This is one of my favorite albums ever. And of all the significant anniversaries today, this is (as of now) my absolute favorite and the only one I can say I consider a top 100 Ryan album.
Without waxing petic for pages and pages as I could, I'll just say this is an album so stunningly beautiful it leaves a deep mark on me whenever I hear it. It also has a distinct sound and space. What I mean is, not only is it great (like really really great) it's unlike anything I've ever heard. It has a style all its own and it conjures up images and feelings that no album does.
There are moments in this album where I am dumbstruck. Especially the epic tracks "Saeta", "Solea" and the opener, "Concierto de Aranjuez (Adiago)". When I close my eyes when the drumming is playing away and Miles' horn starts rising more and more into a spirited feverish swell on "Saeta", it conjures up an amazing vision of some sort of sonic architecture. Its hard to explain. Basically parts of this album defy logic and understanding.
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Today is the 56th Anniversary of Judy At Carnegie Hall by Judy Garland!!!
I will listen to this again later. But its quite long. And quite excellent. Basic review now is that I love it. Judy Garland was such a stunning talent. She had a warmth and beauty as an actress and as a singer that is pretty close to untouched in the history of films. This album is an adoring, sweeping, tribute to her immense talent and legacy. Her voice and spirit just warms me up whenever I hear it, or whenever I see her on screen. I wish I could go back in time and meet her. I love this album, I love the beautiful orchestral work, I love her so so so much.
Also, I'm sure it is well known and accepted but I'll state the obvious, "Over The Rainbow" is perhaps the greatest song in the American Songbook. And Judy's rendition of it is so beautiful that...I don't know...if everyone on earth listened to it all at once, the world would be engulfed in the unified fire of love. Listening to this album feels almost like Being In Luuuuuuv!!!!!
Next!
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Today is the 51st anniversary of Fifth Dimension by The Byrds!!!!
This was a listen, a first listen, for the ages this morning! I did not expect to love this album so very much! I guess I always thought of the Byrds as boring, jangly meh-ness before. Then I put on this 28 minute energetic, creative, strange, lil masterpiece of an album.
First off the premise or concept of the album about a bunch of hippies being brought into outer space or something is just so fun. The instruments are the expected upbeat, jangly exc ellence. And the little touches, solos, fun instrumental twists and turns are all so forward thinking and unique (especially for mid '66).
I always knew that "* Miles High" was a "landmark" single. I had heard it mostly on Byrds greatest hits. And I had heard the husker du rendition. I never understood why it was considered good or significant. But hearing it now and seeing the date of its release, hearing for the first time how strange and detailed the start is, then I had my mind seriously blown when I heard those solos come in. Those solos are so so so freaking weird and dischordant and expressive. It is like nothing else i've heard. How had I not put together how insane this track is.? This, along with the fact that "Tomorrow Never Knows" cme out the same year, the early works of Hendrix, the insane unusualness of "Blonde On Blonde, etc etc, I see fully how crazy the rock the scene was in '66. They were really tearing shit up, weren't they? And "8 Miles High" is perhaps as distinct and representative as any other work from '66 to show how cray cray this time period was for rock and pop music.
Anyway, there is no bad track here. I suspect I'll be returning again and again to this. It may even end up on my chart soon. It's that surprisingly impressive to me. Also their version of "Hey Joe" is excellent.
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Today is the 49th anniversary of Anthem of the Sun by Grateful Dead!!
And that's cool. I am interested in liostening to it. But when I went to look this album up on my music provider, I saw that Live In Europe '72 showed up. And this reminded me that I have literally wanted to listen to this live album since I was 13. But I was never able to find a cheap used copy of it to buy or a copy at the library. So I threw away the script and I just want ahead and listened to this magnum opus of live jammy country stuff. I had forgotten that it was nearly 2 hours until I was through the first half. Still I listened to it all the way through in portions. And I will say, proudly and happily, that I loved it! It is the first time I've really fallen for a Dead album. They always seemed like a band (much like the Byrds) that I underrated and just didn't get why they are so damn legendary. I am starting to get it now.
The whole album is so mercurial, idea-driven, fluid, rife with little ideas, etc. The american roots music that they were nonchalantly breathing new life into for a new generation is all so elementally gorgeous. But with their little touches of divine instinct, their little detours, their abundant ideas of things and motifs to play with and distracted by, etc, it all makes this live album one of the best and most invigorating live album experiences I have had!
I am so psyched that this crazy day has already made me a fan of 2 bands, has reacquanted me with my greatest cinematic love, and has given me a chance to gush a bit about my favorite musical love. What a great day.... what's next!?
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Today is the 48th anniversary of The Soft Parade by The Doors
And honestly I really do not like The Doors. I have never heard this album. Apparently it is one of their more underrated albums. And I may indulge someday. But for today, I just am really not interested in trying to decipher the doors strange bassless uniqueness and morrison's shamanistic ramblings. Apologies to all you doors fans out there.
Next!!!
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Today is the 44th anniversary of the sultry excellence of Call Meby Al Green!!!!
I listened to this a couple times yesterday. It's so good. And its so different from what I think of as the soul of that era. It doesn't have the funky insane grooves of Stevie or the slinky brilliant touches of Mayfield, or the clearly innovative sonic ideas of albums of the same era being released by Gaye (or Mayfield or Wonder or Sly or or or...). Instead its a great case, this album's sound and this artist's style, of less is more. The drums and grooves don't bash you over the head. The vocals are almost thin, the soul and the emotion is presented is such a way that it almost doesn't get to you fully. You have to extend forward, listen closely, to hear the details and the words and the things expressed. When you finally find the songs and the message, your knees get weak, your heart starts to flutter, and your eyes get swimy. Al Green on this album makes you come to him. And when you do and you're right up close, he whispers and tells you all the deep wells of human experiences, experiences of love and loss and longing, and you are right there with him, nodding in agreement, wiping tears from your opened eyes.
The hits on here are classic. The opening 20 seconds of "Call Me (Come Back Home) are otherworldly. The quiet songs like "Have You Been Making Out Okay", and "Funny How Time Slips Away" are so real and raw its astounding. The latter song I just mentioned could be an Adelle song. But its so much more subtle than her music. But its got that same conversational quality that Adelle to my ears almost copied directly for "Hello". maybe that is just me.
Anyway, I really love this album. Al Green is such a unique genius.
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And now here is something all you post punk nerds will love....
Today is the 37th anniversary of BOTH Closer by Joy Division!!!!,
I know, crazy, right? Both of these classic albums were released in some hot July day in 1980. Obviously Closer is the more iconic. And the more beloved here and everywhere else seemingly. But I really really like Crocodiles too.
Crocodiles is such a vibrant and alive debut statement from this great band. It may be their best album, it is to me anyway. I know there exists a LOT of love for Ocean Rain, Heaven Up Here, and Porcupine. But to me, despite the clear artistic development on these albums, there was never another album by the Bunnymen and Echo that so thoroughly pumps me up with angular, intense punky bliss. Excellent album.
As for Closer, until recently I honestly didn't just not love this album, I actively disparaged it. It seem too cold, too inhuman, inhumane, dark, hopeless, bleak, mechanical, and too much of an expression of the death of humanity in the face of the new mechanized world. Obviously, that is sort of the point. At least that's the point as far as I can tell. I used to feel it took all the genius of Unknown Pleasures and took the aspects of bleakness and accented that so so soooo much that it became just unpalatable.
Thankfully I have come around on this album. It's brilliant for all the reasons I mentioned earlier. But it also is incredibly detailed production-wise. It's a monumental artistic achievement. I still rate and rank, etc Joy Division's debut as their best as well as one of the great rock albums ever. their sophomore album is no slouch however.
okay, mooooooving ooooooonnnnnnnnnn.....
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Another album that were released on this date, July 18th, :
I've never heard it. And not quite my speed right now. I am sure its great. They make cool heavy albums.
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And finally, the last album of many deserving of highlight that I will highlight today is an important and landmark one. And one I've never gotten into despite really wanting to give it its day in the sun. But today I shall listen to finally is....
Today is the 31st anniversary of Raising Hell by Run D.M.C. !!!!
Incredibly influential and important album in the development and popularization of Hip Hop music. And thanks to this album just think how many kids went and bought adidas. Millions? maybe...
Full disclosure, the Judy At carnegie Hall album is still playing in my ear. It's 2 hours long! And its a masterpiece its so freakin good!!!! I LOVE Judy Garland so so much. Goddamn. But the point is, I have 30 minutes left in this massive record and I just want to finish it before I do anything else. I am planning on giving Raising Hell a re-listen shortly in celebration. It deserves it of course. But I will hold on giving a review or my thoughts on it until I'm actually done listening to it or actively listening to it. So more on this last one later.
Okay, there is the LONGEST entry ever for this diary. July 18th is AWESOME! While this was a lot of "work" it was also such a rejuvenating and exciting listening experience! I have discovered at least 2 new favorites that will be on my chart soon, maybe 3... (Judy at Carnegie Hall, Fifth Dimension, and Live In Europe '72). Also talking about Miles, JD, Echo, Al, and having achance to diss The Doors, all made this just a fudgin' Joy!!
What do you all (all about 4 of you who read this) think of this avalanche of great anniversaries? Which is your fave? If you're into this kinda thing, how would you rank the albums I just mentioned here? What do you disagree with me on my takes here today? etc etc. I am interested in your feedback, you beautiful people.
Okay peace!
I am quoting my previous big post so that i can keep it visible even with comments which are inevitable and legion... stay tuned.
My ranking of the albums I listened to for this big day:
#1 Judy at Carnegie Hall
#1a Sketches of Spain
#2 Fifth Dimension
#3 Europe '72
#4 Closer
#5 Call Me
#6 Crocodiles
still need to give a listen to Raising Hell, and Anthem of the Sun. _________________ -Ryan
My ranking of the albums I listened to for this big day:
#1 Judy at Carnegie Hall
#1a Sketches of Spain
#2 Fifth Dimension
#3 Europe '72
#4 Closer
#5 Call Me
#6 Crocodiles
still need to give a listen to Raising Hell, and Anthem of the Sun.
Wow! Never heard it. And I LOVE all the others in that list. I'm a HUGE Byrds fan, but feel that fifth Dimension is not quite as good as Closer and Europe '72. I'd put in the same league as Crocodiles, but I also think Crocodiles is one of Echo's best. Closer & Europe '72 just happen to of my favorites of all time. And Sketches of Spain is a masterpiece.
MercuryTurn your back on the pay-you-back last callProfile St. Louis
Yeah I listened to Judy at Carnegie Hall again. I adore it. It's so goddamn great!
As for the other rankings differentials, I may usually agree with your ranking more. However, I'm just not in a rock music headspace as much recently. I notice what's impressing me isn't dark shit, or rocking stuff,. I feel like my tastes have subtly changed significantly these last few months. Still making sense of it. _________________ -Ryan
It's okay. I listened to it. Maybe cuz I'm just not feeling, like I said, rock music, I was not impressed. It was a cool, early grunge rock hard rock album. _________________ -Ryan
It's okay. I listened to it. Maybe cuz I'm just not feeling, like I said, rock music, I was not impressed. It was a cool, early grunge rock hard rock album.
I agree. It's meh. It's always been meh. And I LOVE hard rock.
MercuryTurn your back on the pay-you-back last callProfile St. Louis
On the 20th of July (Thursday)
Thursday was the 44th anniversary of Love Devotion Surrender by Carlos Santana & John McLachlan (with the Mahavishnu Orchestra)
I listened to this for the first time on Thursday for its anniversary. I had actually not even heard of this album, somehow it stayed under my radar despite my general liking of that era of jazz fusion stuff. I liked it so much I did end up listening a couple times more. And I cheered here at home when I saw someone mention it in another thread as a great example of an underrated album.
In terms of this album, its such a crazy, beautiful, virtuosic and unique take on jazz. Its not quite jazz fusion as we think of The Mahavishnu Orchestra, its not quite a Latin rock album a la Santana's early albums, and its not a straight up Spiritual Jazz album despite a lot of the material coming straight from Coltrane. It has its own unique space and vibe. The double lead guitar is fantastic and is just so intense. I figured I would get tired of 2 of the fastest and most flashy guitarists ever going head to head for nearly an hour. I did not. The guitars are the stars, buit its always awe inspiring and just plain inspiring. Especially the solos and work of Santana. He is just such a seminal artist. Of all the great guitarist to come directly out of the late 60s rock and fusion explosion of guitar gods, he may be the greatest. I mean in terms of someone who has an instantly recognizable sound which is rare, he has the chops equal, or almost equal, to McLachlan and DiMeola. Just amazing amazing amazing!
Also on Thursday, was the 44th anniversary album Mott by Mott The Hoople!
I didn't listen to this newly for its anniversary. I meant to but just didn't have a the time. I do really like this album. It's surprisingly sad and bitter sweet. Here was a rock band on the cutting edge of cool in '73, just after their surprise hit All The Young Dudes, and Mott The Hoople does an interesting zig zag here. While their are just incredible anthemic glam rock and rock songs here, the whole album (the would-be hits included) have a strange air of sadness and lostness to it. Also, the fact that Mott The Hoople had a big influence on the early years and inception of The Clash makes me all the more thankful for this album and band.
Thursday was the 19th anniversary of Good Morning Spider by Sparklehorse
I had never heard this album until Thursday. Mark Linkous comes across as a very damaged but brilliant and unique artist. This is a great showcase of his sad, downright gloomy, artistic mind. The album is not quite like anything else I have heard. And I did really like it. It kept me completely interested. And yeah I only listened once and I thought it was an excellent listen. _________________ -Ryan
Yeah! I am not a big fan of this album or band. Overall I recognize that this was an "important" album in the history of hard rock, metal, and glam metal. But outside of the 3 colossal hits on here, I feel the album is silly, ballsy, hard rock with an insane level of swagger. And if you're into that kind of thing, you probably love this album. I dig that their is a nasty and truly dangerous and disgusting side to this album which sets it apart from a lot of the staid hair metal of the day. It brought the genre back into the slimy, degraded danger which is one of the hallmarks i think of the sttyle. So cool! Happy birthday you 30 year old bastards!
Friday was the 45th anniversary of Slider by T. Rex!!!
I gave this my first full listen on Friday. And it was really cool. Its got a strange stripped down sound which seems like it wouldn't work. But the secret sauce which makes it work in such a stripped down setting is the sleazy and strange being of the main man - the legendary Marc Bolan. Also his strange and yet at times poetic genius of his lyrics keep me on the edge of my seat listening in close. This album is just chock full of seemingly a million sexual, devious, brilliant innuendos. Anyway, it was great!
On Friday the 21st was the 46th anniversary of the HEAVIEST ALBUM EVER (at the time) Master of Reality by Black Sabbath!!!
Its great. Obviously. It still even after a relisten which showed me much more to this album which I had never noticed or appreciated before, the 4th best of Sabbath's insane first four album run. Yes I know their first 6 albums are all considered classics. But a little confession which will make me look like even more of a musical charlatan, I have only heard Sabbath Bloody Sabbath once and liked it well enough, and I've never heard Sabotage. Not that I recall anyway. (I will rectify this very soon...I know its a crime of magnitude 'round these parts...)
Anyway, I do rank them all as classics but something like
Vol 4
Black Sabbath
Paranoid
Master of Reality
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath.
Anyway, this random as ranking of my subjective opinion is not interesting to me, not to mention any of you 3 who read this. Although I'd love for the big Sabbath fans to give me their thoughts on their favorites. Skinny, you're a huge Sabbath fan aren't you? Jus' saying... aActually what am I saying???
Anyway, Master of Reality is just so so so fucking heavy and ominous. The opener is an opener for the ages and contains one of the coolest metal riffs ever. So its great.
[Also Friday was the 39th anniversary of More Songs About Buildings And Food by Talking Heads
I have not relistened to this famous and beloved sophomore album by these greatest of new wave post punk bands not named Wire or Joy Division or Gang of Four or....nevermind....
Anyway, If I'm still doing this diary or something like it next year I will listen and review for its 40th anniversary.
Come Saturday which was the 3rd straight day of significant and several significant anniversaries, I started just feeling overwhelmed. I was still listening to the albums but I was just too overwhelmed and busy to write anything about them. And even now I am trying to catch up to present day and that is leading to really super super superficial reviews if you wanna call these snippets that.
So I will get to the amazing saturday anniversaries, featuring 2 of my top 100 albums ever, one with an even-year anniversary, and another album by one of the greatest geniuses in music history which is too often overlooked in favor of the albums that booken d this.
Okay so without further ado:
Saturday 22 July 2017 was the 40th anniversary of Elvis Costello's momentous debut album My Aim Is True!
Its hard to express how brilliant I think this album is. It's so concise and energetic. The ideas and great songs just fly at you and right by. The songs are all so unique and distinct and it just sounds like Costello is taking on so much rich genre ideas, making them his own, thinking up some brilliant lyrical turns of phrase like only he can do and just moving on. The whole album, even the hit and slow ballad of "Alison" is brilliant but quickly in and out. The bassline on that song I never really heard or paid a huge amount of attention to, and it is beautiful.
I'm on the record considering 1977 the greatest year of music. I really am floored by how many great artists released their momentous debut album in '77. Televiosn, Talking Heads, The Clash, Sex Pistols, Pere Ubu, The Congos, Suicide, Johnny Thunders and The Heartrbreakers, etc. And I think the best debut of that year is this album right here.
Obviously, most of those debut statements were from the punk scene and explosion. Maybe it is clear then that I am a huge punk fan, especially first gen UK and NY punk.
Anyay, tangents aside, this whole record is brilliant. A newer member has been doing a lot of cool interesting music forum threads. Forget who and I am not inclined to do my research. But recently he presented the question of great artists whose first album is their best. Well... this is a classic example of this. While Costello's later work is consistently awesome, I feel this is his master piece.
July 22nd was also the 51st anniversary of John Mayall and The Bluebreakers with Eric Clapton!!!!
And honestly I love this album as much or maybe even more than the previous one I mentioned. I listened to this again for its anniversary. I was newly floored. And I listened to it all day the next 2 days. It's such a vibrant, beautiful blues album. John Mayall was a beast blues musician and band leader. And this album makes it very clear what made Clapton such a revelatory guitar talent back in '65 and '66 at just 20 and 21 years old. His guitar work here is so incisive and equal parts pristine then ugly and dirty. He was a true blues guitar God as all the graffiti artists wanted us to know. And this album he is kept as the prodigy guitarist, not as the singwriter or the singer (except for one track). And this is a good thing cuz I really really REALLY can't stand his voice. Even when he was 21 years old when he sang he already sounded like a boring old man.
And the opening salvo of All Your Love, then the insane genius of the cover of Hideaway is just godly. The only tracks I can do without are the cover of What'd I Say, mainly cuz of the fucking drum solo. I hate DRUM SOLOS!!!! and also don't care for "Ramblin' On My Mind" mainly due to Clapton's vox. But other than those slight blemishes this is perhaps the greatest blues album ever by a non-american. And a top 10 blues album ever for me. Thje only british blues album which I consider in the same tier of excellence is Fleetwood Mac's debut or a couple other early Mayall albums especially A Hard Road (common ground being Peter Green of course, who filled the void left by Clapton's departure to start Cream very well...Peter Green actually may be a greater guitarist than Clapton, but that's a discussion for another day).
Okay, also on Saturday was the 43rd anniversary of Fulfillingness' First Finale by Stevie Wonder!!!
My god! This album is incredible. The high points such as "Heaven Is 10 Zillion Light Years away", "Boogie On Reggae Woman", "You Haven't Done Nothing" and "Smile Please", are so SOOOO astronomically high its mind-boggling! How was Stevie so goddamn forward thinking? His melodies and harmonies are pristine and heartwrenching an powerful, while his tracks and recording techniques are so ahead of their time. He was so talented and on such a roll that he could release an album with the above mentioned highlights and it still can get overlooked compared to other god-level masterpieces from the same years such as "Talking Book" "Music Of My Mind" "Innervisions" and "Songs In The Key Of Life".
The beat on "Boogie On Reggae Woman" is insane. Its strange, sexy, funky, just insane. The soaring beauty of "10 Zillion Light Years" is insane and the concept is so great, and it functions as a great build up to 2 of Steviue's greatest songs on his next album - both "Saturn" and "Love's In Need of Love Today" share some theme and sound and concept.
And "You Haven't Done Nothin'" is so damn angry! It should be listened to now for its timeliness now just as much as back in '74. And along with its topical excellence, the synth funk is right there on the same tier as "Higher Ground".
Anyway, basically this album deserves to be just as revered as "Talking Book" and is just a LITTLE bit less than Innervisions. Obviously I can not honestly say I see it as an equal to His greatest album "Songs In The Key Of Life". But listened to as a beautiful stepping stone to his next album makes for a fascinating listen.
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Okay, phew!!!! That was a lot of work, cuz that was 3 great busy days in a row. There was nothing particularly interesting to me on Sunday, the 23rd. So that is that. Okay, nevermind there was ....
Sunday, the 23rd of July 2017, was the 21st anniversary of Tidal by Fiona Apple
I listened to part of it and was very disinterested. My older sisters were obsessed with this album when I was 8 or so so I couldn't escape its presence in my house for a solid year. And now as I return to it I see its appeal, its angry, beautiful, eerie and cool. But none of the songs or sounds really impress me. So I am not gonna talk at length about it. Oh I will say that the front cover is cool. I love her lips. Okay end of talking about my sexual attraction to this super talented artist.
Nothing interesting yet again. Another breather for me. Then I saw what lay ahead on the 25th and today and I started listening ahead a bit in anticipation....
July 25th, 2017 (yesterday, Tuesday):
I spoke earlier of debut albums released in '77. And with that smooth bridge...
Tuesday, the 25th of July 2017 was the 34th anniversary of the ALL TIME GREAT debut album by Metallica, Kill "em All!!!!
Hot diggity dog! This album is just so great! Its so fast and so insanely energetic and so alive and exciting and fun and heavy at times and the guitar solos are brimming with youthful adventure and the riffing is so galloping and galant and hard rocking and amazing and the vocals bark with you teenage rage and the drums and the bass just chug and consume and the whole things comes together like an elongated lightning bolt straight to your ears and head and moves to every part of your body until you're completed incandescent iwith the power of the statement which is... KILL 'EM ALL!!!!!!
I just can't describe how much I love this album. Its my favorite Metallica album cuz its the most raw and invigorating. All of their first 4 are amazing, especially really their first 3 are master works. And outside of Reign In Blood this is my fave 80s metal album or Thrash album. This thing is such a goddamn classic. That is all I'll say.
Yesterday was also the 37th anniversary of the very ... famous album Back In Black by AC/DC.
Its an okay album. Its heavy, the solos are great and simple and swingin and great. The vocals are garbage and annoying. Not a huge fan. It's just a very good example of a success story. Good on ya, AC/DC for making it really really big with this hit.
Yesterday was the 22nd anniversary of E. 1999 Eternal by Bone Thugs 'n' Harmony!
I listened to this yesterday. It is pretty cool, and incredibly distinctive and unique. The flows are so recognizable as The Bone Thugs and the little melodic turns in the rapping is unique if not particularly good on the ears. The beats are ominous and soulful, and the flow of the album is cool. I don't understand many of the vocals, due to the insane speed of a lot of their rhymes, but I get the idea they really really REALLY love talking about Cleveland, and how truly gangster it is there. Almost as much as Lebron does, They just can't stop name dropping Cleveland. Cleveland, that's cool. Its a good city. BUT STOP TALKING ABOUT IT!!!!! Okay, that's all I have.
Yesterday, the 25th of July 2017, was also the 47th anniversary of Iconic album Cosmo's Factory by Creedence Clearwater Revival!
And as some of you may know I'm not a huge CCR or Fogerty fan. But I gave this a listen and its great! I'm still not a big fan in genral, but this album at least feels cohesive like and album. This and Green River both are super solid. But this one has an insane amount of iconic hits that perfectly encapsulate that era. "Who'll Stop The Rain" is honestly gorgeous. It may be my fave song of theirs.
I don't know what else to say. Its a great rock and roll record with a consistent flow and some of their biggest hits in both popularity as well as just quality of song imo.
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and with that half assed review of an iconic album I say good bye. Today there are some great anniversaries. I will get to those soon. It feels good to be caught up. _________________ -Ryan
I had never heard this album until Thursday. Mark Linkous comes across as a very damaged but brilliant and unique artist. This is a great showcase of his sad, downright gloomy, artistic mind. The album is not quite like anything else I have heard. And I did really like it. It kept me completely interested. And yeah I only listened once and I thought it was an excellent listen.
One of my all time faves. It never gets old. Perfect for road trips!
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Mercury
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