Rumours abound and sledging is rife,
Was this really written by his wife?
Until today I had listening delayed,
Despite copies hanging in all stores portrayed.
…….
It’s hard for women to get credit in the real world,
But this album is bejewelled and often pearled,
And after two listens my decision is final,
Rumours be damned, I will get it on vinyl.
As a preamble, I bought Outlandos ‘ on pre-order, then the next 2, but Ghost’ was a bargain bin £0.99, and this was a 4-for-£1.00 CD buy. Original impression was that it was an album too far - they split after this - although it was allegedly down to Sting hubris rather than them being idealess.
…..
Not idealess - Some great tracks but too much filler, which was always evident - since Peanuts.
Side 1 is so poor they put the only good track on it twice.
Sting allowing Spitting Image to stab Thatcher’s election victory with Every Breath’, will ensure he remains exalted, and it remains a firm favourite track (on numerous personal slow playlists).
King of Pain is great, Murder By Numbers is very good, but then….
Not a great album.
Never heard this or the band before….
I know that Indie Ears don’t always hear indulgent guitar solos correctly, however I enjoyed this when it thumped along or felt bluesy. I can hear the influence of Cream, and with hindsight how they influenced all the following 70’s blues rock bands.
Favourites;
1. Done Somebody Wrong
2. Stormy Monday
3. Statesboro Blues
Old favourite - original release pilfered from mum and dad’s collection.
A great chill album with oddities (Voices Of Old People/Old Friends) blended with classics (America, Hazy Shade of Winter, At The Zoo), and a best ever filler (Mrs. Robinson (From The Motion Picture "The Graduate")).
10 songs in 33 minutes and it seems 10 of those are chat - which is what this album has left me with, as JC comes across relaxed enthusiastic and funny.
1. Darling Companion
2. A Boy Named Sue
3. San Quentin
10 songs in 33 minutes and it seems 10 of those are chat - which is what this album has left me with, as JC comes across relaxed enthusiastic and funny.
1. Darling Companion
2. A Boy Named Sue
3. San Quentin
Took a couple of listens but once the rhythms sink in it’s a winner.
Best track is Chameleon
Missed out on these guys in noughties…
Despite all the comparisons with history, I think they sound like their contemporaries Gomez, especially with a top Spanish track. Which is high praise.
1. Punchbag
2. A Minha Menina
3. Sweet Like A Champion
Stepping stone album which seems tame upon listening to it after a long time - Whos Next is my go-to.
1. My Generation
2. Please, Please, Please
3. I’m A Man
Nice album. Middle of middle-of-the-road.
1. Gotta Get Up
2. Without You
3. Jump Into The Fire
A couple of listens for these Indie ears to find the funk, but worth it.
1. Pusherman
2. Superfly
3. Give me your love
Personal note; as a 6 year old my dad put my brother and I in the centre of the lounge and arranged the 4 speakers of his new quad system around us and played LZ2…. LZ3;
1. Immigrant Song
2. Since I’ve been loving you
3. Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
I should like this (Scouse Liverpool Indie fan), but I do not.
Better tracks;
1. Havana Gang Brawl
2. Railroad
3. You will you won’t
An album pinched from mum and dad, which I heard throuout my childhood. A necessity in every collection.
1. Heart of Gold
2. Old Man
3. Words
Had to take 2 runs at this…’not for me.
Love it!
1. Summers Cauldron
2. Grass
3. Dear God (best song ever contender)
*****
..and I have the cover framed in my dining room.
1. Velour is
2. Is She Weird
3. Dig For Fire
4. The Happening
..and it’s not their best!
Listened through twice, with reading the chronology (1972) makes this interesting if not great. I can understand the adulation, but he has better albums in his quiver.
1. Mother And Child Reunion
2. Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard
3. Peace Like A River
Love it!
Discarded lovers; Carley Simon only had a song for Warren Beatie, whereas here Alanis had a whole album. Surely for her ex, it just Wrexham.
Another Led Zep only 7 albums later…
Too many ordinary and forgettable tunes. Gulf between top and ordinary.
1. Rock And Roll
2. Stairway To Heaven
3. When The Levee Breaks
I think my issue with the new wave of heavy metal banks circa 1980 is the delivery, in that it is uniform and I lose interest. I can understand their fandom, but not for me.
1. Rapid Fire
2. Grinder
3. United
New for me.
First surprised (reggae from Edinburgh), then interested (Ultra Stimulation), and then sold (by Way Of The Explosive) and now looking to get it on vinyl.
Produced by Kevin Bacon of Comsat Angels!
1. Ultra Stimulation
2. The Way Of The Explosive
3. Maverick A Strike (Funk reggae!)
I should love this; Indie Rock, Power Pop, Jangle Pop, Alternative Rock from 1991
I don’t.
Just wall of guitars rhythm so no favourite songs
New to me.
Lovely feel to the album, with some top notch names in the credits (Carol King, Eric Clapton, Bobby Womack, Curtis Mayfield etc)
1. Chain of Fools
2. You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman
3. Ain’t No Way (backing vocal wow!)
NB Where is opening track “A New Decade” on the link here?!?
Boring but you can hear the preparation for Urban Hymns (better next album)
1. A new decade
2. History
3. Stormy clouds reprise
Boring - one long similarity
Horrible…
First time I have struggled to get through a 1001 album. Not my thing. Lost interest and couldn’t wait for it to finish.
No favourite songs.
Time and repetition has rendered this elevator music.
Fav track silent night
Second time I listened I had slowed down enough to get the groove. I moved it from a 2 to a 3.
My foot was tapping right from Route 66. Mona is Not Fade Away and Route 66 is on various albums, and there are various track listings for UK and US releases, which is partly band experimentation but mostly marketing. If they keep going from this start they should be good 😁
1. Route 66
2. Little By Little
3. Tell Me (You're Coming Back)
I remember the buzz when this came out and the marmite effect of trying to hear the music through the noise. I don’t know why I didn’t take to it, but I remember a friend going to The Royal Court in Liverpool to see them - he said they tuned up for 20 minutes, took a bow, and left.
1. Just Like Honey
2. Some Candy Talking (not on my album)
3. Never Understand
This album now seems less than what I remembered- as these four tracks are what I remember most and are now the highlights.
1. Lust For Life
2. Sixteen
3. The Passenger
4. Neighborhood Threat
New to me
Not for me.
Not on Spotify - found on YouTube
0:00 - firefly
2:52 - somewhere
5:56 - laughingstock
10:15 - lonely
13:00 - pale skinny girl
16:34 - blue and grey shirt
20:07 - bad liquor
22:05 - now you're defeated
24:35 - jenny
27:17 - western sky
30:35 - highway 5
34:35 - last harbor
New to me.
Green Light is the highlight and I was looking to see how the album would build, but it didn’t. Nice production and glossy presentation, but too ordinary.
I can see and hear the success, but not for me.
1. Green Light
2. Sober II (Melodrama)
3. Perfect Places
New to me except for the single.
Great! 7 tracks that are long enough to feel the funk.
1. P. Funk (Wants To Get Funked Up)
2. Unfunky UFO
3. Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker)
I have and listening again I struggle with Pt1, however Pt2 &4 make this my favourite Coltrane.
New to me.
Great loved it!
1. I'll Go Crazy
2. Think
3. Lost Someone (Wow - the screams!)
New to me.
I tried hard - listened twice! But not for me. Do all thrash records sound the same because of the voodoo vocals?
No favourite track but Dawn Patrol seemed a relief.
ABBA being ABBA.
1. Dancing Queen
2. Money Money Money
2. Fernando
I have this and enjoy it more for the albums mood than tracks. It’s over an hour of chill and relax.
I have this album and it is more than each individual track, a lovely late night night vibe whilst sipping a single malt.
New to me.
Heavy on Indie ears, but I enjoyed it and will look for it in VC.
1. Highway Star
2. Smoke On The Water
3. Lazy
No
Another Overindulgent Record, which I kept forgetting I was listening to, as it just blended away.
Not for me.
New to me.
I enjoyed the tales as I only have sketchy memories of the storey. Thankful for Spotify lyrics.
No.
A Wizard has disappeared with a hour I won’t get back.
I have this on vinyl and know/love his 1970’s.
1. Higher Ground
2. Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing
3. He's Misstra Know-It-All
I prefer the 22 Mix and the singles.
Great stuff! 14 songs in 32 minutes. Read the lyrics and sang along, realising I had been wrong all these years! This is more pertinent today than then.
1. Kill The Poor
2. Let’s Lynch The Landlord
3. California Uber Alles
4. Holidays In Cambodia
Not a 5 because of Viva Las Vegas
I am 3 months into 1001 and I am concerned at the album choices. This instead of Songs for the Dead, Court and Spark not Blue, Innervision instead of Songs in the Key of Life, Agaetus Byrgum instead of Takk etc. Those albums may be included in the 1001 but these should not.
This is poor for a first album - full of filler. First 2 tracks are OK in their playlist, but some rubbish ……
I know this album from and bought on vinyl a couple of years ago, but it didn’t hang around my playlist for too long.
I understand its popularity but I need more melody and tunes rather than poetry and uniform delivery. My song choices are again no surprise as these offer more than the rest.
1. Help Me
2. Trouble Child
3. Raised on robbery
Moondance and Crazy Love give false hope for a dull album. Could wait for it to finish.
Love the vibe, sound and nostalgia.
1. Infected
2. Out of the blue
3. Slow Train To Dawn
I enjoyed this - influences and sound bites from across my music history - nice!
Hard to rate this… I went for a 2 hour walk and listened through. Never switched it off but it did not hold my attention.
Won’t be buying it.
Not my thing, but enjoyed the album driving today.
Had this since release and was looking forward to it, but if has dated badly. The 4 singles even sounded the same. MTV vids were great…
Another Stevie Wonder and still not Songs In The Key Of Life - will all his albums be on the first 101?
Still enjoyed this the highlights are great!
1. Superstition
2 I believe
3 sunshine Of My Life
This has always been avoided as I just arc-up with Rowlands voice, and you couldn’t get away from it with Geno and Ilene. But I enjoyed this - particularly the slower tracks, which better expose the band over lyrics, although reading the lyrics I like the idea of staying the fight (against whom everyone leaving school into Thatchers UK in 1980 was perfectly aware)
Not too much filler as they were an established live act by 1980, but it still puzzles me on its inclusion in 1001….
1. 7 days too long
2. The teams that meet in caffs
3. There There my Dear
I have always loved this! Fela Kuti’s rhythmic influence on the band is great! The 3 tracks on side 1 are all gold - and side 2 is better.
1. Race For The Prize
2. What Is The Light?
3. Slow Motion
I know I was listening in the wrong environment, but Rendez Vu and Bingo Bango are the stand-out tracks in an album that I would ignore even on the dance floor.
Always been a favourite and my usual nomination for best ever debut.
Ugly is the only track I would drop for Something Better Change (which they release before No More Heroes), but that does not mean it is anything other than 5*.
I always read and heard their violence and misogyny as irony and a joke, so I hear and read indignation and bitterness here with a grin, especially when applied to a 50 year old album.
An artist who is infinitely more interesting than her music, but this album has some Lou Reed magic.
1. The Fairest Of The Seasons
2. Chelsea Girls
3. Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams
I should love JW but he leaves me flat as listening to WS and here, it just passes me by.
However I enjoyed this with a wider sound and instruments, and it’s not just the singles that grabbed me….
1. Missing Pieces
2. I'm Shakin'
3.
Bought this a few years ago and gave it 5* then, but it dropped off my radar. Back on again now….
I love the way that the arrangements move effortlessly from big time swing to after midnight shmooze, and just flows along.
1. After Supper
2. Whirly-Bird
3. Midnite Blue
4. Lil' Darlin'
I try so very hard to like LC….
This is as close as I get.
1. Suzanne
2. Sisters Of Mercy
3. So Long, Marianne
A pleasant way to spend 36 minutes, with The Model as the standout track.
New to me.
I was enjoying the album and by Revival was convinced it is a keeper, then I got to Desire Lines.
The album is on my Wantlist, and Desire Lines has been on repeat.
Nice, but she has better albums not included in 1001. Wrecking Ball?
1. Bluebird Wine
2. Before Believing
3. Queen Of The Silver Dollar
Not for me.
1. Dy-Na-Mi-Tee
2. Krazy Krush
3. Gotta Let U Know
After the first 2 tracks I was on Discogs looking to buy the album, but at the albums close it felt a bit flat. Sounds like they put their best up front as the other albums are similar starts.
Interesting listen.
1. Soubour
2. Irganda
3. Nick
Listened twice as only 33 mins, then Cosmos Factory and Green River (favourite).
1. Born On The Bayou
2. Graveyard Train
3. Proud Mary
4. Keep On Chooglin'
An easy groovy listen, but still just above elevator music, despite the backing line-up (Burrell Turrentine Bailey), and less of a Hammond delivery than Booker T’s Green Onions the year before. Adding Sunny Side of The Street to the CD release in 1987 adds a little more, but still just OK for me.
Favourite - Back At The Chicken Shack
Foot tapper / head nodded.
1. Even Flow
2. Jeremy
3. Alive
Not known to me.
Not what I expected - downcast Elvis singing for feedback-free Jesus & Mary Chain!
Great up to Frankie Teardrop.
1. Ghost Rider
2. Rocket U.S.A.
3. Cheree
If you allow it, this album will change your life for the better.
It’s the weekend so I have had two or three listens, which has changed my mind on it. It sounds like a jam, as everything is laid back, and mixes polished and clean (All Down The Line) to rough and fuzzy (Stop Breaking Down).
1. Tumbling Dice
2. Sweet Virginia
3. Stop Breaking Down
I have who albums but always thought them overrated…. Went to see them for the first time in 2023 at a half full stadium in St Helens, with a downpour throughout…. They were great! I now hear their albums differently.
1. Baba O' Riley
2. Behind Blue Eyes
3. Won't Get Fooled Again
I was looking forward to this but what a let down. Nothing comes close to The Weight. Didn’t give a second go.
Bought this the day of release and again on vinyl, and tracks still making my playlists.
1. Sign "O" The Times
2. I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man
3. The Cross
Love it!
1. Unomathemba
2. Hello My Baby
3. Rain, Rain, Beautiful Rain
Not for me. Only 2 tracks I can call favourite (normally 3) tunes.
1. Music
2. Don’t Tell Me
3. ….
I have this and always rated it well below the Oasis albums it was “at war” with, so was looking forward to hearing it again and taking a fresh listen. I was right to prefer Oasis.
I like Tracy Jacks as it’s an XTC sounding track, To The End and London Loves, but after that there is too much filler.
“Bowie” + sentimentality = inclusion here.
No favourite tracks
Not for me. Ordinary at best. Nothing new. Pseudo racism wisdom inserts to pad it out.
