Top 50 Favorite Albums: Part 5

Half way there...

21. (Untitled) (Un-issued) [Two Disc Reissue] - Byrds

Until this came out as a two CD set this one would not have made this list. The live set was just too forced for my tastes at the time and the studio tracks showed a band going a different direction. On this reissue you get the original album as a single disc (which is still pretty cool), the second disc is all unreleased studio and live performances that make this one a keeper.

The group was of course a far cry from the original band at this point. For the previous few years this had been essentially Roger McGuinn and friends. Their base was now somewhere in Nashville and not the studios of L.A.. All of these additional cuts are simply wonderful and beg the question of what was going on with the initial issue of this set. Perceived commerce no doubt. If you prefer your Byrds with a more country slant and a sound that veers closer to Little Feat than Poco grab this one.

22. Let It Be (Either version) - Beatles

Put me in the minority of those who don’t particularly care for all that Spector did as a producer. This one has always worked for me in much the same way his singles with Lennon seemed to bring out the best in both of them. In reality I’m not sure he did all that much here based on outtakes and alternates of the songs. To fully understand the greatness of this album you have to do a bit of homework.

As someone who has chased down and listened to countless hours of bootlegs and watched endless DVD’s of these sessions I feel I can comment on this one. The first thing that you learn from those hundreds of hours and miles of tapes is this forty some minute disc is really all the usable material there is. However, to me it’s one of their best efforts, flaws and all. Even before Paul decided that it needed to be peeled away this one was already pretty bare. The addition of Billy Preston was a stroke of genius and his organ carries the day on several songs.

If it had been up to me here’s what I would have done with this redux: I would have used most of the new mixes that Paul did and also added “Don’t Let Me Down” to the set list. I then would have left intact the dialog and the original running order. Then as a bonus I would have included a second disc with the entire “rooftop concert” as a real coda to an incredible decade. For a band that started their career essentially in a basement it seemed fitting that it would conclude on a rooftop.

23. Pet Sounds - Beach Boys

This album shows up on nearly any list of favorites, long or short. It’s almost an obligatory inclusion. But, to be honest there is a reason for that, the album still sounds great and innovative and no one it seems is immune to its charms. Unlike a lot of forty year old albums this one still has many layers to peel away (mono or stereo) with each new listen.

In time I would spend years listening to their early seventies trilogy of “Sunflower,” “Holland” and “Surf’s Up” and marvel at the depth of their talents during changing times. Although it sounds silly after all these years, I still think this group is underrated in many ways. They have become such a part of the “fabric” that their initial and subsequent impact has been softened with time. I include this one because I’ve never taken it out of the “rotation” and like “Sgt. Pepper’s…” it works as a complete suite when you’ve got the time. Song for song it’s a pile of singles that you don‘t have to get up and keep flipping. It’s also one of the few albums that has perfect sequencing.

To focus on one track, the song that still haunts me all these years later is “Caroline No.” The opening verse is one of my favorite’s ever in a song. In that short verse lyricist Tony Asher captures that moment when summer ends and you return to school and learn that the girl you left in May is another person. More than her hair has changed, but it starts there.

It’s that frozen moment you step on the bus and glance down the isle and there she is all of a sudden, or maybe you get to homeroom and spot her walking in with her new look and new friends. You have lost some ground since the last time you saw her. You’re still playing sandlot ball and she’s wearing makeup and hose. It‘s one of those moments that unfolds in slow motion like the dream where you can‘t quite dial a phone or react fast enough to impending doom. Quicksand has replaced solid ground and your arms weigh a hundred pounds. You’ll spend the rest of your life searching for that elusive moment that slipped away. You’ll never regain it no matter how hard you try. We’ve all been there.

“Where did your long hair go
Where is the girl I used to know
How could you lose that happy glow
Oh, Caroline no”

24. Get Yer Ya Ya’s Out - Rolling Stones

I know this isn’t really one complete show per say, but it has that vibe. For me this was the first time I’d heard a live album that actually made me think there had been a real concert somewhere. Some of the faux-live junk that came out in the sixties like The Kinks “Live At Kelvin Hall” and even the Stones’ “Got Live If You Want It” were simply awful. As big a fan as I was I knew when my lunch money was funding a label obligation and little else. Well, maybe I knew.

This one has the loose swagger of a band that is in total control of the moment and lets the crowd climb on for the ride. I’m probably wrong, but this was the first time I can remember a concert album not being a “greatest hits” done live. They didn’t know it at the time, but they were on the verge of putting a stake in the sixties while taking a leering, often salacious gaze at the upcoming decade. No doubt they were setting their sights on claiming it without having to worry about the Beatles ever again. Satisfaction was just a moonlight mile down the road.

25. Hidden Things - Paul Kelly

This wasn’t an intended album, but more a collection of stray songs from 1986 through 1991, save for two selections . If you’ve never heard Kelly then you’ve really missed an essential artist who is capable of some of the most memorable music that you’re likely to hear. Unique is an overused word and I’m as guilty as anyone of throwing it around. However, it’s the best way to describe him that I can think of. As a songwriter he manages to cut through all of the clichés and get to the point. It isn’t always the most flattering portrait that he paints but it’s honest in a way that most music seldom approaches.

The reason I’m including a collection on this list is because somehow this eighteen song set has an ebb and flow that most albums don’t offer. The first thought after hearing this is to wonder how songs like this didn’t make it on other albums. Then when your curiosity gets the best of you and you check out some of his other work you begin to understand just how talented he is. If you want to get in on the action with this guy then searching out this import is a great way start.

Top 50 Favorite Albums: Part 6

Moving right along....

26. September Of My Years - Frank Sinatra

In an earlier post I went on and on about how great this album was. I re-read the post and still feel the same way, so here’s a link to it that will let you know how I feel about this one. September Of My Years previous post

27. Lone Justice (Debut) - Lone Justice

Tell me an album is great before I hear it or before it’s even released and you’re going to have a harder sell. Be a label promotion man calling me and telling me how something is going to change the way I look at music and you’re flirting with the hold button. I had heard so much about this album before its release that I was almost burned out on it before I heard a note.

Then one day a copy arrives in the mail and lo and behold everything was suddenly different. It was actually better than I was led to believe. Like the beast from the wild this band was led by a child. A precocious songwriter and fireball singer that rocked my world. She had so much energy that I thought she was going to explode before she could finish a song. Like Neko Case she could control her voice and wrote songs that she could wrap it around. I’m not sure anyone could really cover one of these songs and do it any justice (pun intended).

To my way of thinking this was really the start of the alt-country movement. This band had ignored any perceived boundaries and just made a record that they liked. It would serve as the template for a whole genre. Forget the Uncle Tupelo and Whiskeytown posing, this band was following their muse and not stopping to label anything.

The band and Maria McKee would of course issue other recordings and some of them are excellent, but this being the first lands it here. I could make the argument that if their second album would have come out first it would have had a similar effect on me. You can pick this one up just about anywhere for under ten bucks. It’s a better deal than a few gallons of gas or a couple of lattes for my money.

28. All The Young Dudes - Mott The Hoople

By now everyone knows the story behind this album and how David Bowie rescued them from their musical malaise. It’s one of the stories that make rock and roll what it is. This was one of the most important albums of my high school years. I may have failed here and there, but this one never failed me. On album, 8-Track, cassette, countless bootlegs and two concerts. I never really let go of it, and when it was re-released a while back with bonus tracks I bit again just to see who had aged better me or it. It hasn‘t aged a day. Wish I could say the same.

It all came rushing back and made me long for the day when bands stuck together through thick and thin and felt it was all worth it for the glory of the music. They played and lived rock and roll. The mix of originals and covers are seamless in their hands. They are all given the “Mott treatment.” Ian Hunter was one of the last of the true front men in a rock band. Like Mick he had his Keith in Mick Ralphs and later Ariel Bender. He had the voice, the hair, the shades and most of the girls too I would think. One of the few albums I still play loud.

29. Rum, Sodomy & The Lash - Pogues

When this Elvis Costello produced album came out I wasn’t as sick of him as I am now. Then he was merely annoying, now I run, not walk from anything with his name near it. Enough about him though, we’re not here to bury him but to praise Shane and his drinking buddies.

Ireland has produced a slew of engaging rock and punk groups. Most of them treaded lightly around their deeper roots and offered a more urban sound and left the traditional stuff to the evening pub crowd. Those that might end the evening with a pint and a clumsy jig stumbling out the door. This band has been and really only can be compared with The Clash as far as their approach to their music. Mixing tried and true traditional tunes and covers with newly written songs this album sprang fully blown from the pubs and alleys of Ireland. They attack the music with an energy you can’t fake. They like the old songs, they just like them better the way they do them. Me too.

Led by legendary boozer and dentist’s nightmare Shane MacGowan they cut a path that went from the Irish pubs, through England and eventually to America. This album has it all and just gets better with the passage of time. Due in large part to the fact that it has a timeless quality that was present the first time I heard it. The loose almost sloppy approach gives the album a vibrancy that makes you think you’re in one of those pubs and those kids just won’t get off the stage. A couple of songs in and you hope they stay up there all night.

They are fine songwriters and have penned some classics, but on this album their own songs are upstaged by two covers for the ages. Their take on “Dirty Old Town” allows you to feel the grime, smells and soot to the extent you’ll want to shower afterwards. Like he does on the other standout cover “And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda,” MacGowan shows that behind the façade of a drunk and rowdy punk he knows when to give a song its due. The closer of Eric Bogle’s “…Matilda” is one of those heartbreaking songs about the human costs of war that you’ll never shake once you hear it. And believe me you’ll try. Sapped of all his swagger and drunken revelry he sings this one as though he’s walking alone across the fresh battlefield leaving footprints of blood with each step and verse.

This would not be their last great album, but it remains my favorite over twenty years later.

30. The Blasters - The Blasters

There was very little in my musical past that prepared me for this album. This was probably a case of timing at its best. Being an Elvis fan I was always interested in rockabilly along with the blues, country and rock marriage of late fifties and early sixties music. I guess like others I was held in the sway of those scratchy film clips of the fifties kids rocking and rolling at some sock hop or VFW hall dance. At the heart of it all was a driving beat that the band seemed to enjoy as much as the audience.

Working the same venues as X and some of the other eighties punk bands the Blasters instead gave the audience a blast of retro done modern day. Like their song said this was American music and it was the sum of nearly everything that came before. To me they were the final great rock band. Others since have made fine music, but this band was the real deal. The impersonated no one because they were just who they were. They didn’t change to suit the younger punks and rockers, they let the crowd come to them. It’s some of the least self conscious rock that has ever been produced. One look at the cover and you know what’s going on inside the jacket.

This album goes wire to wire without tripping and essentially introduced Dave Alvin as a songwriter that we were going to hear plenty from over the years. It also introduced his brother Phil who has one of those unique voices that seems to bend but never break. He gave voice to the incredible songs that Dave was delivering. One listen to “Marie, Marie” and you’d think it’s Memphis in the fifties at some back woods roadhouse that time just forgot. It’s a shot of pure adrenaline that would fill a dance floor in any era. The first time I heard it I was sure they had dug up some obscure track while visiting Sun Studios. When I checked the record and saw that Dave had written it I hopped on board for the whole ride.

For me this was one of the few times that a group actually captured what made Chuck Berry so innovative. Like him they were churning out literate content that rock and roll had very little of in the fifties and even less by the early eighties. The songs were actually short stories disguised as, well, songs. Unfortunately over the years I think we’ve become numb to Berry’s contributions due to repeated listening on oldies radio and fledgling bar bands. Next time one of his songs comes on follow the lyrics and catch the couplets and metering that he employs. Then think of some of the other songs that were popular in the fifties. See how their lyrics compare and don’t forget that Berry was writing all of his. It’s apparent to me that Dave picked up on what Berry was doing from the very beginning. Speaking of picking things up, you should pick up this album.

Top 50 Favorite Albums: Part 7

Our Journey to # 1 continues...

31. Copperhead Road - Steve Earle

For better or worse, I’ve spent nearly all of my life listening to, selling, talking and writing about music. I wouldn’t have it any other way. When Earle finally arrived on the scene with his debut “Guitar Town” I would have sworn he would never top it or come close again. I felt I’d found my “new country” album. Then one day a few years later this one arrived in the mail and it was apparent everything I knew was wrong. With this 1988 album Earle turned it up a notch and turned his back on anything going on in Nashville then or now.

The title track alone blows away any number of complete albums that I’ve heard. Re-recording “The Devil’s Right Hand” was one of the best ideas he’s ever had. Using the Pogues on “Johnny Come Lately” took that song to places it would have never found. “Nothing Like A Child” came out of nowhere but found a home on any mix-tape or disc of Christmas music I’ve ever assembled. His songwriting didn’t peak on this album, but it served notice that he could write in several genres and make you think he was the one to beat.

On “Guitar Town” he was a slightly unwashed singer songwriter trying to catch a wave in the country field. On this one he was a full blown tattooed biker with white trash roots that he not only embraced, but championed.

32. The Last Puff - Spooky Tooth

By the time of this 1970 album the original band was long gone and it was pretty much down to Mike Harrison and members of Joe Cocker’s Grease Band making up the group. While never achieving the commercial recognition of the likes of Jagger, Plant or Burdon, Harrison was easily one of the best of the sixties British blues-rock vocalists. As a band they were “also rans” to the masses, but to their loyal fans they were one of the best of the late sixties British bands. Put me down for the latter.

Relying on mostly covers, the band turned in one of their best efforts even if it wasn’t the band we had come to know. Opening with what has to be one of the most daring Beatles covers ever with their take on “I Am The Walrus” this album serves notice that they weren’t going to go quietly. They take the all but novelty tune and turn it into a galvanizing dirge that plays more like a time shifting nightmare than a sing-a-long. When I first heard this cover I thought it was cool, at this point in time it borders on genius.

Along the way they also cover Joe Cocker, David Ackles and Elton John. For the Elton cover they choose “Son Of Your Father” and while not straying from the original manage to grab some of it for their own. Then to bring it full circle, piano man Chris Stainton closes it out with a melancholy instrumental that gave the album its title. You could almost title this one “No Two Alike” and be spot on with the designation. Unlike a lot of albums from 1970 this one sounds almost contemporary. Strange, but true.

33. Laid Back - Gregg Allman

I used to work at a record store that was open on Sunday’s. The first couple of years I would open with the same person week in and week out. With no real dialog we would always stick the 8-track tape of this album in the player week in and week out. It just seemed the thing to do. All these years later it still gets a Sunday off to a proper start.

Everybody has their own blue eyed soul album to tout so I guess this is mine. From the song selection to the “laid back” performances this one is easy on the ears and shows Allman in a comfortable groove. He would never get within a mile of a Southbound freight train of matching this one in his solo career again. That’s fine, it doesn’t diminish the impact of this one a bit.

34. Soundtrack - The Harder They Come

Before soundtracks became nothing more than label samplers and boomer versions of a K-Tel compilation they were a valuable asset to a film. I would guess that soundtracks were fairly reliable up until “The Big Chill.” After that they became little more than a land grab for publishers and another tool for labels to get you to pay full price for one new song by a hot artist. Strange when you think of the rich history of soundtrack music and all of the cases where they were essentially another character in the film. “Psycho,” “The Godfather,” “Ryan’s Daughter,” “Once Upon A time In The West,” “Dr. Zhivago” and countless others come to mind.

This one introduced the world to joys of reggae music like nothing before it or since really. It’s been updated and expanded a couple of times and now serves as the “go to” reggae disc for those who want to dip their toes in the water. Jimmy Cliff in addition to being the star of the movie is also the star of the album. Every selection is solid and their placement in the film borders on perfection. The footage of Toots and the Maytals in the studio recording “Sweet And Dandy” should be required viewing. Poke around and you’ll find it on YouTube. I would never, ever say that you should only own one reggae disc. It’s some of the finest music on this planet, but if you want to get started on the right foot this is the place to hop on board.

35. Alone Together - Dave Mason

Straying into George Harrison territory here Mason was also a frustrated second banana in a popular British group. If anyone ever had any doubts as to what he was capable of they found out pretty quick with this multi-colored piece of vinyl. This is one of those albums that has only high points, there’s nothing to program around here. Mason revealed himself as a the consummate team player and assembled an all star group to back him. He would never come close to putting a complete record together again. But, so what, great albums aren’t a dime a dozen. It’s better to have one great one in a long career than a lot of average ones as far as I’m concerned.

Top 50 Favorite Albums: Part 8

Moving right along we continue our push to the top.

36. Chicken Skin Music - Ry Cooder

Cooder has pretty much been all things to all people musically over his long and eclectic career. I’ve been along for the ride nearly every step of the way and he’s provided untold hours of listening pleasure with his varied musical explorations. To narrow it down to one selection was difficult, but this album that was divided into two parts, one Tex-Mex and the other Hawaiian gets the nod. Both sides are first rate and the backing and performances are among the best he’s ever been associated with. You could hardly go wrong with any of his seventies output, but this or “Into The Purple Valley” is probably the best place to start.

37. Songs For Beginners - Graham Nash

I bought this one out of habit when it was released. I was buying anything and everything from CSN&Y (except for “C”) back in the day. Little did I know this one would mate with my turntable for days at a time. A recent listen to clear if for inclusion on this list confirmed that it is still one of my favorite albums. It exudes a calm ambiance while slipping in some pointed messages along the way. The politics add nothing to its longevity, but the craftsmanship and performances still bring a smile. Like George Harrison his voice is not strong, but makes for nice harmonies and shines on these self-penned selections.

38. Everly Brothers - Born Yesterday

This 1986 set was their second venture after reuniting in the eighties. While “EB84” is a fine album, this one edges it out at my house. All but the title track are well chosen covers. However, the title track is one of the best songs the duo ever wrote or recorded. If a song is capable of floating through the air then this cautionary tale is one of them. During the course of the album they don’t stray too far from what they had always done best. They mixed some up tempo songs around several gorgeous ballads into a seamless presentation. Their cover of Larry Raspberry’s “Always Drive A Cadillac” borders on perfection. One listen to this track and you won’t be able to get it out of your head at your next class reunion.

39. Kindness OF The World - Joe Henry

For this 1993 album Henry flirted with a country sound and came up with his best album ever to my ears. The strength of the material here is staggering. Nothing really misses, and most soar. Including a cover of Tom T. Hall’s melancholy “I Flew Over Our House Last Night” was nothing short of brilliant. A review I read when this was first released pointed out how his vocal approach was one of the best things about this recording. I couldn’t agree more, he stays just a step behind the beat and never quite lands on it. It’s a tricky tact, but he makes it work and draws you into each song. He’s made other worthy albums, but this one just gets better with each listen.

40. All Things Must Pass - George Harrison

I couldn’t begin to count how many times I’ve played the first two albums in this box set over the years. As for the third album of jams I am more certain: only twice. Since the box was priced as a two album set and the third album was essentially a bonus I’ve decided that I will include it on this list and not let the third album weigh the other twos merits down. In its own way if you think about it, it was the precursor to CD sets that offer a bonus disc.

Although I think Phil Spector is generally over praised this is one project where he deserves a lot of credit. George took a risk for his first full blown solo effort enlisting him but it worked. They came up with not so much a wall of sound, but more a hedge that allowed them both to show their best stuff. Essential songs abound on this one and they have aged well over the years. Each Beatle took a swing at writing a song about the Beatle experience over the years, some covert and some overt, all suffered for one reason or another. Harrison however offers up a majestic meditation with “Isn’t It A Pity.” While the other Beatles came up with something timely, he offered something timeless.

Top 50 Favorite Albums: Part 9

Continuing our climb up the ladder to number one here's another installment.

41. Crosby, Stills & Nash - Crosby, Stills & Nash

No one could blame Stephen Stills for claiming this album for his own. Other than a few writing credits and a couple of lead vocals from the others this is his show. And what a show it is. He plays nearly everything and his production touches are everywhere. This band was the American equivalent to Blind Faith. As it turned out their egos were easier to bruise and their vision much broader. A recent listen revealed how the album sounds less dated now than it did a few years after its release.

This type of breezy, almost innocent, mix of harmony and solid songwriting is sorely lacking these days. Some of the arrangements are complex, but are at the same time exhilarating. Stills may be bloated now and his voice shot beyond recognition but this album, and his first solo recording are a different story from a different time and place. Nash contributes some fine vocals and gentle songs full of the wonder lust of his relocation to the states. Crosby is the dead weight he’s always been and contributes the only real low points. The cover photo from Henry Diltz and textured paper on the original cover fit’s the mood of a Saturday spent listening to good music around the house.

42. Furnace Room Lullaby - Neko Case

This album from 2000 will be one of only a couple that came out after the Carter administration on this list. It’s about the only album in the past twenty years that has caused me to get up in the morning and push play before I have my coffee. As pathetic as that sounds I’m at peace with the routine. Case has the rare gift of having an incredible voice and knowing what to do with it. Most vocalists who are blessed with wonderful vocal chords squander their gifts on junk. Barbra, Whitney anyone? Case writes her own songs and tapers them around her voice which she wisely uses as the instrument it is.

She’s made several albums containing many essential songs, this one however is the complete package. Her voice floats through, above and around the songs like some ethereal dream. With the repeat button it’s one of the few dreams we can revisit when ever the mood strikes.

43. Welcome To The Canteen - Traffic

This album is little more than a legitimate bootleg. However, like any great bootleg once you settle into the ambiance you feel like you’re being let in on a secret. For this set current, former and future members of the band reunited for a benefit concert. The return of Dave Mason and the presence of three drummers make this a crowded field but it works for me.

Mason offers up a couple of songs from his then recent solo album “Alone Together” in a semi-acoustic setting. If you like percussion and slightly too loud acoustic guitars this one yields many rewards. The late Chris Wood also shines on flute. A way too long version of “Gimme Some Lovin’” lets the album slip away on a less than stellar note, but the previous selections rescue it and let it grab a spot in my top fifty.

44. Borboletta - Santana

Over the course of hundreds of lineups and probably a thousand or so discs this one still stands out over thirty years after its release. Working with one their most percussive lineups and with guests like Airto they fashioned one of their most ambitious works of the seventies. Carlos is everywhere, but more importantly he’s also in the mix as the vocalists and other musicians are allowed to take center stage.

The critics were cold to this one and it went nowhere on the charts, but for me it endures. Leon Patillo is a soulful vocalist and the addition of Airto and Flora Purim hold up for me. Check out the track “Practice What You Preach” for some swirling sonics and dazzling guitar licks.

45. Rockin’ - Guess Who

Like many other sixties acts that achieved fame on AM radio and the singles charts this bands albums tend to get dismissed. I can’t speak for all of the other bands, but this one consistently offered up first rate albums that happened to contain hit singles. This was their best though. Opening with their ode to aging high schoolers “Heart Broken Bopper” this album revisits their youth more than anything else. That song alone is enough to land the entire album on this list.

The band is relaxed and the selections range from all out rock to country covers and even a faux fifties jukebox medley. It’s a fairly ambitious outing that features some inspired writing and performances. More than a guilty pleasure, this one is a lost treasure.