Essential Studio Albums

[wease]

Steely Dan - Can’t Buy a Thrill

This debut feels like a bunch of beginnings. Largely sticking to the classic rock script, it lacks some of the progressive rock and yacht rock to come, but all the elements are there. There’s a jazziness happening under Fire in the Hole, a yachtiness to Change of the Guard, a solid studio jam in Reelin’ in the Years, an off-kilter yet unmistakably catchy vibe happening in Do It Again. I am surmising their true genius was yet to be unleashed, but they still manage to make a classic album with the shackles of the moment’s convention.

The Essential Track: Reelin’ in the Years

One of the guitar players, Denny Dias, made a later statement that was basically they did pop/rock material to get their feet in the door and once there, they started bringing in the jazzier material.

This album, for me, is an oddity. There are so many styles of music going on that it’s hard for any identity to be established. It’s also the one that has the highest number of skipped tunes. When they hit the mark on this one, they absolutely hammer it, but when they don’t there is some of the worst material in the catalogue.

Their next one Countdown to Ecstasy is one of my top albums of all time and one of their top three (Aja and Katie Lied being the other two. Like Star Trek movies. The even ones are the best.)

[Peeps]

my personal no skip albums

ten
facelift
Demon Days - Gorillaz
Achtung Baby - U2
Hysteria - Def Leppard
Toys in the Attic - Aerosmith
Slippery When Wet - Bon Jovi

you can tell i listen to a LOT of new music huh

[tragabigzanda]

[liebzz]

Elton John - Honky Chateau

So I am still waiting for a real push from Elton John to justify going beyond his greatest hits and into full album territory. This particular journey is a good excuse to take on at least the most classic of his albums looking for that justification. I still haven’t found it really, though I would say half of this album kept my attention nicely. The fast version of Slave, Rocket Man, Honky Cat - these really lead the way on a decent enough album but nothing I would be running back to. Elton John still plays in the middle for me.

The Essential Track: Rocket Man

Up Next: Little Feat - Sailin’ Shoes

[tragabigzanda]

Top 10 maybe?
Hello Morning
Close Captioned
The Kill
Place/Position
Do You Like Me?
Latest Disgrace
Recap Modotti
Nightshop
Break
Life & Limb

I'd maybe bump Life & Limb for Epic Problem

[VinylGuy]

Steely Dan - Can’t Buy a Thrill

This debut feels like a bunch of beginnings. Largely sticking to the classic rock script, it lacks some of the progressive rock and yacht rock to come, but all the elements are there. There’s a jazziness happening under Fire in the Hole, a yachtiness to Change of the Guard, a solid studio jam in Reelin’ in the Years, an off-kilter yet unmistakably catchy vibe happening in Do It Again. I am surmising their true genius was yet to be unleashed, but they still manage to make a classic album with the shackles of the moment’s convention.

The Essential Track: Reelin’ in the Years

One of the guitar players, Denny Dias, made a later statement that was basically they did pop/rock material to get their feet in the door and once there, they started bringing in the jazzier material.

This album, for me, is an oddity. There are so many styles of music going on that it’s hard for any identity to be established. It’s also the one that has the highest number of skipped tunes. When they hit the mark on this one, they absolutely hammer it, but when they don’t there is some of the worst material in the catalogue.

Their next one Countdown to Ecstasy is one of my top albums of all time and one of their top three (Aja and Katie Lied being the other two. Like Star Trek movies. The even ones are the best.)

Interesting back and forth. I dug deep last year into Steely Dan, so im about to go back and i will pay more attention to CTE.

[wease]

Steely Dan - Can’t Buy a Thrill

This debut feels like a bunch of beginnings. Largely sticking to the classic rock script, it lacks some of the progressive rock and yacht rock to come, but all the elements are there. There’s a jazziness happening under Fire in the Hole, a yachtiness to Change of the Guard, a solid studio jam in Reelin’ in the Years, an off-kilter yet unmistakably catchy vibe happening in Do It Again. I am surmising their true genius was yet to be unleashed, but they still manage to make a classic album with the shackles of the moment’s convention.

The Essential Track: Reelin’ in the Years

One of the guitar players, Denny Dias, made a later statement that was basically they did pop/rock material to get their feet in the door and once there, they started bringing in the jazzier material.

This album, for me, is an oddity. There are so many styles of music going on that it’s hard for any identity to be established. It’s also the one that has the highest number of skipped tunes. When they hit the mark on this one, they absolutely hammer it, but when they don’t there is some of the worst material in the catalogue.

Their next one Countdown to Ecstasy is one of my top albums of all time and one of their top three (Aja and Katie Lied being the other two. Like Star Trek movies. The even ones are the best.)

Interesting back and forth. I dug deep last year into Steely Dan, so im about to go back and i will pay more attention to CTE.

I never came back up for air after my Dan Dive.

[liebzz]

Yeah, I have I think everything through at least Gaucho on the list maybe?

[wease]

Good place to stop. They split up after that. They did put out 2 more albums in the 00s, and they were good, but they didn’t have that spark of their 70s output.

I wish FM was on one of their albums instead of that soundtrack. You’re gonna miss one of their best songs.

[liebzz]

Little Feat - Sailin’ Shoes

This is more like what I would expect from Little Feat in my limited experience. Southern rock and blues with a good hint of country. It’s hard here to pick a straight winner because the quality is just very high for this kind of rock music. Cold, Cold, Cold is some great driving rock, A Apolitical Blues is great blues rock, Tripe Face Boogie is a killer track, Willin’ is still great reworked for this album. No soft spots here.

The Essential Track: Tripe Face Boogie

Up Next: Dr. John - In the Right Place

[wease]

I think A Apolitical Blues is the only track by them I can name. And that’s only because Van Halen covered it.

[liebzz]

Dr. John - In the Right Place

This album is just cool as it gets. Dr. John’s warbled yet gruff singing matches well with this New Orleans funk meets jangly rock vibe. This is a collection of tightly timed 3 minute bursts of personality, with a couple of classic tracks in Right Place Wrong Time and Such a Night. Traveling Mood and Shoo Fly Marches On were two more big highlights on an album again with no weak spots.

The Essential Track: Right Place Wrong Time

Up Next: Jimmy Cliff - The Harder They Come

[liebzz]

I think A Apolitical Blues is the only track by them I can name. And that’s only because Van Halen covered it.

Not Dixie Chicken?

[wease]

I think A Apolitical Blues is the only track by them I can name. And that’s only because Van Halen covered it.

Not Dixie Chicken?

Nothing comes to mind.

[doug rr]

I think A Apolitical Blues is the only track by them I can name. And that’s only because Van Halen covered it.

Not Dixie Chicken?

Nothing comes to mind.

willin?

[liebzz]

I think A Apolitical Blues is the only track by them I can name. And that’s only because Van Halen covered it.

Not Dixie Chicken?

Nothing comes to mind.

willin?

Granted, these are not huge hits, but if you were to find a compromise between The Band and the Allman Brothers, this might be it.

[wease]

I think A Apolitical Blues is the only track by them I can name. And that’s only because Van Halen covered it.

Not Dixie Chicken?

Nothing comes to mind.

willin?

Granted, these are not huge hits, but if you were to find a compromise between The Band and the Allman Brothers, this might be it.

Don’t recognize that one either.

[VinylGuy]

Just finished Countdown to Ecstasy, and yeah great album. Drums sound so fuckin good.

Also listened to Isaac Hayes´s Hot Buttered Soul and Dr John´s In The Right Place because of this thread.

Both of them are untouchable classics.

[liebzz]

Just finished Countdown to Ecstasy, and yeah great album. Drums sound so fuckin good.

Also listened to Isaac Hayes´s Hot Buttered Soul and Dr John´s In The Right Place because of this thread.

Both of them are untouchable classics.

Yeah, both are really great. Hot Buttered Soul took me by surprise. I had heard In the Right Place begore, but not nearly enough times. Dr. John really was a gem of an artist.

[liebzz]

Jimmy Cliff - The Harder They Come

We already had a fight over what counts as an album. I’m not looking to rehash that - but this is a soundtrack, compilation, etc - and a seminal reggae album, at least in terms of the early development of the genre proper. Rather than take the whole soundtrack for himself, Jimmy Cliff shares the moment with Scotty, the Melodians, Toots & the Maytals, The Slickers, and Desmond Dekker, with Toots bringing two of his songs that are now reggae standards (Sweet and Dandy, and Pressure Drop), and I would say about half of this is Jimmy Cliff proper, also bringing 2 classics that appear on the album twice each: You Can Get It If You Really Want and The Harder They Come. After that, check out Sitting in Limbo which is a great reggae/soul song. Everything here is pretty good and worth it as a starting point for reggae without the baggage of its biggest star (which we’ll get to shortly).

The Essential Track: The Harder They Come

Up Next: Toots and the Maytals - Funky Kingston