CREAM
DISRAELI GEARS
1967-POLYDOR
Produced By FELIX PAPPALARDI
1. Strange Brew
2. Sunshine Of Your Love
3. World Of Pain
4. Dance The Night Away
5. Blue Condition
6. Tales Of Brave Ulysses
7. Swlabr
8. We’re Going Wrong
9. Outside Woman Blues
10. Take It Back
11. Mother’s Lament
After the supergroup Cream got their feet wet on Fresh Cream, they went all out on their second effort, Disraeli Gears. For the most part putting their love of straight ahead blues to the side (but not completely), the band made a psychedelic album loaded with great songs and particularly great guitar work from Eric Clapton. Rock’s first power trio makes an almost perfect album, and one that has stood the test of time for 45 years. Even the blues numbers have a more adventurous spirit to them.
Each side of the album closes with a clunker…”Blue Condition” is why Ginger Baker should never sing. And “Mother’s Lament” is simply ridiculous. But everything else works very well. The songs are short (only “Sunshine Of Your Love” is at 4 minutes…barely) and excellently played. Jack Bruce takes most of the vocals, with Clapton stepping up for the first time in his career. “Strange Brew”, “Tales Of Brave Ulysses”, and “Sunshine Of Your Love” are classics, and “World Of Pain” is also exceptional. Cream would expand into lengthy jams and within 2 years implode…but they were very good here. A classic album, almost flawless.
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BIG STAR
#1 RECORD/RADIO CITY
1992-LINE
Produced By JOHN FRY & BIG STAR
1. Feel
2. The Ballad Of El Goodo
3. In The Street
4. Thirteen
5. Don’t Lie To Me
6. The India Song
7. When My Baby’s Beside Me
8. My Life Is Right
9. Give Me Another Chance
10. Try Again
11. Watch The Sunrise
12. ST 100/6
13. O My Soul
14. Life Is White
15. Way Out West
16. What’s Goin’ Ahn
17. You Get What You Deserve
18. Mod Lang
19. Back Of A Car
20. Daisy Glaze
21. She’s A Mover
22. September Gurls
23. Morpha Too
24. I’m In Love With A Girl
Big Star was born, recorded three albums, and broke up in a barely visible cloud of obscurity in the 1970’s. Led by former Box Tops singer Alex Chilton, the band made two great pop albums and one strange record of almost songs, which received zero distribution from their label. Chris Bell left the band after one album and later died in 1978. Drummer Jody Stephens became a member of Golden Smog, and Chilton became a famous drunk who pretty much made a mess out of what good material he had as a solo artist. The band became huge and reunited in the 1990’s, partly because of the influence they were having over bands like R.E.M and countless others, and partly because of this reissue.
Having these two albums on one disc is one of the best twofers you’ll ever find. #1 Record (1972) and Radio City (1974) are about as fine a pair of power pop albums you will ever find. These two discs are basically pop rock 101, a guidebook for every young band in the 80’s and 90’s to build from. There’s not a weak cut on either album, and it’s amazing how this was done in the 70’s, and how their label let this go without letting the whole world hear it. Long live Big Star. If you see these two together, pick it up. Excellence at a bargain price!
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CHRIS HILLMAN
LIKE A HURRICANE
1998-SUGAR HILL
Produced By RITCHIE POLODOR
1. Back’s Against The Wall
2. Angel’s Cry
3. Sooner Or Later
4. Carry Me Home
5. Run Again
6. Second Wind
7. When You Walk In The Room
8. Like A Hurricane
9. Living On The Edge
10. Forgiveness
11. I’m Still Alive
12. Heaven’s Lullaby
The importance of Chris Hillman in the world of alternate country cannot be overstated. He was an original member of The Byrds, and stuck around long enough to play during the short Gram Parsons era. He then left to join up with Parsons in The Flying Burrito Brothers. Hillman has also played with the Desert Rose Band, The Souther-Hillman-Furay Band, and Manassas. All were a big part of the evolution of country rock, and Hillman was right at the center. So it’s easy to overlook the fact that he somehow found the time to release six solo albums as well. Like A Hurricane (no relation to the Neil Young song) is his fifth album, and may be the best of the group.
Like A Hurricane is by no means perfect: it get a little bit sleepy and a little bit too twangy at times. But the highs on this album make it worth having. “I’m Still Alive” (with David Crosby singing along) is a great song. “Angel’s Cry” and “Run Again” are also fine. The playing is excellent throughout, and of course it’s great vocally as well. It’s about 4 better songs from being great, but if you appreciate Hillman, you’ll definitely like this album,. The best of his solo work.
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FAIRGROUND ATTRCTION
THE VERY BEST OF FAIRGROUND ATTRACTION FEATURING EDDI READER
1996-CAMDEN
Produced By FAIRGROUND ATTRACTION & KEVIN MOLONEY
1. Perfect
2. Find My Love
3. Fairground Attraction
4. A Smile In A Whisper
5. Clare
6. Walkin’ After Midnight
7. Do You Want To Know A Secret?
8. Allelujah
9. The Moon Is Mine
10. Watching The Party
11. Winter Rose
12. The Wind Knows My Name
13. Jock O’Hazeldean
14. Comedy Waltz
15. You Send Me
16. Ay Fond Kiss
Not to be confused with Fairport Convention. This British band came together in 1987, had a huge hit with “Perfect”, released one hit album, then broke up in a cloud of fighting while recording a second album in 1990, never to be heard from again. This collection contains nine of the twelve tracks from their album The First Of A Million Kisses, with the rest being either from their posthumous release Ay Fond Kiss or B sides. Their short career is very highly regarded, and singer Eddi Reader has gone on to solo success.
At first, it’s hard to see what the fuss was all about. Fairground’s brand of British swing and skiffle takes some getting used to, but once you get it, you’ll find that most of what’s here is pretty damn beautiful. Reader possesses a sweet, powerful voice, and the material suits her well. This is not going to rock you, but songs like “Perfect”, a nice cover of The Beatles’ “Do You Want To Know A Secret”, and the lovely “Jock O’Hazeldean” work nicely. Reader is a great singer, and this may be the best way to hear her. This album has grown on me over the years a lot…which is why I never throw anything away.
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JOHNNY CASH
THE LEGEND OF JOHNNY CASH
2005-ISLAND/AMERICAN
VARIOUS PRODUCERS
1. Cry! Cry! Cry!
2. Hey Porter
3. Folsom Prison Blues
4. I Walk The Line
5. Get Rhythm
6. Big River
7. Guess Things Happen That Way
8. Ring Of Fire
9. Jackson
10. A Boy Named Sue
11. Sunday Morning Coming Down
12. Man In Black
13. One Piece At A Time
14. Highwayman
15. The Wanderer (with U2)
16. Delia’s Gone
17. Rusty Cage
18. I’ve Been Everywhere
19. Give My Love To Rose
20. The Man Comes Around (Early Take)
21. Hurt
There are Johnny Cash compilations everywhere you look. The difference with this one is that it encompasses his entire career: from Sun Records to his latter day recordings with Rick Rubin. The result is a truly impressive look at the entire career of Cash, who went from the 1950’s and pretty much never stopped making music. The really big hits are here: “Folsom Prison Blues”, “I Walk The Line”, “Ring Of Fire”, “A Boy Named Sue”. His time with The Highwaymen (with Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson) is documented, as is “The Wanderer”, recorded with U2.
The American recordings also gets a nod here, as it should. This was Cash at his most raw and emotional form. The late take on “Give My Love To Rose” is powerful. “Rusty Cage” is a great cover of the Soundgarden song recorded with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. And of course “Hurt”, the last hit Cash had before he died, is included. Not an easy task to cover a career this massive on one disc…but The Legend Of Johnny Cash does a great job of it.
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DEREK AND THE DOMINOS
LAYLA AND OTHER ASSORTED LOVE SONGS
1970-POLYDOR
Produced by TOM DOWD
1. I Looked Away
2. Bell Bottom Blues
3. Keep On Growing
4. Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out
5. I Am Yours
6. Anyday
7. Key To The Highway
8. Tell The Truth
9. Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad
10. Have You Ever Loved A Woman
11. Little Wing
12. It’s Too Late
13. Layla
14. Thorn Tree In The Garden
Eric Clapton, Bobby Whitlock, Jim Gordon and Carl Radle left escaped from the constant fighting of Delaney And Bonnie to form a new band of their own, Derek And The Dominos. Duane Allman was brought in to play slide guitar, and the Layla album was made. A collaborative effort, this may also be Eric Clapton’s finest hour. This band worked for him like no other , and the inclusion of Allman pushed him to new heights. Six of the songs are band efforts, with the rest being originals or cover songs. The highlights are numerous: “Bell Bottom Blues”, a slowed down “Tell The Truth”, an inspired cover of Jimi Hendrix’ “Little Wing”, and of course the famous title track.
The Dominos ended after only one album. Allman never officially joined the band because he wanted to stay in The Allman Brothers Band. Whitlock and Radle went their own ways, and Jim Gordon (who co wrote “Layla”) ended up serving a life sentence in California for killing his mother. Clapton went on to a solo career as a mellow man. But for one album, there was plenty of magic. Layla is a true classic, one of the best of the early 70’s.
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BOBBY BLUE BLAND
MIDNIGHT RUN
1989-MALACO
Produced By TOMMY COUCH & WOLF STEPHENSON
1. You’ve Got To Hurt Before You Heal
2. Lay Love Aside
3. Kiss Me To The Music
4. Keep It A Secret
5. Take Off Your Shoes
6. Ain’t No Sunshine When She’s Gone
7. If I Don’t Get Involved
8. I’m Not Ashamed To Sing The Blues
9. Midnight Run
10. Starting All Over Again
Bobby Bland has always been kind of the forgotten child of soul and blues music. Always near the top of his craft, he’s also spent his career in the shadow of the likes of Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, and B.B. King. The industry has recognized him well: he’s in both the Blues and Rock & Roll Hall Of Fames, and artists like Van Morrison regularly cover his material, but fans tend to forget him. Too bad, because bland has been a force in music since the early 1950’s.
Midnight Run is a later period album from Bland, and although he was well past his prime at this time (and had also developed a strangely annoying snort!), he shows that he does indeed still have the chops. A little too much keyboard (a real, solid blues band would have been better)can’t hide the fact that Bland could still sing. “You’ve Got To Hurt Before You Heal” is a great song, and his cover of Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine When She’s Gone” is a true highlight. This is not Bland at his best by any means, but it does show that after so many years, he was still capable of putting out a winner.
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LED ZEPPELIN
LED ZEPPELIN III
1970-ATLANTIC
Produced By JIMMY PAGE
1. Immigrant Song
2. Friends
3. Celebration Day
4. Since I’ve Been Loving You
5. Out On The Tiles
6. Gallows Pole
7. Tangerine
8. That’s The Way
9. Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
10. Hats Off To (Roy) Harper
Led Zeppelin released their first two albums in 1969, and they were all about thunder and heaviness. Led Zeppelin III was very highly anticipated…and when it came out, everyone seemed to be at a loss as to what they should do with it. The album starts off in true Zeppelin form with “Immigrant Song”, and rolls through five tracks of heaviness and long blues jam (“Since I’ve Been Loving You”). But then, turn the record over, and…is this really Led Zeppelin?
“Gallows Pole” is a traditional older song played on acoustic guitar and…banjo! The rest of the album side follows suit: “Tangerine” is a blueprint for “Stairway To Heaven” on the next album, “That’s The Way” and “Bron-Y-Aur Stomp” (one of my favorite Zeppelin tracks) are more Fairport Convention than heavy metal. And the last track, “Hats Off To (Roy) Harper”, is an almost unlistenable mess of slide guitar and distorted vocal. The reality was, Zeppelin was branching out and trying new things,,,and Led Zeppelin III has always been blasted for it, even though it leads to moments like “Stairway” and “Misty Mountain Hop”. And while III is not their best album, it’s still important in their development, and it has many great moments on it.
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THE WALLFLOWERS
BRINGING DOWN THE HORSE
1996-INTERSCOPE
Produced By T-BONE BURNETT
1. One Headlight
2. 6th Avenue Heartache
3. Bleeders
4. Three Marlenas
5. The Difference
6. Invisible City
7. Laughing Out Loud
8. Josephine
9. God Don’t Make Lonely Girls
10. Angel On My Bike
11. I Wish I Felt Nothing
You’ve got to hand it to Jakob Dylan…being the son of an absolute legend, it takes balls to even record a note. But he’s been fronting The Wallflowers since 1989, and he’s had some great success with them…although, of course, nothing compared to his famous father. But in 1996, Dylan and his band got close to breaking all the way through. Bringing Down The Horse is their second and most successful album. The first five tracks are as strong and well written a string of consecutive songs as you’ll find on pretty much any album. “One Headlight” is their biggest hit, and their best song. “6th Avenue Heartache”, “Bleeders”, “Three Marlenas”, and “The Difference” round out a stunning start to the album: just these five songs could cement the career of The Wallflowers on their own, and by themselves would make this album an absolute classic.
But, the slide into average is swift. From “Invisible City” on, there is nothing near as great as the first five… only ”Josephine” comes close. None of the final six songs are bad, they just are not memorable in any way. And you’ll find yourself more likely to go back to the beginning than to listen to the album to the end. Again…the last six songs aren’t bad, but the reason to have Bringing Down The Horse is the first half. And it’s very worthwhile.
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THE BLACK CROWES
WARPAINT
2008-SILVER ARROW
Produced by PAUL STACEY
1. Goodbye Daughters Of The Revolution
2. Walk Believer Walk
3. Oh Josephine
4. Evergreen
5. Wee Who See The Deep
6. Locust Street
7. Movin’ On Down The Line
8. Wounded Bird
9. God’s Got It
10. There’s Gold In Them Hills
11. Whoa Mule
Warpaint was the first studio album from The Black Crowes in seven years, and it was a far cry from the same band that had released Lions in 2001. It was a far cry from anything the band had done before, which is a show of one thing the Crowes have always been: resilient. From their beginning as a Southern rock upstart, through three albums of growth and experimentation with guitarist Marc Ford, to a glam phase, and a Jimmy Page inspired monster riff period, the band has always been about change. Warpaint saw a new lead guitarist (Luther Dickinson), keyboardist (Adam MacDougal), a diminished voice from Chris Robinson, and fewer riffs from his brother Rich.
The result is mixed. Vocally, the album is toned down (smartly). There is a much more country influence with Dickinson on board. It’s much mellower than anything they had done before. And as for songs, outside of “Goodbye Daughters Of The Revolution”, there unfortunately isn’t a lot there. More than anything, they sound older and tired, twangier and less focused. Only the chorus of “Whoa Mule” has any of the energy of the opening track. The rest is flat. Give ‘em credit for trying, but even though this was their highest charting album since The Southern Harmony And Musical Companion, it’s just not the same any more.
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