Essential Studio Albums

[liebzz]

Added these. Thanks!

Added some Chicago. I should time it so I am listen on a Saturday, in the park.

[wease]

Added these. Thanks!

Added some Chicago. I should time it so I am listen on a Saturday, in the park.

I think you may get to it before July 4

[Farmer John]

Bowie's Hunky Dory

He sure is!

[liebzz]

Added these. Thanks!

Added some Chicago. I should time it so I am listen on a Saturday, in the park.

I think you may get to it before July 4

Sunday, in the car, I think it is the 16th of March.

[wease]

There ya go!

[liebzz]

Jeff Beck - Beck-Ola

Who knew Rod Stewart and Jeff Beck could contend together with Page & Plant!? Really this is a heavy record, bringing hard rock stylings to covers and originals (that cover of Jailhouse Rock is something). All Shook Up, Spanish Boots, Plynth (Water Down the Drain) and the Hangman’s Knee are all really excellent and show off that killer guitar work and intense vocals that were above expectations. This ends on a killer instrumental Rice Pudding, all demonstrating that Jeff Beck truly was one of the heavy greats.

The Essential Track: Plynth (Water Down the Drain)

Up Next: Derek and the Dominoes - Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs

[liebzz]

Derek and the Dominos - Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs

As much as my mind has convinced me to engage in the recrimination of Eric Clapton, this is frankly and very possibly the actual pinnacle of the British blues sound - with a major assist of course from Duane Allman. When this album hits the mark, it’s untouchable, be it the reimagined cover of Little Wing, the extended take on Key to the Highway, Keep On Growing, Anyday, Why Does Love Have to Be So Sad?, Bell Bottom Blues, It’s Too Late - this is a f*ckin’ guitar record, punctuated of course with that riff (I can remember reading a couple of years ago that that’s Duane!?) and the 4 minutes of slide perfection in Layla. Damn, folks.

The Essential Track: Layla

Up Next: George Harrison - All Things Must Pass

[wease]

Yes, Duane came up with the riff.

Kinda interesting. The two parts of that song that come to everybody’s mind is the main riff and the piano part of the coda. And Clapton was responsible for neither of them.

[liebzz]

George Harrison - All Things Must Pass

For at least the first 2/3 of the album, this plays like the great long lost Beatles album - as if George was letting out years of songs in the shadow of the Lennon-McCartney song machine. Which I believe is at least part of the case, and these songs seem written for the Beatles to play on, even if they are his in the end. And frankly, they are so good it’s like he’s showing off to his band mates how good he really was. I’d be green with envy if I were them because that first 2/3 is every bit as good as the Beatles late period work, and stronger than say Let It Be, which is a great album in its own right.

That leaves us with the last third, a series of jams that dischordantly doesn’t fit with the rest of the album, and would have made for a solid EP or single album on its own. It brings in the end a slight imperfection to an otherwise otherworldly album that is equal parts spiritual, cohesive (through Hear Me Lord at least), and full of infectious and stunning music.

The Essential Track: Isn’t It a Pity (though Wah-Wah and Let It Down absolutely rock)

Up Next: Grateful Dead - American Beauty

[liebzz]

Grateful Dead - American Beauty

Robert Hunter hits his apex as a lyricist on this album, and Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh and Bob Weir similarly peak as songwriters all together. The resulting album is an album that could play like a Dead best of set. Box of Rain, Friend of the Devil, Sugar Magnolia, Ripple, and Truckin’ alone are not just canonical songs of the Grateful Dead, but of the American songbook. Brokedown Palace has epic finale vibes that should have made it the album closer. Operator is pure Pigpen in action. Everything here is pretty much essential, and if there’s a flaw to gripe with on this, it is the song sequencing, where an anchor like Truckin’ is weirdly plopped at the end when you have Ripple, Brokedown Palace, and Attics of My Life, all of which are perfect album capstones. This has long been one of my more favored albums and nothing on this listen remotely changes that. Ripple remains one of the most gorgeous songs I have ever heard. Sugar Magnolia is the Dead encapsulated in one song.

The Essential Track: Sugar Magnolia

Up Next: Chicago - Chicago Transit Authority

[oasisfan35]

Grateful Dead - American Beauty

Robert Hunter hits his apex as a lyricist on this album, and Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh and Bob Weir similarly peak as songwriters all together. The resulting album is an album that could play like a Dead best of set. Box of Rain, Friend of the Devil, Sugar Magnolia, Ripple, and Truckin’ alone are not just canonical songs of the Grateful Dead, but of the American songbook. Brokedown Palace has epic finale vibes that should have made it the album closer. Operator is pure Pigpen in action. Everything here is pretty much essential, and if there’s a flaw to gripe with on this, it is the song sequencing, where an anchor like Truckin’ is weirdly plopped at the end when you have Ripple, Brokedown Palace, and Attics of My Life, all of which are perfect album capstones. This has long been one of my more favored albums and nothing on this listen remotely changes that. Ripple remains one of the most gorgeous songs I have ever heard. Sugar Magnolia is the Dead encapsulated in one song.

The Essential Track: Sugar Magnolia

Up Next: Chicago - Chicago Transit Authority

I was waiting for this, such an amazing album

[liebzz]

Grateful Dead - American Beauty

Robert Hunter hits his apex as a lyricist on this album, and Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh and Bob Weir similarly peak as songwriters all together. The resulting album is an album that could play like a Dead best of set. Box of Rain, Friend of the Devil, Sugar Magnolia, Ripple, and Truckin’ alone are not just canonical songs of the Grateful Dead, but of the American songbook. Brokedown Palace has epic finale vibes that should have made it the album closer. Operator is pure Pigpen in action. Everything here is pretty much essential, and if there’s a flaw to gripe with on this, it is the song sequencing, where an anchor like Truckin’ is weirdly plopped at the end when you have Ripple, Brokedown Palace, and Attics of My Life, all of which are perfect album capstones. This has long been one of my more favored albums and nothing on this listen remotely changes that. Ripple remains one of the most gorgeous songs I have ever heard. Sugar Magnolia is the Dead encapsulated in one song.

The Essential Track: Sugar Magnolia

Up Next: Chicago - Chicago Transit Authority

I was waiting for this, such an amazing album

That’s an exceptional amount of patience given this is the 251st album we’ve discussed in this thread. Worth the wait though, since I too really love this album.

[Happy Trees]

That leaves us with the last third, a series of jams that dischordantly doesn’t fit with the rest of the album, and would have made for a solid EP or single album on its own. It brings in the end a slight imperfection to an otherwise otherworldly album that is equal parts spiritual, cohesive (through Hear Me Lord at least), and full of infectious and stunning music.

The bonus jams are not really part of the album.
It's a double album.
The jam part was supposed to be a free bonus LP.
He got screwed by the distributors (Capitol/EMI) who refused to give it away for free.
If Harrison had known that was gonna happen, he probably would have dropped it or put it out on Zapple.
But it was a huge seller anyway.

[liebzz]

That leaves us with the last third, a series of jams that dischordantly doesn’t fit with the rest of the album, and would have made for a solid EP or single album on its own. It brings in the end a slight imperfection to an otherwise otherworldly album that is equal parts spiritual, cohesive (through Hear Me Lord at least), and full of infectious and stunning music.

The bonus jams are not really part of the album.
It's a double album.
The jam part was supposed to be a free bonus LP.
He got screwed by the distributors (Capitol/EMI) who refused to give it away for free.
If Harrison had known that was gonna happen, he probably would have dropped it or put it out on Zapple.
But it was a huge seller anyway.

That explanation makes a lot of sense. It still stands among my favorite of the albums thus far.

[liebzz]

The Chicago Transit Authority

Before they shortened their name, this album was released under the original moniker. This band is a bit of a strange experience. On the one hand, the source of their greatest hits, here and elsewhere, lie in a soft rock and pop world. Does Anyone Really Know What Time It Is?, and Beginnings fit into this world. On the other hand, there’s a nearly hard rock jammy thing going on, all mixed in with jazz, that seems nothing like the hits I at least know them for. Introduction, Poem 58, South California Purples, I’m A Man, and Liberation live in this space, which I could fully get behind. All in all, this one is a very solid album once you are calibrated to the more is more mindset and are ready for lots of horns and big guitars all in one.

The Essential Track: Poem 58

Up Next: Chicago II

[wease]

The Chicago Transit Authority

Before they shortened their name, this album was released under the original moniker. This band is a bit of a strange experience. On the one hand, the source of their greatest hits, here and elsewhere, lie in a soft rock and pop world. Does Anyone Really Know What Time It Is?, and Beginnings fit into this world. On the other hand, there’s a nearly hard rock jammy thing going on, all mixed in with jazz, that seems nothing like the hits I at least know them for. Introduction, Poem 58, South California Purples, I’m A Man, and Liberation live in this space, which I could fully get behind. All in all, this one is a very solid album once you are calibrated to the more is more mindset and are ready for lots of horns and big guitars all in one.

The Essential Track: Poem 58

Up Next: Chicago II

I’m A Man being a remake of the Spencer Davis Group tune. They do a good job of making it their own.

[liebzz]

Chicago II

Despite the inclusion of 25 or 6 to 4, an all timer for Chicago, this album seems to lose a little shine from the first. It is again a double album, and there’s good songs on this one, but not quite the same. They replaced the long instrumental jams with quick bursts of tracks, and I don’t think it serves them quite as well. But Make Me Smile and the aforementioned 25 or 6 to 4 do dominate this album.

The Essential Track: 25 or 6 to 4

Up Next: Rod Stewart - Gasoline Alley

[liebzz]

Rod Stewart - Gasoline Alley

Seems like Rod Stewart, whether working with the Jeff Beck Group or Faces, was destined to focus on a solo career (this just may be hindsight kicking in). It’s almost out of place knowing where he was going to go to hear him as a rock powerhouse. This is closer to that latter understanding, but still in a rock vein. The title track, Country Comfort, and You’re My Girl (I Don’t Want to Discuss It) are the best examples of his vocal punch if he wants it here. It’s a bit more laid back than the Jeff Beck or Faces stuff, but almost anything would be.

The Essential Track: Gasoline Alley

Up Next: Paul McCartney - McCartney

[liebzz]

Paul McCartney - McCartney

This is really an interesting first post-Beatles output from Paul. It seems often like fragments of ideas or at least that the ideas weren’t fully realized yet, save for the classic Maybe I’m Amazed. This doesn’t make for a bad album by any stretch but knowing what Paul is capable of, this one works best as a historical document than a must hear.

The Essential Track: Maybe I’m Amazed

Up Next: Van Morrison - His Band and the Street Choir

[liebzz]

Van Morrison - His Band and the Street Choir

I continue to be impressed by Van Morrison’s use of a mood or vibe to set the scene. This feels a little looser even than the last two, with even the big hit here, Domino, feeling more like chill jam session with Morrison singing killer hooks on top. Crazy Face makes a bit of a risk, but it seems to pay off, I’ve Been Working, Call Me Up In Dreamland, Sweet Jannie, and If I Ever Needed Someone feel like vintage Morrison here. He may be long gone it seems from his Them days, but he’s got a charming sort of atmosphere to play in and he really does it so well.

The Essential Track: Domino

Up Next: Cat Stevens - Tea for the Tillerman