#100. The Doors - The Doors

100. The Doors - The Doors (1967) 98/100.  I decided to listen to one of my favorite albums as my 100th review - The Doors.  I'm not going to lie, I am a huge Doors fan.  And, this list has a few on there so I will get to relive some of my youth.  Of all of The Doors albums, I probably would say that the debut album would be my favorite.

Now, my favorite doesn't necessarily mean the best.  You could make arguments for Morrison Hotel, LA Woman, and even Strange Days.  And, I probably would agree that those are all good albums.  But, for me...The Doors was THE Doors album.

I hate to have to admit this, but the only reason that I started to listen to The Doors my sophomore year of high school was because of the release of the Oliver Stone movie.  At the time, I actually took what happened in the movie as fact.  It wouldn't be until my junior year, when I read No One Here Gets Out Alive, that I realized that the Stone film was fictitious.  But, fictitious or not, it did introduce the music of The Doors to me so for that I guess I should be grateful - even though the whole dropping acid in the dessert scene was the most insulting thing I had ever seen (later to be topped by Kristen Stewart's portrayal of Joan Jett in The Runaways).

While recorded over just six days, the songs on the debut album had been in circulation from their live shows forever and makes this album feel more like a live performance than their later albums which were more fine tuned on the production side.  If anything, it is that factor that I probably fell in love with when I was in high school.

Well, it was either the tracks had more of a live feel to them or Jim wasn't nearly as out of control in the beginning as he would be in later recording sessions (when he showed).

While Light My Fire and Break on Through (To The Other Side) are the most popular from the album, the other tracks are definitely note worthy.  How can you not like Soul Ktchen, The Crystal Ship, End of the Night, and The End?  I have a soft spot in my heart for Take It As It Comes as well.

To think there was a time when the word higher would have to be censored due to drug connotations.  A great, great album that needs to be heard by anyone that likes rock n' roll.

Feel free to take a look at the two YouTube videos to see some of the liberties Stone made in his movie.  How can you fuck that up?  You had the tape of the original performance, Morrison does not taunt the camera and dance around like a crazy person.  Why would you make him do it in your portrayal that was supposed to be biographical?  Oliver Stone...sigh...you suck. Listened (most recently): 4/19/2011
Favorite Tracks: All of it.

#99. The Genius of Ray Charles - Ray Charles

99. The Genius of Ray Charles - Ray Charles (1959) 87/100.  Not too familiar with Ray Charles outside of seeing the movie Ray.  I don't think that really constitutes having any sort of background in it so listening to this was a definite first time for me.

Overall, it was a lot more mellow than I had been expecting.  I guess I was expecting more rock n' roll and got more jazz and R&B.  It was pretty good, but not something that I would listen to often.

Let the Good Times Roll was a pretty good R&B track.  It Had to Be You was a mellow (as if it could ever be played any other way (a death metal version could be interesting however)) soulful cover.  I really liked Two Years of Torture.  You Won't Let Me Go was another really good tune.  Worth a listen if you never had heard it.  Listened: 4/19/2011
Favorite Tracks: Let' the Good Times Roll, It Had to By You, Two Years of Torture

#98. Rumours - Fleetwood Mac

98. Rumours - Fleetwood Mac (1977) 89/100.  The point of this little 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die project is twofold.  One, to find a bunch of music that I had never listened to prior to taking on such a project and two, to force myself to listen to a band even though it may go against any impressions of bands that I may have.  Fleetwood Mac is a perfect example of the latter.

For some reason, I am not really sure why, I always thought of Fleetwood Mac as an embodiement of cheesy 80's music.  Perhaps because of the popularity of Mirage and Tango in the Night in the 80's or it be just selective memory growing up in the 80's.  Whatever the reason, I never really paid them much mind and would never really give them a second thought.

Until this past weekend when I took a long drive to a friend's party and decided to put in Rumours so that I could cross it off the list.  Now, with a build up like I had given in the first two paragraphs, you would think that I would give some glowing review of Rumours.  Not going to happen.

That being said, the most positive thing I can say, Rumours was better than I would have ever given it credit for prior to forcing myself to listen to it.  I knew that I had previous experience with Go Your Own Way and The Chain but thought that was it.  Until the album started and I realized that a good eight of the eleven songs on the album would make their rounds on Chicago radio over the last couple of decades.  So, a lot of it I had heard before without my knowledge that it was Fleetwood Mac.  And, some of it I didn't mind - such as Second Hand News.

But, the keywords are, "I didn't mind".  Overall, if it weren't for its commercial success, I would have not paid it too much attention.  I like The Chain, that is a great song.  Oh Daddy I thought was a good track.  Same goes for Don't Stop.  But for Q to place it as number three in its Best Albums of the 70s list behind Londong Calling and Dark Side of the Moon?  I don't think so.

In the end, I don't think of Fleetwood Mac with as much disdain as I did prior to listening to this, I am glad I purchased the album and will listen to it again.  Will it be a staple in my rotation?  No.  Good but not great...haters gonna hate.  Listened: 4/16/2011
Favorite Tracks: The Chain, Oh Daddy, Don't Stop

#97. Here's Little Richard - Little Richard

97. Here's Little Richard - Little Richard (1957) 88/100.  Another 50's classic rock n' roll album.  I knew Tuti Fruti, of course, as that is probably the quintessential Little Richard track.  A few of the other tracks I had heard over the years but never really attributed to Little Richard.

This was Little Richard in the usual Little Richard flamboyant style and it was good.  I definitely enjoy the old R&B rock n' roll as opposed to all of the jazz.  I can appreciate the jazz but there would be a much better chance of me putting Little Richard in my car stereo than Duke Ellington.

As for Here's Little Richard, I liked it.  There are some classics from this album including Tuti Fruti, Ready Teddy, Slippin' and Slidin, Long Tall Sally, and Rip It Up.  I liked the bluesy feel to Can't Believe You.  Just good, old fashioned, rock n' roll.  Listened: 4/19/2011
Favorite Tracks: Ready Teddy, Long Tall ally, Can't Believe You

#96. Live Through This - Hole

96. Live Through This - Hole (1994) 92/100.  I hate to be one who falters to preconceived notions but, I have to be honest, I had a big one when I put this on.  When I think of Hole, I think of Courtney Love.  When I think of Courtney Love, I think of the fall-down mess of a woman that she has publicly become the last decade or so.  I don't think of cool, rock star Courtney Love which this album exemplifies.

Right away I was surprised how talented Love actually is/was.  Hole had a cool punk vibe going for them on this album (even though most reviewers consider it to be grunge, but I am going out on a limb to state the line between punk and grunge is a fine one).  Live Through This has so much tragic history behind it that it makes it epic in itself.  Kobain (Love's husband (in case you have lived in a cave the last two decade (if so, welcome))) shooting himself four days before its release, Kristen Pfaff's (the bassist) death two months after its release...the album is drenched in tragedy.

So, outside of the my surprise of Love's talent, I was also surprised at the talent of newcomer drummer, Patty Schemel who was pretty damn good.  I enjoyed the album throughout.  Favorites included Violet, Jennifer's Body, Doll Parts, and Rock Star.  Overall, I was pleasantly surprised and will have to file this one under, don't judge a book by its drunken, heroin induced cover.  

TIL, people generally suck and because the album was good, they figured Kobain had to have written it which is nothing more than unsubstantiated garbage seeing as everyone involved stated that Kobain sang backup on a couple of tracks but Love and Erlandson (the band's guitar player) wrote the album.  Listened: 4/18/2011
Favorite Tracks: Violet, Jennifer's Body, Doll Parts, Rock Star

#95. Fats Domino - This is Fats

95.  Fats Domino - This is Fats (1956) 84/100.  I had nothing but technical difficulties streaming this but refuse to allow a shitty Web site alter my opinion.  Now that I got that off my chest, I was new to this.  I take that back, I knew Blueberry Hill for three reasons, it was one of those songs that would play on the oldies station all of the time, Richie Cunningham used to sing it during moments of joy on Happy Days, and it is the name of a breakfast joint in LaGrange, IL.

This was pretty cool.  Seeing as this is the second rock n' roll album on the list (chronologically speaking with Elvis being the first), it is a nice introduction to the genre.  Again, as I stated in my Crickets review, I am not sure how the folks over at the 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die went about picking albums.  There could be arguments for other rock n' rollers from the 50's that could be on the list in place of Fats Domino but I digress.

Outside of Blueberry Hill, What's the Reason I'm not Pleasing you is a good song.  I didn't know it when I put it on, but I did know Blue Monday as well.  Another good track.  La-La was pretty good.  I really liked the Fat Man's Hop and Poor Me.  The whole album is pretty standard, piano driven rock n' roll by today's standards.  Good stuff.

TIL, Paul McCartney wrote Lady Madonna in the style of Fats Domino.  Listened: 4/18/2011
Favorite Tracks: Blueberry Hill, La-La, Poor Me 

#94. Selected Ambient Works 85-92 - Aphex Twin

94. Selected Ambient Works 85-92 - Aphex Twin (1992) 85/100.  First time I had heard of Aphex Twin (the pseudonum for Richard D. James).  As some may know, I have another blog www.geekyclown.com that is, more or less, about video games.  This had a video game music vibe to it so I was instantly intrigued when I put it on.  That and if anyone remembers the "Beyond the Mind's Eye" videos from the 90's, this sounded like music that would be in those movies.  BTW, if you have never checked out the "Beyond the Mind's Eye" videos, they are pretty cool - I'll put one up for you right here.

This is a little hard to review seeing as it is my first experience with ambient techno (with the exception of the background music to the movie Hackers, that was similar).  I guess I should start by saying I liked it.  But, I don't know if I would listen to it too often.  It reminded me a lot of mood music you would hear at a trendy sushi restaurant (I'm looking at you Ra Sushi).

As I was listening to it, the dog was not really digging it.  While trying to sleep there would be one ear popping up and down almost on beat.  Also, the voices that appear in random places on some of the tracks created a mindfuck for me with surround sound.

Pulsewidth and Hellosphan were a good tracks. Green Calx had a video game meets sci-fi movie thing going for it that I dug.  Schottkey 7th Path had a horror movie vibe to it that I really liked.  I wasn't a huge fan of Ptolemy and would probably regard that as my least favorite from the album

The whole album was rather hypnotic and addicting.  Screw it, I now need to have Ra Sushi for dinner even though there are better sushi joints around me just for the ambiance.  Listened: 4/15/2011
Favorite Tracks: Pulsewidth, Schottkey 7th Path, Green Calx  

#93. Roots - Sepultura

93. Roots - Sepultura (1996) 92/100.  Wow, I went from Booker T & The M.G.'s to Sepultura.  Can you say apples and oranges?

This is another recomendation.  I am new to Sepultura but am a fan of metal so this was a great listen.  It took traditional heavy metal and added a tribal flair to it.  The first thing I thought when I started listening to it was, "wow, Korn was influenced a lot by this."  In fact, I can honestly say that the whole Korn, Deftones, Limp Bizkit era of music in the late 90's would have sounded a lot differently if it weren't for Sepultura.

Doing a little research shows that Sepultura had fallen into the cliche rock n' roll drama that happens to too many good bands.  At this point, I believe only the original bassist is still with the band and the founding members Max and Igor Cavalera have gone on to create a new band.

Roots is the last album made with the original line-up (at least the original line-up that were together for nearly a decade).

Roots was a really good metal album.  Musically, I really enjoyed Ratamahatta and Breed Apart.  Lyrically, the whole album is pretty good.  Straighthate was definitely one of my favorites.  Lookaway and Dusted are phenomenal tracks as well.  Great guitar work in Jasco.  Dictatorshit is also a great track.  Good stuff.  Listened: 4/14/2011
Favorite Tracks: Ratamahatt, Straighthate Breed Apart, Dusted    

#92. Green Onions - Booker T & the M.G.'s

92.  Green Onions - Booker T & the M.G.'s (1962) 90/100.  All it took were the first few notes for me to recognize the title track of Booker T & The M.G.'s.  A first time listen.  I was happy to have left some of the jazz behind and get into some R&B, a lot more my style.

Green Onions did not dissapoint.  A great instrumental album.  Unlike a lot of the jazz I had listened to, this never felt like background fodder while I am eating at a fancy restuarant.  Everyone has their own taste and Booker T & The M.G.'s appeals to mine more than you average jazz musician.

The title track is a great tune, one everyone knows.  Don't believe me...

A few songs later, they would bring back the tune with Mo' Onions, a nice touch that gives a live performance vibe to the album.  I Got a Woman is another great track with some fine organ and guitar.  Twist and Shout was Twist and Shout with a few new hooks to it but pretty standard overall.  Behave Yourself and Stranger on the Shore were good mellow changes of pace from the first group of tunes.  One Who Really Loves You is another great tune.

TIL, Booker T & The M.G.'s (whom I had heard of but never really knew anything about) were much more influential than I ever knew.  Not only were The Beatles big  fans, but over the years they had been asked to play wit some of the biggest names in music including Neil Young, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, and Eric Clapton.  Also, two of them were in the backup band of the 1980's move, The Blues Brothers.

Good stuff.  Highly recommended.  Listened: 4/14/2011
Favorite Tracks: Green Onions/Mo' Onions, Strange on the Shore, Behave Yourself    

#91. Imagine - John Lennon

91. Imagine - John Lennon (1971) 97/100.  As strange as it is to say, this was a first-time listen for me.   I knew about half of the songs from other recordings/sources but this was the first time I had heard a couple of the tracks and the first time that I heard the album in its entirety.  I know you are scoffing at me under your breath, and it is well deserved.

Needless to say, John Lennon was one of the most influential and talented songwriters ever so, of course, a solo album highlighting his talent in inevitably going to be fantastic.  This doesn't come up short in that regard.  The funny thing about the album was that it still holds up.  Conceptually Lennon talked political and had a rooted longing for something better but didn't tie it down with timely references or cliches.

Starting from the top, the title track has been heard probably by every human being on this earth who has a radio.  Imagine and Stairway to Heaven are probably the two most played songs on the radio (at least around Chicago).  And, for good reason, it is an outstanding song with a helluva message.  Too bad not much has changed since Lennon's dream in 1971.

Crippled Inside is a solid track and Jealous Guy is a favorite.  For me, things really start picking up with I Don't Wanna Be a Soldier and Gimme Some Truth.  Gimme Some Truth is especially poignant since Lennon was able to describe the state of the world in 2011 in 1971. 

Lennon's anger towards Paul comes out a bit in How Do You Sleep?.  Another, really strong track.  How? is a track I have had in my collection forever but still love.  Finally, Oh Yoko! is a good track, probably the weakest of a great group of songs.

If you never heard it, an absolute must.  Listened: 4/13/2011
Favorite Tracks: All of it.

#90. The Atomic Mr. Basie - Count Basie

90. The Atomic Mr. Basie - Count Basie (1957) 86/100.  More jazz.  This time, big band.  Right from the start (it could be my mood) but I really liked it.  It had that swing thing going for it.

Duet was the first track that really got my attention. A solid song with a great bass line.  Kind of reminded me of the music to this...

After Supper was a lot more laid back and mellow than the previous two tracks.  Good overall.  Teddy the Toad was another song I liked a whole bunch.  Whirlybird got my attention, very upbeat, swing track.  Same goes with Splanky (which I believe I have heard in a number of movies over the years).  Fantail had some great drums in it.

Again, as I reiterated several times, this isn't really my thing.  While I enjoyed this more than a few of the other jazz albums I have listened to on here, in the end, it started to become background music while I worked.  It may be that I can only assimilate it with this but it reminded me of music played during dinner at a wedding reception before the band/DJ come back on (Lil' Darlin is a perfect example).  Listened: 4/13/2011.
Favorite Tracks: Duet, After Supper, Whirlybird

#89. White Light/White Heat - The Velvet Underground

Phillip Seymour Hoffman's Lester Bangs disagrees with my Doors influence I mention in my review.

89. White Light/White Heat - The Velvet Underground (1968) 90/100.  Being such a fan of The Velvet Underground & Nico (reviewed here - http://geekyclowns1001albums.blogspot.com/2011/03/79-velvet-underground-nico-velvet.html), you would think that I would have heard White Light/White Heat prior to today.  You would assume wrong.

I am not really sure why I never went back and picked up further Velvet Underground albums after the first one, seeing as I was such a huge fan.  That has been rectified and I sat down with White Light/White Heat.

The whole album seemed to have more of a rawness to it than The Velvet Underground & Nico.  It was feedback riddled that seemed more like punk at times than psychedelic or conventional rock n' roll.

The first track, White Light/White Heat was good.  The Gift.  What.  The.  Fuck.  Experimental is a word you could use.  It was different.  It wasn't a song with any real lyrics just prose set to music.  While I probably wouldn't listen to that track too often, I did listen to the story rather intently.  Poor Waldo, you dumb bastard.

Lady Godiva's Operation, Here She Comes Now, and I Heard Her Call My Name are more "poppish" if you can ever use that term to refer to Velvet Underground.  Perhaps using the term "traditional" would be more appropriate.  Solid tracks.  Sister Ray was the most interesting for me on the album.  While lyrically it isn't anything special, musically it is the most experimental and avant garde on the album.  It has that live, spacy, experimental thing going for it that you would expect toward the end of the second set of a Dead show.  A couple of times during the musical climaxes, I kept hearing Jim Morrison yell, "kill, kill, kill" as he does at the end of The End on the first Doors album (review coming real soon) so I suppose I can say there may be a little influence there (Cameron Crowe would disagree with me).

A good album, not as good (in my opinion, of course) as The Velvet Underground & Nico but worth a listen.  Listened: 4/13/2011
Favorite Tracks: Here She Comes Now, I Heard Her Call My Name, Sister Ray

#88. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin

88. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin (1969) 98/100.  I decided to put on Houses of the Holy and listen to it in its entirety this morning.  After I had listened to the entire album, I came into the office and looked at my 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die list and saw it wasn't on there.  While I was in a moment of shock and awe, I decided to persevere and put in Led Zeppelin I since that WAS on the list. 

I am not even going to sort of lie and say that Led Zeppelin is not one of my favorite, if not my favorite, band since I was in high school.  None of the Zeppelin albums will be even remotely a hundredth time listen let alone a first time listen.  I thought I would start simple with the first album.

I happened to be re-reading Hammer of the Gods as well so thought the timing was perfect.  It was strange for me, years later, to read that Page was still contemplating after Led Zeppelin I removing Plant from the band.  In hindsight, what an enormous disaster that would have been.  As for the first Zeppelin album, it isn't my favorite Zeppelin album but  it is still better than 98% of the albums I have heard thus far for this little project.  What is there really to say but look at the track listing alone - Good Times, Bad Times; Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You; You Shook Me; Dazed and Confused; You Time is Gonna Come; Black Mountain Side; Communication Breakdown; I Can't Quit you Baby; How Many More Times.  If you can name one bad song from that list, you are much more critical than I. 

I would say that this is the rawest of the Zeppelin albums (not counting Song Remains the Same) as Page explained that all of the tracks were performed live (in studio) with a little overdubbing in production.  This was the album that started the careers of one of the greatest rock bands of all time, how can it not be good?

TIL, Page listed How Many More Times as 3:30 to trick radio stations into playing it.

Listened: 4/17/2011

Favorite Tracks: All of it.