RUSH Discography: Part Four

4. Clockwork Angels ( 4.5 )

3. Signals ( 4.5 )

2. Permanent Waves ( 5.0 )

1. Moving Pictures ( 5.0 )

     Leave it to RUSH to release an epic, Steampunk concept album, almost 40 years into their career. Later, Neil Peart would team up with sci-fi author Kevin Anderson to create Clockwork Angels novels and graphic novels based on this album. It was almost unheard of for a band at their age to still be recording at top form. This usually turns into the boring singer-songwriter phase of a band. But, Clockwork Angels is a dynamic hard rock album that still features their signature musicianship. I don't know if they knew this would be their final studio album, but it seems likely. It stands as one last statement by the band to cement their legacy. The last refrain of their final song, "The Garden", is "It's a measure of a life". That sounds like closure. Yet, they waited another three years to officially disband. It's crazy that it was almost 10 years ago. 

     One of the greatest three album runs in the history of rock music is Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures, and Signals. On any given day I could have these albums in any different order. For the official purposes of this post I put Moving Pictures at number one. It's empirically their greatest achievement. Side One is 10/10; "Tom Sawyer", "Red Barchetta", "YYZ" and "Limelight". Side Two isn't chopped liver either. Signals may be Neil's best songwriting album. In my previous post, I said Grace Under Pressure was the first RUSH album I bought when it came out. As I think back, it must have been Permanent Waves. I clearly remember when "The Spirit of Radio" was all over the radio and picking up that album. I'm an old man, it's hard to recall things. The 80's was when RUSH transitioned from side-long prog epics to more concise rock tracks. However, that didn't stop them from recording mini-epics, like "Natural Science", "Jacob's Ladder", and "The Camera Eye". It's this era of RUSH that eventually got them inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. When I started Sound Mind, they still hadn't been inducted and I spewed quite a bit of vitriol about that fact. Looking back, it was just a matter of time. There could not be a Rock Hall without RUSH. 

     Tomorrow I will post my top RUSH songs list. As I began to compile the essential tracks, it became obvious that if I wanted a career spanning list it would have to be 40-50 songs. Apologies in advance. As an appetizer, I give to you RUSH's studio instrumental tracks ranked, and their 5 Worst Songs. Peace.

INSTRUMENTALS

1. La Villa Strangiato ( Hemispheres )

2. YYZ ( Moving Pictures )

3. The Main Monkey Business ( Snakes and Arrows )

4. Malignant Narcissism ( Snakes and Arrows )

5. Limbo ( Test For Echo )

6. Hope ( Snakes and Arrows )

7. Where's My Thing ( Roll the Bones )

8. Leave That Thing Alone ( Counterparts )

WORST 5

1. Dog Years ( Test For Echo )

2. Tai Shan ( Hold Your Fire )

3. I Think I'm Going Bald ( Caress of Steel )

4. Twilight Zone ( 2112 )

5. Tears ( 2112 )

I WAS AT THIS SHOW!

RUSH Discography: Part Three

9. Grace Under Pressure ( 3.5 )

8. Vapor Trails ( 3.5 )

7. A Farewell to Kings ( 4.0 )

6. Hemispheres ( 4.0 )

5. Snakes and Arrows ( 4.0 )

     Grace Under Pressure was the first RUSH album I bought when it was newly released. That seems crazy. but it's true. I remember the sense of foreboding I had watching Friday Night Videos in 1984. It was two videos in particular; "Jump" by Van Halen and "Distant Early Warning" by RUSH. In fairness, RUSH had used keyboards quite a bit on previous releases, but it was becoming more pronounced. Then, seeing Eddie Van Halen playing keyboards put me over the edge. GUP is a good album, though. I like "Distant Early Warning" and the album cuts, "Afterimage" and "Between the Wheels". RUSH lost some fans who jumped on the bandwagon during Moving Pictures, but many of us stuck it out. 

     Vapor Trails is a complicated album. It was their return album after Neil's five year hiatus and the recording process wasn't smooth. The mix was murky and flat. Later, they remixed it and put out a reissue, which sounds great. The lead single was "One Little Victory", which features an insanely complex drum intro by Neil. Presumably, this was meant to show he was back at top form. Mission accomplished. Vapor Trails also marks a return to a muscular guitar, bass and drum sound. I saw them back-to-back nights in Detroit on this tour. Those shows were electric. The tour would be immortalized on the live release RUSH in Rio. 

     After another five-year recording hiatus, RUSH released Snakes and Arrows. The lead single, "Far Cry" was their best rocker in years. The whole album is rock solid, but lacks the high points that would raise it to 4.5 or 5 Stars. It does demonstrate that RUSH were still a vital, relevant band 30+ years into their career. Not many recording artists can say that. 

     I consider A Farewell to Kings and Hemispheres to be the Rubber Soul and Revolver for RUSH. These albums marked RUSH's full on prog rock era. They were released a year apart and are 1a and 1b to each other. The culmination of these records is the brilliantly inspired instrumental track, "La Villa Strangiato". They also wrote a two part epic, "Cygnus X-1", that closed out A Farewell to Kings and opened Hemispheres. Throw in tracks like, "Closer to the Heart", "Circumstances", "Xanadu" and "The Trees" and RUSH had finally found themselves. But, as Neil once said, "Changes aren't permanent, but change is". Peace.

RUSH Discography: Part Two

14. 2112 ( 3.0 )

13. Counterparts ( 3.5 )

12. Power Windows ( 3.5 )

11. RUSH ( 3.5 )

10. Fly By Night ( 3.5 )

     I'm not a strong proponent of rating albums. My personal policy is when rating a discography I rate the albums against the other releases in the band's catalog. When I look at my scores for these RUSH albums, they seem harsh. I love this band. Why are these ratings so low? I'm trying to rank them by the standards of the band. It's possible these scores could be higher if they were compared to other releases from the same year. For the purposes of this exercise, I will have to live with these ratings.

     I posted about 2112 back in the day. I'm that guy who loves the Side One 2112 epic and dislikes all of Side Two. Nothing has changed there. However, Side One was RUSH's greatest achievement to that point in their career. It is a masterpiece and bought the band its artistic freedom from the label. It's arguably the most important record in their catalog. I personally own multiple formats of 2112. I still can't stand Side Two. 

     The only time I've ever gone to a midnight release was to buy Counterparts. The midnight release was actually for Pearl Jam's Vs., but Counterparts also came out the same day. At this point, RUSH was trying to Grunge their sound up, so I guess that was appropriate. I rarely listen to Counterparts, but it's my favorite of the 90's era. "Between Sun and Moon" is one of the best deep cuts in their discography. Musically, it's a strong album, but the songwriting isn't stellar. 

     The most difficult RUSH album to assess is Power Windows. I remember being disappointed when it came out. The lead single was "Big Money". It's a good track, but still too keyboard heavy. My favorite track is another deep cut, "Middletown Dreams". While I've warmed to Power Windows over the years, it was a divisive period for the band. They took almost as much in-coming for the mullets and skinny ties as they did for the kimonos. I'm solidly on Team Lifeson when it comes to the place of guitars and keyboards in RUSH. However, Geddy Lee is an immensely talented musical visionary and who am I to begrudge him exploring synths. After all, it was 1985 and keyboards ruled music. Even Eddie Van Halen was seduced. 

     I struggled with numbers 10 and 11. Part of me likes the Led Zeppelin influence on the debut more than Fly By Night's prog rock beginnings. In the end (pun intended), I couldn't rank the album that didn't have Neil Peart on it over the first album he appeared on. It seems blasphemous. So I didn't. That's not very objective, but music is a subjective topic. Peace.

RUSH Discography: Part One

      Alright, let's try something new. I'm going to post a five part RUSH discography. Four posts will rank their 19 studio albums and the fifth will be a top 20 songs list. Since 19 is an odd number, I will rank 5 albums at a time for three posts, then a final four. For this series, I'm going to reveal the rankings up front, then have a free form discussion of that group of albums. If this works out, I may attempt this with other discographies. By the way, if anyone is interested in my album rankings in general, I have a Rate Your Music account under tompaine88. If you would like to request a discography or propose a topic, my email is soundmindblog@gmail.com. 

19. Hold Your Fire ( 2.5 )

18. Caress of Steel ( 2.5 )

17. Test For Echo ( 3.0 )

16. Presto ( 3.0 )

15. Roll the Bones ( 3.0 )

     Typically, when discographies are ranked, the newer releases are rated poorly and the early albums get rave reviews. With RUSH, I'm all over the place. They had a long career with different phases. For instance, they had a controversial keyboard phase that culminated with 1987's Hold Your Fire, my lowest rated RUSH album. While I didn't have a huge problem with this era, Hold Your Fire was a bridge too far and Alex Lifeson finally put his foot down. 

     This marked a major transition for the band. They left Mercury for Atlantic and the guitars were coming back. However, the first Atlantic release, 1989's Presto, was a mixed bag. It rocked more than Hold Your Fire, but the songs were quite uneven. My favorite song on Presto is the down-tempo number "The Pass", which is a song Neil Peart wrote about suicide. The big single was "Show Don't Tell" and it featured some muscular guitar parts, but otherwise the tracks on Presto are weak. I did see them live, for the first time, on this tour, so that's something.

     At the dawn of the Grunge Era, RUSH released 1991's Roll the Bones. The first single, "Dreamline", is one of RUSH's best songs. However, the title track has that goofy rap section and detracts from the album. Roll the Bones was a slight improvement over Presto, but this was a difficult transitional period for the band. Their "Grunge" Era ended with 1997's Test For Echo, which included RUSH's worst song, "Dog Years". I saw them for the second time on this tour. Unfortunately, after this album, Neil's daughter died in a car accident and his wife died of cancer. He got on a motorcycle and disappeared for five years. You can read the story in his book, Ghost Rider. 

     I should also address my other 2.5 Star RUSH album, Caress of Steel. Although it's not very good, apart from "Bastille Day", it was an important transitional record that led to 2112. It's here where they attempt a side-long epic for the first time. RUSH had an unusual start. Neil Peart wasn't on the debut album, but joined right before the tour. He took over songwriting on the next album, Fly By Night, and they had some modest success. Caress of Steel was a step back and the record label was threatening to drop them. Defying demands for a hit from Mercury, they recorded 2112, with another side-long epic, and it was a huge success. RUSH had secured their artistic freedom. 

     It's a testament to RUSH that their fans have stuck with them through the transitions from the 70's to the MTV era, and then through the keyboard era to the Grunge era. They have always been a musician's band and virtuoso players. This has created a dedicated fan base that has survived the end of the band. I am one of them. Peace.

Rosali - Bite Down ( 2024 )

      This exercise of posting about my favorite albums of 2024 has reminded me that writing album reviews isn't my strong suit. I can't pull off being a pretentious Pitchfork reviewer. My analysis mostly consists of comparing new music to old music that I'm familiar with. And this post for Bite Down by Rosali will be no exception. Imagine, if you will, Crazy Horse fronted by Chrissy Hynde rather than Neil Young. That is Rosali in a nutshell. She is ably backed by the band, David Nance and Mowed Sounds. 

     The finest example of this sound is my second favorite song of 2024, "Change Is in the Form". This track features a wall of Neil Young guitars and some fine pedal steel by Colin Duckworth. I like the line, "Tears when we die, tears when we're born". Rosali has a gift on every track, including this one, for setting up the chorus and nailing it. The best transition to the chorus on this record is probably on the guitar fuzz drenched song, "Hills on Fire". "Hills on fire and still we climb. Lift my skirts, cover your eyes". This one is followed by the up-tempo, breezy "My Kind". Most of the songs on Bite Down are confessional and reference relationships. One of the best is "Hopeless", which features the line "It's one life for a minute, I let you be in it". Then there's the blunt line from "Slow Pain", "Fuck me or fight me, it's all the same". The lyrics on this album are brutally honest and painfully self-aware. However, rather than wallowing in the past there's a sense of moving on and not beating yourself up. This isn't typically a lyrical style I gravitate towards, but Rosali manages to make the intensely personal, Universal. 

     This will probably be the final post in this series. I don't enjoy writing these album reviews, and now that I'm back to my crazy work schedule I don't have time for things I don't enjoy. I will get back to listening to albums from 1980, and try to come up with some better premises for future posts that are more about "having a take". I think the next announcement of Rock Hall nominees should be happening in a couple weeks, so I'll beat that dead horse again. It's been a while. In case you were wondering, my favorite song from 2024 was "Petroleum" by, Yard Act. Peace.

The Lemon Twigs - A Dream is All We Know ( 2004 )

      The Lemon Twigs are one of those artists that I've tried repeatedly to like, but something elusive and hard to identify always got in the way. Turns out, the thing I was missing is lots and lots of 60's pastiche. Just plug in the Rickenbackers and give me some Byrds-ian jangle, or some Beach Boys inspired harmonizing, or some exquisite, baroque chamber pop, some random use of a theremin, and it's all good. I vehemently disagree with those who accuse The Lemon Twigs of being derivative on A Dream is All We Know. While I can point out the musical DNA of every track, The Lemon Twigs bring their own unique take on these songs. It's absurd to single them out as "derivative" when virtually all music this century has its precursors. And if you're going to wear your  musical influences on your sleeve, 60's pop is a great look. 

     That said, the influences are fairly direct on this set of songs. The title track and "I Should've Known Right From the Start" are unabashedly McCartney-esque. As I mentioned before, there are Beach Boys harmonies all over this album. The music video for "They Don't Know How to Fall in Place" is an homage to The Monkees, including a reenactment of the "pushing a bed down the street" scene from the opening sequence of their tv show. In the song, "Church Bells" they use the term Jerseyside, which I assume is a spin on Merseyside. "In the Eyes of the Girl" is straight up Beach Boys adjacent. "If You and I Are Not Wise"...The Byrds. And the opening track, "My Golden Years", is a mash up of these influences. However, this isn't an album of cover songs and The Lemon Twigs' unique personalities and lyrical content shine throughout.

     Interestingly, the closing track, "Rock On", is a Glam Rock stomper. Maybe their next record will be a 70's pastiche. We can only hope. Peace.

Jack White - No Name ( 2024 )

     The most impressive bit of viral marketing last year was Jack White's release of No Name. At first, he gave away white label pressings of the record with purchases at his Third Man Record stores. The media buzz was immediate. It was then leaked online. More buzz. It was heralded as his best album since The White Stripes. Then he started doing pop up shows with very little advanced notice. He sold limited edition blue vinyl pressings at those shows. Eventually, it was given a regular release for the rest of us slobs. But does the album live up to all the hype? Hell yeah!

     

     No Name opens with "Old Scratch Blues" which signals a return to White's garage blues sound. The guitars are distorted and the drums are played with a heavy hand and a lead foot. "Bless Yourself" is a song about the choice of putting your life in God's hands or taking charge of your own life. I love the line, "If you're a cop arrest yourself". However, the album really kicks in on the track "That's How I'm Feeling". This is classic Jack White. The verse is quiet and groovy, then the chorus comes in with buzz saw guitars and White's plaintive moaning. The next track, "It's Rough on Rats", is another Jack White song that pays homage to his guitar hero, Jimmy Page. If you've never seen the documentary, "This Might Get Loud" with White, Page and The Edge, you need to fix that. 

     Side One is called Heaven and Hell. It's full of religious content, like "Old Scratch", "Bless Yourself", and the track "Archbishop Harold Holmes", which sounds like Jack White delivering a sermon. Side Two is called Black and Blue. It opens with "Tonight (Was a Long Time Ago)", which is kind of a swaggering, Stones homage, if The Stones were a garage band. "Underground" is another song inspired by that Jimmy Page slide guitar sound. Then there's a run of three straight, pedal to the metal rockers, "Number One With a Bullet", "Morning at Midnight" and "Missionary". The album closer, "Terminal Archenemy Endling" has the best guitar performance on No Name. It's a slower blues number that's also super trippy. The sequencing on No Name is perfect and it's a 5 Star album. That is all. Peace.

     

     

MJ Lenderman - Manning Fireworks ( 2024 )

      Thought I'd do a series of posts on some of my favorite albums of 2024 before the 2025 releases hit. The artist who really blindsided me last year was MJ Lenderman. I was completely unfamiliar with him despite the fact Manning Fireworks is his fifth album and he is also the guitarist for the band Wednesday, whose album Rat Saw God was one of my favorites of 2023. Lenderman is the perfect combination of Jason Molina, Mark Linkous, Neil Young, and Stephen Malkmus' clever, slacker lyrics . So, ground zero of my wheelhouse. 

     I could write an entire post consisting of the best lyrics on Manning Fireworks. I won't, but I could. "Kahlua shooter, D.U.I. scooter" is a classic, though. Who am I kidding? This is mostly going to be about his self-deprecating, autobiographical lyrics. But kudos as well to his Crazy Horse guitar playing and laid back, tossed off vocal style. The best example of what I'm on about is the track, "On My Knees". Oddly, it starts out with a drum pattern that sounds like the intro to "Supersonic" by Oasis. Then the Neil Young guitar sound comes in. The lyrical highlights include; "goin' on vacation brings out the worst in everyone", "every day is a miracle, not to mention a threat", "Travolta's bald head", and "Is it the quiet hiss of a midnight piss". 

     Lenderman broke through with the song, "Wristwatch". The opening line, "So you say I've got a funny face, it makes me money" is a nod to Quiet Riot / Slade. But the real hook is the chorus about his wristwatch. The first time through the lyric is "I got a beach home up in Buffalo and a wristwatch that's a compass and a cell phone. And a wristwatch that tells me you're all alone". Then he switches it up the second time through, "I've got a houseboat docked at the Himbo Dome and a wristwatch that's a pocket knife and a megaphone. And a wristwatch that tells me I'm on my own". 

     The first two tracks are very Sparklehorse adjacent. The title track features the lines; "One of these days you'll kill a man for asking a question you don't understand", "You've opened the Bible in a public place. You've opened the Bible to the very first page", and "You once was a baby, and now a jerk. Standing close to the pyre, Manning Fireworks". Besides the "D.U.I. shooter" line, "Joker Lips" features such lyrics as; "Please don't laugh. Only half of what I said was a joke. Every Catholic knows he could have been Pope" and "This morning wants to kill me". Another standout track, "Rudolph" references how Lenderman almost went into the seminary when he was younger (and Rudolph the Red-nosed reindeer and Lightning McQueen). Then there's the tragi-comic "She's Leaving You". "It falls apart, we all got work to do. It gets dark, we all got work to do". There are literally no bad tracks on Manning Fireworks. I don't care what Anthony Fantano says. Peace.

     

REO Speedwagon - Hi Infidelity ( 1980 )

      In preparation for the 1980 album deep dive, I took a quick look back at my Mt. Rushmore for that year. Permanent Waves...check. Blizzard of Ozz...check. Heaven and Hell...check. Hi Infidelity...was I drunk? Yes, drunk on nostalgia. I thought back to my sophomore year in high school when REO Speedwagon ruled the world. I listened to this record just about everyday. "Keep on Loving You" dominated the charts. "Take it On the Run" is a classic rock radio staple to this day. Surely, Hi Infidelity had stood the test of time. Well, not so much. 

     On a certain level, I still love this album. It led me down a rabbit hole of classic 70's REO Speedwagon. "Roll With the Changes", "Keep Pushin", "Time For Me To Fly", "Ridin' the Storm Out" just to name a few. It features one of the most underrated guitarists of all-time, the late Gary Richrath. His solo on "Take it On the Run" is blistering. Back in the day, I even liked the album tracks. I'm not sure why an album with the subtle as a sledgehammer theme of infidelity appealed so much to a 16-year-old who had yet to even have a girlfriend. But it did. 

     Today, I went back and gave Hi Infidelity another spin. "2025 Me" decided to rate it 3.5 Stars and there's no chance of it making my Top 25 of 1980. "1980 Me" was a little sad. "Keep on Loving You" and "Take it On the Run" still hold up well. The problem is the songwriting on the rest of the album is a major step down from their 70's catalog and frequently quite cheesy. I could rehash some of the lyrics about hot, sweet-talkin' studs and tough guys, but I don't have the heart to pile on. It's notable that the only other album track that holds up is "Someone Tonight", which was written and sung by bassist Bruce Hall. It was the only track on the album that captures the 1979-81 power pop zeitgeist. 

     When I woke up today, I had no idea I would be posting about Hi Infidelity. And I don't mean to crap on it. It's still a very significant touchstone in my music journey. It's just remarkable that in two years an album could go from being on my Mt. Rushmore to not even making the Top 25. I felt that deserves some sort of call out before I post the 1980 Deep Dive some time in the near future. I still have about 80 albums to review, so bring your patience for the ride. Peace.

1969 Deep Dive: Top 25 Songs

      So, I put together a Top 25 song list for 1969. I'm not going to comment on each song since I mentioned most of them with the albums. There are only two songs on this list whose album didn't make my Top 25. Those songs are "Galveston" by Glen Campbell and "Ramblin', Gamblin' Man" by Bob Seger. It's going to take some time to get through the 1980 albums for the next dive, but I'll try to publish some other posts in the meantime. Peace.

25. The Who- Christmas

24. CCR - Lodi

23. The Kinks - Victoria

22. Bob Seger - Ramblin', Gamblin' Man

21. Led Zeppelin - Heartbreaker/Living Loving Maid

20. CCR - Born on the Bayou

19. The Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter

18. MC5 - Kick Out the Jams

17. The Stooges - 1969

16. The Beatles - Here Comes the Sun

15. The Beatles - Come Together

14. CCR- Green River

13. Santana - Evil Ways

12. The Allman Brothers Band - Whipping Post

11. The Stooges - I Wanna Be Your Dog

10. The Rolling Stones - Monkey Man

9. Led Zeppelin - Communication Breakdown

8. Neil Young - Cinnamon Girl

7. CCR - Fortunate Son

6. Blind Faith - Can't Find My Way Home

5. Glen Campbell - Galveston

4. Procol Harum - A Salty Dog

3. The Beatles - Abbey Road Medley

2. Miles Davis - Shhh/Peaceful

1. King Crimson - 21st Century Schizoid Man

1969 Deep Dive: Part Five

     It's been a long time coming. Let's finally put a wrap on 1969. I may or may not do a songs list. Seems a bit daunting. I have begun looking at 1980 and the Top 25 should be packed. In addition, there are new albums in February by Guided by Voices and Doves, so you can look forward to posts on those releases. Let's do this thing. 

5. The Kinks - Arthur or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire ( 4.5 Stars )

     Arthur seems to get overlooked since it falls in between Village Green and Lola. It's well regarded by critics, but not the record buying public. I believe the only minor hit was "Victoria", which was mostly a Dave Davies song. Ray came in on the chorus to give it a shot in the arm. Arthur continues with the themes of Village Green, though slightly darker. There is still a wistful longing for a Britain that Ray feels is lost. There's a desire to escape the rat race and senseless wars to Shangri La or Australian. Ray Davies' keen eye and clever lyrics are on full display. Arthur rewards repeat listening.

4. Miles Davis - In a Silent Way ( 5 Stars )

     In a Silent Way is considered the official beginning of Miles Davis' "Electric Period". These sessions included former members of his Second Quintet, recent members Chick Corea and Dave Holland, and newcomers Joe Zawinul and John McLaughlin. Everyone who played on this session is a jazz legend and it shows. Side A is a nineteen minute Miles composition titled "Shhh/Peaceful, which features Davis soaring above a bed of three keyboards (Hancock, Corea and Zawinul). Side B includes the title track, which was composed by Joe Zawinul and features McLaughlin on electric guitar, and the Davis penned "It's About That Time", which is a jazz-rock fusion track. While I love the Second Quintet, it's hard to argue that In A Silent Way and it's brilliant follow-up Bitches Brew aren't the pinnacle of jazz music. 

3. Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band - Trout Mask Replica ( 5 Stars )

     Yes, I'm just as surprised as you. In fact, I wasn't even going to bother listening to this album for the deep dive. One day in the Tastes Like Music discord there was some good-natured back and forth about Trout Mask Replica, so I decided I needed to at least listen to it once before I die. What a fantastic mindfuck of an album. I was hooked by the second track, "The Dust Blows Forward "N" The Dust Blows Back". And the hits just kept coming. "Ella Guru", "Moonlight on Vermont", all the way to the closing track, "Veteran's Day Poppy". My approach for rating this 5 Stars is "the sum is greater than its parts". Still, the parts are mostly delightful. Am I ever going to get down in the weeds of Trout Mask Replica and parse the completely bonkers lyrics or battling time signatures? No. But I will enjoy sitting back and taking it in. I even picked up the Third Man Records vinyl reissue the other day. And the Magic Band consists of the, probably, aptly named, Zoot Horn Rollo on guitar, Antennae Jimmy Semens on guitar, The Mascara Snake on Bass Clarinet, Rockette Morton on Bass, and Drumbo on drums. Love it!

2. CCR - Green River ( 5 Stars )

     This album grabbed me right from the opening guitar riff on the title track. I don't know if that's a Telecaster, but it sure as hell sounds like it. Of the three CCR releases of 1969, this is the best guitar album. Therefore...my favorite. Maybe it's the best because it was the middle album. They had one under their belts, but weren't burnt out yet. "Bad Moon Rising" (or as I like to say, "There's a baboon on the right") is obviously a classic banger. My favorite track is "Lodi". Anyone who grew up in a shit town probably has a soft spot for this track. Even a song like "Sinister Purpose" that isn't great still has some tasty guitar all over it. Apparently, I'm on an island with the take that Green River is a 5 star album, but I like what I like. 

1. The Beatles - Abbey Road ( 5 Stars )

     Can I give this 6 Stars? People forget Abbey Road was The Beatles final album, even though it was released before Let it Be. They were determined to go out on top after the ill-conceived Let it Be sessions. They had to beg George Martin to come back and produce for them one last time. Thankfully, he did and captured a perfect whole band effort. Every member of the Fab Four shines on this record. From the slinky groove of Lennon's "Come Together" to the sublime Abbey Road medley, this is a masterpiece. Even George Harrison contributes two of the all-time best Beatles tracks, "Something" and "Here Comes the Sun". He easily could have kept those for his solo career, but he was bought in on creating on final, great Beatles album. The highlight, though, is the medley that closes Abbey Road. The combination of McCartney's beautiful pieces and Lennon's nasty, biting snippets is tremendous. And the transition from "Polythene Pam" to "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window" is genius level composition. "Octopus' Garden" isn't great, but I'm not going to begrudge Ringo getting a fun little track on the last album. The only turd in the punch bowl is "Maxwell's Silver Hammer". This song makes "Her Majesty" seem like Mozart. It's been said a hundred times before, but it's fitting that the last musical statement from The Beatles was, "And in the end the love you take is equal to the love you make". Peace.

1969 Deep Dive: Part Four

      Well, we've arrived at the Top 10 and my 6-10 is an odd assortment of bands. For some reason, it struck me as funny to imagine all of these guys together at a party. Picture Iggy Pop and Keith Moon, shirts off and plastered, encouraging Pete Townshend to destroy Robert Fripp and Terry Kath's guitars, as Charlie Watts looks on in bemused silence. Good times. 

10. Chicago - Chicago Transit Authority ( 4.5 Stars )

     Yes, in 1969 Chicago made their recording debut and were actually an immensely talented band that combined rock, jazz and soul to dominate the charts. My band director, when I was a kid, was a huge Chicago fan. Needless to say, we played copious amounts of Chicago tunes. So I was aware they had once been a great band before sucking in the 80's. This album includes the hits "Beginnings", "Questions 67 and 68" and "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is"? The playing on here is amazing, especially Terry Kath on guitar. Unfortunately, he was indulged by being allowed to include the track "Free Form Guitar" on this release, which isn't representative of his skill. The album is rounded out by a muscular blues number, "South California Purples" and an inspired cover of "I'm a Man". Chicago Transit Authority would probably be 5 Stars if "Free Form Guitar" had been let off. 

9. The Rolling Stones - Let it Bleed ( 4.5 Stars )

     This is a top 3 Stones album for me, along with Some Girls and Sticky Fingers. It's worth noting, however, that the best performance on Let it Bleed is Mary Clayton's vocals on "Gimme Shelter". That alone puts this at 4 Stars. Throw in "Midnight Rambler", "You Can't Always Get What You Want" and my favorite track "Monkey Man" and we're at 4.5 Stars. I'm still not the biggest Stones fan, but I'm trying. 

8. The Stooges - The Stooges ( 4.5 Stars )

     Iggy Pop is another artist I'm not that into, but The Stooges debut is a middle finger to 1969 America. In fact, the opening track is titled 1969. "It's another year for me and you. It's another year with nothing to do." Iggy's sneering vocals are accentuated by some infectious hand claps and razor wire guitar. Then he follows that up with the iconic track, "I Wanna Be Your Dog". "No Fun" is kind of a Stones-y rocker with even more hand claps. Have I ever mentioned I love hand claps? Have I also mentioned that I'm fairly certain I saw Iggy Pop at a RUSH concert in Detroit in 2002? While I was in my seat before the show, a shirtless man who looked exactly like Iggy came out from the backstage area and ran up the aisle to the back of the venue. Anyhow, some people are put off by the ten minutes track, "We Will Fall", but I like it. It's hypnotic and drone-y. If I spent more time with this album it might make it to 5 Stars. 

7. The Who - Tommy ( 4.5 Stars )

     Tommy was in my original Mt. Rushmore for 1969. It partly fell because other albums moved up and partly because the rock opera format is slightly annoying. If this had just been a concept album with the best tracks it's probably 5 Stars. However, the overtures and short pieces and what not take me out of enjoying the album to its fullest. I suppose that's kind of nit-picky, but that's how I feel. It's still #7 and a great album. Stop judging me! Nobody needs Keith Moon's "Tommy's Holiday Camp" leading into the sublime "We're Not Gonna Take It". Also, I never need to  hear "Pinball Wizard" again. Seriously though, I love The Who and there are iconic songs all over Tommy. I just never listen to this record, beginning to end, straight  through. Oddly, my favorite track is "Christmas". 

6. King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King ( 4.5 Stars )

     This would have been in the Top 5 had it not been bumped by a stunning, upset pick. Interestingly, this is the 7th debut album in my Top 25. "21st Century Schizoid Man" is arguably one of the greatest musical achievements of the 20th Century. It's technically jaw dropping, yet on the knife's edge of unhinged. In the past, I've offhandedly dismissed Robert Fripp as a guitar great. After doing these last couple dives, I have been completely disabused of that notion. While there are still many guitarists I prefer to Fripp, there's no denying he is a virtuoso player. And Greg Lake would certainly be on my Mt. Rushmore of Prog vocalists.

You are not going to believe what my #3 album is. No, it's not Moondog. Peace.

1969 Deep Dive: Part Three

      My 11-15 is full of heavy hitters and one mildly surprising band that is considered a one-hit wonder, but over the course of some of these deep dives has grown in my estimation. This group also includes two records that were on my original Mt. Rushmore. Before this dive I assumed 1969 was a loaded year, but it turns out to have been quite top heavy. However, I don't get to a 4.5 star rating until album # 12. 

15. David Bowie - Space Oddity ( 4 Stars )

     Space Oddity isn't one of Bowie's highly regarded albums and the title track has been played into the ground by radio stations since 1969. However, it is a major step up from his debut and shows glimpses of the direction he would take in the 70's. For instance, a couple minutes into "Cygnet Committee" he creates a sound that he would flesh out more on the later track, "Wild Eyed Boy From Freecloud". This sound would come to serve as the template for his brilliant Glam period. Unfortunately, there are several light-weight tracks on Space Oddity and even "Freecloud" is much better on the live Ziggy album. Still, for 1969 it's 4 Stars. Compared to the rest of his catalog, maybe not. 

14. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin ( 4 Stars )

     Led Zeppelin rose from the ashes of The Yardbirds and struck a blow to rock music with the hammer of the gods (and some plagiarizing of old, black blues artists). I can imagine in 1969, no one had ever heard anything like this and it was a revelation. I came to Led Zeppelin in the mid-70's and my taste skews more to their later albums. There's no denying that tracks like "Communication Breakdown", "Dazed and Confused" and "How Many More Times" define the hard rock genre. I'm just not a huge fan of the sludgy blues numbers like "You Shook Me" or the church organ tinged "Your Time is Gonna Come". And even though Jimmy Page is the undisputed king of riffs and inspired guitarists I love , like Alex Lifeson and Jack White, "Black Mountain Side" is not very interesting and left me wondering why Michael Hedges never did a superior cover version. The beginning of "How Many More Times", single-handedly, makes this a 4 star album. What a groove!

13. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II ( 4 Stars )

     The band so nice I got them twice. I've always liked Zeppelin II slightly more. I wish I had a Bob Ludwig "Hot Mix" of this record. "Whole Lotta Love" is one hell of an opener. That interplay between Page and Bonham in the middle is visceral. When I was younger, I would listen to "Heartbreaker / Living Loving Maid" on repeat. I can't conceive of listening to those tracks separately. Being a nerdy, Tolkein reader, I loved "Ramble On". I still have this at 4 Stars due to there still being several sludgy tracks that I don't enjoy as much as the highlights. 

12. Procol Harum - A Salty Dog ( 4.5 Stars )

     I've really grown to love this band. Maybe it's because I live in the United States, but I never knew they had so many albums, or a song other than "Whiter Shade of Pale". This is a magnificent record. The title track is much like a pastoral, Peter Gabriel era Genesis song. Gary Brooker is an incredible vocalist and pianist. These early Procol Harum albums feature Robin Trower on guitar, as well. "The Devil Came From Kansas" sounds like a rocker from "Lamb Lies Down" Genesis. However, this record pre-dates that by six years. The album's high point musically would be "Wreck of the Hesperus". The only negatives for A Salty Dog would be that it starts to drag a little at the end and the album cover is horrible. At some point this year I need to do a Procol Harum dive.

11. CCR - Bayou Country ( 4.5 Stars )

     It's interesting that CCR was able to create this Bayou mythology, even though they were from California. I don't know how they did it, but they did. In fairness, they do sound like they crawled out of the swamp...in a good way. This mythology was probably bolstered by the outstanding track, "Born on the Bayou". It reads like an origin story for the band. I think the whole vibe of this record is much more cohesive than Willy and the Poor Boys. Even deep cuts like "Bootleg" and "Graveyard Train" are integral to the sound of Bayou Country. As is the stellar track, "Proud Mary". So, I guess this spoils the suspense of which 1969 CCR albums is my favorite. Where will Green River land in the Top 10? You might have to wait a couple days to find out. Keep on Chooglin. Peace.

 

     

1969 Deep Dive: Part Two

      My 16-20 picks are quite a diverse group; a jazz legend, a British super-group, a garage band, Southern rockers and a jazz-rock fusion guitar master. My Top 15 will be more obvious selections, with a few surprises sprinkled in for good measure. 

20. Miles Davis - Filles de Kilimanjaro ( 4 Stars )

     This album marks Miles' transition from his Second Quintet of Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams to the In a Silent Way sessions. The tracks "Petits Machins" and "Mademoiselle Mabry" feature the arrival of electric piano wizard Chick Corea and bassist Dave Holland. Filles is a very good album, but never reaches the heights of Nefertiti or In a Silent Way or Bitches Brew. It was a necessary step in getting there. It is subtitled Directions in Music by Miles Davis. I would classify it as confident explorations by transcendent musicians. 

19. Blind Faith - Blind Faith ( 4 Stars )

     This is one of the best super-group albums of all-time. I think what makes it great is everyone stays in their respective lane. Ordinarily, I'm not a fan of Eric Clapton, but on Blind Faith he pays service to the songs, rather than his reputation as "God". Ginger Baker and Rick Grech hold done the rhythm section in a loose, free-form manner. And Steve Winwood is one of the most criminally underrated vocalist in rock history. His performance on "Had To Cry Today" is incendiary, then he follows that with the hauntingly, beautiful classic track, "Can't Find My Way Home". Tremendous. 

18. MC5 - Kick Out the Jams ( 4 Stars )

     Brothers and sisters. It just takes five seconds to decide if you are part of the problem or part of the solution. This is the rallying cry that leads into the raved up, garage rock one-two punch of "Ramblin' Rose" and "Kick Out the Jams". This record is live and raw. Summer of Love it ain't. Brother Wayne Kramer done kicked it out. Leave it to Southeast Michigan to produce Kick Out the Jams and The Stooges in 1969, as well as the garage rock revival lead by The White Stripes. Must be the gasoline fumes. 

17. The Allman Brothers Band - The Allman Brothers Band ( 4 Stars )

     Clearly one of the best debut albums and a landmark release in Southern blues rock. The combination of Greg Allman's soulful vocals and the scorching guitars of his brother Duane and Dickie Betts is singular. "Trouble No More" is a fantastic, boot-stompin', shit kicker of a song. And, of course, the tour-de-force is "Whipping Post". The influence of this record cannot be denied. 

16. Santana - Santana ( 4 Stars )

     Speaking of amazing debut albums. At one time (pre-Supernatural), Carlos Santana was my favorite guitarist. His playing has so much "feel". Feel is hard to define. It's emotional, spiritual and pyrotechnic. It seems Santana enters some type of Flow State when he picks up the guitar. This album is bolstered by the vocals of Greg Rolle and the percussion team of Michael Shrieve, Mike Carabello and Jose Areas. Santana's combination of jazz, rock and latin music was unique and created a signature sound. Hopefully he still has some of that Supernatural money. Peace.

1969 Deep Dive: Part One

      Last year, I committed to this 1969 Deep Dive, but about half way in I became completely burnt out. With all the changes at my job it became too daunting to spend so much time listening to albums (most of which I didn't like) and posting. I even stopped engaging in the Tastes Like Music discord group, because it's an intense, competitive group of individuals who seemingly do nothing but listen to music. However, when they announced new deep dives for 1980 and 1995 it got my Mojo working again. Since I have been recovering from surgery this past week, I decided to knock out 1969 and prepare for the 1980 dive. 

     1969 was kind of a slog, but I did make a few discoveries and only one of my original Mt. Rushmore albums survived the dive. I struggled to come up with a solid 4 star Top 25 albums list. Most everything else I listened to was on a spectrum from okay to God awful. 1965 to 1968 was a golden age for music and 1969 marks the beginning of a transition from The Summer of Love to the unsure footing of new horizons and possibilities. In 1969, we see the phasing out of classic 60's bands and the genesis (pun intended) of new classic bands of the 70's. And while Led Zeppelin came out swinging with two great albums, bands like Genesis and YES were still looking for their signature sound. My 21-25 consists of two rock albums, two jazz and one country. 

25. Johnny Cash - At San Quentin ( 4 Stars )

     You probably predicted this would be the country album in my top 25. Truthfully, it made the bottom of my list mostly for its cultural significance. There is a palpable energy and tension to Cash's performance to a literal "captive audience". This setting also gives this set of songs more power. In many ways it's more revolutionary and more of a "Fuck You" to the Man than a whole summer's worth of hippies rolling around in the mud. "San Quentin, what good do you think you do? Do you think I'll be different when you're through"? The lyrics to "San Quentin" are venomous and vitriolic and Cash was allowed to sing them to these inmates. "San Quentin, I hate every inch of you". Their reaction was boisterous and cathartic. The Warden, probably not so much. 

24. Wayne Shorter - Schizophrenia ( 4 Stars )

     I included this album because it was released in 1969, even though it was recorded in 1967, in the middle of Shorter's time in Miles Davis' Second Quintet. In fact, Herbie Hancock and Ron Carter are on this record as well. It's a very good album for 1967, but by 1969 it wasn't relevant to the current state of jazz. That said, Wayne Shorter is a legend and he would soon go on to be a pivotal figure in the jazz-rock fusion movement of the 70's. If you take Schizophrenia out of it's historical context, it's a fantastic record.

23. Pharoah Sanders - Karma ( 4 Stars )

     This was my first experience with Pharoah Sanders. It pushed me out of my comfort zone of jazz listening. I'm not a huge fan of vocals in jazz, but they weren't jarring on this record. Karma is representative of where jazz was in 1969. Of all the albums I listened to in this vein, Karma was by far the best. 

22. CCR - Willy and the Poor Boys ( 4 Stars )

     Spoiler Alert: I have three CCR albums in my Top 25 and I have them ranked in the opposite order of pretty much everyone else. For me, the greatness of "Fortunate Son" cannot overcome my exhaustion with the title track and some other substandard tracks like "Cotton Fields" and "Poorboy Shuffle". I'm also not a huge fan of "Midnight Special". Sorry, not sorry. I don't feel too bad though. If a band puts out three albums in a year and their worst one is 4 Stars, that's pretty solid. "Effigy" is a good closer. 

21. Neil Young - Everybody Knows This is Nowhere ( 4 Stars )

     "Cinnamon Girl" is a tremendous opener. I may have this ranked too low. I wanted to put some stuff ahead of this that I felt was more ahead of its time or influential, but this is a great album. The title track is fun and it also has "Down by the River" and "Cowgirl in the Sand". Those two tracks are arguably too long, though. I will write that off as Neil incorporating Crazy Horse into his sound. What am I saying, "Cowgirl in the Sand" is not too long. In 1969, I was only five years old, so I have no idea how influential Neil Young was back then. My perception is he was more influential later on with Grunge and Alt-Country. By the way, why has no one written a Neil Young biography and titled it, "A Painter of Pictures"? Peace.