Note: Well week two of the new format yields a couple different categories and a few less at the top of the list. I think business picks up next week with the No Doubters, I think Snake will like next week a little more. We shall see.
In Red’s Collection
The Beatles (The White Album) (1968) by the Beatles
There may not be another Beatles album where each member’s distinctive talent is so clearly displayed. The album is chalked full of some the best from the three songwriters – John, Paul and George. It’s topics range from nursery rhyme silliness to guns to guitars and everything in between. There is no reason why this shouldn’t be in every music lover’s collection.
Red’s Shameless Plug
Being There (1996) by Wilco
I don’t actually have this album or really know any of the songs on here, but I recently bought the Wilco album “Sky Blue Sky” and very much enjoy it. Unfortunately, I bought it after the CD Project albums were made so none of the tunes appear on there. Wilco has been branded “Alternative Country” but I don’t know what that really means. They may be a little slow for Snake’s tastes, but I’d recommend “Sky Blue Sky” and I have heard that “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” is also a very good album. Their cover of “California Stars” is also a good one to check out on You Tube sometime.
No Doubt About It
The Beach Boys Today ! (1965) by The Beach Boys
Recorded during Brian Wilson’s gradual breakdown, “Today!” is a precursor to the later acclaimed classic “Pet Sounds.” While the first side hits with traditional Beach Boys' songs like “Do You Wanna Dance?” and an early version of “Help Me, Ronda.” (without the second ‘h’), the second side is chalked full of heart-tugging ballads.
Beggars Banquet (1968) by The Rolling Stones
This was a departure from the psychedelic 60’s and return to the blues and country roots that the Stones were most suited for. “Sympathy for the Devil” kicks off this set and is nothing like anything else done prior to it. Other greats like “Street Fighting Man” and “Factory Girl” kept this album spinning as it battled with the recently released “The White Album” by the Beatles.
Billon Dollar Babies (1973) by Alice Cooper
“No More Mr. Nice Guy” is enough to set this album above a lot of other bands. This is one of the last albums done by the original Alice Cooper Band and it may be their best. They also got help from Marc Bolan, Donovan and Keith Moon on some of the tracks. Cooper embraces his stage persona with songs like “Raped and Freezin’,” “Generation Landslide” and “I Love the Dead.”
Birth of the Cool (1957) by Miles Davis
While I won’t profess to be a Mile Davis expert, Snake and I studied this album in college and there is denying it’s fusion of styles in a time when such experimentation was nonexistent. Besides you have to have big balls and enough to back it up to title your album “Birth of the Cool.”
Remember That Time
Beauty and the Beat (1981) by The Go-Gos
It’s hard not to tap your feet to most Go-Gos songs. It was the early 80s, people were glad to be out of the 70s and the country was starting to enjoy prosperity. Let’s put “We Got the Beat” on and dance a little while.
Follow That
Berlin (1973) by Lou Reed
Reed had to live up to his 1972 masterpiece “Transformer” and this concept album, a departure from his earlier style, left critics and fans shaking their heads. I am a Reed fan, so I’d probably like this album.
GO AWAY !
Before and After Science (1977) by Brian Eno
The review of this starts, “Before and After Science could be Brian Eno’s secret masterpiece…” I say, "Let’s keep that secret."
The Best of the Rest
Bert Jansch (1965) by Bert Jansch
The Snake will love this. Where have we seen this name before? Well, Jansch later formed a group called “The Pentangle.” Much like that, Jansch jams away on an acoustic guitar on this album. It’s a little folk, a little jam, a little progressive. I think the Snake will like a tune named “Angie.”
The Rest
Beautiful Freak (1996) by the Eels
This was a close second for Best of the Rest. Kind of grungy mixed with some early electronic beats.
Behaviour (1990) by Pet Shop Boys
I think we’ve covered these guys already. I didn’t read or hear anything really that different about this album.
The Bends (1995) by Radiohead
Maybe this is a No Doubter, but I don’t really like Radiohead so I am not putting it there.
Better Living Through Chemistry (1996) by Fatboy Slim
Most of Fatboy Slim stuff is catchy, I didn’t recognize these songs and didn’t find them as catchy.
Beyond Skin (1999) by Nitin Sawhney
This sounds like it might be a small step above Brian Eno. Better watch that step or your outta here!
Beyond Skin (1999) by Nitin Sawhney
This sounds like it might be a small step above Brian Eno. Better watch that step or your outta here!
Posts
7 comments:
This is a very electic group. I'll have to bring my best for Snake's Encore tomorrow. hmmm
Figures Eno would show up, I think he is obligated to show him like every 3rd posting or so.
I think I have heard of the majority of these people, so that helps.
Here is what I was thinking about in the car this morning. I included Ringo's quote in my post about how he always thought the White album should have been broken up. Double albums are always a tricky thing. Then I started thinking about some of the weird stuff that is one the white album. I think if you released them seperately thye would both be a below average Beatles album. I think the sheer volume helps mask some of the weakier, crazy songs on that album. Then, that made me wonder if you cut the album down like artists do most of the time to get it to a single disc, would it have been better? I can say right off the bat that I think the world would have been better it Revolution #9 was never released. There are 31 tracks in total, obviously of varying length., but if you had to cut it in half to 15, what would they be? Would it be a more cohevise and perhaps greater album than the original?
OK, so you can get out of my head now. I was actually thinking about posting this very same thing last night when I was coming home. I'd like to say it was an original idea, but I saw a thread on a message board discussing this. It did give me an idea for a new segment each week, maybe one we could take turns creating. This will maybe give me another week to think about it a little bit. I sort want to make it a more response oriented thing than a big long post. I'll think about more and fill you in later.
As far as the tracks I would pick. (I went with 12 songs because that was generally about what an album consisted of.)
1. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da (they always had a goofy upbeat song somewhere on an album)
2. While My Guitar Gently Weeps (duh)
3. Happiness is a Warm Gun (I like this song damn it)
4. Blackbird (good ballad)
5. Rocky Raccoon (goofy Paul song)
6. Birthday (guaranteed a lot of future play and royalties)
7. Sexy Sadie (they always have a song with a women's name it, I like this better than Julia)
8. Helter Skelter (duh)
9. Revolution 1 (I like the sped up version, but can't miss this one)
10. Back in the U.S.S.R. (I heard recently this was a jab at the Beach Boys)
11. Glass Onion (weird psychedelic stuff, keep the Peppers, Mystery Tour people happy)
12. Why Don't We Do It in the Road (Not a big fan of this song, but its one of those tunes that always had people saying did you hear they had song about doing it in the road. Word of mouth sells records).
This was kind of a quickly thought up list, maybe if I listened through the album again, I might say, "Oh, crap how could I forget that, but it gets the wheels turning. Lets hear the Snake's White Album.
I might have to put in "Don't Pass Me By" in there instead of doing it in the road. They always had to have Ringo sing one song.
Did I miss something or are you gonna tell me about the post you thought up later? Just making sure cause i was kinda confused. I had always thought he was making fun of the Beach Boys in USSR cause it kinda sounds like a bad ripoff in parts about the Ukraine girls knocking him out. It at least gives reason for the song.
Ok here is mine, I just went in album order cause I didnt wanna try to sort them.
1. Dear Prudence (I never used to like this song but since I've watched Across the Universe it has become my favorite for some reason. Like I get it now)
2. Glass Onion (Alot of clues in this one, makes you think)
3. While My Guitar Gently Weeps (without a doubt, best song on the album)
4. Happiness is a Warm Gun (To me, this is what this album was all about, the mood, the swing in tempo, the variations, all in 2:43)
5. Rocky Racoon (This was my mom's favorite song. It is a good story and it flows)
6. Birthday (just plain good)
7. Yer Blues (this is probably the second most descriptive song for the mood of this album)
8. Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except for Me and my Monkey (It think there is a very serious thought in here disguised by the silliness of adding 3 words to the title)
9. Helter Skelter (The heaviest I've ever heard the Beatles. So much history with this title. 'You may be a lover but you aint no dancer!' I love that lyric)
10. Honey Pie (This one beat out Martha My Dear for the final spot. I think it lightens up the album and his very old timey. Paul did these songs and still does i guess, better than anyone. I can picture them as kids sitting on the floor listening to it on the old radio.)
11. Savoy Truffle (i just always loved this song so this is probably my self indulgence. The horn backing is very good and I like the guitar playing.)
12. Goodnight (this is my Ringo song and I always thought this is a wonderful piece ending to this tumultous album. Like they are telling you dont be scared by this, it will be alright.)
The bigger shocker is probably which songs I have cut out of this album. To each his own I guess. I noticed I pulled more from the 2nd disc and i tried to keep the original darker feel of the album.
Back to the competition between Beggars Banquet & The Beatles, he is an interesting timeline I read about when doing some research yesterday.
The stone were set to release Beggar's banquet long before the White Album. But it got held up when the record companies balked at the cover with the bathroom wall. So they fought about that and finally the Stones caved adn to just get the album out they agreed to a mostly blank white cover.
Well the delay pushed them back to eventually 1 month after The Beatles is released. So it ended up looking like the Stones were copying the Beatles when it was something they were sorta forced into.
It wasnt until the 80's that the original cover was finally released. I guess they realized after Sticky Fingers & Goat Head's Soup were released, that a bathroom wall wasnt so bad :)
I let you know later about the post, it's still in the developmental stage in my brain.
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