Okay, I'm back! And with me comes the return of this most amazing of all tournaments!
Match #2 of Sub Bracket 1 features perhaps the favorite in this tournament versus another album by a goddess which is an almost complete blindspot...
,
you know what I don't understand? The vast disparity in the BEA rankings of GP and Grevious Angel. I always owned them as part of a cd twofer and really consider them to be equals. why do u think there's such a disparity? I mean we're talking thousands here ....
~1,500 for Grevious Angel vs. ~ 4,500 for GP. That's CRaZY to me. I mean they're both five sTAR essential albums. what gives.
MercuryTurn your back on the pay-you-back last callProfile St. Louis
Okay, I'm back! And with me comes the return of this most amazing of all tournaments!
Match #2 of Sub Bracket 1 features perhaps the favorite in this tournament versus another album by a goddess which is an almost complete blindspot...
,
you know what I don't understand? The vast disparity in the BEA rankings of GP and Grevious Angel. I always owned them as part of a cd twofer and really consider them to be equals. why do u think there's such a disparity? I mean we're talking thousands here ....
~1,500 for Grevious Angel vs. ~ 4,500 for GP. That's CRaZY to me. I mean they're both five sTAR essential albums. what gives.
That's interesting. In my opinion Grievous Angel is superior in many ways. GP is still awesome and I will revisit it soon and we shall see if my opinion has changed. Why do I feel this? Well, I guess the whole flow of Grievous Angel is better, what ever the f that means. Also I feel the production is more earthy and vibrant of Grievous Angel. As far as song quality goes, GP may very well have the edge in terms of showstopping songs - stuff like "She", "Streets of Baltimore", and "The New Soft Shoe" and "A Song For You" etc, are all so good and just great on every level. Yeah, the song quality is pretty even. I'm gonna refresh my memory and look at GP's tracklisting and see if I can recall what I think it doesn't have going for it that the follow up does... one sec...
okay i'm looking at it now... Okay, and as I mentioned in my review of Grievous Angel on the previous page (I'll move it up a page in a bit) "We'll Sweep Out The Ashes" is maybe the best song Gram ever recorded in my opinion. The way GP ends with 3 wild rockers never hit me the same way on an emotional level like the way Grievous Angel bows out. Although they are all solid songs.
So in my opinion they're both classics, and I also first had the 2 album set and so I always listened to it straight through and only later started evaluating the 2 sets of songs as seperate.
In terms of why the disparity on BEA, and RYM...I'm gonna check if RYM has a closer correlation...and yep much closer, both have almost the same rating 3.80 to 3.81, and their ranks on RYM are GP - 2,627 to Grievous Angel - 1,801. Still their is a clear edge given to his final album. So back to my point before the going off in all directions as I am known to do, the reason for the disparity also may be that people have a tendency to romanticize an artist's final triumphant statement just before they tragically die. I'm sure there are exceptions, but lets look at it in comparisons to artists with similar trajectories as Gram. Jimi Hendrix, his final album is well Band of Gypsys, which is great, but would it be as hailed if he hadn't died just after it's release? Or Nick Drake...all his albums are worshipped, but I feel Bryter Layter is just as good in many ways as Pink Moon (debatable I know) but look at how THOROUGHLY Pink Moon dominates the relative rating. Or, lets see, Otis Redding? Not a great example, but still look at his first posthumous album The Immortal Otis Redding which I think is really good but not on the same level as the 3 previous albums, yet it is held up as just as much a classic as his earlier albums outside of Otis Blue. I could go on with Nirvana Unplugged, Sam Cooke's final single (which is a terrible example cuz it does happen to be one of THE great songs ever, but still it THOROUGHLY overshadows any other individual song he recorded), Janis Joplin's Pearl, etc. Oh and the BEST correlation of another classic released after a tragic death is J Dilla's "Donuts". Its amazing. But is it really so thoroughly better than everything Dilla had ever done? Or is there a certain mistique connected with the fact that this was the last artistic statement he was making? I think its partially both.
Okay, I went on a bit too much there. But that is my response. 😉 _________________ -Ryan
Released in January 1974, recorded in the Summer of 1973, Grievous Angel is the last work recorded by Gram before he died and was released after his death. And its extra tragic as this is also one of my favorite albums ever, and the peak of his artistic output. What directions he would take his music from here is a great, sad mystery.
I'm listening to this album and I am in awe. Why? I don't know except that every single thing works and works incredibly well. The album is detailed, soulful, and balanced. There are all time great sad sack ballads with incredible songwriting such as "$1000 Wedding" and "Brass Buttons". There are great uproarious rock numbers that make you happy to dance and be alive in songs like the insanely perfect "I Can't Dance" and the faux-live "Cash on the Barrelhead/Hickory Wind" and of course the classic "Ooh Las Vegas". There are some next level progressive country songs featuring immense concepts and the most intensely beautiful harmonies ever in songs like the opener "The Return of the Grievous Angel" and "In My Hour Of Darkness". And there are again those lovely sad love songs featuring Emmylou and Gram working off each other like no one has ever done in the classics "Love Hurts" and "Hearts On Fire".
The band throughout is brilliant and sharp and on point. Honestly listening now, and if I'm being honest, I listened to it 3 times last night while doing chores and driving about, and I can't find a flaw, I can't find a song which elicits a response in me like "Hmm...that's a cool song." No. Every song makes me sit in awe of the genius of the whole assembly of artists.
This is also the amazing template that Emmylou took with her in her incredible solo career. A lot of her best albums are heavily indebted to the balance and sound and adventurous energy of this showstopping album.
Is this the all time greatest posthumous album released? I think it is. And that is sad. Cuz man its hard to fathom how talented Mr. Parsons was, and once you start to fathom it you can't help but say "shit, only 26...That's just a bummer." Interesting thing I realized, Nick Drake died less than a year earlier and he was also 26. Some seriously all time great artists were dropping in this era.
Okay, That's the overview.
Cover Art Rating: Kinda boring, plain, but maybe the point is to make Gram float over the cover like a ghost...if so that is sad. I am not a huge fan... 6/10
Numerical Album Rating: would be a 10 if not f,or the faux-live audience which doesn't work for me for a few seconds between Cash On The Barrelhead and Hickory Wind, and .... that's it. I can't find any other millisecond of weakness here. So fuck it, I'm gonna do it! 10/10!!! One of THE Greatest albums ever, plain and simple.
Best Tracks: Every. Single. Song. the best is maybe the opener "Return of The Grievous Angel", followed closely as hell by "$1000 Wedding", "Ooh Las Vegas", "In My Hour of Darkness" (seriously this album has one of the great openers AND closers...sheesh!), "Brass Buttons", "I Can't Dance, etc etc.
The only thing I can say though is while this album is a concatenation of 9.5 to 10 level songs, I don't think any of these songs is QUITE this song that "We'll Sweep Out The Ashes In The Morning" is. That may be the only advantage GP has over Gram's follow up here. But anyway, more on that later. 😄
Oh and a song you should listen to, its a tradition...I hope y'all noticed I link a video to the song I deem the best on all these albums...
Okay, next I am listening to this MASSIVE underdog...
Quarter Moon In A Ten Cent Town
Released in January 1978, Quarter Moon In A Ten Cent Town is the 4th album released by Emmylou in the 70s.
I'm listening now for the second now. And here's the thing: is it good? YES! Is it great? Again, yes!!!! The problem I run into with an artist who seems to turn everything she touches to gold is deciphering the relative greatness of the albums. I'll try.
This record isn't more of the same. Compared to the previous year's Luxury Liner album, this is more produced and less adventurous. Compared to the following year's Blue Kentucky Girl, this album is more upbeat and less sad slow track heavy.
Vocally she is her usual insanely sharp, angellic, heavenly, otherworldly.
Her live of Guy Clark's "New Cut Road" is fabulous, energetic, sexy and intense! Emmylou throws aside the whole angel aspect and turns her voice up to foxy, brassy 11 and just rocks out! It's really freaking stellar!
Other moments which stand out are the absolutely stunning cover of Dolly Parton's "To Daddy"...with many other artists this may come across as a silly sacharine mess, but in the hands of Emmylou, its completely sold and it touches my heart.
The 2 opening tracks are a perfect balance of rocking aspects (Two More Bottles of Wine) with real country heart and soul (Easy From Now On). And its a great opening which shows off all the best aspects of the albums new beefed up production. "Two More Bottles of Wine" is in particular so cool. The lyrics, the turns of phrase and that refrain is so damn great! And the band is thumping away just killing it and again Harris' vocals are so assertive and excellent. The guitarist is stunning! Bravo!b Maybe the best song. Close.
Other standouts (tough to choose cuz this album and artist and band is nothing if not consistent) are the bayou jam of "Leaving Louisiana In Broad Daylight", the delicate and beautiful "My Songbird", the patented insanely beautiful soaring, quivering vocal performance of "Defying Gravity", the sweet and touching willie nelson duet/feature in "One Paper Kid", and of course the honest to goodness rock and roll barn burner which is "I Ain't Living Long Like This". Seriously that last one is so fucking rock and roll. Emmylou can pull of being a hard rocking G just as well as she can pull off anything else. And the rock piano is sexy and fun, the bassline is cool and active, the twangy guitar parts are awesome! This may be my favorite track.
Okay, now for the ratings:
Cover Art Rating: Kinda boring and no picture of Emmylou...smh... 5.7/10
Overall Numerical Rating: Oh you know just the usual 9 or so, to be exact...8.9/10
Best Tracks: "I Ain't Living Long Like This" followed by "Two Bottles of Wine", "New Cut Road (Live)", "Easy From Now On", and "My Songbird"
Okay, no disrespect to Quarter Moon In A Ten Cent Town, cuz it was excellent, but it had next to no chance against Grievous Angel. Grievous Angel is about as near and dear to me as any album. Easy decision. The album that is moving on to the next round to face either Pieces of the Sky or Safe At Home is....
Match #2 of Sub Bracket 2 features the highest ranked Emmylou album which I've never yet had my "moment" with, and a compilation of Gram Parsons and Flying Burrito Brother outtakes and unreleased tracks which I've never given much time to...lets see how this goes...
Okay, this was a compilation released in 1976. The whole release from what I understand was overseen by Emmylou Harris herself. That is very touching and made me more interested than ever to hear this album. I always thought of it as lesser Gram and, well, a compilation of outtakes. Which never much excites me for any release.
I will say the presence of these 2 immense favorites of mine (Emmylou on a few cuts with the usual harmony magic, the rest are FBBs outtakes), makes this album good. But the songs are by and large very very much outtakes. Nothing here sounds complete or up to snuff compared to Gilded palace of Sin or GP/Grievous Angel heights.
The whole collection is sleepy and somber. And this makes for a very sobering listen.
Okay, not much to say here.
Cover art rating: uhhh, cool car, cool enough picture, i likey... 7.7/10
Numerical Rating: Hmm....Not gonna lie the mix of factors of this being listened to when rushing around to get ready to go plus the fact that I am not as into the songs and sound has lead this to being easily my least favorite listen in this project. Still, there are some really gorgeous and sad moments and I love the people involved so much that I still give it a solid 7.5/10
Best Tracks: "The Angels Rejoiced Last Night" (Cuz Emmylou obvi), but also followed by the excellent "Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down" and "Brand New Heartache
Okay, and after 2 days off due to my weekend-centric work schedule and my Friday Band practice, I am back... with a second listen to ...
Wrecking Ball
Released September 26th, 1995, this album is the legendary Emmylou Harris' 18th studio album. And it features very-Lanois-esque production by Lanois, with lots of strange dreamy parts and layers and layers of little echoey things and a generally intentionally muddied soundscape...So if one were to look at this list of 16 albums I selected for this tournament and sing a little jingle in your head saying "One of these things is not like the others" you'd probably pick Wrecking Ball.
Earlier I said I had yet to have "my moment" with this album. And that has always been something I've had attention on. I wanted to revisit it thoroughly when I'm next in a good phase of idolatry. Well, I'm here. And now I listen to this album with all else out of my mind - no dishes being done, no essays being written, no facebook scrolling, nothing else - and I am determined to see what the fuss about this album is that makes it the general concensus on both RYM and BEA that this is the highest rated and ranked Emmylou album. Keep in mind this is a woman who made freakin' Luxury Liner, Elite Hotel, Pieces of the Sky, Roses In The Snow, was 1 third of Trio, etc...she has a darn big reservoir of great albums! What makes this one stand tall? (I sure hope its not simply the fact that she "experimented" or "made the production less country" or something like this.
Okay, pushing play now....
Man, this album so thoroughly has Lanois' fingerprints on it. It's all so hazy and introspective and there's these little weird warbly bass notes and these ominous mandolin parts and these strange ghostly feels all over it. I'm not smitten with his production, if I'm being honest. I respect that he has a unique and atmospheric sound, and the songs he is working with are so good and the immense talent of the other musicians and Emmylou are so great the production quirks are overshadowed. Not saying there aren't moments when I'm like "good on you Daniel! That was perfect!" but generally I am feeling like "tone it down a wee bit buddy".
He did a very similar thing with Dylan a year and change later with Time Out Of Mind. I feel similar about that album. Its truly great and I respect the hell out of Daniel Lanois taking these greats and breathing new vibrant life into their sounds. And maybe Dylan needed it more than Harris. But just like this album, Time Out Of Mind is one of the b est albums of the decade because of the songs and the earnest hurt of the vocal performances.
Also, damn I'm 4 songs in, up to "Wrecking Ball" and this album is thematically heavy. Maybe not as much as Time Out Of Mind. But yeah so far this thing is a ball of deep deep wells of feelings and it strikes at the core nerve of the loneliness at the core of everything. damn. I was having a goddamn cheery september morning too! lol.
Okay, and this is about when my head exploded with amazement. Cuz While I enjoyed quite a bit the first set of 4 or so songs, the opener is a goodie, "Goodbye" is beautiful and deeply sad song, and even "Wrecking Ball" is super good with those very beautiful harmonies between Emmylou and Neil Young, okay even with all that I was merely thinking okay this is an 8/10 album tops...then I get a serving of "Goin' Back to Harlan", "A Deeper Well", "Every Grain of Sand", "Sweet Old World", "May This Be Love", "Orphan Girl", "Blackhawk, and the closer "Walk Across Texas Tonight"...back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back....!!!!! WHAT THE F!?!!
In other words the album goes nuclear. It kills and kills and kills some more. The songs are all raw and deeply moving and somehow manage to keep an upward trajectory. It's just a stunning album moment when I thought, okay, this is really good, but not amazing. I was itching to get to listen to GP. Then this win streak blew my mind.
The utter reinvention of Hendrix with "May This Be Love" is maybe the most surprising thing. When I first heard it and was reminded of it now as I looked at the track listing, I kinda almost sorta rolled my eyes. Like "damn it, Daniel! Stop this!". But no, its super effective, it totally expands out the song and sound of all legends involved. It works stunningly. Now my favorite artist and songwriter ever is Dylan, and my favorite vocalist ever is Harris. So yeah "Every Grain of Sand" is suitably tear-inducing beautiful and inspiring! Also the version of "Orphan Girl" is stunning. It almost almost made me forget about the slightly superior and earthy Gillian Welch version which is featured on her debut which came out a few months after this album. Okay, what else? Oh maybe the best thing ever is you may know (those of you who know me well) Lucinda Williams is also on my mount rushmore of songwriters and Musicians. And her song "Sweet Old World" is one of the most soul-stirring songs about suicide ever conceived. Now her version is stunning. But Emmylou and Daniel and the crew here do an insanely great job with the version heard here. Its truly godly beautiful, angellic, all that shit. Its so baller. "Deeper Well" is strange in that Lanois way, but his style works best here, and the track really is great. And of course the way the album closes with the 2 most "plain" or classic country songs of "Blackhawk" and "Waltz Across Texas Tonight" is such a brilliant grounding end to the album, and that just makes me want to push play again (which I did) and its such an interesting and stark change listening to perhaps the most modern, echoey U2 sounding track which is the really great opener compared to the country beauty of the closer. And oh yeah yes I wrote the title of the closer wrong earlier, I will not change that. I will show you myself in all it warty glory.
Okay, so yeah this album is BRILLIANT! And I still say it is the least traditional of all the albums here, the least tethered to the root influences of country and western and R&B and Blues and all those bedrock Americana things. Still, there is stirring soul here throughout which is inviting, cold-then-warm, inspired and I can say this is HIGHLY recommended to all you reading this if you haven't heard it already.
Okay, now....
Cover Art Rating: It's a a blurry vision of Her. Its got a bold loud font. Its okay. But nothing special. Honestly I started doing this because I knew I was gonna review Elite Hotel, and I think that's one of the best covers ever. So yeah there's that. I give this a 6.7/10.
Numerical Rating of album: first four tracks are a 8.5/10, the last 8 tracks are a solid 9.7/10. So I'll just say it, this is a 9.3/10. I have a feeling that rating will go up when I dive into this more and more times. Its a keeper.
Best Tracks: God darn this is tough. But I will say it's best most out-of-body-experience level majestic track is the stripped down heaven of "Sweet Old World". But this is followed closely by "Every Grain of Sand", "Blackhawk" "Orphan Girl", and "May This Be Love".
And the winner of this little contrived competition of albums by a bit of a landslide, and thus the album to later match up against either GP or Burrito Deluxe is...
WRECKING BALL!!
MercuryTurn your back on the pay-you-back last callProfile St. Louis
okay with the above match done finally...I will move onto the next batch of albums by these beautiful people.
Match 3 of Sub Bracket 1 is a fun one between the classic debut album of Emmylou Harris, and the oft-overlooked first exposure the world had to Gram...
Released February 1975, 27 year old Emmylou releases here her solo debut, a year following the death of Gram Parsons. And this is a beautiful debut album, with the cosmic american music shining as brightly here as almost any earlier Gram Parsons record.
The influences of Gram Parsons on this, and many early albums of Harris', is felt strongly. Now, as I start reviewing this I am realizing that it will be very redundant. I love her music so much. And her early albums, all 6 I've heard are so insanely consistent, that I now just will sound comparatively uninspired. So I apologize.
I'll stick to the basics. This is a great album, a great debut and it has several real show stoppers and classics. The opener is much like the openers of her other albums, its energetic and fun and just a way of saying "welcome to the show!". It's not as awe inspiring as the opening tracks of her next 2 albums, but its good. This is followed by the symphonic weeper "Too Far Gone", and Emmylou kills it, further showing she can play and sing so many different kinds of songs with an equal amount of conviction and power. Her rockers, her honky tonk blasts, her weepers, her covers of blues, and ESPECIALLY her ballads are all so consistently brilliant its really quite amaze-balls.
And it goes like that throughout. While being a truly solid and consistent album, I don't feel like she had yet become the total force she would be by the late 70s/early 80s. I would have thought maybe this was a take driven by fatigue having listened to about 20 hours of her music the last week, if not for the fact that I've always felt she got stronger and stronger thru the decade.
The main exception is the gem of this album which is, of course, "Boulder to Birmingham". This is one of the best songs of the decade. She shows here she is not only a good guitar player, perfect singer, and charming bandleader, she was also an excellent Songwriter. 90% of her records seem to be covers. I wish she would have written more. Cuz this song, for Gram written just months after his passing, is a perfect musical and lyrical musical moment of intense feeling. It's truly stunning.
Okay, so that is what I'll say about this album.
Cover art rating: plain, framed, with a downward looking Emmylou, with a sad tinge to it...I solid 8.0/10
Album numerical rating: This is tough. Cuz in a vacuum this is a 9.0. But I don't wanna hand out that 8.8-9.8 sweet spot ratin g like Oprah here! I have my credibility as an objective reviewer at stake! Just kidding. Honestly free of context, this is a step down from the 2 solo Gram albums and Gilded Palace... but its still fantastic. So... 8.8/10
Best tracks: Boulder To Birmingham" followed by "Before Beleiving", "Bottle Let Me Down", "Queen of the Silver Dollar", and "California Cotton Fields".
The vast majority of my readership seems to be in favor of an upset here. And, while I do love a good underdog story as well, I went into this with all those considerations out of my mind, I assure you.
Recorded throughout the 2nd half of 1967, and released March 1968, this is the lone album of The International Submarine Band. Gram and these guys apparently were mostly a typical garage rock act before Gram's love of country came up to completely change their trajectory. Shortly after this album he jumped ship and became a Byrd (where he did one album and then jumped ship again and became a Burrito Brother...). And this album is short (28 min), to the point, fun, and has a certain coiled and tense feeling - as if the members of the band were doing everything they could to stop themselves from making their guitar feedback wildly and launch into a raucous version of "Wild Thing" or something. That said, this intensity is kept unreleived and they stay the course and stay in character. And the results....are FANTASTIC!
This is not as good or polished as Sweetheart of the Rodeo, and it isn't as revolutionary and forward-thinking as Gilded Palace of Sin, but it still has a certain adventurous, fun, unselfserious feel which is charming in the extreme. This is a genre I'm gonna call "Garage Country". And I will feel smugly proud for the rest of the week.
As far as highlights...well here are many. But lets begin at the beginning here with the opener "Blue Eyes". Its a perfect example of Garage Country. Its fast, and unadorned, styripped down and Gram is just owning this little ditty he wrote. The lyrics are simple and fun, the chorus is biting and excellent. After thats some other great tracks here are their cover of "A Satisfied Mind", the absolutely cool and seamless double of "Folsom Prison Blues/That's All Right Mama", and the great back to back Gram originals "Luxury Liner" (later mastered by Emmylou in '76) and the hilarious "Strong Boy".
Overall, this is a really fantastic snapshot of a blossoming Genius who definitely hadn't settled on his place, or developed his soulful delivery, and cosmic vision yet. Still, you can hear even at this age Gram was laying the groundwork for his later master works.
Album cover rating: Grainy, strange, black and white, sitting on a bench facing the camera, it is really striking. Thus, a good score of 8.3/10
Album numerical rating: The skeleton of great album is here. Its got a quick in and out no frills feel to it I like, but at the same time nothing overpoweringly amazing is here, so I'm gonna give it a... 8.0/10
---------------------------
and the winner of this contrived competition and the album to later go on to the unenviable matchup with Grievous Angel is...
Pieces of the Sky!!!
(sorry, Tilly...)
MercuryTurn your back on the pay-you-back last callProfile St. Louis
next match is GP vs. Burrito Deluxe. It'll take a miracle to sway me away from GP. (its looking like the top tier is Grievous Angel, Luxury Liner. and second tier seems to be GP, Roses In The Snow, Sweetheart, Live 1973) _________________ -Ryan
and the winner of this contrived competition and the album to later go on to the unenviable matchup with Grievous Angel is...
Pieces of the Sky!!!
(sorry, Tilly...)
here's why this is just WRONG! lol. As you yourself admitted, there's nothing else really like ISB and it's a rather unique left field gem that totally gets get better with spins, Pieces Of TeThe Sky fits in rather nicely in its slot of mid-70s soft country folk and feels very much akin to other female folk players at the time such as Juddee Sill and Joni Mitchell. It's a great album for sure. And I really ove it, but it's nowhere near as unique as ISB's Safe at Home.
Plus its garage country. Of course I'm going to love it more than you. 🤣
Anyways, FAR MORE egregious, is choosing that Live Gram album over perhaps The Byrds greates album. That's insane. That Live album is great and all, but really it's one for the fans. Whereas Sweetheart of The rodeo is sth everyone should own, love & adore. Easily one of the best album of the entire 60s.
MercuryTurn your back on the pay-you-back last callProfile St. Louis
and the winner of this contrived competition and the album to later go on to the unenviable matchup with Grievous Angel is...
Pieces of the Sky!!!
(sorry, Tilly...)
here's why this is just WRONG! lol. As you yourself admitted, there's nothing else really like ISB and it's a rather unique left field gem that totally gets get better with spins, Pieces Of TeThe Sky fits in rather nicely in its slot of mid-70s soft country folk and feels very much akin to other female folk players at the time such as Juddee Sill and Joni Mitchell. It's a great album for sure. And I really ove it, but it's nowhere near as unique as ISB's Safe at Home.
Plus its garage country. Of course I'm going to love it more than you. 🤣
Anyways, FAR MORE egregious, is choosing that Live Gram album over perhaps The Byrds greates album. That's insane. That Live album is great and all, but really it's one for the fans. Whereas Sweetheart of The rodeo is sth everyone should own, love & adore. Easily one of the best album of the entire 60s.
I understand how you feel. But I feel Pieces Of The Sky just hits me on a gut level more than Safe At Home. Although probably my 5th favorite album of hers in that torrent of releases she was a crucial part of from 72-80, it's still got the power to wrap Me up in a fluffy blanket of soft lively humanity. The ISB album is an album I will come back to but not that often. It's got a unique sound, but no track there holds a candle to Boulder to Birmingham.
As for Live 73, I also understand this opinion. Honestly I have been trying to right this error. If I could find a matchup between 2 lesser albums in this contrived nonsense, I may just say "Sweetheart is eligible again!". Maybe this last matchup will have no one go forward and I can take another look at Sweetheart. Because I agree it's a masterpiece. Mostly it is like you said, Live 1973 is for the fans, and being as I am a fan, this little album had me feeling so many things. I love it so much! I don't know what I will do.
Coming up is a match between Luxury Liner and Roses In The Snow. And that is set to mess me up too! Cuz honestly I am not a fan of an album based simply off uniqueness. A million artists and bands have made uniquely bad albums. St. Anger is incredibly unique, for example. I really gauge these albums by these artists based off how much they inspire me and affect me emotionally or make me want to dance or fall in love or what have you. _________________ -Ryan
This is a fabulous album. I gave a lot of my thoughts earlier when replying to a question from Tilly as to why I don't think of it as quite the album Grievous Angel is.
But as far as beautiful, unique songs which hold up to almost any singer-songwriter of the 70s or any other era. From the sweet songs like "She" to the bitter sweet "The New Soft Shoe", the rollicking closer "Big Mouth Blues", and other absolute classics like "Streets of Baltimore" and "A Song For You", this album is chockful of truly great moments.
That is not even to mention the absolutely gorgeous opening track "Still Feeling Blue", and the greatest song in this whole tournament (that I have heard thus far) "We'll Sweep Out The Ashes in the Morning".
Which brings us to the monumentally awesome fact that this was the beginning of the Gram/Emmylou partnership. And the harmonies here show that Gram knew what talent he had. They shimmer very beautifully throughout. Another thing I love more about the follow up is that Gram placed Emmylou Harris and their harmonies even more to the forefront of Grievous Angel.
The song flow is good, the album is great throughout, and there are still more standouts here that I have yet to mention, most notably "Cry One More Time" which is just awesome and soulful and awesome.
Album Cover rating: Simple, nice, now that I am 8 albums in I see that the album covers have never been particularly badass. Just wait until Elite Hotel... anyway, this is a nice 7.8/10.
Numerical Album Rating: Its great, amazing, one of the best singer-songwriter albums of the 70s and one of the best country albums... so a solid 9.4/10
Best tracks: "We'll Sweep Out The Ashes in the Morning", followed by "The New Soft Shoe", "Still Feeling Blue", "She", and "Big Mouth Blues".
Most famous for featuring the earliest version of Jagger/Richards' classic "Wild Horses", this album is often mentioned as being a BIG letdown compared to the beloved Gilded Palace Of Sin. And listening to this for the third time, I do understand that latter sentiment. But, perhaps due to revisionism or an effort to have a different take, I see this album as overall quite a good one. Yes its sleepy, it lacks the inventiveness or the energy of their debut. But considering the state of some of the members of the band at the time, it makes sense. From what I understand Gram was very uninterested very often and disengaged as well. He also had some disagreements with some of the choices made for this album and the band in general including the choice of producer and the choice of who will play steel guitar. The result is this, in all its messy shambling, at times bored stylings.
orks to enhance my experience of some of these songs, including the straight country version of Wild Horses, as well as songs such as the excellent "Image of Me", "Farther Along", and the poeticly named "Lazy Days".
But some of the tracks sound lazy and kind of off just plain as that and not ina great way. I don't think the Dylan cover "If You Gotta Go" works and it just sounds messy. On other songs like the rocker "Older Guys", and "Down In The Churchyard" I just don't get much joy. Maybe it just seems to fall flat due to my preconceived notion of the album, but I really feel there is lack of sizzle or real bite and shine on these songs which was present all through their debut.
Still, at the very least, "Wild Horses" is such a gorgeous, woozy, fucked up song delivered with such deep sadness here, that I can't say this album is bad by any stretch. That one track does kinda carry the rest - the rest being between a few goodies and a good bit o' less memorable country rock fair.
Cover Art Grade: So ugly. and unlike the burrito's debut, its not also interesting and strange. Its just kinda meh and very uninspired copying of the earlier theme.
Album Numerical Grade: Its fine. There are, like I said, some stand outs. And yeah I am a big enough fan of the general aesthetic and sound that I definitely didn't dislike it at all. So I will give it a 7.1/10
Best tracks: "Wild Horses", followed by "Lazy Days" "farther Along" and "Image of Me"
Okay, and next is the big 4-5 pairings we've all been waiting for! While Luxury Liner Vs Roses In The Snow is the headliner, the Trio vs Elite Hotel match is fixing to be a close one. And we get a whole lotta Emmylou, so that's nice. _________________ -Ryan
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