Essential Studio Albums

[liebzz]

I listened to Dark Side so many times as a kid...its been ages since i listened again. Even if im in the mood for Floyd, as the other day, i tend to go to Atom´s Heart Mother or Meddle maybe...

I should go back to DSOTM. Maybe i need to pick it on vinyl hehe

Sometimes the obvious choice is the right one.

[liebzz]

The Allman Brothers Band - Brothers and Sisters

Without 2 founding members, the Allmans are subtly evolving in their sound from the twin guitar attack to a more interplay between Dickey Betts and Chuck Leavell I believe in this one. No doubt that Betts never sounded better, with the jams on Southbound and Jessica all timers. Wasted Words and Ramblin’ Man (more ramblin’) are obviously also huge classics, but here I am appreciating the more blues centered songs in Jelly Jelly and Pony Boy. And Come and Go Blues is always excellent, so yet another Allman Brothers Band album that’s pretty much flawless. We know with the benefit of hindsight that things would get real bad for a while, but here still they have the goods and keep the classic sound going.

The Essential Track: Southbound

Up Next: Lynyrd Skynyrd - Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd

I bottom paged the Allman Brothers. That is a sin.

[wease]

The Allman Brothers Band - Brothers and Sisters

Without 2 founding members, the Allmans are subtly evolving in their sound from the twin guitar attack to a more interplay between Dickey Betts and Chuck Leavell I believe in this one. No doubt that Betts never sounded better, with the jams on Southbound and Jessica all timers. Wasted Words and Ramblin’ Man (more ramblin’) are obviously also huge classics, but here I am appreciating the more blues centered songs in Jelly Jelly and Pony Boy. And Come and Go Blues is always excellent, so yet another Allman Brothers Band album that’s pretty much flawless. We know with the benefit of hindsight that things would get real bad for a while, but here still they have the goods and keep the classic sound going.

The Essential Track: Southbound

Up Next: Lynyrd Skynyrd - Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd

I bottom paged the Allman Brothers. That is a sin.

Good man.

The piano solo in Jessica is one of my favorite things.

[liebzz]

Jethro Tull - Aqualung

Time for more epic riffs and flute solos. This one’s got killer classics - Aqualung, Cross-Eyed Mary, and Locomotive Breath. It’s got big rock in Hymn 43. It’s got the renaissance faire vibe. It’s really a varied but consistent album that rocks in its spots and jams in its spots and does all the things a 70s rock album should do.

The Essential Track: Aqualung

Up Next: Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon

to this day, seeing him live in Denver was probably one of the best shows I've ever been too..

My wife did do a mental health check while I was listening to this one. Her tolerance isn’t very high for wonkiness.

[liebzz]

Lynyrd Skynyrd - Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd

This is a band I should have dove into 20 years ago, but I knew the big hits when they were on the radio and I liked them enough. No better time than the present and it all starts with one of the most exceptional debut albums imaginable. I Ain’t the One starts this with a hard rock n’ roll statement, and then this thing just takes off. The run of Tuesday’s Gone, Gimme Three Steps, and Simple Man is just bonkers great. They chill for a minute with a little countrified blues and goofiness in Things Going On and Mississippi Kid, and then it’s right back to rockin’ out on Poison Whiskey. This finishes on one of the most epic tracks of all time in Free Bird. Sometimes the obvious pick is the right one and on almost any other album it would have been Simple Man, but c’mon - Free Bird!!!

The Essential Track: Free Bird

Up Next: ZZ Top - Tres Hombres

[Ello Sailor]

Aqualung is a masterpiece. Save your thoughts on this, but after Lie listens to Thick As A Brick I would be interested in hearing everyone's thoughts on how the two compare.

[liebzz]

Jethro Tull - Thick As a Brick

Somehow I missed Aqualung and we’ll get to that in good time, though I guess it ruins the individual progression of this band. In any event, the folks that lament the excesses of 70s rock to me never really made much sense to me - is too much ever enough? Perhaps that is the question, apparently in good jest and parody, that Jethro Tull were answering. This more is more approach would be an understatement, as everything and the kitchen sink are thrown in here: extended compositions (hell this is an intended single song over 43 mins), flute solos, drum rolls in apparently random places…chaos! And yet there’s something charming in the revelry, a sense it is just barely not taking itself serious enough to warrant rebuke - a This Is Spinal Tap! for prog rock. How else do you parody the subgenre and end up making one its most classic pieces?

The Essential Track: Thick As a Brick

Up Next: Steely Dan - Can’t Buy a Thrill

The thoughts on Thick As a Brick.

[Ello Sailor]

I thought this was at least semi-chronological. I must have missed that.

[wease]

Lynyrd Skynyrd - Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd

This is a band I should have dove into 20 years ago, but I knew the big hits when they were on the radio and I liked them enough. No better time than the present and it all starts with one of the most exceptional debut albums imaginable. I Ain’t the One starts this with a hard rock n’ roll statement, and then this thing just takes off. The run of Tuesday’s Gone, Gimme Three Steps, and Simple Man is just bonkers great. They chill for a minute with a little countrified blues and goofiness in Things Going On and Mississippi Kid, and then it’s right back to rockin’ out on Poison Whiskey. This finishes on one of the most epic tracks of all time in Free Bird. Sometimes the obvious pick is the right one and on almost any other album it would have been Simple Man, but c’mon - Free Bird!!!

The Essential Track: Free Bird

Up Next: ZZ Top - Tres Hombres

This one is an oddity for me. Skynyrd is one of my favorite bands and when comparing to their other albums, this one is near the bottom. I’m not fond of the production, I don’t like the bass playing*. I’m sick of almost all the songs. That said, I can appreciate its place. It does have a lot of their most memorable songs. So I can understand the love for it, I like other stuff better now. Poison Whiskey is one of their all-time best deep cuts.

*their bass player actually ended up quitting right before production on the album began. So they got this guitar cat they had met years before when he was with Strawberry Alarm Clock to come in and play bass. They recorded the album with him on bass and almost immediately after got their regular bass player to come back. So they moved this new guy over to guitar and ended up with their third guitarist. So while he is there playing bass, the main bassist is far more fluid and is actually one of my favorite rock bass players.

[liebzz]

I thought this was at least semi-chronological. I must have missed that.

It is. I screwed up and forgot to add Aqualung until after I heard Thick As a Brick.

I will actually have a few others from other bands I totally forgot to add as well - a quick catch up. That comes after the ZZ Top album.

[liebzz]

Lynyrd Skynyrd - Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd

This is a band I should have dove into 20 years ago, but I knew the big hits when they were on the radio and I liked them enough. No better time than the present and it all starts with one of the most exceptional debut albums imaginable. I Ain’t the One starts this with a hard rock n’ roll statement, and then this thing just takes off. The run of Tuesday’s Gone, Gimme Three Steps, and Simple Man is just bonkers great. They chill for a minute with a little countrified blues and goofiness in Things Going On and Mississippi Kid, and then it’s right back to rockin’ out on Poison Whiskey. This finishes on one of the most epic tracks of all time in Free Bird. Sometimes the obvious pick is the right one and on almost any other album it would have been Simple Man, but c’mon - Free Bird!!!

The Essential Track: Free Bird

Up Next: ZZ Top - Tres Hombres

This one is an oddity for me. Skynyrd is one of my favorite bands and when comparing to their other albums, this one is near the bottom. I’m not fond of the production, I don’t like the bass playing*. I’m sick of almost all the songs. That said, I can appreciate its place. It does have a lot of their most memorable songs. So I can understand the love for it, I like other stuff better now. Poison Whiskey is one of their all-time best deep cuts.

*their bass player actually ended up quitting right before production on the album began. So they got this guitar cat they had met years before when he was with Strawberry Alarm Clock to come in and play bass. They recorded the album with him on bass and almost immediately after got their regular bass player to come back. So they moved this new guy over to guitar and ended up with their third guitarist. So while he is there playing bass, the main bassist is far more fluid and is actually one of my favorite rock bass players.

If you listen to Ten enough times, it too falls down the list, so I get that.

I found no issue with the production, but I have I think nearly all their studio albums on my list here so perhaps I will hear it as we continue down the line.

[wease]

Lynyrd Skynyrd - Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd

This is a band I should have dove into 20 years ago, but I knew the big hits when they were on the radio and I liked them enough. No better time than the present and it all starts with one of the most exceptional debut albums imaginable. I Ain’t the One starts this with a hard rock n’ roll statement, and then this thing just takes off. The run of Tuesday’s Gone, Gimme Three Steps, and Simple Man is just bonkers great. They chill for a minute with a little countrified blues and goofiness in Things Going On and Mississippi Kid, and then it’s right back to rockin’ out on Poison Whiskey. This finishes on one of the most epic tracks of all time in Free Bird. Sometimes the obvious pick is the right one and on almost any other album it would have been Simple Man, but c’mon - Free Bird!!!

The Essential Track: Free Bird

Up Next: ZZ Top - Tres Hombres

This one is an oddity for me. Skynyrd is one of my favorite bands and when comparing to their other albums, this one is near the bottom. I’m not fond of the production, I don’t like the bass playing*. I’m sick of almost all the songs. That said, I can appreciate its place. It does have a lot of their most memorable songs. So I can understand the love for it, I like other stuff better now. Poison Whiskey is one of their all-time best deep cuts.

*their bass player actually ended up quitting right before production on the album began. So they got this guitar cat they had met years before when he was with Strawberry Alarm Clock to come in and play bass. They recorded the album with him on bass and almost immediately after got their regular bass player to come back. So they moved this new guy over to guitar and ended up with their third guitarist. So while he is there playing bass, the main bassist is far more fluid and is actually one of my favorite rock bass players.

If you listen to Ten enough times, it too falls down the list, so I get that.

I found no issue with the production, but I have I think nearly all their studio albums on my list here so perhaps I will hear it as we continue down the line.

I guess it may be arrangements rather than production. Although I don’t like the production of Free Bird. They never played Gimme Three Steps live like it’s arranged on this album. Even pre-production demos have them playing it like they always did live.

[liebzz]

ZZ Top - Tres Hombres

This is one of their most classic albums, with La Grange as the big hit here. On this one, they’ve found their full sound, with that southern blues rock at the center with a killer groove. Granted the album is largely slight variations of that sound, but much like an AC/DC when it comes to their songs, when you do it well, maybe you don’t need to do much more. Beer Drinkers & Hellraisers was one that really stuck out as the true epitome of ZZ Top. Proof it doesn’t always need to be complicated.

The Essential Track: La Grange

Up Next: Free - Fire and Water

[liebzz]

Free - Fire and Water

I had realized poking around Allmusic to get an image of one of the album covers that I forgot about this band. So I backtracked a bit and gave this one a go. In essence, they seem like a ditto copy of some of the British blues rock bands of the 60s, which I guess they were from that decade. By ditto copy though, it’s that copy of a copy that comes out a little blurry, which is to say it seemed sort of bland and nothing really grabbed me short of All Right Now. They weren’t bad but they also lacked for an exciting listen of any kind.

The Essential Track: All Right Now

Up Next: Deep Purple - In Rock (another band I accidentally forgot about)

[tragabigzanda]

[Birds in Hell]

Free - Fire and Water

I had realized poking around Allmusic to get an image of one of the album covers that I forgot about this band. So I backtracked a bit and gave this one a go. In essence, they seem like a ditto copy of some of the British blues rock bands of the 60s, which I guess they were from that decade. By ditto copy though, it’s that copy of a copy that comes out a little blurry, which is to say it seemed sort of bland and nothing really grabbed me short of All Right Now. They weren’t bad but they also lacked for an exciting listen of any kind.

The Essential Track: All Right Now

Up Next: Deep Purple - In Rock (another band I accidentally forgot about)

Didn’t Mothers Love Bone cover one of their songs? Or Pearl Jam in the earliest of days? I remember a track from the Hallucinogenic Recipe box being identified as a Free cover.

Yeah, Wishing Well:

[VinylGuy]

Im enjoying Steely Dan’s Pretzel Logic a lot.

Thanks Wease!

[VinylGuy]

Also Neu! has been playing a lot thanks to this thread

[wease]

Im enjoying Steely Dan’s Pretzel Logic a lot.

Thanks Wease!

My Dan dive was literally life changing.

[liebzz]

Im enjoying Steely Dan’s Pretzel Logic a lot.

Thanks Wease!

My Dan dive was literally life changing.

It’s coming here like 60 albums from now. 1973 was apparently a great year for rock music.