I’ve been meaning to write about this album for a while. It’s a seminal album, but doesn’t fit neatly into one genre; the artist deserves far greater public recognition, both as a writer and performer; the record, which led to one huge radio hit at the time (as covered by The Brothers Johnson), is not on most people’s radar today, though it is a classic. Part of this may be due to the fact that Otis chose to effectively withdraw from the music business for decades (though he did limited session work). Otis came from R&B “royalty”- his father, Johnny Otis, credited with... Read More
The Doobie Brothers- Toulouse Street
I’m not breaking any new ground here by saying that this album stands the test of time- it was a hugely successful record when it was released and still sounds fresh more than 40 years later. It was, for most people, their first introduction to the band, which went through personnel and stylistic changes over the years (and is, as of this writing, out on tour); but Toulouse Street captures the band at their best: thick, textured guitar riffs, two drummers, a mix of great songs, including two radio hits, “Listen to the Music” and “Jesus is Just Alright with Me.” It is also a... Read More
Rickie Lee Jones- self titled
Rickie Lee Jone’s self-titled album was an auspicious debut in many respects: “Chuck E.’s in Love” generated almost constant airplay here in the States and elsewhere. (I spent the summer of 1980 in London and remember it as a radio constant there too). But it contained far more: moody, jazzy pop with a “hipster” (read: beatnik, not millennial) streak; studied reflections on emptiness (“Last Chance Texaco”), beat-driven jive (“Danny’s All-Star Joint”); stylized retro-pop from the 1940s (“Easy Money”) and street-smart cool (“Coolsville” and “Weasel and The... Read More
compendia
As the site grows, I discovered the need for a new “Category”; a place where summaries of, and links to, larger, multi-post pieces could be collected- a sort of “mini- index” for certain topics. For example, we have a survey of some of the noteworthy UK Vertigo Swirls, which includes an interview with Olav Wyper, the creator of the label, along with multiple articles and reviews about the “swirls”; a similar survey of notable Island Records pieces with various interviews, essays and reviews, and as of this writing, an effort (in multiple posts) to capture that marvelous era of... Read More
Jethro Tull-Aqualung- Vinyl Shoot-Out
In my lead-up to this piece, I mentioned that I often accumulate more vinyl pressings of problematic recordings in search of a good sounding copy; Jethro Tull’s Aqualung is a good example. Some of the quirks in this recording were deliberate, e.g. the “Tannoy” effect (a/k/a the “telephone burble”) on the vocal parts of title track, which is a clever effect; but most copies seem to lack clarity or bass and there is considerable track to track variability in the sound quality. Some of it apparently had to do with adjusting to the acoustics of the large room the band recorded... Read More
Roy Harper- Stormcock
Roy Harper’s Stormcock is another one of those significant, but sorely underrated, albums that deserves renewed attention. Roy Harper was never a commercial success on this side of the Atlantic, and even in the UK, was considered an acquired taste. But he was hugely influential to bands like Led Zeppelin (whose “Hats Off to Roy Harper” is really a take on Bukka White’s old “Shake ‘Em on Down”) and is known to Pink Floyd fans as the lead vocalist of the song, “Have a Cigar” on the great Wish You Were Here. He also influenced Ian Anderson, whose baroque-like folk... Read More
Joni, Neil and Tull, plus more….
Joni, Neil and Tull, plus more; continuing to explore the golden era of the Warner catalog The exploration of Warner during the early 70’s continues- we are going to look at Joni Mitchell (briefly) during this era, with one under-rated “pick” from me. We are also going to pay some attention to a few of the early Neil Young recordings that are hardly obscure, but are great musically, along with a few notes on pressings. Finally, and as part of a more elaborate write-up, we will be doing a “shoot-out” among the various pressings of Tull’s Aqualung in my possession. (I... Read More
Tull, Aqualung: A Shoot-Out (Forthcoming)
I have mixed emotions about this album for several reasons- it has moments of greatness, but is not my all-time favorite Tull album (if I had to pick one, it would probably be Stand Up, released in the UK on the Island pink label, reviewed here). It is also not a great recording. Which is why I wound up with so many pressings of Aqualung over the years, including UK and U.S. (on Reprise here in the States), a fairly rare set of Classic Records copies cut at 45 rpm on both “Clarity” and Quiex “black vinyl” (I believe these were originally sent out to reviewers as partial sets with a... Read More
Early Neil on Reprise
Neil Young is another polarizing figure, musically. It took me time to cozy up to him, and the albums I come back to now are his early solo records on Reprise: Everybody Knows This is Nowhere, After the Gold Rush and Harvest. These are, in my estimation, essential early Neil on Reprise. Everybody Knows This is Nowhere has some hits that remained in Young’s repertoire for decades, including “Down by the River,” “Cowgirl in the Sand” and “Cinnamon Girl.” My copy is an early 1A pressing. After the Gold Rush has more, including “Southern Man.” There is a fair amount... Read More
Joni Mitchell- Reprise, Asylum
Yes, she is legendary. And somewhat polarizing- some find nothing that draws them in, and even among fans, there is no consensus on her best work- Blue is recognized as her major folk work, Court and Spark for breaking barriers into pop and Hejira as a high point in her art. (Like I said, you’ll find little consensus among listeners- and part of this may be due to the range and diversity of her work as well as the large body of studio albums). Ms. Mitchell recorded for Reprise, Asylum and, for a period, on Geffen’s eponymous label. Her peak years, commercially (if not artistically)... Read More
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