1001 Albums 506-520: Logical Progression - Madman Across the Water

Note: Yep, finally got back to this. Once you get through the first five, this turns into an OK group.

Logical Progression (1996) by L.T.J. Bukem
London Calling (1979) by The Clash
Lost Souls (2000) by Doves
Loveless (1991) by My Bloody Valentine
A Love Supreme (1965) by John Coltrane

First Five at a Glance: Logical Progression seems to be more ambient music. This book loves that for some reason. I am not sure I can say much about London Calling that hasn’t already been said. An important album that ushered punk into the next decade while lifting the genre up lyrically and politically. I didn’t see anything in the review of the Doves album that really made me want to check it out. It is, however, the first album from the 2000s listed in the book. Kudos to that. So the book says that My Bloody Valentine was part of the short-lived early Nineties “shoe-gazing” fad. I have no idea what that means or remember nothing of that. For those that like things progressive in nature, Coltrane is a must own. His jazz trips into about every other genre and influence possible.

Low (1977) by David Bowie
Low-Life (1985) by New Order
The Low End Theory (1991) by A Tribe Called Quest
Lust for Life (1977) by Iggy Pop
McCartney (1970) by Paul McCartney


Second Five at a Glance: I know the Snakester loves him some Bowie, but I have a feeling this album makes it on this list because the second half of this album is basically instrumental ambient music created by none other than – you guessed it – Brian Eno. New Order is the offspring of Joy Division. None of which really means much to me. I also have nothing of import to say about A Tribe Called Quest. We return to 1970s Berlin where Iggy Pop and David Bowie spent the better part of a couple years making albums together and doing lots of drugs. Bowie is a heavy influence on “Lust for Life” and gets co-writing credit on almost every song. The McCartney album stands on here more for its importance as the first post-Beatles album than its contribution musically. It’s McCartney – a little poetic, a little silly at times and chalked full of ballads. The books calls “Maybe I’m Amazed” maybe the best song McCartney wrote. It’s a good ballad, but I won’t go that far.

Machine Gun Etiquette (1979) by The Damned
Machine Head (1972) by Deep Purple
The Madcap Laughs (1970) by Syd Barrett
Made in Japan (1972) by Deep Purple
Madman Across the Water (1971) by Elton John

Third Five at a Glance: The Damned seems like a pretty solid British punk band that was not afraid of taking a few risks and make some un-punk decisions. Machine Head belongs here if for not other reason than “Smoke on the Water,” a track inspired by the band’s studio being torched during a Frank Zappa theater gig. “Highway Star,” is pretty awesome also. Great early hard rock. Made in Japan is the live counterpart featuring many of the tracks from Machine Head. Perhaps, the book should have picked a lane – go with the studio or the live album. The Madcap Laughs is touted as being sloppy and incomplete. Yet, I imagine it’d be interesting to see what Barrett had to offer away from Pink Floyd. His mental issues are apparently evident on this album. The Elton John album falls off the first two tracks of “Tiny Dancer” and “Levon.” I don’t know any of the rest. The album title may be a veiled reference to Richard Nixon.

The Goods: The Clash, Paul McCartney, Deep Purple, Elton John, David Bowie (on reputation more than this particular album) and Iggy Pop

Something to check out: The Damned – Not great, but I think pretty good.

Verdict: The last six or seven albums saved this group. I think overall it’s a step up from that last group, but not a very tall step. Maybe now that we are in the “Ms” things will improve.