Here are three harder albums of 2009 I listened to.
First an album I already own:
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Cosmic Egg by Wolfmother
I can't praise this album enough: it's deeply rooted in old Led Zep, Black Sabbath and the likes but it really deserves its place as a work of art on its own. The epic In the Castleis my favorite here but also Phoenix is great as well as all the other tracks on this album. A truly great album and it moves up from the 9th to the 7th rank of the year.
And on my wishlist two bands you might have seen pass a few times already:
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Into The Labyrinth by Saxon
Saxon is really in good form in this period as is proven by this album. It is a bit more stadion rock than on that former great album but that doesn't matter because the songs sound great and the guitars are roaring heavier than they ever did an a fairly large number of track. Even weaker tracks like Crime Of Passion are saved by incredible guitar solos round the end. So an album good enough to end up at the 33th rank of the year.
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The Visitor by UFO
Also some fairly good guitar solos on this album (although not by Michael Schenker) but here those can't save the album which has plenty of weak and dull tracks. The last song, Stranger In Town, is not bad but the rest sucks very badly. Not for my year chart.
And I think I will stop the harder chronic here (I feel that I'm now sticking too much with the safe choices) and go back to a more free form where I can chose whatever style of music I wish as I choose in Principle an album I already own and an album on my wishlist from each consecutive year.
This is a fourth round where I listen to an album I already own and one on my wishlist.
I start in 1964 but only with an album on my wishlist:
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Portrait Of Genius by Ravi Shankar
Ravi Shankar is the best known Indian classical artist which of course has lots to do with his connections with Yehudi Menuhin and especially George Harrison. He is a genius on the Indian sitar which at least has 18 strings and on this album he plays a number of shorter raga-like songs and also a real 20 minutes raga at the the end. The raga is a kind of improvisational piece but subject to very strict rules and on this album we mostly hear his sitar, a tabla (drum) and flute performed by a western jazz flutist Paul Horn.
I fairly like this mesmerizing but finally very melodic type of music and listening to this album was worthwhile but not enough to include it in my 1964 chart for further listening.
The Astrud Gilberto Album by Astrud Gilberto
I have a weak spot for Bossanova and certainly also for those sottovoce singers like Gilberto Gil and Astrud Gilberto. This album doesn't contain the Girl From Ipanema but Agua de Beber (together with Antonio Carlos Jobim) is nearly as good and I also very much like Meditation and some other tracks this while many other tracks are a bit too close to easy listening for my comfort. A close call but finally I decided to include the album in my 1965 top chart at the 10th rank.
First an album I already own which absolutely needed a fresh listen:
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Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys
Of course Wouldn't Be Nice, Sloop John B and especially the song of songs God Only Knows were already amongst my absolute favorites but somehow I underrated a lot of the other tracks while ex Don't Talk and I'm Waiting For The Day are also wonders of close harmony. So the rank doesn't change: it's still ranked 2nd after Revolver, but I upped the overall score big time.
Then an album on my wishlist:
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The Remains by The Remains
A band fairly unknown to me but they really sound like the Stones of the States with their mix of beat music and blues. Half of the songs don't stick out from the main crowd that you could hear around this year but the first four songs and Once Before stick out in a positive way. Good for the 5th rank of the year.
These are two albums of 1967 I listened to:
First an album I already own:
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The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn by Pink Floyd
It was a real pleasure listening to this album again especially to Astronomy Domine and Interstellar Overdrive which must be the first of something. But the genius of Syd Barrett shines on every single diamond on this album which rises from the 9th to the 7th rank of the year.
Then an album on my wishlist:
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Small Faces by Small Faces
No hits to be found here, no Tin Soldier, no Sunday Afternoon, no...
But this is an enjoyable album for which the great voice of Steve Marriott is to be thanked for. But in fact overall it only contains 4 songs that are really good: the first three tracks and Green Circles. The rest is just ok sixties poprock but that's ok and good enough for the 20th rank.
The Remains by The Remains
A band fairly unknown to me but they really sound like the Stones of the States with their mix of beat music and blues. Half of the songs don't stick out from the main crowd that you could hear around this year but the first four songs and Once Before stick out in a positive way. Good for the 5th rank of the year.
Totally! One of my faves of the garage rock era! 😁
And since lots of sixties albums are short here is already my two albums of 1968.
The album already in my possession is:
Waiting For The Sun by The Doors
One of their "poppiest" albums but albums with Jim Morrison at the helm are never really poppy. And man what a good album this is with highlights Hello I Love You and Unknown Soldier as the best tracks. But don't forget Love Street, Not To Touch The Earth (Nick Cave would do that Run, Run, Run again) and Five To one are not to be forgotten either. After listening back to this wonderful album it rises from the 7th to the 2nd rank.
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Move by The Move
There is a very sunny side to the sound of this ultra British band where the twisted talent of Roy Wood is already rearing its certainly not ugly head. Although I have to say: if you've heard the hits Flowers In The Rain, Fire Brigade then you have heard most of what this band is about. And Zing Went The Strings Of My Heart is terrible. But overall you cannot but enjoy this album on listening to it so it deserves its 14th rank of 1968 albums.
Led Zeppelin by Led Zeppelin
Of course an instant classic although the real highlights are not in your face classics and the best example is of course the great jam track Dazed and Confused which on live records can take epic proportions but here is "only" 6:29 minutes. The other classics are Good Times Bad Times and Communication Breakdown. All in all a great bluesy album and it climbs from the 2nd to 1st rank of the year but tbh LZ II which is now at the 3rd rank is better so I should listen to that one again as well in one of my next rounds
Then an album on my wishlist:
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With A Little Help From My Friends by Joe Cocker
Joe Cocker has a very raw voice but has grown smoother and smoother over the years musically. This is not the case on this album where he actually sounds very soulful. Of course the signature track is the title track which still sounds great but Feelin' Alright, Bye Bye Blackbird aso are also really good. So a deserved 20th rank of the year.
Moondance by Van Morrison
I'm starten to like Van Morrison more and more. I already owned this album but never thought a lot of it (it was at the lowest position on my personal 1970 chart) but after a renewed listen I have to admit I was wrong. Of course the title track I always liked and still remains the top song but next to that there are so many others and especially And It Stoned Me is more and more to the wonderful song that it is with Into The Mystic as nice third. So it climbs from the 36th to the 20th rank.
An album on my wishlist:
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No Dice by Badfinger
While I fairly liked their follow-up album this one I didn't like at all. But maybe one interesting thing: I just learned that the original Without You appeared on this album and the song wasn't supposed to be with that long liiiiiiiiiiiiiive as Harry Nilsson sings it because here the live is very short 😉
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