version, not Princess Di (Diana would have been 12 when this album was released)), Bennie and the Jets, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting - it is practically a greatest hits album in itself.  However, most of my favorites from here aren't the popular tracks.  I like Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, that has been a favorite for years but Grey Seal, Dirty Little Girl, Social Disease are all solid tracks.  Overall, there isn't a bad song on here even if you aren't a big Elton John fan.  Listened: 3/5/2011.
Favorite Tracks: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Grey Seal, Social Disease

Saturday, March 5, 2011

#70. It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back - Public Enemy

70. It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back - Public Enemy (1988) 90/100.  TIL, Flavor Flav is in everything I eat cause everything I eat got Flavor.  Truer words have never been spoken.  For those who were born 1980's and later, Flavor Flav actually did make music prior to doing his reality TV stint.  Anyway, first time listen for me.  When this came out in 1988 I was too involved in Guns N' Roses, Metallica, and Led Zeppelin to even notice.  Anyway, I really liked this. Terminator X was amazing throughout.  Great samples, a very pissed off Chuck D, and Flavor Flav makes a great album.  Bring the Noise, Louder Than a Bomb, and Rebel Without a Pause were my favorites with Rebel Without a Pause easily coming out as my favorite from the album.  I wonder if I am the only one who listens to Show 'Em Whatcha Got and cannot help but thinking to myself, "all I wanna do is a zoom-a, zoom, zoom and a poom, poom."  Listened: 3/5/2011
Favorite Tracks: Rebel without a Pause, Louder than a Bomb, Bring the Noise

Friday, March 4, 2011

#69. Slippery When Wet - Bon Jovi

69.  Slippery When Wet - Bon Jovi (1986) 75/100 (for nostalgic reasons alone) .  When I was in the sixth grade, Slippery When Wet came out and it was my favorite album at that time (I owned it on casette).  After buying Slippery When Wet, I made sure I owned 7800 Degrees Farenheit and their first album with the song Runaway on it (I don't remember the name and am too lazy to look it up).  My love of Bon Jovi brought me to Whitesnake in seventh grade and Still of the Night and Here I Go Again.  Then eighth grade brought Appetite for Destruction and ...And Justice for All and I was introduced to a little band named Led Zeppelin and I never looked back to Bon Jovi.  Fast forward twelve years and I was on a Greyhound bus traveling from Los Angeles to San Diego with a gentleman who had no problem announcing to the entire bus his love of crack cocaine.  "I love it.  I smoke it, I eat it, I snort it...I do it all man," he announced with glee.  My new crack loving friend also had a very large radio with him and had no problem playing You Give Love a Bad Name and Livin' On A Prayer over and over and over again.  For hours, those two songs were all we heard and no one was about to tell a schizophrenic crackhead to turn it off so we just had to ingest it.  I really never would have thought that Bon Jovi would be good crack smoking music so I guess that was a definite - TIL.  So, one more fast forward - this time thirteen years and listening to Slippery When Wet again for the 1001 Albums I Must Hear Before I die.  Given that their is a certain cheesiness hump that I would have to get over, I sat down and fired up all of Slippery When Wet.  It is hard to be objective but did the best that I could seeing as I have heard this album probably a few hundred times in my life, and most of them were pre-teen.  I wouldn't necessarily call it a nostalgic bliss but there was a nostalgia factor to it.  Well, now that we all know about my history with this album - on to the actual review.  The album was ok.  Nothing that I would be inclined to put in again anytime soon but was worth a listen.  You Give Love a Bad Name, Livin' on a Prayer, and Wanted Dead or Alive are so overplayed they are almost cliche.  I'd Die for You, Let it Rock, and Raise your Hands were respectable.  Overall, nothing I would go out of my way for again.  For 80's hair band, it is good.  I guess there is a sixth grader inside of me that refuses to die no matter how many times I try to kill him - hence my other blog on retro video games (http://www.geekyclown.com).  To that mini sixth grade GeekyClown, I am glad you got to relive riding your bike with your Walkman on listening to Social Disease at top volume.  Listened: 3/4/2011
Favorite Tracks: Wanted Dead or Alive, Let it Rock, Raise your Hands  

#68. The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars - David Bowie

68.  The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars - David Bowie (1972) 91/100.  As a child of the 80's, I don't have a whole lot of experience with David Bowie.  I remember him with Queen doing Under Pressure and doing Dancing in the Streets with Mick Jagger but that was about it.  Oh, I can't forget Space Oddity.  Now that's it.  But, after all I have heard about Ziggy Stardust I was looking forward to sitting down with this.  It was one of three albums that I relistened to right after I heard it (other two being U2 - http://geekyclowns1001albums.blogspot.com/2011/02/55.html and Green Day - http://geekyclowns1001albums.blogspot.com/2011/01/36-american-idiot-green-day.html) partially because I really enjoyed it and partially because I wanted to try to understand the concept behind the concept album.  It was rather vague but I kind of got it down.  How many drugs did David Bowie do when he came up with his concept of an alien who plays rock to give humanity hope in the last five years of existence remains to be seen.  But, I liked it.  After listening to American Idiot, I could hear how they were influenced by this.  Five Years, Moonage Daydream, Suffagette City were standouts but the whole album was really good.  I highly recommend it.  Listened: 3/4/2011
Favorite Tracks: All of them.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

#67. Nothing's Shocking - Jane's Addiction

67. Nothing's Shocking - Jane's Addiction (1988) 96/100.  This was recommended by a friend as a part of his "must listens" but was easy to track down seeing that it has been in my CD collection since the early 90's.  Anyway, this is an old favorite of mine and a must hear for anyone who likes alternative/rock music.  This was the debut album for Jane's and personally I like it better than their follow-up Ritual de lo Habitual.  That is not to say that Ritual de lo Habitual is not a great album, it is.  And, it was commercially a greater success due to the popularity of Stop! and Been Caught Stealing.  But, that is a later review (that I now have to remember to come back to this review and link to it once I actually write it).  What I learned from reading a bit about this is that Perry Farrell demanded 50% of the band's royalties for this album because he wrote the lyrics.  This, of course, didn't bode well for the band's relationship.  But, any tension that this created during recording paid off.  The album is fabulous from start to end.  The only possible down arrow for this may be Standing in the Shower...Thinking but it is still a good track, just not as good as the others on the album.  Had a Dad; Ted, Just Admit It...; Summertime Rolls are my personal favorites but, to reiterate, the whole damn album is great.  Oh, and there is a song called Jane Says on it that anyone who has ever listened to alternative radio has heard at least two dozen times.  Listened: 3/3/2011
Favorite Tracks: All of it.

#66. Abraxas - Santana

66. Abraxas - Santana (1970) 88/100.  One thing that I would have not have heard when listening to Abraxas prior to taking on this project is the influences of Machito on it (see the review of Machito's Kenya here - http://geekyclowns1001albums.blogspot.com/2011/01/14-kenya-machito.html).  I am new to Santana.  I knew Black Magic Woman, Oye Como Va, and that song the he plays with the dude from Matchbox Twenty but that is pretty much as far as my experience with Carlos Santana goes.  Actually, I take that back, I have a bootleg of him playing with Phish, I believe it is 7/25/92 but am way too lazy to look that up.  Oh, and I saw the Woodstock movie and he was in that.  So, I guess I have a little bit more experience with Santana than I originally thought.  But, I never heard Abraxas before.  It was good.  They are really talented musicians (uh, duh).  TIL, Black Magic Woman was written by Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac and was on their album English Rose two years prior to being on Abraxas.  Also, Oye Como Va was also a cover (Tito Puente in 1963).  That one probably everyone else in the world knew, but I didn't so...what are you gonna do?  Anyway, the two popular tracks (Black Magic Woman, Oye Como Va) were probably my least favorite - more than likely due to them being overly played on Chicago radio.  I really liked the intro and outro (Singing Winds, Crying Beasts and El Nicoya).  I just saw Rusted Root recently and can tell that they were inspired by this album.  Mother's Daughter and Hope You're Feeling Better are other favorites.  Good stuff.  Listened: 3/2/2011
Favorite Tracks: Mother's Daughter, Singing Winds, Crying Beasts, Hope You're Feeling Better

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

#65. Paul's Boutique - Beastie Boys

65. Paul's Boutique - Beastie Boys (1990) 96/100.  My second Beastie Boys review (License to Ill here - http://geekyclowns1001albums.blogspot.com/2011/01/15-licensed-to-ill-beastie-boys.html).  As I stated in that review, I am a big fan of the Beastie Boys and Paul's Boutique is my favorite of their albums.  While License to Ill was commercially the Beasties biggest album (and a top ten best selling hip-hop album ever), Paul's Boutique was their most creative album.  And, with pure record executive mentality, it was initially considered a failure due to its inability to have the record sales of its predecessor.  That is why your average record executive is clueless.  Paul's Boutique is just a more solid album than License to Ill, and I was relieved to see that it made the 1001 Albums list.  It is a more complete album from beginning to end.  The Dust Brothers production was near perfect.  The lyrics (while misogynistic and often times childish) were better.  There isn't a bad track on here.  My personal favorites (which it is hard to come up with just a few) are Eggman, High Plains Drifter, and Looking Down the Barrell of a Gun.  But, there are no poor tracks.  Nothing that brings this down (I'm looking at you Fight for Your Right (to Party)).  If you haven't heard it, do.  If you say, "I still like License to Ill better," hang yourself.  A little harsh?  I don't think so.  Listened: 3/1/2011.
Favorite Tracks: All of it.  

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

#64. Natty Dread - Bob Marley & The Wailers

64. Natty Dread - Bob Marley & The Wailers (1974) 92/100. - This is my third (and unfortunately last (all of my Bob Marley listening will be for personal reasons)) Bob Marley & The Wailers review (check out Exodus - http://geekyclowns1001albums.blogspot.com/2011/01/42-exodus-bob-marley-wailers.html and Catch a Fire - http://geekyclowns1001albums.blogspot.com/2011/01/34-catch-fire-bob-marley-wailers.html).  I enjoyed this about equal with Catch a Fire but not as much as Exodus.  I found the first half of the album fantastic.  Lively Up Yourself; No Woman, No Cry; Them Belly Full (But We Hungry); Rebel Music - just plain outstanding.  The second half isn't as strong.  That isn't to say that it is bad, just hard to compare to the first half.  Natty Dread and Talkin' Blues are great tracks.  The addition of Rita Marley adds a lot to the album as a whole.  A great listen.  Listened: 2/28/2011.
Favorite Tracks: All of side one, Natty Dread, Talkin' Blues

#63. Master of Puppets - Metallica

63.  Master of Puppets - Metallica (1986) 98/100.  I am not going to lie and say that this is anywhere near a first time listen for me.  In fact, I have probably heard this album a good thousand times so this was more of a sing along, way to spend an afternoon, type deal for me.  Anyway, Master of Puppets is one of four Metallica albums on the 1001 Albums you Must Hear Before you Die (I previously reviewed Metallica's Black album - http://geekyclowns1001albums.blogspot.com/2011/01/3-metallica-aka-black-album-metallica.html) and was really disappointed that they excluded Ride the Lightning.  Anyway, this is my favorite Metallica album and easily would make my top ten favorite albums of all time so...it is hard to not give it a glowing review.  Every time that I hear this I wonder what would have become of Metallica if Cliff Burton wouldn't have died.  ...And Justice for All would be a completely different album (you may actually be able to hear the bass).  Black may not have gone so Bob Rock-ish and the Load nightmares may never have been made.  But, hindsight is worthless.  The whole album is good from start to finish.  Master of Puppets, Thing that Should Not Be, and Disposable Heroes stand out among an album of classics.  Listened: 2/27/2011
Favorite Tracks: All of it.