787. The GoGos--Beauty and the Beat (1981, #1) (3)

787. The GoGos--Beauty and the Beat (1981, #1) (3)

1. Our Lips Are Sealed (9) (sounds as good today as when it came out!)
2. How Much More (?) (2)
3. Tonite (?) (2)
4. Lust to Love (?) (2)
5. This Town (2)
6. We Got the Beat (8)
7. Fading Fast (?) (2)
8. Automatic (?) (2+)
9. You Can't Walk In Your Sleep (If You Can't Sleep) (?) (2+)
10. Skidmarks on My Heart (?) (2+)
11. Can't Stop the World (?) (2+)

REVIEW: What a joy it is to hear (and see) this stuff again! The two big hits were filled with such unbridled exuberance and the passion of youth. I remembered only one other song, This Town, which I didn't care for. But Our Lips Are Sealed may have been the very first video I saw on MTV, shortly after graduating from high school. I give it a 3 overall.

789. Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins--Rabbit Fur Coat (2006; #88) (2)

789. Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins--Rabbit Fur Coat (2006; #88) (2)

1. Run Devil Run (?) (2)
2. The Big Guns (?) (2)
3. Rise Up With Fists!! (?) (3)
4. Happy (?) (2)
5. The Charging Sky (?) (2)
6. Melt Your Heart (?) (3)
7. You Are What You Love (?) (5)
8. Rabbit Fur Coat (?) (2)
9. Handle With Care (7+)
10. Born Secular (?) (2)
11. It Wasn't Me (?) (2+)
12. Happy (Reprise) (?) (3)

REVIEW: Nothing wrong with this. I give it a 2 for now.

791. 10,000 Maniacs--Our Time in Eden (1992) (2)

791. 10,000 Maniacs--Our Time in Eden (1992) (2)

1. Noah's Dove (?) (3)
2. These Are Days (6)
3. Eden (?) (3)
4. Few and Far Between (?) (3)
5. Stockton Gala Days (?) (4)
6. Gold Rush Brides (?) (3)
7. Jezebel (?) (3)
8. How You've Grown (?) (3)
9. Candy Everybody Wants (6)
10. Tolerance (?) (3)
11. Circle Dream (?) (2)
12. If You Intend (?) (2)
13. I'm Not the Man (?) (3)

REVIEW: Well, you can tell I haven't played this CD much, as I only know the two popular songs from it. I like those two fairly well, but nothing from the rest of it caught my ear. I give it a 2.


ED'S TAKE:

791. 10,000 Maniacs--Our Time in Eden (1992)

1. Noah's Dove (10)
2. These Are Days (8)
3. Eden (9)
4. Few and Far Between (8)
5. Stockton Gala Days (7)
6. Gold Rush Brides (9)
7. Jezebel (9)
8. How You've Grown (9)
9. Candy Everybody Wants (9)
10. Tolerance (8)
11. Circle Dream (9)
12. If You Intend (8)
13. I'm Not the Man (9)

OVERALL RATING: 8 (NOT the sum of its parts)

DISCUSSION: Natalie's voice was always quite appealing to me. The songs she sang were not. While I don't mind the fact that this one didn't have many "hits", the songs "non-descriptness" work individually better than as an album. There are simply not enough REAL highs. I still find listening to Merchant quite appealing (I saw her live with the Maniacs) but this is NOT an album I'd want to listen to in one sitting, except as background.

792. Neil Young--Live at Massey Hall 1971 (2007: #6)

792. Neil Young--Live at Massey Hall 1971 (2007: #6)

1. On the Way Home (?) (2)
2. Tell Me Why (5)
3. Old Man (8)
4. Journey Through the Past (?) (2)
5. Helpless (8)
6. Love in Mind (?) (3)
7. A Man Needs a Maid/Heart of Gold Suite (?) (2/9)
8. Cowgirl in the Sand (5)
9. Don't Let It Bring You Down (3)
10. There's a World (?) (3)
11. Bad Fog of Loneliness (?) (2)
12. The Needle and the Damage Done (5)
13. Ohio (9)
14. See the Sky About to Rain (?) (2)
15. Down By the River (3)
16. Dance Dance Dance (?) (3)
17. I Am a Child (?) (2)

REVIEW: Good stuff...didn't realize he had released anything since "Living with War" in '06(?). If I were to rate it, it would get a 6--not to be confused with its highest chart position shown above--but I don't want that to go into Valerie's records, so forget I said that :-)

ED'S TAKE

792. Neil Young--Live at Massey Hall 1971 (2007)

1. On the Way Home (9)
2. Tell Me Why (10) A REAL favorite from "After the Goldrush"
3. Old Man (10)
4. Journey Through the Past (10)
5. Helpless (10)
6. Love in Mind (10)
7. A Man Needs a Maid/Heart of Gold Suite (10) ....a beautiful, if misunderstood, song.
8. Cowgirl in the Sand (10)
9. Don't Let It Bring You Down (10)
10. There's a World (8)
11. Bad Fog of Loneliness (8)
12. The Needle and the Damage Done (10)
13. Ohio (10)
14. See the Sky About to Rain (9)
15. Down By the River (10)
16. Dance Dance Dance (8)
17. I Am a Child (10)

OVERALL RATING : 10

DISCUSSION: Amidst a lot of superlatives, Neil Young HAS been my favorite singer for a long, long time. As a matter of fact, often I have listed his "After the Goldrush" as my favorite album....Period. I can't think of another album in my lifetime I've listened to more times.....even the older ones. So, for me anyway, the ratings here reflect more how I feel about the songs.....the vocals are consistent and superlative for me. Frankly, I DID enjoy "A Man Needs a Maid" without the orchestration.

795. The Eagles--The Eagles (1972; #22) (3)

795. The Eagles--The Eagles (1972; #22) (3)

1. Take It Easy (8)
2. Witchy Woman (8)
3. Chug All Night (?) (2)
4. Most of Us Are Sad (?) (2)
5. Nightingale (?) (2)
6. Train Leaves Here This Morning (?) (2)
7. Take the Devil (?) (2)
8. Earlybird (?) (2)
9. Peaceful Easy Feeling (1+)
10. Tryin' (?) (2)

REVIEW: Like the first two tracks (classic rock staples). It's just amazing how they'll latch onto a song or two and play those to death and ignore the rest, which I NEVER hear (except for Peaceful Easy Feeling, which I don't like). But that's their modus operandi--go with the familiar to hang onto the listener so that the ratings don't go down and they can no longer attract advertisers. This one gets a 3.

ED'S TAKE:

95. The Eagles--The Eagles (1972; #22)

1. Take It Easy (9)
2. Witchy Woman (9)
3. Chug All Night (8)
4. Most of Us Are Sad (8)
5. Nightingale (7)
6. Train Leaves Here This Morning (9)
7. Take the Devil (8)
8. Earlybird (8)
9. Peaceful Easy Feeling (9)
10. Tryin' (8)

OVERALL RATING: 8

DISCUSSION: I've always kind of liked the Eagles. They were never one of my favorite groups but whenever an album came out, there were always songs that became part of my existence, usually the ones that had those beautiful harmonies. This isn't a great album but it is still quite listenable to me, with a few really high points.

796. The Verve--Urban Hymns (1997; #23) (1)

796. The Verve--Urban Hymns (1997; #23) (1)

1. Bitter Sweet Symphony (8+)
2. Sonnet (?) (3)
3. The Rolling People (?) (2)
4. The Drugs Don't Work (?) (3)
5. Catching the Butterfly (?) (2)
6. Neon Wilderness (?) (2)
7. Space and Time (?) (2)
8. Weeping Willow (?) (3)
9. Lucky Man (2+)
10. One Day (?) (4)
11. This Time (?) (2)
12. Velvet Morning (?) (2)
13. Come On/Deep Freeze (?) (2)

REVIEW: Other than the big hit (Bitter Sweet), mostly sounds similar. One Day sounded like it had a good hook. Never cared for Lucky Man. One of the loudest bands I've ever heard, despite their downbeat sound (saw them at a festival concert). A 1.

ED'S TAKE:

796. The Verve--Urban Hymns (1997; #23)

1. Bitter Sweet Symphony (9)
2. Sonnet (10)
3. The Rolling People (10)
4. The Drugs Don't Work (10)
5. Catching the Butterfly (9)
6. Neon Wilderness (10)
7. Space and Time (10)
8. Weeping Willow (10)
9. Lucky Man (10)
10. One Day (10)
11. This Time (10)
12. Velvet Morning (9)
13. Come On/Deep Freeze (10)

OVERALL RATING: 10

DISCUSSION: I remember liking this album but not THIS much. Maybe too much emphasis was placed on Bittersweet Symphony and I didn't let myself be taken away by the album as a piece. Frankly, this is going opposite of my experience before where the album as a whole is thought to be less than the sum of its parts, i.e., the songs. Here, I'm not sure the songs that I've given 10's to would be 10's if taken separately. The fact is, here, I've experienced them TOGETHER, and it works wonders for me. I simply feel that this works as an ALBUM....it HAS a signature sound and I truly like it. (Ok, I still thing they might have overdone it a wee bit with "Bittersweet Symphony" but it's a beauty nonetheless.)

799. Sting--Brand New Day (1999: #9) (4)

799. Sting--Brand New Day (1999: #9) (4)

1. A Thousand Years (?) (3)
2. Desert Rose (7+)
3. Big Lie, Small World (?) (3)
4. After the Rain Has Fallen (?) (5)
5. Perfect Love...Gone Wrong (?) (4)
6. Tomorrow We'll See (?) (2)
7. Prelude to the End of the Game (?) (2)
8. Fill Her Up (?) (4) (interesting--starts out country--I'm thinking Sting? Country? uh-uh. Ends up jazz-tinged)
9. Ghost Story (?) (2)
10. Brand New Day (7+)

REVIEW: Pretty good stuff, with a chance to move up if I became familiar with the rest of the album aside from the two hits I know. 4.

ED'S TAKE:

799. Sting--Brand New Day (1999: #9)

1. A Thousand Years (6)
2. Desert Rose (7)
3. Big Lie, Small World (4)
4. After the Rain Has Fallen (5)
5. Perfect Love...Gone Wrong (4)
6. Tomorrow We'll See (4)
7. Prelude to the End of the Game *
8. Fill Her Up (5)
9. Ghost Story (4)
10. Brand New Day (6)

OVERALL RATING: 5 (On a lot of days, this would be a 2-0 meaning unlistenable. )

DISCUSSION: It's been awhile. Frankly, I can't remember how many of Sting's solo albums I still have in my collection.....TOO MANY! I don't like the guy much. I don't like his "signature sound", whatever it is. Sometimes when I listen to him, instead of hearing his "artistry", I hear boring easy listening/lite jazz. When I think of the first time I heard Roxanne and then hear THIS, I do not think evolution. (Call him devo....d-e-v-o)......Hey, he surely has the right to make whatever suits him, either as an expression of his art or for the buck. I mean, ok, Elvis C. has evolved/devolved since my favorite of his, "Pump it Up", but his later stuff is usually quite listenable regardless of stylistic changes. But that's Elvis and this is Sting.

God, Mark, were there HITS on this album? By the time I was trying to listen to this one for the first time, I was probably so disconnected that I had no idea which were the "big songs". (I'm sure I bought most of them, after the first, in used bargain bins for $.50-2.50. That's one of my problems. I convince myself that at bargain basement prices, it's worth taking a flier, even if only a few songs are good enought to ever play again. I wind up clogging my collection with a lot of lightweight stuff that I keep for others, not me. People sometimes think of Sting and Bono in the same breath....both with one name pretensions and both quite vocal about their causes which may irritate some people but if he gives money and time and publicity for the good of humanity, I'll forgive him his ego. The difference is, even today, I expect to enjoy U2's new music. I never expect much from Sting.

802. The Monkees (1966; #1) (3)

802. The Monkees (1966; #1) (3)

1. Theme From "The Monkees" (7+)
2. Saturday's Child (?) (3)
3. I Wanna Be Free (?) (2)
4. Tomorrow's Gonna Be Another Day (?) (3)
5. Papa Gene's Blues (?) (2)
6. Take a Giant Step (?) (2)
7. Last Train to Clarksville (8)
8. Let's Dance On (?) (2)
9. I'll Be True to You (?) (1+)
10. Sweet Young Thing (?) (2+)
11. Gonna Buy Me a Dog (2)

REVIEW: The Monkees are a special case--not really a band in the traditional sense as they were formed artificially for the purpose of a TV show and they didn't play their own instruments. So there's that sense that they're not "really" a band as much as a creation--kinda the way I feel about today's American Idols. Nonetheless, I always enjoyed their music, and here on their debut album they had two standout tracks IMO--the theme from the show and Last Train to Clarksville (these were written by Boyce and Hart). I have this album somewhere in my collection, but not with me, but it was all available at YouTube. It gets a 3.

ED'S TAKE:

802. The Monkees (1966; #1)

1. Theme From "The Monkees" (7)
2. Saturday's Child (7)
3. I Wanna Be Free (4)
4. Tomorrow's Gonna Be Another Day (8)
5. Papa Gene's Blues (6)
6. Take a Giant Step (7)
7. Last Train to Clarksville (8)
8. This Just Doesn't Seem to Be My Day (8)
9. Let's Dance On (8)
10. I'll Be True to You (6)
11. Sweet Young Thing (7)
12. Gonna Buy Me a Dog (6)

OVERALL ALBUM RATING: 7

DISCUSSION: This was a bit of a disappointment. It has to do with "staying power". I often talk about how much can change with my mood but it can also change, more permanently, with time. I've always been a big supporter of the Monkees....the "constructed Monkees", i.e., lets construct a rock group for TV purposes, make them a tad Beatlesque even if they can't truly play instruments and the later, more well rounded Monkees. But, in listening today, while they still often sound like an engaging pop band, they also sound too sweet, especially when Davey sings those rather simpy ballads. I can't remember THAT well, but I suspect that some of their other albums would work better for me today.
(I DO also have, besides Monkees albums, some of Nesmith's solo work)

808. Annie Lennox--Medusa (1995; #11) (1)

808. Annie Lennox--Medusa (1995; #11) (1)
1. No More I Love You's (2)
2. Take Me to the River (5+) (few notches below Al Green and the Talking Heads)
3. A Whiter Shade of Pale (7) (somewhat more tepid than the original)
4. Don't Let It Bring You Down (4)
5. Train in Vain (8) (this is by far my favorite cover on this album--in fact, I may like it nearly as much as the original. The song lends itself well to her style.)
6. I Can't Get Next to You (5+) (a huge step down from the original--tepid)
7. Downtown Lights (?) (2)
8. Thin Line Between Love and Hate (5) (only heard 30-second clip but don't care for the arrangement)
9. Waiting in Vain (5) (she doesn't improve on the Marley version--best version I've heard was by a woman on a cruise ship)
10. Something So Right (3)
11. Heaven (2) (I don't like the original)

REVIEW: The only one that she does well here is Train in Vain. Surprised this made the 897, and I'm an Annie Lennox fan. A 1.

803. The Doors--Waiting for the Sun (1968; #1) (0)

803. The Doors--Waiting for the Sun (1968; #1) (0)

1. Hello, I Love You (8)
2. Love Street (6)
3. Not to Touch the Earth (2)
4. Summer's Almost Gone (?) (2)
5. Wintertime Love (?) (2)
6. The Unknown Soldier (3+)
7. Spanish Caravan (?) (2)
8. My Wild Love (?) (3)
9. We Could Be So Good Together (?) (3)
10. Yes, the River Knows (?) (2+)
11. Five to One (3)

REVIEW: There's gotta be something wrong with a rating system that awards a 0 to an album I have in my collection and from which I like two songs. But it's because I dislike three of the other songs that I'm familiar with. Anyway, I'm sticking with the system through thick and thin, tweaking it now and then where I see fit.

ED'S TAKE:

803. The Doors--Waiting for the Sun (1968; #1)

1. Hello, I Love You (9) Nice riff and fuzz guitar....
2. Love Street (9) On the surface, not much, but its quite pretty
3. Not to Touch the Earth (8)
4. Summer's Almost Gone (9) Jimbo's great vocal and that guitar!
5. Wintertime Love (8) Quite odd as a Doors song but it works for me
6. The Unknown Soldier (8) A bit hokey with the sound effects
7. Spanish Caravan (8)
8. My Wild Love (8)
9. We Could Be So Good Together (8)
10. Yes, the River Knows (9)
11. Five to One (10)

OVERALL RATING: A somewhat weak 9

DISCUSSION: I remember quite distinctly how much flack this album got after The Doors self titled album and Strange Days. They decided to expand their sound a bit and many critics went wild. Still, the album did ok in sales and in listening to it after all these years, it IS inferior to those first two but not by THAT much....The ballads showed off Jim's voice in a different light. Anyway, a "throwaway" album to some, but I've enjoyed it over the years....

805. Creedence Clearwater Revival--Cosmo's Factory (1970; #1) (6)

805. Creedence Clearwater Revival--Cosmo's Factory (1970; #1) (6)

1. Ramble Tamble (?) (2)
2. Before You Accuse Me (?) (3+)
3. Travelin' Band (6)
4. Ooby Dooby (?) (2)
5. Lookin' Out My Back Door (8)
6. Run Through the Jungle (5)
7. Up Around the Bend (5)
8. My Baby Left Me (?) (5)
9. Who'll Stop the Rain? (7+)
10. I Heard It Through the Grapevine (9)
11. Long As I Can See the Light (2)

REVIEW: I tend to remember the good stuff and forget about the lousy tracks, and thus I thought I might have higher than a 7 on my hands here, with three superlative tracks (Grapevine, Who'll Stop the Rain, Looking Out My Back Door) but they're mixed in with some stinkers (Long As I Can See the Light, Ooby Dooby) and a couple of near-misses (Up Around the Bend, Run Through the Jungle). I give it a 6.

ED'S TAKE:

805. Creedence Clearwater Revival--Cosmo's Factory (1970; #1) (2)

1. Ramble Tamble (9) (I keep thinking I underrated this one)
2. Before You Accuse Me (10) A great cover. Little things slay me. Like at a line in the verse, he accentuates each guitar stroke. Brilliant.
3. Travelin' Band (10) I thought I'd gotten a bit sick of it.....NOT!
4. Ooby Dooby (9). Ok, his vocals aren't as memorable as Orbison's but the mere fact he'd chose an early Sun/Orbison semi-hit is great.
5. Lookin' Out My Back Door (10)
6. Run Through the Jungle (10)
7. Up Around the Bend (10) Love THAT RIFF and John's vocal on this
9. Who'll Stop the Rain? (9)
10. I Heard It Through the Grapevine (10) Can they pull off 11 minutes on this classic. YES! They did it with Susie Q (to my mind) and they do it here. Is it as GOOD as Gaye's. Surely better than Gladys' because it has the paranoia in tact.
11. Long As I Can See the Light (10) An absolutely wonderful vocal performance. He milks the notes.

OVERALL RATING: 10!!

DISCUSSION: Recently, I saw, on tv, Fogerty in concert. Wow! His voice hadn't aged a bit. And whoever was begin him instrumentally didn't miss a beat. What can I say? I loved CCR which is mostly loving John Fogerty. His voice, his guitar his compostional abilities, his sense of band dynamics, etc. His albums, mostly, were collections of singles, even if they weren't ever released as singles. Other than the Beatles, he exemplfies the notion of how saying "commercial" doesn't have to be a bad thing.....that somehow the "real music" had to be somehow compromised to sell records. This is powerful stuff and yet universal enough to be embraced by people with different tastes in music. I applaud John, especially after seeing that recent performance. Although he's gone thru trauma with the breakup of CCR which included a break with his own brother over Tom's siding with their ex-manager over royalty issues, etc. he seems to have survived with his talent entact. Up to Tom's ultimate death of AIDS (due to blood he received due to TB treatment), Tom and John were not on speaking terms.

I keep thinking of the years of waste of his talent. (He was actually sued at one time by Fantasy for writing a song that was supposedly a "copy" of an earlier song HE wrote. He won the suit. )

809. Billy Joel--52nd Street (1978; #1 (3 weeks)) (5)

809. Billy Joel--52nd Street (1978; #1 (3 weeks)) (5)

1. Big Shot (8)
2. Honesty (8)
3. My Life (9)
4. Zanzibar (?) (4)
5. Stiletto (7)
6. Rosalinda's Eyes (6)
7. Half a Mile Away (4)
8. Until the Night (3+)
9. 52nd Street (4)

REVIEW: Definitely the best opening trio of songs yet. But from there it falls off somewhat. "Stiletto" and "Rosalinda's Eyes" conjure up good memories for me, particularly because I'd go ice skating at a rink where this album was played a lot. This one is actually hurt by my familiarity with it, with only Zanzibar not standing out in my memory. I give it a 5, which only two albums (Hair and the Divine Miss M) have exceeded and one (Songs From the Big Chair) has tied.


ED'S TAKE:

809. Billy Joel--52nd Street (1978; #1)

1. Big Shot (6)
2. Honesty (6)
3. My Life (5) Sounds like the weaker side of Paul M. and/or Steely Dan
4. Zanzibar (6)
5. Stiletto (6) With the piano opening I thought it'd be better
6. Rosalinda's Eyes (6)
7. Half a Mile Away (7) Without the horns I'd have upped it to 8
8. Until the Night (6)
9. 52nd Street (8)

OVERALL RATING: 6

DISCUSSION: This is, by far, my weakest score to date. Why? I'm not exactly sure except to say that Joel wants to be thought of as an edgy rocker but remains a piano man. Sometimes, he reminds me of early Elton John and other times he reminds me of the worst part of Rupert Holmes....always trying to be clever and even when he was, you could see him mugging at his self satisfaction. Joel sounds like an egomaniac to me, if that's possible, even more so than a lot of the seeming self centered rappers or early blues men. Joel wants to be the "street punk" with his piano/voice as his fists and his "art" as the peacekeeper. It obviously has worked well for him during his career. But when I hear a song like "Pressure", it sounds like hoakum to me. A list. He probably is much better singing piano bar type songs, although some of them are not very listenable to me, even as MOR pop songs. (The worst of Paul M.)

There are artists whose career, for me, can be positively summed up in my collection by a few songs. (Even though I usually have their albums because I eventually bought them on the cheap). With Heart (one of those bands), I'd take "Magic Man" and a few others that escape me. That would be enough although I think Ann's voice, in her prime, was dynamite. With Joel, give me "Allentown" and "Goodnight Saigon" and keep the rest. And, PLEASE keep the following away from me......"It's Just the Way You Are", "My Kinda Life", "It's Still Rock n Roll To Me", "We Didn't Start the Fire", "Tell Her About It" and "Uptown Girl". Sorry Billy. You don't need me and I don't need you.

823. Nazareth--Hair of the Dog (1975) (1)

823. Nazareth--Hair of the Dog (1975) (1)

1. Hair of the Dog (2)
2. Miss Misery (?) (2)
3. Love Hurts (8+)
4. Guilty (European edition) (?) (3)
5. Changin' Times (?) (2)
6. Beggars Day (?) (3)
7. Rose in the Heather (?) (3)
8. Whiskey Drinkin' Woman (?) (2)
9. Please Don't Judas Me (?) (2)
10. Down (remastered edition) (?) (2)
11. Railroad Boy (remastered edition) (?) (2)

REVIEW: Only one song like on here--of course, Love Hurts. A 1.


ED'S TAKE:

823 HAIR OF THE DOG - NAZARETH

1. Hair of the Dog ++7 I need more cowbell.....love the chorus thing with the altered voices)
2. Miss Misery ++7 (Wow! This is pretty good hard rock sludge)
3. Love Hurts ++7 (classic hard rock ballad...I need to check out the Everlys)
4. Changin Times - +4 (too generic, even for hard rock)
5. Beggar's Day ++7 (too much AC/DC in the vocals)
6. Rose in the Heather ++7
7. Whiskey Drinkin Woman ++7
8. Please Don't Judas Me +++8 (The guitar does it)

OVERALL RATING: 7

DISCUSSION: Ok, I may have blown it! I mean, I had Phish and Nazareth in the palm of my hands and found a way to give them both "7"'s, meaning, to me anyway, "listenable with some reservation". And, to boot, I prefer the sludge of Nazareth over the instrumental prowess of Phish. (That part doesn't surprise me). I've already looked at my list thru #800 and find no other suspect albums except maybe Billy Joel (ok, I don't love him but he is a songwriter of some talent) and Helmet (I've liked them but never quite can remember anything they've done, even after collecting 3 or 4 of their albums.). I didn't LOVE New Morning (Dylan) but it WAS overrated because of the odious "Self Portrait".

We used to have a rock critic in Cleveland who, in the mid 60's was ALREADY in her 50's, hanging out with the Stones etc. when they came to town. She had the look of an eccentric librarian or teacher, at least 10 years older than she really was, and she'd come into concerts always late, dropping pencils and papers behind her. As she got even older, she found that she couldn't be truly critical. She wrote positive reviews about EVERYONE....about the only way you knew who she liked musically and who she didn't is by the reviews that ignored the music and dealt mainly with the "look" of the band, their politeness in interview, etc. Eventually, they had her write music pieces but NOT reviews. Am I BECOMING Jane Scott? (Ok, I'm NOT wearing a dress here as I sit at the computer but, then again, the Stones aren't asking me to interview them either.)

I need an album here to tear apart as a cleansing process. One could say "a musical enema" but one would no doubt have his hands slapped for that kind of talk.

817. The Cars--Panorama (1980; #5) (0)

817. The Cars--Panorama (1980; #5) (0)

1. Panorama (?) (2)
2. Touch and Go (9)
3. Gimme Some Slack (4)
4. Don't Tell Me No (3)
5. Getting Through (2)
6. Misfit Kid (?) (3)
7. Down Boys (?) (2)
8. You Wear Those Eyes (?) (3)
9. Running to You (?) (2+)
10. Up and Down (?) (3)

REVIEW: This (and others) exposes a flaw in my rating system. For Ed, the flaw that he's finding is on the high end, in that he assigns a lot of 10s, and there's no higher rating available for the ones that he expects to be the classics we'll see later on. For me, the flaw is more at the lower end--I just got through thoroughly trashing "All Eyez on Me" and gave it a 1; and now this album, which is IMO much better and much more tolerable, gets a 0. Why? Because I know more songs from the Cars album, some of which I dislike and they get points deducted, whereas from the 2Pac album I don't know any other songs than California Love, which gets a point. Anyway, this is probably my least favorite Cars album, with only one song I like, Touch and Go, which is one my favorites from them. Overall, though, a 0.

ED'S TAKE:

817. The Cars--Panorama (19800

1. Panorama (8)
2. Touch and Go (10)
3. Gimme Some Slack (8)
4. Don't Tell Me No (8)
5. Getting Through (9)
6. Misfit Kid (9)
7. Down Boys (8)
8. You Wear Those Eyes (8)
9. Running to You (9)
10. Up and Down (8)

OVERALL RATING: 8

DISCUSSION: I really like the cars, especially their first album. Whatever you call the style, I;ve mentioned I truly like the kind of vocalizing that came out around then. I've mentioned, besides Ric, people like David Byrne (Talking Heads) and Bryan Ferry (Roxy Music) who had it too. Even the less stellar songs here are saved to my "listenable without reservation" because of Ric's vocal stylings and, sometimes, the quirky beats. And, like you, I REALLY like "Touch and Go".

And, while I DO sometimes worry that I'm being too generous with my song evaluations while leads to inflated album evaluations, I'm NOT concerned about "10's now vs. later. I went into this thing assuming that I'd be just as likely finding "10",s in the end of the list as in the beginning. I've often mentioned (ok, twice) that with my favorite rock lists put out by www.fastnbulbous.com, I'm often as taken by their #250 of a given year as I am their #12. I'm used to that. Remember, I gave Animal Collective 10's.

820. Soundtrack--O Brother Where Art Thou? (2000; #1) (6)

820. Soundtrack--O Brother Where Art Thou? (2000; #1) (6)

1. James Carter and the Prisoners--Po' Lazarus (5)
2. Harry McClintock--Big Rock Candy Mountain (6)
3. Norman Blake--You Are My Sunshine (7+)
4. Alison Krauss--Down in the River to Pray (5+)
5. Soggy Bottom Boys and Dan Tyminski--Man of Constant Sorrow (5)
6. Chris Thomas King--Hard Time Killing Floor Blues (?) (2)
7. Norman Blake--Man of Constant Sorrow (5)
8. The Whites--Keep on the Sunny Side (5)
9. Allison Krauss and Gillian Welch--I'll Fly Away (8+)
10. Emmylou Harris, Allison Krauss, and Gillian Welch--Didn't Leave Nobody but the Baby (?) (5) (what a scene though--"I seen 'em first!"--John Turturro)
11. Leah, Sarah, and Hannah Peasall--In the Highways (?) (2)
12. The Cox Family of Cotton Valley, Louisiana--I Am Weary, Let Me Rest (?) (3+)
13. John Hartford--Man of Constant Sorrow (4)
14. Ralph Stanley--O Death (2)
15. Soggy Bottom Boys and Tim Blake Nelson--In the Jailhouse Now (6)
16. Soggy Bottom Boys and Dan Tyminski--Man of Constant Sorrow (with band) (5)
17. John Hartford--Indian War Whoop (?) (3)
18. The Fairfield Four--Lonesome Valley (?) (4)
19. The Stanley Brothers--Angel Band (?) (2)

REVIEW: This is one of my all-time favorite movies, and the music is inseperable from it. This album was the first to give me at least an appreciation of bluegrass music. Of course, the angelic voice of Allison Krauss didn't hurt. I considered the multiple versions of "Man of Constant Sorrow" as one when calculating the rating. I give it a 6 overall, but of course it would be much higher if linked to the movie itself.


ED'S TAKE

820. Soundtrack--O Brother Where Art Thou? (2000)

1. James Carter and the Prisoners--Po' Lazarus (+++ 8)
2. Harry McClintock--Big Rock Candy Mountain (++ 5)
3. Norman Blake--You Are My Sunshine (+++9)
4. Alison Krauss--Down in the River to Pray (++7)
5. Soggy Bottom Boys and Dan Tyminski--Man of Constant Sorrow (+++10)
6. Chris Thomas King--Hard Time Killing Floor Blues (+++8)
7. Norman Blake--Man of Constant Sorrow (++7)
8. The Whites--Keep on the Sunny Side (+++9) I love those less than perfect voices with this kind of music.
9. Allison Krauss and Gillian Welch--I'll Fly Away (+++9)
10. Emmylou Harris, Allison Krauss, and Gillian Welch--Didn't Leave Nobody but the Baby (+++8) The singers and the harmonies are beautiful but I miss the rawness of some of the other ensemble singing...
11. Leah, Sarah, and Hannah Peasall--In the Highways (++6)
12. The Cox Family of Cotton Valley, Louisiana--I Am Weary, Let Me Rest (+++9)
13. John Hartford--Man of Constant Sorrow (+++8)
14. Ralph Stanley--O Death (+++10) chilling voice
15. Soggy Bottom Boys and Tim Blake Nelson--In the Jailhouse Now (+++9)
16. Soggy Bottom Boys and Dan Tyminski--Man of Constant Sorrow (with band) (+++9)
17. John Hartford--Indian War Whoop (+++8)
18. The Fairfield Four--Lonesome Valley (++7)
19. The Stanley Brothers--Angel Band (+++9)

OVERALL RATING: 9

DISCUSSION: I love the movie - I love the music. Considering all but a couple are "covers", the album has both a purity and a grit that I appreciate. And I realized that Clooney can act.

822. Green Day--Nimrod (1997; #10) (2)

822. Green Day--Nimrod (1997; #10) (2)
1. Nice Guys Finish Last (?) (3)
2. Hitchin' a Ride (2)
3. The Grouch (?) (2)
4. Redundant (6)
5. Scattered (?) (2)
6. All the Time (?) (3)
7. Worry Rock (?) (2)
8. Platypus (I Hate You) (?) (1)
9. Uptight (?) (2)
10. Last Ride In (?) (3)
11. Jinx (?) (3)
12. Haushinka (?) (2)
13. Walking Alone (?) (2)
14. Reject (?) (2)
15. Take Back (?) (1)
16. King for a Day (?) (4)
17. Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) (7+)
18. Prosthetic Head (?) (2)

REVIEW: Knew 3 of the songs here, and like two of them, with #17 being one of my favorites from them. A lot of other unfamiliar stuff, but pretty much to Green Day form, though I'd say #8 and #15 probably harken back to the sound they had before the GD purists say they sold out. A 2 from me.

ED'S TAKE:

822 - GREEN DAY - NIMROD

1. Nice Guys Finish Last +++9
2. Hitchin a Ride +++10
3. The Grouch +++10
4. Redundant +++9
5. Scattered +++9
6. All the Time +++9
7. Worry Rock +++8
8. Platypus (I Hate You) +++8
9. Uptight +++9
10. Last Ride In +++9
11. Jinx +++8
12. Haushinka +++8
13. Walking Alone +++9
14. Reject +++8
15. Take Back +++9 (a little screamo in there)
16. King for a Day +++9
17. Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) +++9
18. Prosthetic Head +++9

OVERALL ALBUM RATING: 9

DISCUSSION: I aways liked Green Day's version of punk pop. I also got a real kick out of the fact that their rep was so varied that if you went on ANY punk board ANYWHERE and began a topic "SO HOW COOL IS GREEN DAY?" or "IS GREEN DAY PUNK"? or better yet, "IS GREEN DAY THE BEST PUNK BAND AROUND"? you'd get 100 posts a day, most suggesting that Green Day was NOT punk, never WAS punk and never WOULD BE punk, not so much because of the infectious quality of their music suggesting pop influences, but rather because "GREEN DAY DIDN'T/DOESN'T LIVE THE PUNK LIFESTYLE". I never quite got exactly what that meant but it probably had something to do with their popularity. It was their punk duty to remain poor and live in squalor. Weirdly, a lot of those "fans" that turned on them when they got MTV exposure actually didn't get so mad when their "AMERICAN IDIOT" became a monster hit. It taught me something important though. All those people who referred to me as a "hippie" in the 60's were dead wrong. I was in the Army at the time (circa 65-71) and no one can live the "hippie life style" in the Army. Oh sure, I blew some weed and popped some pills and drank some cough syrup (Romilar CF was MY personal choice) but I had to keep my hair decently cropped and even in Korean and Thailand, they frowned on communal living on post except man on man (?). I actually had to go thru a checkpost to even leave the post, let alone indulge in any female companionship. I won't even get into the time I signed a transvestite hooker onto post as my "date". Well I thought it was funny. And kinda hippie in a perverse way

825. XTC--Oranges and Lemons (1989: #44) (3)

825. XTC--Oranges and Lemons (1989: #44) (3)

1. Garden of Earthly Delights (?) (2)
2. Mayor of Simpleton (7+)
3. King for a Day (7)
4. Here Comes President Kill Again (?) (2)
5. The Loving (?) (2)
6. Poor Skeleton Steps Out (?) (2)
7. One of the Millions (?) (2)
8. Scarecrow People (?) (2)
9. Merely a Man (?) (3)
10. Cynical Days (?) (2)
11. Across This Antheap (?) (2)
12. Hold Me My Daddy (?) (2)
13. Pink Thing (?) (2)
14. Miniature Sun (?) (2)
15. Chalkhills and Children (?) (3+) (Beach-Boyesque)

REVIEW: A couple of nice songs (Mayor, King) surrounded by the quirky, Beatle-influenced sounds of XTC. I give it a 3.

ED'S TAKE:

XTC - ORANGES AND LEMONS

1. Garden of Earthly Delights +++9
2. Mayor of Simpleton +++9
3. King for A day +++9
4. Here Comes President Kill Again +++8
5. The Loving +++8
6. Poor Skeleton Steps Out +++9
7. One of the Millions +++10
8. Scarecrow People +++9
9. Merely a Man +++9
10. Cynical Days +++8
11. Across the Antheap +++9
12. Hold Me My Daddy +++9
13. Pink Thing +++9
14. Miniature Sun +++8
15. Chalkhills and Children +++10

OVERALL RATING: 9

DISCUSSION: At the risk of sounding like I have a never ending list of favorites, I DO have great love for the pop sensibility of XTC and have collected their works since 1978's "White Music". This one, 1989, may have suffered a bit of initial downgrading because I was so in love with the one before it, "Skylarking" (1986), that I didn't give it its due. When one listens to XTC, the word that comes to mind is "catchy".....actually "catchy" and "intelligent". One thing I remember that was interesting to me. In watching/listening to the great post-punk film, "Urgh" (and who, may I ask, of my friends, borrowed "Urgh" and never returned it. I asked every possible lendee and everyone of you shrugged as if you never heard of it. I've been trying to replace it ever since but it is a bit on the expensive side and you know how frugile I try to be with such things.)....anyway, on "Urgh", XTC appears and does one of their great songs, "This Is Pop?" from that first album and it sounded so much "edgier" in approach than on the album. I wonder. Clearly, some groups either don't seem to be able to convey their edge on record or don't want to. The recording process seems to round off their edges somehow. Anway, I'm not complaining. I love XTC's "catchiness and intelligence" and never wanted them to keep repeating "Skylarking" anyway, as good as it was.