Creedence Cosmo’s Factory 1970 I was 13 when these songs were on the radio and they were ubiquitous. I prefer rock over blues and I don’t like it when the latter is too heavily involved. Songs like Before You Accuse Me are an auditorial assault while Travelin’ Band is a favorite, a punchy rocker minus the heavy blues. Hard to rate an album with five songs I’ve known for 45 years, so I’ll give it a 3/5.

The summer this album was released, I was doing some serious yard work. As I scraped moss from the driveway cracks, a fuzzy drum heavy The New Pollution to the rambling Sissyneck kept me on my musical toes, or, in this case, knees. Along with DJ Shadow’s Entroducing, Odelay was my favorite albums of the year.

Creedence Cosmo’s Factory 1970 I was 13 when these songs were on the radio and they were ubiquitous. I prefer rock over blues and I don’t like it when the latter is too heavily involved. Songs like Before You Accuse Me are an auditorial assault while Travelin’ Band is a favorite, a punchy rocker minus the heavy blues. Hard to rate an album with five songs I’ve known for 45 years, so I’ll give it a 3/5.

I bought his first three solo studio albums as they were released. I would place Imagine slightly ahead of Plastic Ono Band because of two songs, How Do You Sleep and Gimme Me Some Truth which I consider his best solo efforts.

I have a couple vinyl copies of this album since I first heard it upon its release in 1966. I found this album to be a mix of their earlier work, Scarborough Fair, combined with a more progressive sound with Dangling Conversation and Patterns. Simon’s sweet melodies shine on Flowers Never Bend and For Emily, my personal favorites which are a precursor to future albums Bookends and Bridge Over Troubled Waters. As a side note, Feelin’ Groovy, was a favorite of my Mother’s and it could be heard most mornings as I ate my Cheerios.

Having bought this several years go. I confess I don’t listen to it often. It’s not an album to listen to casually, but warrants attention. My favorite song, Untitled #3, is reminiscent of Part 1 of Keith Jarrett’s Kahn concert. Much of the album floats by unnoticed.

It was during my freshman year at high school that this album came out. Cisco Kid, a huge hit, overshadows the album, and is the only song most people remember, to their disadvantage. Four Cornered Room, my favorite, is a gentle freak out occasionally reminiscent of The End by The Doors. To my teenage ears the sound was cool, exotic and still is.

This is not the My Girl Temptations it’s edgy with searing social commentary, however, slower songs such a s Love Woke Me Up This Morning were bland and lyrically simple. The gold nugget is Papa Was A Rollin' Stone. A song seared into my brain from the age of 14.

Not going to spend much time on this review, due to my dislike of all things Stone Roses. Their biggest sins? Boredom, that seems to melt all the songs into one big droning mess. Blah.

I’ve attempted to like Porisehead many times through years, but nothing I heard pulled in. It’s electronic trip hop which I typically enjoy , but this album is a bit too gloomy, or downbeat, for my tastes. I suppose the biggest sin it’s its boring. As a huge fan of Bjork, the opener, Mysterons, is a favorite but not enough to keep this Dummy in rotation.

Wonderwall by Oasis and Waterfall by The Stone Roses ask the musical question, is she liquid or made of brick? Does anyone care?

The summer this album was released, I was doing some serious yard work. As I scraped moss from the driveway cracks, a fuzzy drum heavy The New Pollution to the rambling Sissyneck kept me on my musical toes, or, in this case, knees. Along with DJ Shadow’s Entroducing, Odelay was my favorite albums of the year.

Skylarking would be an excellent EP or drastically pared down album. Summer’s Cauldron, Grass, The Meeting Place, Dear God, Earn Enough For Us, and Another Satellite anchor an album that tends to drift in to mediocrity with its bloated middle. Look to their Black Sea album for classic hits like General Majors and Respectable Street.

This is my second favorite Cale album after Hobosapians. The first four songs plus Paris 1919 are the bedrock of this album, melodic and oddly complex in their simplicity. Hanky Panky Nohow has an effect that stops me in my tracks and puts me into a meditative state. I’m not always sure what the lyrics mean which lets the gorgeous melodies shine,

First off, not a fan of the Black Stripes. I find their songs to be a disjointed, tuneless, and incredibly irritating. To be included in 1001 need to hear albums makes me question the musical wisdoms of its creator. The piano and piano solos are heavy handed and simplistic. One way for me to appraise the worthiness of a song is if my toe taps. If there’s music playing, I’m tapping my toes. For this album? Not so much. My feet sat flat footed. Really, just horrid.

I’ll start out by saying I’m not a big metal fan with a few exceptions like Metallica, Motörhead, and Opeth, a fantastic Swedish death metal band. This album has everything I like in metal, grinding buzz saw guitars, a hint of melody and the inclusion of slower songs like Changes and St. Virus Dance which offer relief from auditory assault.

When I first saw the Material Girl video on MTV I thought, man, this is great…the beat, lyrics, the diamond necklace…then Borderline and I was a fan. That’s where it ended. Nothing after that, except Like A Virgin. excited me because I just wasn’t listening to that type of music back then. And I’m still not. 2 stars.

So much has been written about this album I have little to offer. I first heard it when I was eight years old and thought Elenor Rigby was the deepest song I’d ever heard. Face in a jar? Wow. Is it a perfect album? Take away Yellow Submarine the, then yes. Not a fan of the brassy Got to Get You Into My Life, but Here, There, and Everywhere is my favorite McCartney song. Better than Sgt. Pepper? I can’t be objective enough to offer an opinion.

No.

Without the piano solo in Layla, this album is chock full of tired blues riffs...the drudgery of Have You Ever Loved a Woman and repetitive descending blues chords of She's Gone. Yes Eric Clapton, like Keith Richards and others, helped integrate blues into 60's rock mainstream. Clapton held tightly to the blues roots while bands like The Stones went to a more experimental, hook heavy direction I prefer. Fittingly, the piano solo on Layla, was not written nor played by Eric Clapton, but was most likely stolen by Jim Gordon from Rita Coolidge. Thanks Rita. Eric not so much.

If I was a 16 year old stoner, I'd love this album. I'm not. When the kids grow up, they switch to real punk bands like The Clash, Sex Pistols, or Black Flag. This is a punk album on training wheels.

I’ve never listened to an Aretha Franklin album but this I enjoyed.

For me this album really took off at Everything Happens To Me, which had me mentally floating among billowy…never mind, I like it. The explosive Swinging Detective has these crazed Wagnerian screeches, fantastic. After you catch your breath comes Auto Destruction, screeching metal, doom drums, and schoolyard chants result in an excellent industrial freakout. Intensive Care gives you two minutes to calm yourself when boom! comes the swirling, pulsating, cartoonish The Most Beautiful Girl. Oh, don’t miss the Sounds From the Big House which creates impending doom by pounding big things while a jazzy organ dances in the background. Buy it, play it, love it.

Yes the record is universally acclaimed for some reason unclear to me. I’m clearly missing something so I’ll blame it on my musical ignorance and move on.

Aladdin Sane is one of my least favorite Bowie albums and contains one of my least favorite “hits”, Gene Jeanie. The real standout is his version of Let’s Spend the Night Together and a crazed Panic in New York, a cacophony of Bo Diddley beats and general mayhem. Time is Paul Williams inspired with a few too many lie, lie, lies. Compared to Ziggy, Honky Dory and Low and others, I find this album lacking in significance.

When this album came out, disco, thankfully, was on its deathbed. Great early 70’s disco songs like Rock the Boat and I Feel Love gave way to late 70’s disasters like Disco Duck. Two years had passed since the magnificent Saturday Night Fever. In 1979, Tom Petty was wearing a Disco Sucks button while punk and new wave were taking hold. Then came Chic. All I can say is wonderful. Ahhh, freak out! Yes, it’s a disco record but songs like Savior Faire, Happy Man, and At Last I’m Free break out of the mold giving the album a sophisticated twist. I enjoyed this album from start to finish. Even Tom Petty might have agreed.

I’m a huge fan of Colors by Jamie xx but this album pales in comparison. The opening track, Intro, a clomping beat heavy head bobbing wonder gives way to a functional but uninspiring VCR. The rest of the album was heavy on beats but left me cold. L