Bringing It All Back Home

Rolling Stone Rank: 31

Another Dylan album in the top 50.  I understand why it wasn't higher, but yet I can see why Stone rated it as high as it did.  I found nothing wrong with the music, but it didn't really hit me as greatness.  I invite criticism, because I really have nothing good or bad to say about it.  Solid blues from the man, and yet there were times when the classic "Dylan whine" just gets on your nerves.  

Overall though, its Dylan at his core.  If you like him, it's another album to put on the shelf.  If you dislike him, you find another reason to stay away.  Don't like this one form your opinion, but it's worth a listen.

Stats

Album: Bringing It All Back Home

Artist: Bob Dylan

Year: 1965

My Favorite Song: Subterranean Homesick Blues

Tomorrow: The Stones

Blue

Rolling Stone Rank:30

Hello again, my computer was down again for a few days.  So, sorry to my hundreds of fans I'm sure you were on the edge of your seat.  Just kidding.  In case your reading this, I know that I'm the only one that reads these things, which is fine with me. 

The album I listened to a few days ago was Joni Mitchell's Blue.  Fantastic.  As I've said many times, the music that I respect most is the one that comes from the heart.  For me, it's passion.  That's the only thing that matters.  It doesn't matter the genre, doesn't matter the style, or really the era.  If you can feel that passion, that raw emotion, then you can really connect to an artist and to the music.

It's one of the reasons that I don't like rap music as much as other kinds.  I mean, yes, there are exceptions, from what I've heard about Kanye's new album, it's filled with emotion.  And while it's not the style people aren't used to, it's the emotion that draws you in.  The main problem I have with most rap is that I feel like the artist could care less about what he/she is doing.  They could care less about what they're saying, it's just a total turn off for me.  

Anyways, back to Blue.  I loved it.  It wasn't great to exercises to, but I listen to it later in the car, and it really came alive.  The emotion just pours out of every single song.  And so simplistic, so bare bones, I really enjoyed it.  Anyways, give it a listen.  Tell me what you think.

Stats

Album: Blue

Artist: Joni Mitchell

Year: 1971

Favorite Song: A Case of You

Tomorrow: Dylan

Led Zeppelin

Rollins Stone Rank: 29

Hello faithful reader(s). As you may or may not know, my personal life has had some major changes in the past few weeks. Anyways, I thought this would be a good time to get back to listening to the music that I love. Something about wanting something in my life to stay great, while rest of it falls apart. ok, so. moving on.

I totally agree with the Rolling Stone writer on this one. Listening to this album was like watching Jordan at UNC. Wow, you knew if was great, and yeah they won some games, but you had no idea he would be that good. Same thoughts on these boys from England. The first thing that jumps out at you is "wow, Robert Plant has a ridiculous voice". His range and emotion shine though on this album, almost drowning out the rest of the band.

Essentially the album is signature blues. The first few songs fool you with some pretty heavy guitar riffs, but by You Shook Me you can tell the albums true spirit It has all the usual aspects you would expect. Slow moving, blues progressions, elongated guitar solos, with little to no chord change underneath. I love the guttural screams that Plant gives throughout the album, most notably in Dazed and Confused and Communication Breakdown.

Overall, a great listen. I would obviously recommend this to anyone . It would be great to listen to all the Zeppelin albums chronologically. They are a great example of a band that kept getting better with each successive album.  But, that's not my game.

That's it for me, a short one to get this back up and running again. Oh yeah, Happy Holidays

Stats:

Album: Led Zeppelin

Artist: Led Zeppelin

Year: 1969

My Favorite Song: You Shook Me

Tomorrow: Joni