The Next Four
The benefit of this vinyl project is that the records are (usually) short so I listen to them multiple times, especially if I hadn't heard it before.
First out of the gate on the next round of vinyl listens is Elton John's third album (and second of 1970), Tumbleweed Junction. That's right, artists used to release two albums in one calendar year. Now its a miracle to get two albums in a three year period from any major artist.
A loose cowboy theme holds this album together, which I bought last May, but I never listened to. I bought it for three songs, 'Amoreena'; 'My Father's Gun' the first side closer; and, of course, the album closer 'Burn Down The Mission'. The first in the long line Elton's 'epics', it always makes me think of the Alamo.
A decent album, but nothing that screams to be listened to over and over, especially considering the depth of his early 70s catalog. Between 1970-75 he released nine studio albums (including 1 double album), a live album and a soundtrack.
Seconds Out by Genesis was next. I've owned this record for over 20 years and have listened to before. The 1977 double live album is a picture of band in transition. Peter Gabriel was gone, Phil Collins does the singing now. Chester Thompson is on drums (Bill Bruford for one track) and Steve Hackett, who left during the mixing of this album, was making his last appearance on a Genesis record.
You get a stellar show, from a very talented band, playing some of the best of the early 70s art rock. Twelve songs, nearly 90 minutes long, its sad to realize that this band was turning into the one that would ultimately produce We Can't Dance.
Phil Collins would shave the beard (and look less like serial killer) and turn one of the more interesting art rock bands of the 70s into a pop group that would ending up crapping in the mouth of music fan in the late 80s/early 90s with a pair of albums.
The highlight is "Suppers Ready", my favorite song over 20 minutes, which takes up the entire side three. Collins can't pull off the lyrics like Gabriel, but he does a good enough job on it and the rest of the album, that it's clear this band would survive with four members (and then three).
Traffic, Shoot Out At The Fantasy Factory was the next listen. I've never listened to this album in the 20+ years I've owned it and truthfully I had no idea what it was going to sound like.
What I found was an album from a folk-jazz jam band. Five songs in 37 minutes! (isn't vinyl great). Side one contains a pair of grooves that the band sinks into. The uptempo opener, 'Shoot Out At The Fantasy Factory', and the lengthy (perhaps too long) 'Roll Right Stones.' Side two contains (guess?), more jams and more great playing.
Traffic would be an outstanding band to headline any festival where women wearing tye-died skirts spin for no reason other than to spin. There's no clear single, or nothing that would even be considered a 'deep cut'. A lengthy instrumental on side 2, 'Tragic Magic', is the only real showcase for Chris Wood and the album closes with the aptly titled '(Sometimes I Feel So) Uninspired'. Winwood and the band are their bluesiest on the album closer, but nothing stands out enough to make me come back to this album over and over.
My favorite record of this latest batch was Blood, Sweat & Tears Greatest Hits.
All I really knew about them were they were a late 60s/early 70s band with lots of members. They turned out to be much more than that.
Originally conceived by Al Kooper (who I knew from playing with Dylan) as a jazz-rock experiment, they morphed into a more traditional band following Kooper's departure after one album. The remaining members brought in a new lead singer, David Clayton-Thomas, and they continued on interpreting others songs in a uniquely BS&T way.
Five of the eleven songs on the album are covers, including two of their biggest hits. 'You've Made Me So Very Happy', the Motown written hit for Brenda Holloway, and the Laura Nyro penned 'And When I Die', which is my favorite track.
All of their singles are here, as well as four album tracks off their first two records, and the quality of the music makes it easy to see why they were one of the better (and more critically acclaimed) bands of their time. The critics liked them AND they even won Grammys? When was the last time that happened?
The musicianship is spectacular -everyone plays the fuck out of their instrument- and on the tracks where the band stretches it out, 'I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know' and the Billie Holiday cover 'God Bless The Child', the soloists get a chance to show off. The latter has a Santana freak-out stuffed in the middle.
'Go Down Gambler' would fit in perfectly on the soundtrack to a Scorsese film about truck drivers. 'Hi-De-Ho' is BS&Ts take on gospel, while 'Lucretia Mac Evil' (one of the more oddly named "devil woman" songs, ever) rides intense horn lines throughout.
Anyone who likes music from the late 60s/early 70s needs to own this album. Although not as well known as other bands from that period, and virtually ignored on all radio formats, it is a major statement from one of the lost hits makers is rock history.
The record I picked up over 20 years ago for the bargain price of 1.79 (marked down from 1.99) and has the annoying feature on the back cover where it doesn't list the tracks in running order. Very confusing the first time I listened to it. A fine album, going to return to it, but can't put it in my Top 100 as I don't count greatest hits in my personal Top 100. Whatever. Deal with it.
First out of the gate on the next round of vinyl listens is Elton John's third album (and second of 1970), Tumbleweed Junction. That's right, artists used to release two albums in one calendar year. Now its a miracle to get two albums in a three year period from any major artist.
A loose cowboy theme holds this album together, which I bought last May, but I never listened to. I bought it for three songs, 'Amoreena'; 'My Father's Gun' the first side closer; and, of course, the album closer 'Burn Down The Mission'. The first in the long line Elton's 'epics', it always makes me think of the Alamo.
A decent album, but nothing that screams to be listened to over and over, especially considering the depth of his early 70s catalog. Between 1970-75 he released nine studio albums (including 1 double album), a live album and a soundtrack.
Seconds Out by Genesis was next. I've owned this record for over 20 years and have listened to before. The 1977 double live album is a picture of band in transition. Peter Gabriel was gone, Phil Collins does the singing now. Chester Thompson is on drums (Bill Bruford for one track) and Steve Hackett, who left during the mixing of this album, was making his last appearance on a Genesis record.
You get a stellar show, from a very talented band, playing some of the best of the early 70s art rock. Twelve songs, nearly 90 minutes long, its sad to realize that this band was turning into the one that would ultimately produce We Can't Dance.
Phil Collins would shave the beard (and look less like serial killer) and turn one of the more interesting art rock bands of the 70s into a pop group that would ending up crapping in the mouth of music fan in the late 80s/early 90s with a pair of albums.The highlight is "Suppers Ready", my favorite song over 20 minutes, which takes up the entire side three. Collins can't pull off the lyrics like Gabriel, but he does a good enough job on it and the rest of the album, that it's clear this band would survive with four members (and then three).
Traffic, Shoot Out At The Fantasy Factory was the next listen. I've never listened to this album in the 20+ years I've owned it and truthfully I had no idea what it was going to sound like.
What I found was an album from a folk-jazz jam band. Five songs in 37 minutes! (isn't vinyl great). Side one contains a pair of grooves that the band sinks into. The uptempo opener, 'Shoot Out At The Fantasy Factory', and the lengthy (perhaps too long) 'Roll Right Stones.' Side two contains (guess?), more jams and more great playing.
Traffic would be an outstanding band to headline any festival where women wearing tye-died skirts spin for no reason other than to spin. There's no clear single, or nothing that would even be considered a 'deep cut'. A lengthy instrumental on side 2, 'Tragic Magic', is the only real showcase for Chris Wood and the album closes with the aptly titled '(Sometimes I Feel So) Uninspired'. Winwood and the band are their bluesiest on the album closer, but nothing stands out enough to make me come back to this album over and over.
My favorite record of this latest batch was Blood, Sweat & Tears Greatest Hits.
All I really knew about them were they were a late 60s/early 70s band with lots of members. They turned out to be much more than that.Originally conceived by Al Kooper (who I knew from playing with Dylan) as a jazz-rock experiment, they morphed into a more traditional band following Kooper's departure after one album. The remaining members brought in a new lead singer, David Clayton-Thomas, and they continued on interpreting others songs in a uniquely BS&T way.
Five of the eleven songs on the album are covers, including two of their biggest hits. 'You've Made Me So Very Happy', the Motown written hit for Brenda Holloway, and the Laura Nyro penned 'And When I Die', which is my favorite track.
All of their singles are here, as well as four album tracks off their first two records, and the quality of the music makes it easy to see why they were one of the better (and more critically acclaimed) bands of their time. The critics liked them AND they even won Grammys? When was the last time that happened?
The musicianship is spectacular -everyone plays the fuck out of their instrument- and on the tracks where the band stretches it out, 'I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know' and the Billie Holiday cover 'God Bless The Child', the soloists get a chance to show off. The latter has a Santana freak-out stuffed in the middle.
'Go Down Gambler' would fit in perfectly on the soundtrack to a Scorsese film about truck drivers. 'Hi-De-Ho' is BS&Ts take on gospel, while 'Lucretia Mac Evil' (one of the more oddly named "devil woman" songs, ever) rides intense horn lines throughout.
Anyone who likes music from the late 60s/early 70s needs to own this album. Although not as well known as other bands from that period, and virtually ignored on all radio formats, it is a major statement from one of the lost hits makers is rock history.
The record I picked up over 20 years ago for the bargain price of 1.79 (marked down from 1.99) and has the annoying feature on the back cover where it doesn't list the tracks in running order. Very confusing the first time I listened to it. A fine album, going to return to it, but can't put it in my Top 100 as I don't count greatest hits in my personal Top 100. Whatever. Deal with it.
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