Fun to intentionally listen to some music I wouldn't intentionally seek out a lot of the time. I'd heard quite a bit of Sam Cooke before, but I really should make a point of seeking out live recordings, especially of older music. Really brings a new dimension to the recordings.
I'd never listened to much past Bittersweet Symphony, but I can see why. There wasn't a lot for me here, nothing really stuck out.
Spent way too much time in my earlier years thinking Zeppelin was too overhyped. While there has been so much musical innovation in the last 60 years several bands/artists certainly get talked about more than they should. There's a lot of other incredible artists doing incredible things we could be dissecting. But at the same time being a drummer and intentionally listening to Bonham play is such an incredible experience. Praise being heaped on drummers that just play really fast or hit a lot of different things has always bugged me. But I love that Bonham can hit really hard, but also show restraint and serve the groove so much better than most highly acclaimed drummers can.
Paige also gets a ton of praise and rightfully so, a lot of the sound of the band gets attributed to him and learning about their production techniques and experimenting and trying new things is one of my favorite things to learn about bands from the 60's - 80's. Plus he really is the embodiment of playing with soul, he can fuck up a bunch of notes in a solo and it doesn't make my skin crawl cause he makes it work.
Robert Plant also gets his share of praise for being a great vocalist and honestly I have the least insightful commentary, but yeah he sings good.
But the guy I feel like gets the least amount of talk is John Paul Jones, not surprising the bassist gets the least acknowledgment, but damn does he just hold everything together. But that's what bassists, especially blues bassists do. Hearing Them Crooked Vultures (UNFORTUNATELY, ONE AND ONLY ALBUM) really cemented that. Just absolutely holding it down while writing his own fun riffs and playing keys occasionally. So much respect for that guy. Also Them Crooked Vultures please make another album, I beg you please.
Anyway, this album is incredible and totally deserving of 5 stars from me.
I'd never intentionally listened to Abba, they've just always been around. The hits here are classics, Dancing Queen, Money, Money, Money, and Fernando. The rest are more forgettable for me, especially the first track on the album , oof.
Such a great album I hadn't listened to in so long. Easy to see why this is an influence on so many singer/songwriters. Great production and sound throughout, I got sucked in to listening and forgot to write anything until it was over.
Hell yeah, now we're getting weird with it. Another one of those bands I've never sat down and intentionally listened to. While it can be hard at times to do that while not on drugs it's worth it when the grooves settle in. The fathers of prog rock can at times sink into the more grating parts of the genre for me (a bunch of disjointed segments that never really let me settle into a groove), but I was able to get past it most of the time.
Love some Elton John, but this album didn’t feel as deep as a lot of his others. Still good though.
Can't believe this is Stevie's 15th album and it kicked off his run of his six most well known albums. Hard to say, but I think this barely edges out Songs In The Key of Life for me. As a kid I got bored trying to learn to play piano and I never did, as an adult it was so difficult to pick up even basic scales and I regret not being more patient with it as a kid. The way Stevie Wonder and anyone who is great at playing is able to imbue feeling into every note is so much more than just playing though. It's truly one of the most impressive things to me. Plus he sings at the same time which is so hard to do. And he plays the drums on top of all that! Truly one of the greatest musicians we've ever had.
P.S. Jeff Beck's guitar work on "Lookin' for Another Pure Love" is so good it's insane. Not huge and showy just perfect for the song. I like to think he was just ripping it in the studio and the laugh and "do it Jeff" was actually how Stevie Wonder reacted.
Imagine writing songs with Prince and then being like.. nah that’s alright I don’t need them.
Ow, we want the funk
Give up the funk
Ow, we need the funk
We gotta have that funk
I hear "Bass! How low can you go?" and I'm right back in my childhood living room playing Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 with my brother. I never thought about it before, but other than the And1 Greatest Mixtape Ever and the Straight Outta LA 30-for-30 I've never seen the connection between sports and music explored much, especially including sports games. I got introduced to so much great music that way. Something I've never really appreciated until now.
Reading about this album just now and how Check D wanted to make an album like 'Marvin Gaye's What's Going On', makes me want to make a playlist of social commentary tracks.
Right here, right now
Just not my jam. Just sounds too similar and I don’t really like the sounds..
A classic
Hell yeah, I like when we get weird on this list. Somehow had never really heard of this band other than knowing that Rhys Ifans used to be in a band. I really liked how many genres they tapped into, lots of different sounds and inspirations. Was very cool.
Wasn’t sure what to expect from this at first glance, but No Other (the track) really sold me. Strength of Strings is such a jam. I wanna go driving and listen to this.
Another album I had no knowledge of and am so glad I found. Everything about it is really great, but the drummer especially is just living in the pocket and is so fun to listen to.
Joan has played Ovation acoustic guitars since 1973, certified ball knower.
Man, this was just a delightful album to discover.
Metallica has always been about the hits for me. I don’t really love too much else.
I’ll rank the albums I know in order for me personally.
1). Ride The Lightning
2). Metallica
3). Search and Destroy
4). Master of Puppets
5). …And Justice For All
6). Whatever else they’ve got going on…
…
Infinity). St. Anger (and that fuck ass snare Lars is smacking around that sounds like he’s hitting a metal propane tank)
That one theater kid from high school when you ask how their day is going:
Starting the album by just telling us what the album is about was a choice.
God forbid a red head get a little motion.
So tempted to give this a 5/5. Such an incredibly nostalgic album for me.
Can’t believe we got a “Someone’s In The Kitchen With Dinah” interpolation in a drag 70’s punk band song called Subway Train.
I’ve definitely never intentionally listened to this whole album, but I knew almost every song. So that’s something. By the time we were about halfway through though I was starting to get bored, seemed like there were really only two songs here, the slower ballads and the faster pop songs.
It sounds like every song is on a different album, but has some fun songs. I’ll fight anyone who says Genesis was better with Peter Gabriel though.
Love me some Wilco
Rip Off and Planet Queen were my favorites here.
Oh hell yeah P.I.M.P is on, turn that shit up. I better go hang out next to the open window in my attic while my wife has an important interview downstairs, oh look my wife is here, that’s great, I’m sure this is fine.
That (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction cover was, is, and will continue to be heinous. I wish I could like all the rest as much as Uncontrollable Urge, but I just can’t.
Just fine, wasn’t much that jumped out at me though.
A nice, calming drive back from San Diego with Billie.
I saw Curtis Mayfield and the album name/artwork and knew we were in for a banger.
Weird, and I don’t love a lot of the noises, but I like when this list gets weird and it settles into some nice grooves eventually.
Thank you for putting me on hold.
Alright you know I wasn’t feeling it and then I had to try and keep myself from laughing uncontrollably when Bach Is Dead came on while I’m sitting in a coffee shop.
Elvis and His Boss is also an incredible song title, alright maybe they’re winning me back.
Lizard Lady also for some reason reminds me of Veggie Tales songs.
It’s not very good, but you know that’s not the point. But I had a good time after all.
I’d love to hear from someone whose been to a Friendsgiving with Beck.
Honestly if I had to listen to Imagine I’d 🔫 John Lennon too.
Almost 5 for Kashmir alone.
Been a long time since I’ve listened to this whole album and I forgot how much I disliked Blue Condition and how the instrumentation of Tale of the Brave Ulysses is so similar to Sunshine of Your Love.
An absolute classic album. Just a solid jam though and through.
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die (said threateningly)
Blowin’ In The Wind has got to be like a Top 10 All Time song easily for me. This whole album is really just great.
I think if we had half stars this would be a 4.5, but I enjoy it so much it’s a 5 for me here.
I know cultural perceptions change, but I’ll give the people who said Rock music is evil this, they were singing about having sex with teenagers A LOT.
And you may find yourself living in a shotgun shack
And you may find yourself in another part of the world
And you may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile
And you may find yourself in a beautiful house, with a beautiful wife
And you may ask yourself, "Well, how did I get here?"
Letting the days go by, let the water hold me down
Letting the days go by, water flowing underground
Into the blue again, after the money's gone
Once in a lifetime, water flowing underground
And you may ask yourself, "How do I work this?"
And you may ask yourself, "Where is that large automobile?"
And you may tell yourself, "This is not my beautiful house"
And you may tell yourself, "This is not my beautiful wife"
Letting the days go by, let the water hold me down
Letting the days go by, water flowing underground
Into the blue again, after the money's gone
Once in a lifetime, water flowing underground
Same as it ever was, same as it ever was
Same as it ever was, same as it ever was
Same as it ever was, same as it ever was
Same as it ever was, same as it ever was
Water dissolving and water removing
There is water at the bottom of the ocean
Under the water, carry the water
Remove the water from the bottom of the ocean
Water dissolving and water removing
Letting the days go by, let the water hold me down
Letting the days go by, water flowing underground
Into the blue again, into the silent water
Under the rocks and stones, there is water underground
Letting the days go by, let the water hold me down
Leting the days go by, water flowing underground
Into the blue again, after the money's gone
Once in a lifetime, water flowing underground
You may ask yourself, "What is that beautiful house?"
You may ask yourself, "Where does that highway go to?"
And you may ask yourself, "Am I right, am I wrong?"
And you may say to yourself, "My God, what have I done?"
Letting the days go by, let the water hold me down
Letting the days go by, water flowing underground
Into the blue again, into the silent water
Under the rocks and stones, there is water underground
Letting the days go by, let the water hold me down
Letting the days go by, water flowing underground
Into the blue again, after the money's gone
Once in a lifetime, water flowing underground
Same as it ever was, same as it ever was
Same as it ever was, look where my hand was
Time isn't holding up, time isn't after us
Same as it ever was, same as it ever was
Same as it ever was, same as it ever was
Same as it ever was, same as it ever was (I couldn't get no rest)
Same as it ever was, hey let's all twist our thumbs
Here comes the twister
Letting the days go by (same as it ever was, same as it ever was)
Letting the days go by (same as it ever was, same as it ever was)
Once in a lifetime, let the water hold me down
Letting the days go by, water flowing underground
6/5, absolute classic, zero skips, 🤌🏻
Legitimately archive this in the library of congress archives if it’s not already. I don’t know if there’s another single album I’d pick that encompasses the 2000’s better.
R.I.P. Chester
As one who is largely only aware of Running Up That Hill and having heard that song about a million times in the last few years cause of Stranger Things, I’m glad it wasn’t on this album.
Drive My Car has such a great guitar riff.
Thanks for being weird David
In Steely Dan we trust. 🫡
Didn’t realize this album was so slut shamey, and biblical, and horny. A real enigma.
Kelly: “Girl, you need to have some respect for yourself, put some clothes on.”
Beyoncé: “I’m going to go party with my friends, just kidding is that a guy? I’m going to have his child.”
Michelle: “Jesus loves me, oh yes He does. For the Bible tells me so.”
They don’t call him the King for nothing.
Love is not having to listen to Love any more.
4 stars for Walk This Way and Sweet Emotion alone.
My problem with Radiohead has never been their music. But Thom Yorke and their insane fans.
The transition between 20 minute Jazz/Prog-rock odyssey to Jeremy Bender made me laugh so fucking hard.
Dang, they forgot to make the good tracks on this one. Few songs got there but not most.
Tempted to give it a 5. Such a jam.
