Thought less of it than I remembered. A few of the songs combined psychedelic sounds, melody and child-like sentiment that can be poignant. Too many of them fell short musically.
Prefer other records of they've made.
I tried to think of an "all-time classic" where the ballads are by far the best songs. I guess Blue comes to my mind. "Caroline, No" and especially "God Only Knows", plus the experimentation with percussion sounds make it worthy of a classic.
However, I cannot say I am moved by the other songs. It is chamber pop as for me, nothing swings, grooves or rocks to my ears.
King Kunta and i, not surprisingly, were my top tracks. Absolutely killer grooves, although the latter snags its riff from the Isley Brothers "Who's That Lady."
Multi-tasking for much of the album, but other tracks did not grab me that much.
I missed the joke and commentary, because I am old and white, but is it original to offer lyrics in two songs, at least, about your dick?
One day I will listen with a lyric sheet, which might help me get the album's classic status.
Of all the bands to become megastars, Pink Floyd has to be the oddest. Long songs, often dealing with mental anguish, cold delivery from singers and little roll to their rock.
I have to tip my cap to 1970s listeners, their drugs and/or stereo systems for making Pink Floyd a massive band despite its experimental and adventuresome approach to music.
Some of the coldness and lack of a groove leads parts fo "Wish You Were Here" to become ponderous, most notably "Welcome to the Machine." I find that song to be chilling in many ways, even though like "Have a Cigar" it focuses on getting caught in the maws of the record industry.
That theme pales in comparison to the heartbreak lyrically and sonically of the title track and the epic two part suite "Shine on You Crazy Diamond." The numerous graceful touches of multiple players makes the instrumental passages to "Diamond" quite effective. Having listened to a few Floyd albums recently, I am realizing their great use of guest back-up vocalists. They always add a needed note of soul to the technical sheen.
And in closing, I always find the "two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl in "Wish You Were Here" moving.
What keeps this album from perfection? Like many soul records of the 1960s, Franklin was compelled to throw in cover of R&B standards like "Good Times", which while pleasing are far from the high stakes battles in the ballads, and lack the rocket fuel of the albums justly famous upbeat numbers. When the oft-recorded "standards" match Franklin's talent , such as "Drown in My Own Tears" and "A Change Is Gonna Come", she excels at carving out unique and personalized versions.
With small criticism out of the way, this album falls squarely in my top 20 of all-time, and given the day cracks the top 10. Praising Aretha's singing is a waste of space as you will just end up stating that she was the greatest of all-time; case closed.
Having just praised the use of back-up vocals on other records, it must be said that Franklin's sisters, Erma and Carolyn, and Cissy Houston provide the most famous support in pop music history. It takes a singer of Aretha's caliber to match, let alone, outshine them.
The band has too many stellar moments to name here. First, and foremost, Aretha's piano playing looms large, pushing the tracks in a harder direction, which allows Spooner Oldham's electric piano to become the groovy, dark element that the songs require. The arrangements keep the horns from becoming too intrusive as they color rather than overwhelm most tunes, with King Curtis' solo on "Respect" being another reason it ranks among the greatest songs ever recorded.
Like all superb records, the deeper cuts raise "I Never Loved a Man" to its exalted status. While not completely unknown, the title track and "Dr. Feelgood" best exhibit the combination of Franklin's piano playing and singing, boosted by Oldham's and the back-up singers' contributions.
"Save Me" somehow never got the attention it deserved. Nearly as funky as Franklin's later monster groove song, "Rock Steady", it is a quintessential piece of stripped down R&B. The rhythm section sticks to the simple chords in relentless fashion pushing Franklin, and just her, no back-up singers, to epic heights. The lyrics lack the poetry of "Respect" and "Natural Woman," but Franklin sends them soaring as she pulls out her full arsenal of vocal skills to challenge the gritty instrumental underneath her.
It would be harsh to call my two recent listens to Aladdin Sane disappointing, but the album did not stand out as much as I remembered. Part of the problem is that I love the versions on Davide Live at the Tower for many of these songs. Some people malign that records, but to me tracks like "Cracked Actor" and "Watch That Man" leap off the record whereas they are merely good on "Aladdin Sane."
Also, except for the closing track "Lady Grinning Soul", I do not find the ballads and mid-tempo songs up to Bowie's usual standards. Lack the heart rendering, theatrical and tenderness of his best work.
But it is still a damn fine record. "Jean Genie" can compete with the best of Bowie's hard rock stompers. I might actually prefer his version of "Let's Spend the Night Together" to the Stones. The title song seems like a cross between Ziggy and the Sigma Sound era Bowie about to happen. The band excels on "Panic in Detroit" as the bass pulses while the drums reach into a more expressive direction than the straight rock of the rest of the record.
It's tough being great. Bar set high, and this record almost cleared it.
A bit surprising and disappointing that as a rock fan who was 26 when this album first came out that I do not think I gave it a full listen until now. Unfair to develop views based on a few listens of hit songs and bits of what I read.
Will I go back and play "Dookie" on my own; probably not. This type of rock does not hold interest for me now. Of the three big hits, I genuinely enjoy "Longview," but find "Basket Case" and "When I Come Around" unappealing. That fact alone might limit further plays.
Some of the unfamiliar tracks were solid, such as the first three songs and "Welcome to Paradise." They slammed power chords in a tuneful manner. "Pulling Teeth" and "She" featured some variety in vocal, and putting the bass more in the front than Billie Joe Armstrong's Who-Ramones-Jam guitar.
Armstrong certainly has a way with melody, which allows the bass and quite often the drums to flourish. Or do the bass and drums lift up his songs?
Maybe with more listens (I expect American Idiot will make an appearance on this list), I will be able to move past my dislike of Armstrong's vocals. One day, Thom Yorke's vocals stopped bothering me, and Radiohead became a great band to my ears. It never happened with Morrissey.
Like The Foo Fighters and White Stripes, Green Day has helped breath a little life into the decrepit 30 year decline of the rock and roll corpse. I respect them for that contribution.
Jeff Beck “Truth” THREE AND A HALF STARS
I have had an up and down relationship with this album. Started out as unimpressed, but then felt like Beck’s guitar and the hard rock template it established made the album worthy of the hefty reappraisal it has received over the last decade. With this last listen and others recently, I find myself leaning towards my original rating of the album.
Like early Led Zeppelin, “Truth” is often at the mercy of its cover selections. Personally, I do not find even the original blues versions of “Rock Me Baby” and “You Shook Me” all that interesting. As songs they scratch the surface of best blues earthiness, and do not come close to the menace, bawdy rebel fun and declaratory power of better songs. In the hands of countless rock bands who covered them, they border on dull. The same can be said for “Greensleeves” and “Ol Man River.”
The Rod Stewart who was about to appear on The Faces records and his own solo albums is not here on this record. He has a pleasing rasp, but can’t seem to quite get to the heart of songs like he would just a few years later. Ronnie Wood on bass and Micky Waller on drums are capable, but there was not a single moment where they stood out. I am sure other listeners will disagree.
A swirling cover of “Shapes of Things”, the endless fascinating, what might have been sounds of “Beck’s Bolero” and the demon snarl of “Ain’t Superstitious” save the record. Beck’s guitar on the latter may be the rudest belch on any rock record. Few instrumentalists in rock can create a sound that burrows into your brain. Notice a sound, not a riff. Unlike the large pantheon of great British 1960s guitar players, Beck lacked the ability to compose riffs that carried songs. This album and its follow-up exposed those limitations. With Rod and Woody not yet writing endearing tracks that they brought to the Faces, The Jeff Beck Group comes up short in my eyes.
This album has earned high praise for 60 years from a variety of critics. It is a pleasing album with even the downtrodden songs featuring a humorous take on the character's plight. When a song deals with immoral behavior, King offers jovial advice to the audience. Adding some grit, King tosses off some stinging, precise single-note runs that helped to put his name at the top of many bluesman lists.
Having heard this album, a later live one at "Cook County Jail" and seeing King in person, the above features are all too familiar. King played show after show, and the routine barely seems to have altered, at least in this period, if ever.
Like a blues Louis Armstrong, King played a role, perhaps his true persona, over and over for literally 1,000s of shows. It has some fine qualities, but is middle of the road.
Sam Cooke took similar criticism for this bland pop when he issued a "Live at the Copa." After his death, "Live at the Harlem Square" came out featuring Cooke cutting loose to show true soul and gospel powers. Maybe a recording exists of King in similar fashion, and I have missed it.
It could be that King's slightly less urban take on the jump blues of Louis Jordan and T-Bone Walker is not my cup of tea. The "Cook County" album has more moving moments in it compared to the nightclub stylings and banter here. My apologies to a legend, but thumbs down.
The Beatles - “Abbey Road” FIVE STARS
After hearing this record literally my entire life, the most recent listen brought two firsts as I used headphones and streamed it. Both may have helped bring out some new qualities on my 726th listen to “Abbey Road.”
I have always felt it is the most produced Beatles’ record. It sounds like a different era of recording compared to their last two records, let alone “Meet the Beatles.” At times it drifts into overproduction as the songs become too manufactured and depersonalized. However, the headphones also brought out their greatness as studio musicians and craftsmen. The more obvious ones like Ringo’s drumming on “Come Together” and “The End,” as well as how he keeps “Here Comes the Sun” from becoming too wimpy. As usual in my more recent Beatles’ listening, Paul stands out with slinky electric piano on “Come Together” and numerous songs with his bass counterpoints. The latter almost became too busy as I honed in on it.
Lastly, I always had to flip the record after the abrupt end to “I Want You.” I enjoyed how “Here Comes the Sun” quickly appeared, well, kind of like its title.
Hard to give it anything, but the highest rating when an album starts with “Come Together” and “Something.” The medley section has so many moments that stand out. One last “yeah, yeah, yeah” in “Polythene Pam.” John harkens back to a bit of psychedelia with “Because” and “Sun King.” The amazing segue from “Pam” to “She Came in Through the Bathroom Window”, with similar seemlessness between the final four songs of the medley.
Nearly every song on the album could be a children’s song. Lessons abound about behavior, carrying burden and positivity. Mr. Mustard, Pam, Maxwell and all of “Octopus Garden” could come from Roald Dahl or Maurice Sendak.
The child-like aspect can be both endearing and annoying, helping to make “Abbey Road” only my 6th-7th favorite Beatles album. The first side drops quite a bit after the opening two songs. Paring down both “Oh, Darling” and “She’s So Heavy” would help. For all the doom/stoner rock forerunner of “Heavy” it usually leaves me like many of Led Zeppelin’s 7-10 minutes blues numbers: let’s get this over with boys.
It is an album made by the greatest band in the world when they had honed all of their skills to the highest professional level. Those skills make it a near perfect masterpiece.
