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The complete album keeps on rolling from song to another, with rude rock attitude in whatever the style of the song is originally made of.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

Miles Davis - Bitches Brew (1970)

I started to listen to this in a mood which could be described as I'll-nail-this-too-artistic-bullshit-record-down-now. And once again, my prediction was incorrect. I had been listening to the record in a car beforehand, and I'll definitely need to get a new sound system there, then! When using the headphones, the tonal atmosphere is completely amusing.
This is not an everyday -record, still. Not a piece of cake. The brilliancy of every musicians vocabulary in expressing themselves isway beyond normal. Not an average bought, so. I still would not recommend this one to be the best chill-out record, ever. It's way too challenging for that.
Once again (Like with Captain Beefheart), you can taste the rush and heavy hectic load of the modern world still, after almost four decades after. And still it is relevant. The thing that is missing, sort of, is catchable licks and easy pop-melodies. Who cares! It's a jazz-record. The fact that it is created by cut-and-paste-the-tape -techniques does not lower the value that it has.And it definitely takes more than just this one time to really get into it. But surely, I can recommend this one to anybody who likes to broaden their musical view. This and Duke Ellington's Money Jungle, Thelonious Monk's Criss Cross are in top ten of my all time jazz -favourites.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitches_Brew

Derek and the Dominoes: Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs

First of all, I find it funny that during those years of excellent music (1970-1975 plus before and after :D ) several albums were named with ridiculously long names. Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, The Rise and fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars and so forth ;). Despite the length of the title, Layla (etc. Blah-blah-blah) is a record filled with beautiful melody lines created with guitars, basslines, keyboard or even drums. And the sound is hungry! All the way from the beginning the whole album seems to be filled with guitars sounding like they are really in desperate need of something. A fix, perhaps. During the years there's been rumours and facts telling the audience that this album was distilled under heavy drug and alcohol abuse. Which can also be seen from the inner sleeve of the album. Nevertheless, this is once again one of the roadmarks on my musical path.


I'm just wondering, is the hungry sound on guitars achieved by using a certain equipment; Fender Stratocaster(s) jointed with Fender Champ amp or what was the case, then. At the moment, I'm not quite sure what type of guitar-amp combination was used by Duane Allman, Clapton was definitely using the Strat. Still, the sound is great!


Later on, mr Slowhand has surprised with albums filled with more or less nonsense and lame music. The pleasant surprise from him was, of course, the 'From the Cradle' album, although it was a 'bit' too clean and well played to raelly ring the bell. This one, in the other hand, still seems to keep on sounding at least a bit dangerous, dispite the fact that the songs are more or less light pop-music mixed together with the brilliant blues-stylish licks.





The music in this album is consisted of more or less pre-composed songs and structures combined with studio jamming. (If I got it right!? - Comments welcome!!) Which brings the music closer to mere mortals than for example the brilliant masterpieces like Electric Ladyland and Bitches Brew, where the actual composing and arrangement was done during the long and totally free jam-sessions plus the time used behind the mixing table together with the tracks themselves. The instrumentation here is more the same thing you could hear while the band was playing, the studio equipment was made for recording only, not used as an external instrument itself. Which, I suppose, makes the music easier to approach and adopt.





It also seems that on this record, Clapton was capable of creating the personal sound of a whole band on the record. And used the similar setup later on, too. At least on 461 Ocean Boulevard and Slowhand, you can hear the same tonal approach in the final mixdown. But I have to remember to really point out the Duane Allman's brilliant guitar techniques, which really lift this record to the climatic spaces of eager rock noice. If I can say so ;)

Check out at least these songs: Bell Bottom Blues, Key to the Highway, Little Wing, Layla (The end part and mr. Allman !), Thorn Tree in the Garden, Have You Ever Loved a Woman, Tell The Truth. And the others, too ;)

David Bowie - Aladdin Sane (1973)

Watch That Man
Starting with Mick Ronson's guitar-leaded riff in Watch That Man, good kick start introducing the fact that in his best Bowie could still do some rock. The chorus -part is brilliant ;). And the sounds, man, back in good old 70's the equipment was good. I should know, I was born then. And still I'm using a Fender Bassman from that era. Or then it's from 69, but who cares :D. Anyhow the sound seems to be solid and living although this is a 24Bit remastered shit from 1999. Definitely this is a song worth covering some day some time.

Aladdin Sane
Title song then, a mellow start with gentle instrumentation of the band. The pianist (Mike Garson) seems to hold the gentle approach until the first verse. And seems to be heading to somewhat great climax when getting to the end of the song. Still, the chorus could be better, is the hook in here taht the hook in the melody is hidden. I truly adore the piano solo, still. It's like there's 3 or 4 guys tampering the keyboard while getting high ;). And in the end the chorus fits on its place while the weird-hairdo sax is filling the gaps the piano accidentally left behind. Insane, dude!

Drive-In Saturday
One of all time favourites this one, is (Yoda;). The whole composition is a brilliant piece of art! The Bowie's twisted and somewhat clear view on the life of so called normal people's life is nailing the fact even today! We are getting divided from each others by just following these multi-business-marketing guidelines, Just Do It!

Panic In Detroit
Starts with a killer -riff, again. But then, what happens!? Where are the drums? Whatever are the artificial ambitions of mr Bowie, after the riff you would need a significant boom-bash-bang in the place where the rest of the band comes in. Now this is a waste of a good rock -tune, get a grip, man :D. Melody works, throughout the song, all that there is missing is the leading beat of stable bass-drum plus the bass is not kicking since the backup is missing. The solo parts in the end are pure genious of mr Ronson. The whole song just could've been way must more blasting than it is.

Cracked Actor
Twisted chords of a mean rock piece with brilliant lyrics. Me likes! Ooh baby :D The band rocks, Bowie rocks, the song rocks, after the Panic in Detroit anti-climax, this is a killer, totally, dude. And here I'll have to thank Steve-O for the usage of the word. And my mate Yves for re-using it through these dazed and confused days of eternal tomorrow. Say What!?


Time
Starting with piano, once again. The mixture between a cabaret and rock is brilliant. Man, what happened to Bowie after this record? Too much Coke, or the fact that he did quit it? Dangerous stuff, this song, and the record, is... Although there's some parts where the artistic mimic has been kicking the balls of the melody-loving rockers. I think the fact that Ronson left Bowie did affect to the main sound and master himself couldn't find a good enough counterpart to fulfill the needs of rock-audience here. He might have been happy himself, but for me, it just won't work.

Prettiest Star
A good song that can be heard again and again. Mixture between 60's rock with more modern sounds. Reminding earlier days of Bowie, Hunky Dory, especially. Not a bad one, not a classic though.

Let's Spend a Night Together
A Cover. Why? Oh Why!? I suppose the fact that the Spiders used to play this during the concerts is the one reason, besides that, it Rocks. And the start with syntethizer is weird enough to nail your attention. Some influences from Hendrix, too :D.

Jean Genie
Dispite the fact that this is one of the hit -singles from the album, it's boring. Does not ring my bell, although it's trying. There's something good in this, but it's once again missing the kick, or the obvious hook. Besides, in the last chorus, someone misses something. And if you have time to listen to mistakes, the song is aither too familiar (actually, for me, it's not) or it's not good enough. Good rock song for someone else, but not for Bowie with the Spiders.

Lady Grinning Soul
Beautiful madness in pianolines. Pure beauty, I'd say' and will: Pure Beauty! The arrangement walks together with the melodyline which can be followed easily. But! What's this guitar there in the middle doing? Ok, following the Piano, then, It works in the end of the part, the beginnig is a bit clumsy. Otherwise, I'd say this one is a masterpiece, too. AAll the way to the Climatic End :D

Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band: Trout Mask Replica (1969)

Whohah!? Tom Waits meets someone here. It's the Mothers Of Invention or then some part of King Crimson :D. This seems to be some kind of original specie.
Listening to this is an experience, no doubt about that.

The whole stuff is like twisted re-born son of the blues in the modern world. When the blues was made, the rhythm and the tonal world was a description about the life around, rhythm came from the horse carriage, sounds where someone's screaming, moaning or whatever then. This is something similar, but brought to a more modern world. Rhythm of cars passing by, people crushing to each other, running away from the truth of life. (Which is what? Oh author, thou art unambiguous ;)

The complete musical expression is against every possible genre, even today. Timeless and a true rebel statement, this is (as Yoda might say;). The whole tonality is like a view of the mankind from some point where everything seems, if not stupid, then at least ridiculous.

When listening to this, I strongly suggest to forget the traditional approach for pop-music. The multiplex variety of arrangements forces the listener more to focus on the whole tonal world than in single instrumental performances. If you have any borderlines concerning music, after listening this they can be easily ripped apart, if you have the will to throw yourself to this hallucinated dream of misused brain.

This ironfeet blues is dancing on the toes of puristic people, a perfect album when having a hangover party, I'd say. It's like a teenage Uruk-Hai in love affair collecting dandelions.

Does (or did) this group, who wanted significantly to abandon the tradition, have an ambition in creating another tradition for others to follow? Whether they did or not want it, they certainly did accomplish that task. I think they didn't give a single thought of that kind of stupid nonsense. You can't make timeless masterpieces thinking you are doing it. Only by following your instincts. And here we go again...

This is a masterpiece of rebellion or then just an endless circle of dopeheaded mess. An effective piece of art, still.

I could rate this one, from scale 1-10, this is a definite 8. The two points are missing because of the length and collapsed structure (which also make this a masterpiece!)

New ranking gives this four j:s, in here: jjjj

PS.
I am and was a completely sober human being when writing this down ;)

Manic Street Preachers - Everything Must Go (1996)

The start of the album is nice, and explotion in the first song is amazingly good. I have to admit that I've fallen in to later manics releases beforehand and, for some odd reason, skipped this one. I've heard the Hit Singles (A Design For Life etc.), but mainly missed the album.

The amount of melodies in this album is amusing. Totally awsome record that seems to be a significant source for new era bands like Muse etc. 4th song ongoing (Enola Alone) and no weak songs this far. I can clearly hear the path towards the 'This is my truth, tell me yours' -album, which blowed my head the first time with this band.
Regardless to the message that these songs have (the message is Great, from my point of view they ar not wrong in doing this!) the lyrics follow same high standards that the music crates and requires. The whole package seems to be in balance.
The sounds could be better, I just can't tell what I would change in here. Overall, in latter albums also, the tonic world of the songs is consistent and recognisable. I myself would have made the sound more analogic, but then, it wouldn't be the Manics album at all ;)

All together, the arrangements, tonal environment, musicians and, whattahell, the album is brilliant! Actually it seems to beat up the feelings that the 'This is my truth..' -album gave.

My personal reating from 0-10 is 10.

Post-edit: JJJJJ

And their official site is (if you didn't know:
http://www.manics.co.uk/04/

Opening

This blog is mainly for my own fun :D.
I bought a marvellous book called 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. I decided to listen all of the albums in the book in the random order and write my own comments and reviews in here.