Paranoid

Rolling Stone Rank: 130

THE Recording to begin hard rock. Listen to it. please. Listen to it and think about how great Osborne was, before this genereation turned him into a punchline.

Stats

Album: Paranoid
Artist: Black Sabbath
Year: 1971
My Favorite Song: War Pigs
Next Up: The Fever

40 Greatest Hits

Rolling Stone Rank: 129

Booo, greatest hits. Boo, compilation.

Ok, that's out of the way. It's an amazing way to get to know Mr. Williams. And it shows a side of him that I bet you didn't know existed. In college, my friend Matt had a Hank Williams tape. Yes, that's right I said tape. Well, it was an old car, and he didn't have a cd hook up yet. And yes, this were the days before Walgreens sold fm transmitters for $20. Anyways, i rode back home with him once and listened to this tape. When we started our trip, he was raving about this tape, i couldn't believe we were gonna spend the whole trip with this "country" singer. But by the end I had grown a new respect for the man. So that's how I think you'll feel about this recording. That's how I think you'll feel about it. The man had a dark side too, I liked Move It On Over

Stats

Album: 40 Greatest Hits
Artist: Hank Williams
Year: 1978
My Favorite Song: Move It On Over
Next Up: Black Sabbath

Marquee Moon

Rolling Stone Rank: 128

Glad that The Talking Heads came before them. The Talking Heads were the evolution three years later of what Television introduced in 1977. Well, television and the rest of the NYC punk movement, which was of course the outreach of the English punk movement. Not sure what I mean by that, I'm not really saying that their music wasn't validated, or that they didn't mean what they were saying. But, what were they saying? The British movement rose out of the complete and utter poverty that the peasant were living in. Were the New York punks just angry because they were young? And again, not there's anything wrong with that. not that they didn't feel the full passion they were singing and playing, but will it last the test of time? Interesting thoughts, right? Well, to me they are. It brings about that great question, is music more meaningful if you know the background behind it? I would say...maybe. You could argue it either way. Since music, like most art, is meant to play upon the emotions an individual feels, it doesn't really matter why the artist created it.

I guess it shows what kind of person I am. I want to get the interpretation right, whatever that means. I want to know what the artist intended for it, and maybe it makes me respect their work just a little bit more than artists who just don't give a damn. hmmmm, and that just brings me back to punk again. Man, I don't sound like the 16 year old who listened to nothing buy Fat WreckChords through junior year...

Oh hey, take a listen to this record, let me know how you feel about the angst...

Stats

Album: Marquee Moon
Artist: Television
Year: 1977
My Favorite Song: Friction
Next Up: Hank Williams, oh boy

If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears

Rolling Stone Rank: 127

I should explain. Usually, when I write these it's only about 2 or 3 at a time, because that's the only free moment I have. Or I should say, a free moment that isn't taken up thinking about other stupid things. Anyways, these are different, because I listened to these last five albums all on the same weekend trip. It was the trip I took with my high school kids, to Indy. I'll admit, I didn't have the usual opportunity that I do to immerse myself in an album, but at the same time, it was a different experience. I wasn't thinking about other things during the album. It was just me and the road, and in this case the Mamas and the Papas.

A great album, including two of the best songs the Mamas and Papas ever recorded and my second favorite song by this group. A unique sound, especially since they were one of the first band I had ever heard that had more than just a two part harmony. Most people my age only know California Dreamin' from mash-ups, or at least that's all I remember hearing it in college. Though I suppose you could say that about all the music I enjoy.

Beyond that harmonies, the song that I like most on this album is Spanish Harlem. I know it's a cover, and usually covers don't sit well with me, but what can I say? I heard the cover first, and fell in love with it. Also, one of the first times that I had heard a vibraphone in a recording. In middle school, I never had heard the vibes solo in a recording. The sound is unlike any other I had ever encountered. A pure sound, like a chime, but with an enticing quality.

Most definitely listen to the album, but at the very least check out the recording.

Oh what the hell, here it is

Stats

Album: If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears
Artist: The Mamas and the Papas
Year: 1966
My Favorite Song: Spanish Harlem
Next Up: Television

Remain in Light

Rolling Stone Rank: 126

A "new wave masterpiece" as dubbed by RS. Pretty sure I agree with them, it's a really fun album. Where each song flows into the next perfectly. Of course culminated with the fantastic Once In a Lifetime. For all the praise that David Byrne gets as this genius lyricist, I didn't realize the wonderful music behind it, I recommend you take a listen to this one. (compared to all the other ones I didn't recommend, right? I should really put a scale to this...)

Stats

Album: Remain in Light
Artist: The Talking Heads
Year: 1980
My Favorite Song: Once in a Lifetime
Next Up: The Mamas and the Papas

Raw Power

Rolling Stone Rank: 125

One more before I head off to bed. Fun ride to go on with the Stooges, this thing definitely gets your blood pumping. How can you listen to the Stooges and not picture Iggy Pop just going nuts on stage. It a strange sensation, when an aural experience is utterly dominated and taken over by such a strong visual experience. The only other thing that I can compare it to, is when you listen to a band that you've seen live. But I obviously never saw the Stooges, sigh. Another thing that upsets me while I listen to these albums, is just to realize that even though I'm hearing the recording they put out. I'll never have a chance to hear them live. And I mean live in the sense that I'll never be able to listen to them in their peak. That just is unfair, and not that there isn't great bands to hear now. I mean you could certainly make a case for many of the current bands, but none of them are really revolutionary. None of them are scaring the hell of out people with their sounds, or their ideas. Just not the same, and let's be honest it'll never happen again.

Sorry for these long paragraphs, I have this nervous energy going tonight. Should be a long weekend. It's been a year, this Saturday. I really don't want to start thinking about it. Because I know she's not thinking about it.

Anyway, I also bought the newest Weezer album this week. I like every song except for that rap number they tried to sneak past. It's a sad state when a band can include a song like that, and it's just another genre variation in the album. And not that I hate it, or that I'm going to boycott that album, or hell even say I don't like the album. Because I DO like the album, and it just goes to show how we've all assimilated. So fine. I really only have two options. Start writing and recording my own songs in hope people will agree with me, and make me rich and famous. OR, listen to RS top 500 albums, and bitch and moan about the state of popular music
hmmm, goodnight friend

Stats

Album: Raw Power
Artist: The Stooges
Year: 1973
My Favorite Song: Search and Destroy
Next Up: Talking Heads

Younger Than Yesterday

Rolling Stone Rank: 124

Hey, how's it going? Sorry I haven't written on here in awhile. But, let's be honest, the only reason I started this was as a way to motivate myself to work out. I'm happy to report that I don't need that extra motivation. In fact, and I'm sorry to report this, I've started listening to podcast while I exercise. You can thank Abdalla for that one, but I must say it works pretty well. I think because I've moved past the stage where I'm running during a song, and take the next song off. I'm at the point now where I can continuously do something for the entirety of the workout, so I need something that can keep my attention. It was basically a perfect storm of Abdalla telling me about it, him and Chris bugging me to listen to the BS report, and the return of Mr. Tony to the radio. Which, on another note, has just been fantastic. I really wish everyone in the world could listen to that show, because he's so damn entertaining.

Well, anyways, I did listen to this Byrds album awhile back, just haven't had time to discuss it until now. It seems like every night I'm just too exhausted to do anything, especially to think about dissecting a complicated album. Nevertheless, I did like this album. RS is right, it's sad what was happening to the band while they were compiling this album, and it just goes to show how amazing bands like The Stones and were. By that I mean bands that didn't break up, didn't go crazy with power, etc. Oh also, it's never good IMO when the best song on your album is a cover of another dude's great song. case in point, My Back Pages. later

Stats

Album: Younger Than Yesterday
Artist: The Byrds
Year: 1967
My Favorite Song: My Pack Pages
Next Up: Stooges