T.REX - Electric Warrior (1971)

And the question that has been popped out likewise zillion times. Who sucked the influences here; Bowie or Bolan? I assume that both, but who cares! The sounds on this record are just great! Vocals are 'sweet' - more whispering than blasting or tearing up the vocal chords. Even the screams are sighed. A pleasant surprise, I'd say.
Especially Cosmic dancer touches the same tonal and soundlike special interior than Ziggy & the spiders on THAT album. The sounds of vocals and other instruments is alltheway tender and tempting, calling the audience to join the mystical and sensuell revolution of electric rock.
The record is on it's best minimalistic, good and entertaining. But it's still missing the kick, it is definitely way too mellow on my taste. It is OK and really great for awhile, but after the 3rd song (the Jeepster) it's really getting boring.
Until 'Bang A Gong (Get it On)' comes marching on! The song is a definitive masterpiece, it is not actually blasting, but it really works. Seems that it is the peak of the record, which otherwise would be just a lazy image of a post-hippie folk nonsense mixed to glam -rock era's soundscape. sad to say, but the few good songs (Bang a Gong, Life's a Gas) won't make this more than worth of three j:s. Without those songs it would be worth only two j:s. It just does not seem to rock tightly enough to meet my standards. Which seem to be quite weird ones, as you can see from this blog's reviews :D.

jjj

Clash - London Calling (1979)

Blast off. And blast it again. A definite, high-end scream and hail to the band. Period. The start of the album and the title track is what I'd call a perfect kick rock -start. Guitars, drums and the percussive bassline is kicking me to somewhere I haven't been in ages. And the next song is a brilliant rip-off of the renegades -era 60's twanging rock. Besides that the sounds are great and the band rocks, there's also the nice counter-fighting message in the lyrics.
The 3rd one, Jimmy Jazz, is more mellow, but I find it myself kicking against the bricks of comfortable jazz-lovers. Or comfortablity lovers, forget the jazz ;)
The complete album keeps on rolling from song to another, with rude rock attitude in whatever the style of the song is originally made of. The sound and touch of the band can be heard. There's a taste of reggae, ska and pure punk rock in every single song in the album.
London Calling, Cadillac, Spanish Bombs and The Guns of Brixton seem to get my feet kicking the most. Anyhow, this album gets the 5/5 Capital J:s.

JJJJJ

Michael Jackson - Thriller (1982)

I remember listening this album back in 1983. For a week I sat in the library and listened Thriller and Hanoi Rocks' first (Bangkock Shocks, Saigon Shakes). Needless to say that the pure rock made the victory then. As it does now, too.

The album starts lamely. The first three songs are not that good, at least they don't kick. The Duet (Girl is Mine) with Paul McCartney is just weak. Until the title track steps in. The next three songs, Thriller, Beat It and Billie Jean are great songs measured by any possible standard. Even I have to admit it. But that's only three songs out of nine, which is not too good, then.

My judgement for this legendary album is that it is more or less ok, a classic maybe, at least what comes to the selling figures, yes. But I wouldn't give more than 3½ j:s to this.

jjjj