Listmeister Listens - My Top 106: The Fame

[Listmeister]

54. Wonderful Radio London


The Who Sell Out by The Who

BEA Ranks: 14th of 1967; 52nd of 1960s; 414th of All Time

Ranked highest by Marcelo Brandi (3rd of All Time out of 45); Rockofages (2nd of All Time out of 20)

"I love this album. Early who, before Tommy and all the concept albums, were really god damn excellent. The perfect blend of angst, energy, fun and humor. This album is a great document showcasing that (also A Quick One is similarly fantastic). Yeah this is awesome." --Mercury

"It's one of my favorite from them (only behind Who's next), It's pretty funny, and I really like the radio Idea, they work really well with this Idea, But the main song beats all the rest on this album.... Also I Can see this album for miles and miles and miles and miles and mileeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesssssss!!!" --Antonio Pedro

"This remains something of a hidden gem in the Who's catalog." --Mr. Shankly

"Probably the most underrated 1967 album ever. It's only fault, and it's a big one, is that the whole commercial radio concept breaks down on the second side. If it weren't for that and a nasty edit on Rael 1&2, this album could be near-perfection." --Big A2

"This album is so much better than the Who's most popular albums like Who's Next, Tommy or Quadrophenia." --clockworkfiction3

"What a great concept album. Funny and well-executed by the band. One of the early inklings that Pete Townshend, as a songwriter, could accomplish pretty much whatever he wanted to." --subtleman22

---

I can just hear Pete Townsend pitching this to his bandmates "What we're going to do, we're going to make it like a radio broadcast, complete with commercials, on the record. I know, I know, it sounds ludicrous, but I'm telling you it will work." This was before the band got so serious, so they went along with it. There were public services announcements ("Please attend the chuuurch of your choooooiiiiiiice") and "paid commercials. ("What's for tea, mother.... Heinz Baked Beans!") Each band member got an "endorsement", pictured on the cover. Click here to see the back of the album.. Of the commercials, Pete's "Odorono" is the best commercial. It fools you, sounding like an actual Who song, (which, it was) but then in the last line: "Her deodorant had let her down. She should have used Odorono"

Meanwhile, there are Who songs going on. "I Can See For Miles and Miles" seems to be the collective BEA favorite. But there are other moments of awesomeness. There's the chorus of "Love Love Love Long Love Love Love Long" during the song "Our Love Was" that sounds like distilled essence of 1967. There's the ballad of Mary Anne with the Shaky Hand. "Can't Reach You" is great. "Silas Stingy" is one of Entwistle's best songs with the chours (it's almost a round) of "Money Money Money Man, Money Money Man, there goes Mingy Stingy"

But that's not all folks! It's also a member of a very short list of albums that have been covered as whole albums by other artists. Order today and here's what else you get:


Sings The Who Sell Out by Petra Haden

It's a pretty good cover, worth a listen once you're familiar with the original.

54. Reflektor
55. The Who Sell Out
56. To Our Children's Children's Children
57. Hi Infidelity
58. Bella Donna
59. L.A. Woman
60. Nightfall in Middle-Earth
61. Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1
62. Secret Messages
63. Jazz

[Listmeister]

53. The Wall On Which the Prophets Wrote


In The Court Of The Crimson King by King Crimson

BEA Ranks: 3rd of 1969; 13th of 1960s; 38th of All Time

Sixteen BEA'ers ranked it Best Of All Time. zonrod, aprzybylo, and ECUPirate ranked it as Best Of All Time out of 100.

"This is one of the greatest gothic psychedelic masterpieces of all time....full of majestic medieval visions and romantic pathos....Brilliant." --hairymarx1

"the mellow moments are the best for me.. the flute solo at the end of 'i talk to the wind' is just incredible, the whole of moonchild is haunting and the title track is just epic" --telefunker

"Brilliant! I love the haunting vocals, with the organ & flute it creates such an atmosphere. "I talk to the wind" & "Epitaph" are masterpieces. It really sounds like he believes what he's singing about" --SAMUSBELMONT

"I've actually never listened to this album at all. I just look at the album cover." --Nechasarian

"Just looking at the cover you know you're in for something awesome. I just didn't foresee how utterly transportive this album would be. The social commentary maintains a sense of import and cohesion unmatched by their progressive peers. I'm still not quite sure how they did it, but King Crimson succeeded in creating a fantasy-based progressive-rock album that can be taken seriously." --SquishypuffDave

"Some days, I just can't stop thinking: "Why do I listen to anything else?"" --antiloopje

--

October 10, 1969. Nixon was president. The Vietnam War was at it's peak. Men had just landed on the freakin' Moon. Star Trek had just finished its three year run. We could look forward to a future of 2001: a Space Odessey or Dr. Strangelove or Planet of the Apes. Utopia or Destruction or Computer Domination, those were our options for the future in 1969.

"21st Century Schizoid Man" is clearly about the Vietnam War, (whose justification, after 40 years of historical analysis, as best I can figure out is, "It seemed like a good idea at the time."). The message of the song, I think, maybe it's just me, is this: The horrors committed in this war will weigh on the conscience of the Nation and unless we repent we will be plagued with mental illness if we make it to the 21st century. This prophesy is set to the shouting staccato of the drill sergeant or the hell-fire preacher.

They do not expect the message to be heard, they do not expect the people to repent. "Into the wind" is a soft flutey lament of how no one hears, not even the wind. This is Elijah in his cave, ready to give up because no one will listen to the Prophet of God. I don't think there is any pretense here. I do not want to make it sound like the passion behind these lyrics is anything less than completely real. The narrator's conviction is absolute.

"Epitaph." Everyone in 1969 knew the lyric "The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls and tenement halls" (Simon & Garfunkel, The Sound of Silence, 1964). But unfortunately, says King Crimson, "The wall on which the prophets wrote is cracking at the seems." But this time the band is standing in front of that wall, wailing with all their might (metaphorically) to stop the forces that are tearing it down, while instruments of death are well maintained and polished. It is critical that they are heard, because "Knowledge is a deadly friend if no one sets the rules / The fate of all mankind I see is in the hands of fools."

Side one was heavy. Flip the record over, side two begins with "Moonchild", a simple ode to a beautiful girl. It puts you in a medieval, fantastical mood which sets up the climactic song at the end of side two. The song itself is only two and a half minutes long, which is followed by ten full minutes of psychedelic dreaming.

"The Court of the Crimson King" is a fantasy of prison moons and fire witches and jesters and jugglers and pilgrims and pipers and the Black Queen and The Crimson King. The music evokes craters and lava fields and alien environments with giant obsidian castles as the setting for this morality play.

Many musical oracles were produced in that momentous year. This one was the most self-consciously prophetic. For no other album in this diary have I spent so much time poring over the lyrics, because the lyrics demand your attention as you listen.

53. In the Court of the Crimson King
54. Reflektor
55. The Who Sell Out
56. To Our Children's Children's Children
57. Hi Infidelity
58. Bella Donna
59. L.A. Woman
60. Nightfall in Middle-Earth
61. Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1
62. Secret Messages

[Listmeister]

52. They used to make singles, y'know


Past Masters - Volume One by The Beatles

BEA Ranks: 80th of 1988; 808th of 1980s; 5009th of All Time
Ranked highest by: crazylemon67 (15th of all time, out of 40); Wonders (9th of all time out of 20)

"The Beatles arrived full-fledged. You could argue that they grew more sophisticated as the years went by, but not that they got a whole lot "better" because rock and roll doesn't get better than this. --Dave Marsh, from The Heart of Rock and Soul page 31, reviewing "She Loves You"

"When it came time to reissue The Beatles catalog on CD in 1988, the decision was made to use the British album versions. This left a large handful of songs without albums (American releases like The Beatles VI and Hey Jude were now out the window). The solution was the two volume Past Masters series. Volume one contains songs from 1962-65 that were left without albums to call home, as they were not on any of the British albums. Most are from singles, with 4 being from the Long Tall Sally EP, and "Bad Boy", which was an American only release. This series enables you to be able to have every song that The Beatles released during their career on CD. The series is a necessity for a complete catalog, and it's all great music. A must have for any Beatles fan." --Romanelli (the Romanelli Music Diary 101)

"We've been hearing about this group of youngsters from Liverpool that call themselves the Beatles and tonight you're going to twice be entertained by them, right now, and later on in our program. Ladies and Gentlemen, The Beatles!" --Ed Sullivan, February 9, 1964

----

I tend to agree with BEA's general rejection of Compilations, but there are exceptions. When a band has a definitive compilation, especially one that includes singles that were never put on an album, then, an exception must be made, and such an album deserves the right to be included in BEA's pantheon. Romanelli, above, summarized pretty effectively where this album comes from. (Thanks, R)

In the BEA ranking, it's listed as a 1988 album, but the music is all from 1962-1965. It would be hard to find a collection of singles by one band that had more of an impact on the culture of England and the United States -- or even the world.

Sure it's important, but how does it sound? That's really what matters. So much great stuff here. You have three monster hit songs, "From Me To You," "She Loves You" and "I Want To Hold Your Hand", each one a masterpiece of pop music, a three-minute Mona Lisa. Then there's the "Long Tall Sally" EP (Long Tall Sally / I Call Your Name / Slow Down / Matchbox ), which, when I was young, were among my favorite Beatle songs that they never played on the radio.

"I Feel Fine" is in my Top 5 Songs of All Time. People ask me, "What's your favorite song of all time" I say, well I have five. Then I list them, and "I Feel Fine" is in there. Amazing harmonies, plus that amazing "Fthoooommmm fweeeeaaaarrrrrr" sound right at the beginning.

52. In the Court of the Crimson King
53. Past Masters Volume One
54. Reflektor
55. The Who Sell Out
56. To Our Children's Children's Children
57. Hi Infidelity
58. Bella Donna
59. L.A. Woman
60. Nightfall in Middle-Earth
61. Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1

[note 1] My top five songs, in no particular order: "I Ran (So Far Away)", by A Flock of Seagulls ; "Magic Man" by Heart ; "Good Vibrations" by The Beach Boys ; "Ride My See-Saw" by the Moody Blues ; and "I Feel Fine" by the Beatles.

[note 2] Past Masters Volume Two is not in my top 100. Most of the best singles from that period made it onto "Magical Mystery Tour", for which the American version got promoted to Definitive when they regularized the catalog for CD Release. "Day Tripper" and "Don't Let Me Down" are fantastic songs, though.

[Listmeister]

51. The One With 'The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald'


Summertime Dream by Gordon Lightfoot

BEA Ranks: 95th of 1976; 1,137th of 1970s; 6,663rd of All Time
Ranked highest by: GoJetsGo, 10th of All Time

"I'm not sure which is a bigger injustice - that he is ranked past 3000 for top artists, or he's 129th best Canadian. Maybe it's the fact that this album was unranked without me, and even still, get 11,000th on the list. Clearly there's not enough who are familiar. Damn shame." --junodog4 (in February, 2012. The album has since climbed higher)

--

I spent the summer of 1988 studying in Canada (Trinity Western University, Langley, British Columbia). I found the oldies station (I was into oldies back then) and listened to it regularly. Now, since this was Canada, the station tended to play more Canadian artists than the Cincinnati radio stations I was used to.

One day, this Canadian radio played this tune that I'd never heard before. It sounded like Gordon Lightfoot, whose "If You Could Read My Mind" and "Sundown" were familiar to me, but not this one. It was an instant earworm, with a meter that got stuck in my brain and I started composing lyrics to (no, I don't have any samples). That was 'The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.' Released in 1976, it was too new for the oldies stations (at the time) and too old for contemporary stations.

So, I get back home and I look for it. Found it on Summertime Dream, one of the first actual albums (as opposed to compilations and Greatest Hits) that I bought for myself. I played it over and over again, sang along with it as I walked to the bus stop, even bought the sheet music and tried to play it on piano.

Lightfoot's baritone resonates well with my vocal range, although to this day I cannot hit that low note on 'the big lake they call Gitchi Gumee.' The album may be most famous for 'The Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald'. Lightfoot composed it because he wanted to do what the balladeers of old had done, which is, take a contemporary event and write a song about it so that it would never be forgotten. As the liner notes explain.
"The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. An account of the giant ore carrier Edmund Fitzgerald which sank in Lake Superior in 1975."

The other songs also resonated with me. 'Race Among the Ruins,' a catchy tune, was a minor hit in early 1977. 'The House You Live In' is loaded with folk wisdom (see below). 'I'd Do It Again' showcases his amazing baritone. 'Too Many Clues' is, ironically, a cryptic puzzle as you try to figure out what he's talking about. 'Spanish Moss' is the bittersweet ballad that Lightfoot excels at. Finally, the title track, 'Summertime Dream', will have you singing along by the second chorus.

The lyrics are laced throughout with deep thoughts and profound wisdom:

[Listmeister]

50. Reluctant Disqualification One


Endless Summer by The Beach Boys

BEA Ranks: 98th of 1974; 980th of 1970s; 5,559th of All Time
Ranked highest by ClassicRock1, 29th of All Time

"One of the best "best ofs" ever. Classic after classic. Also eliminates the need to track down those weak, pre-Today albums." --thatbeatleskid1

When I started on this site, I filled my Top 100 list with my favorite albums, which included a several "Best Of" compilations by my favorite artists. Now, simply being a Compilation does not disqualify an album. If it is the definitive compilation by the artist (Journey's Greatest Hits), for instance, or if it includes singles not available on albums (Beatles Past Masters). Or, if I feel no need to go through the albums, and the Greatest Hits is all I need from the band, then that would qualify. (Little River Band's Greatest Hits, or The Association's Greatest Hits).

Endless Summer is, arguably, the definitive collection of Beach Boys singles. In its favor, it was a huge best-seller in 1974, when it came out (number one on Billboard). But it wasn't the first one or the last. The original vinyl didn't have Good Vibrations, or the Singles versions of Help Me Rhonda or Be True To Your School. Also, it doesn't have Kokomo (their last hit, from 1988), but that's okay.

I would have no trouble keeping Endless Summer in my Top 100. There is a disqualifier that I haven't mentioned, and it's kind of a personal one. If I have heard many of the albums covered by the compilation, and ranked them, that will supersede the Compilation, and disqualify it. Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Chronicle" used to be in my top 100, as did REO Speedwagon's 'The Hits' (mentioned before), but then I listened to the albums. When I got to this one in my Top 100, I looked at what Beach Boys albums I have listened to and ranked, and it turns out that I have heard and ranked a lot of them, including three or four of those "weak pre-Today" ones that thatbeatleskid1 mentioned. Almost all of these songs are represented somewhere else in my rankings. And we haven't even gotten to my favorite Beach Boys album, which was pre-Today, and includes three or four songs included on "Endless Summer". Sorry, but I got to make room and avoid redundancies.

50. In the Court of the Crimson King
51. Past Masters Volume One
52. Reflektor
53. Summertime Dream
54. The Who Sell Out
55. To Our Children's Children's Children
56. Hi Infidelity
57. Bella Donna
58. L.A. Woman
59. Nightfall in Middle-Earth
...
99. The Fame Monster
100. Soundtrack from American Grafitti

[Listmeister]

49. Came back. For you.


Long Distance Voyager by The Moody Blues

BEA Ranks: 117th of 1981; 971st of 1980s; 6,113th of All Time
Ranked highest by Listmeister, 49th of All Time

"Despite the loss of keyboardist Mike Pinder, this album proved to be the big Moodies comeback album that 1978's Octave failed to be. It has an updated sound, but loses none of the Moodies' creativity and it stands well alongside the group's earlier classic seven." --Fischman

Long before I surveyed the entire history of ELO, I delved deep into the study of the Moody Blues. You had the romantic poetry and beautiful baritone of Justin Hayward; the hippie child-like storytelling of flutist Ray Thomas; the rock-and-roll guitar of John Lodge; the musical other-worldliness of Mike Pinder, keyboardist; even the drummer Graeme Edge, who seldom sang, wrote the occasional recitation to open or close an album. These were the Moody Blues as the world came to know them.

They are most famous for their seven album run produced in 1967-1972: Days of Future Passed; In Search of the Lost Chord; On the Threshold of a Dream; To Our Children's Children's Children; A Question of Balance; Every Good Boy Deserves Favour; Seventh Sojourn. Each album was a landmark in Progressive Art Rock.

Then they took a break, and stopped touring for awhile. Each Moody worked on his own projects. They came back together in 1978 to record their eighth album, which they called "Octave". It was not up to the standards of their First Seven. Mike Pinder did not want to tour, and reluctantly left the band. Patrick Moraz, formerly of Yes (he had replaced Rick Wakeman), was looking for a job, and the Moodies snatched him up. He added a bit of energy to the band, and his keyboarding was electrifying.

They must have gelled on the tour to promote 'Octave', because what they produced in 1981 was every bit as good as the big Seven. A decent Moody Blues collection now had to have the Big Seven, Plus One. This was that one.

Sorry about all the backstory, but it formed a concept around which this album was formed. Several of the songs deal with the joy and pain of touring, and the stress of returning to the rock star life. "Gemini Dream" is a rock song sung directly to the audience as a thank-you for waiting so patiently for them to return. "Your Painted Smile / Veteran Cosmic Rocker" are about the experience of what it's like to be a rock star. "The Voice" is Hayward's poetic description of the call of the music that he cannot resist. "22,000 days" is about the brevity of life.

It's a great concept album, and a great rock-and-roll album, and a great progressive art rock album.

49. In the Court of the Crimson King
50. Past Masters Volume One
51. Long Distance Voyager
52. Reflektor
53. Summertime Dream
54. The Who Sell Out
55. To Our Children's Children's Children
56. Hi Infidelity
57. Bella Donna
58. L.A. Woman
59. Nightfall in Middle-Earth

[Listmeister]

48. The Voice of an Irish Angel


Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can'...ranberries

BEA Ranks: 34th of 1993; 383rd of 1990s; 1774th of All Time
Ranked highest by: dheerajr17, 9th of All Time
Result in Best Debut Album tournament: Round 1: lost to Fever Ray

"Her voice is mesmorizing for me... even something mediocre transforms into something much more interesting due to the vocals." --sethmadsen

"The Cranberries are great. They have this very beautiful, dreamy, atmospheric sound. Their lyrics and O'Riordan's vocals are always spot-on. This was a much-played album back in the day." --lightmyway

Delores O'Riorden is the chanteuse behind the Cranberries. There are two elements to her singing style on this album. She does this angry voice, that could be kind of grating if that were all there was to it. But she also has this angelic voice, softer, higher pitched. She transitions from one to the other, and sometimes she is doing both at the same time. She is harmonizing with herself, with the harsh voice and the soft voice, and together they make something glorious, as she sings about love, past, present, and dreamed-of future.

The band emphasizes the softer side, which produces something heavenly. The Irish accent she sings with adds a down-to earth quality. You have the harsh and the soft, and the celestial and the earthy. Elements come together to make a very balanced sound. Now, 'balance' can mean everything concentrated in the center. This is boring, and that's not what I mean. I mean 'balanced' in the way a spinning top is balanced, or a complicated sculpture. Weights far apart suspended in space around a central pivot point. That's the kind of balance I'm talking about here.

Tiny complaint about the song titles. They're too short, I can't identify which songs are which or I would mention favorite moments in the album by name. And the album title is too long.

48. Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We
49. In the Court of the Crimson King
50. Past Masters Volume One
51. Long Distance Voyager
52. Reflektor
53. Summertime Dream
54. The Who Sell Out
55. To Our Children's Children's Children
56. Hi Infidelity
57. Bella Donna

[Repo]

[Listmeister]

47. Billy Joel's Rock and Roll Show


An Innocent Man by Billy Joel

BEA Ranks: 39th of 1983; 440th of 1980s; 2656th of All TIme
Ranked highest by LTHewitt, 19th of all time (out of 40)

"Joel can come across very brash, as one you'd imagine as a loud, bothersome guy in a bar. But not always. He had his moments. An Innocent Man is one of those. Breaking away from his usual self, Joel spends this album paying tribute to the music of the 1950's with fresh original material that, a lot of which, would have fit right in." -- Romanelli, Diary page 454



Billy Joel's songs here are arranged so that they pay homage to the pre-Beatles rock and roll. You have Philly doo-wop in "The Longest Time", 'Carless Talk' and 'This Night'; Jersey Boy falsetto in "Uptown Girl"; Jazzy Swing Rock (I'm not sure what to call it) in 'Easy Money' and 'Christie Lee'.

'An Innocent Man', the song, has some really well crafted lyrics. When I was dating, I tended to fall into the nice-guy roll, helping to pick up the pieces after other guys had been jerks, and this sort of felt like my theme song. (I got friend-zoned a lot).

Not every song on the album fits the pattern of 1950's rock and roll show. The ballads kind of stand apart. 'Leave a Tender Moment Alone', which may actually have been a tribute to early Stevie Wonder, the star of this piece is the harmonica, played expertly by Toots Thielemans. Finally, summing it all up, the doo-wop, the rock and roll, and the Greaser way of life, you have 'Keeping the Faith'.

This album is a joy to just stick in your car's tape player (a CD player will do if you don't have a tape player), pick a voice, and sing a long. Are you a natural bass? Plenty of work for the bass singer. (Dum Dum Dum Whooooah. For the longest time (hiieeeeemmmm) Whatever your range, someone will be there, and if there's no one there, join your voice in, there's plenty of room.

47. Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We
48. In the Court of the Crimson King
49. Past Masters Volume One
50. Long Distance Voyager
51. Reflektor
52. An Innocent Man
53. Summertime Dream
54. The Who Sell Out
55. To Our Children's Children's Children
56. Hi Infidelity

[Listmeister]

46. Elvis Has Left the Building


Moody Blue by Elvis Presley

BEA Ranks: 171st of 1977; 1,826th of 1970s; 12,462nd of All Time
Ranked highest by Listmeister, 46th of All Time.

I'd like to share with you one of my earliest memories of current events, when I was old enough to understand what news actually means. It's when I discovered that one day the world could be different from what it was the day before. On August 16, 1977, I was watching channel 12, and I know it was channel 12 because it was anchorman Nick Clooney, who said, in a 10-second commercial break, "Elvis Presley is dead. Details at 11:00", a moment etched in my memory. I was eight years old. I had just begun to learn about the world around me, and how it was bigger than my house, my family, my dog, my school, all the "my"s that mean so much to a child. To me, Elvis was 70's Elvis, a guy who occasionally appeared on specials and variety shows, a man whose name was spoken with reverence as the Avatar of Rock and Roll, and, as of August 16, he wasn't around any more. The world had changed.

Time passed, and I discovered more of the world of music. I discovered that he was revered for what he had done way back in the 1950s. But I always preferred the Elvis of the 70s. There was a certain gravitas, a depth of experience, a strong masculine baritone to be found in songs like "Suspecious Minds" (1969) and even "Burning Love" (1972) that you didn't have in, for instance "Don't Be Cruel" (1956) or "Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear" (1957).

After he died, the radio stations in my area started playing "Way Down." It stuck in my memory, and as I began building my music collection, I made sure I got a copy of it, which I found on Elvis' Gold Records Vol. 5. Also on that cassette was the equally awesome "Moody Blue", which I could just barely remember from earlier in 1977.

More time passed. I got into albums. I got into vinyl. I found this album at my favorite record store (Omega Records, Dayton, Ohio). The vinyl was Blue! That was kind of cool. And it had "Way Down"! And "Moody Blue"! And "If You Love Me Let Me Know" and "Little Darlin" and "He'll Have To Go" and "Unchained Melody"... I can't wait to hear what he does with those. (He was amazing with those songs as well)

I haven't said much about why I like this record, the maturity in Elvis's voice, the emotional depth that he brings to every song he sings. But in writing this I realized how much this record is a personal favorite for personal reasons. It summarizes my entire history of my pursuit of Perfect Rock and Roll. And Elvis Presley may have come close to perfect, with this blue vinyl LP from 40 years ago.


46. Moody Blue
47. Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We
48. In the Court of the Crimson King
49. Past Masters Volume One
50. Long Distance Voyager
51. Reflektor
52. An Innocent Man
53. Summertime Dream
54. The Who Sell Out
55. To Our Children's Children's Children