184. Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young - Deja Vu

Artist: Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young
Album: Deja Vu
Year: 1970

So I loved Crosby, Stills, and Nash's self-titled debut, and for some reason they decided to let that nasally Canadian Neil Young into the group for Round 2. And they followed up the debut with an even more spectacular set of songs. This one is probably Top 10 out of the 184 I've heard to date.

The first seven...seven(!!!!)....songs on this album are absolutely out of this world. Remarkably consistent songwriting here from all four band members. The country-rock of "Teach Your Children" is absolutely charming and the song, for all of its M.O.R. leanings, carries a strong message. "Helpless" features Mr. Young in fine form with one of his most famous songs, a slow anthem buoyed by its backing vocals. "Woodstock" is an anthem befitting of the festival it canonizes. "Deja Vu" has a bouncy, jazzy feel. "Our House" is another one like "Teach Your Children" which would be schmaltzy in a different context, but works so well as part of this album.

The last three songs, in my estimation, don't quite match up with the first seven (although "Country Girl" is pretty good in its own right), but that's quite the tall task to live up to. I'd already made up my mind that this one's a masterpiece, and I'm not about to change my mind. Amazing.

Rating: Indispensable

183. John Lennon - John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band

Artist: John Lennon
Album: John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
Year: 1970

Overall, I'd have to say that John Lennon is my favorite Beatle. His songs always ranged from insidiously melodic to deliciously weird, a combination I rather enjoy. Here he is, Yoko in tow, for Plastic Ono Band, his first solo album.

This one is an unflinching portrait of Lennon's personal demons, his distaste of modern class structure and religion, and his general worldview. The songs are a mix of soulful piano ballads and mid-tempo rockers for the most part.

I have to say I'm not crazy about this album like some people are. Plastic Ono Band seems to have quite a following since it was one of the first real "confessional" albums and was a real artistic statement during a time when John could've just tried to cash in on his celebrity. But an album for me is always about the songs, and I don't really love any of the songs on this album. The folky dirge "Working Class Hero" is the one I like best, but when compared with the "John Songs" from any latter day Beatles album, it pales by comparison. "Isolation," "Remember," and "Love" form a solid trifecta of affecting tunes in the middle of the album, demonstrating Lennon's range and depth as a songwriter.

Plastic Ono Band is definitely an album that deserves to be heard. It's unique in the rock canon up to this point and its confessional style would spawn many imitators. Is it an album I'd want to listen to every day? Absolutely not. Like I said, there aren't really many songs here that bring me back for repeat listens, and some like "Well, Well, Well" are just annoying to me, even if you do get to hear John Lennon positively scream--which I guess has to be worth something.

Rating: Worth a listen

182. Stephen Stills - Stephen Stills

Artist: Stephen Stills
Album: Stephen Stills
Year: 1970

Been a while since a post here...life getting busy with the upcoming baby arrival, etc, etc...

Anyhow, the "middle" guy from Crosby, Stills, & Nash is here with a solo effort. I've gotta say, this one was pretty good, even if not really different at all from the CSN formula. "Love the One You're With" is the big hit here and is kind of a "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" redux. A good song, and a hippie anthem. This album is most notable for its long list of famous guest stars: Clapton, Hendrix, Ringo Starr, Booker T. Jones, John Sebastian, and of course Crosby and Nash among them.

I would've liked something a little different coming from a solo album. I do love CSN(Y) but there's no reason Stills couldn't have used these songs on the next CSN album or whatever. Anyhow, the bookend tracks "Love the One You're With" and "We Are Not Helpless" are the best tracks here and show a kind of everyman appeal.

Rating: Worth a listen

181. Carpenters - Close to You

Artist: Carpenters
Album: Close to You
Year: 1970

Carpenters were the duo of Richard and Karen Carpenter. They became one of the 1970's best selling artists with their somewhat jazzy AM-radio ready pop.

And what an album this is! It's a surprisingly varied set of songs, with forays into light jazz, country, close harmony, and more--but everything seems to work remarkably well. There are classic songs sprinkled throughout here, and many others that could've reached that status if given the chance. The title track, "We've Only Just Begun," and "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" were hits here, but I'd say the gentle piano ballad "Maybe It's You" is just as good, despite its somewhat schmaltzy lyrics. What carries these songs is the absolutely gorgeous voice of Karen Carpenter, who takes these songs to the next level.

This is what you get when you cross The Mamas & The Papas sunshine pop with Laura Nyro's Brill Building tunesmithery...and the results are slick and stunning. Thumbs up!

Rating: Worth repeated listens

180. The Doors - Morrison Hotel

Artist: The Doors
Album: Morrison Hotel
Year: 1970

This is the second Doors album of the 1001. The first album was their self titled debut, which I thought was quite good. It had a lot of their bigger hits but I found the album tracks that weren't hits to be in some cases even better than their single counterparts.

Anyhow, Morrison Hotel. Pretty decent album. Starts off with the classic "Roadhouse Blues," which I have never really cared for. I have a personal vendetta against songs where "beer" is pronounced as a two-syllable word. All one of them. But anyhow, not my thing. I found some other good songs here, the funk-inflected "Peace Frog" and the mysterious "Waiting for the Sun" among them. Then there's "Blue Sunday," which was not at all far off from Scott Walker territory...a nice mellow tune.

The second half of the album was just a bore to me.

I want to like The Doors more than I do, but this album really did not connect with me. A few good songs here and there but it just feels "lesser" to me. Meh.

Rating: Not worth a listen

179. Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath

Artist: Black Sabbath
Album: Black Sabbath
Year: 1970

This was my first experience listening to a Black Sabbath album. Metal has never been "my" genre, so I wasn't entirely sure what to expect here. I figured it would be loud vocals, really heavy guitars with extended solos, and a major emphasis on bass.

What I got was not at all dissimilar from stuff I've heard before on this list. It wasn't too far from Jeff Beck or Led Zeppelin, really--blues rock with virtuosic guitars. If anything, a lot of these songs had a really poppy sensibility to them. "N.I.B." was my favorite of the group, a song with the kind of chunky riff that was even reminiscent of what the Detroit garage rockers were doing around the same time. The vocals, courtesy of none other than Ozzy Osbourne, suit the band's style quite well. The lyrics are stereotypically metal--myth-based with devil reference popping up all about.

I didn't love this stuff and probably won't listen to Black Sabbath outside of this countdown, but I can see how certain people would connect with this kind of thing. If anything I was surprised at how melodic it is...but I guess any "riff-based" music would/should be...

Rating: Worth a listen

178. Spirit - Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus

Artist: Spirit
Album: Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus
Year: 1970

Never heard of Spirit before listening to this album.

They were good. Some catchy tunes like "Animal Zoo" and "Mr. Skin." Basically they follow a blues-rock kind of blueprint at their core, but add little orchestral and choral flourishes and approach the material from a poppier standpoint. As a result they sound like a hybrid of some of the 60's psych rock bands with a slightly more progressive take on the genre. Honestly this album really isn't too far from some recent indie faves like MGMT...a poppy, proggy take on psych rock.

A little too much filler here in my opinion, especially in the second half of the album. But I'd have to say this band is a pleasant surprise, and this is an album I may revisit in the future.

Rating: Worth a listen

177. Miles Davis - Bitches Brew

Artist: Miles Davis
Album: Bitches Brew
Year: 1970

I love me some Miles Davis. Kind of Blue was one of my top 10 albums of the 1960's, if not of all-time. Birth of the Cool is such a smooth and classy jazz album which helped jazz make the transition from the virtuosic bop performers into something more refined. Bitches Brew is a different animal from those earlier albums, sharing more commonalities with the jazz-rock of In a Silent Way. This one feels even a little more off the deep end than that one.

I don't know how I feel about it, either. It's certainly not an album like Kind of Blue that I feel rewards close listening. It is, however, a great album to just kind of have on in the background.

I am having the hardest time thinking of ways to describe this one. Basically it's all light rhythms, organs, guitars, and Miles on trumpet. It's definitely got the highly experimental feel of a jazz album but it feels very comparable to some funk albums and is not too far off from Jimi Hendrix acid-rock territory. There's even a tune here entitled "Miles Runs the Voodoo Down," which I might presume (given its musical content) is some kind of homage to Hendrix. It's a groove-driven album that certainly does not fail in that department.

This is the kind of album that will divide listeners. People who like the purer jazz like Kind of Blue are probably not going to care for this so much. Experimental rock listeners like fans of The Grateful Dead and Hendrix are going to eat this stuff up. Me, I guess I'm somewhere in the middle. I'd have to say it's a cool album to listen to, but I think I like it more in theory than in execution. Miles...always different, always the same.

Rating: Worth a listen

176. Derek & The Dominos - Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs

Artist: Derek & The Dominos
Album: Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs
Year: 1970

Often considered to be singer/guitarist Eric Clapton's finest moment, Derek & The Dominos' Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs was kind of hit and miss for me. As usual, there is no doubt that Clapton is a fantastic guitarist, but also as usual, it's not really my thing.

A few songs here are outstanding and make this worth the price of admission: "Bell Bottom Blues" sounds to me like it would've fit in on Abbey Road or Let It Be, and would have been a highlight on either of those albums. Of course there's the title track, "Layla," in its original electric incarnation here. Great song. The cover of Hendrix' "Little Wing" is really nice and smooth, and while I liked the original, I prefer this version.

Aside from those, the other songs have a harder time separating themselves from the crowd, and many stretch out to 7, 8, and 9 minute lengths, making this double album a sort of endurance test. If all the songs were up to the same level as the best stuff here, I would have a much higher impression of this album. For now, I'm glad I listened to it, but it's one I'd rather enjoy in small doses rather than all at once like I did now.

Rating: Worth a listen

175. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Cosmo's Factory

Artist: Creedence Clearwater Revival
Album: Cosmo's Factory
Year: 1970

The 70's begin with a holdover from the 60's, Bay Area "southern rockers" CCR. To date I've been a little lukewarm on CCR, but this one is a friggin' fantastic album. It plays like a Greatest Hits album, as at least a half dozen of these songs are instantly identifiable classic rock radio hits.

There's a good variety here with the road song "Travelin' Band," the upbeat "Lookin' Out My Back Door," the bluesy "Run Through the Jungle," the rockin' "Up Around the Bend" and the melodic and pretty "Who'll Stop the Rain."

An 11-minute rendition of Marvin Gaye's "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" is a little tedious, and slows down the momentum of an otherwise breezy album, but this is easily CCR's finest moment thus far. I'm hooked.

Rating: Worth repeated listens

1960's Retrospective

The 1960's represented a decade of massive change in music, as the emphasis shifted from jazz and early rock-and-roll forms into greater rock experimentation and more literate songwriting (thanks in great part to Bob Dylan). Songs no longer had to be about the standard topics of love and girls; songs could be about just about any topic, or about no topic at all (i.e. Captain Beefheart's Trout Mask Replica).

The music got progressively more innovative and by the end of the decade we started seeing a merging of the genres. Jazz and rock and soul and blues and even Indian classical music could be found in any permutation, sometimes within the same album, sometimes within the same song.

Without further adieu, here's my Top 10 albums of the 1960's, as of this moment in time...subject to change at a later date!

1. Simon & Garfunkel - Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, & Thyme
2. The Beatles - White Album
3. The Byrds - The Notorious Byrd Brothers
4. Love - Forever Changes
5. The Velvet Underground - White Light/White Heat
6. King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King
7. The Beatles - Rubber Soul
8. A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector
9. The Who - The Who Sell Out
10. Dusty Springfield - Dusty in Memphis

And now...on to the 1970's!

174. Frank Zappa - Hot Rats

Artist: Frank Zappa
Album: Hot Rats
Year: 1969

Here it is...the FINAL ALBUM OF THE 1960'S!

The always-adventurous and unpredictable Frank Zappa is the artist behind Hot Rats, a bizarre album that kind of straddles the line between rock and jazz. It's a really slick sounding album, a grand and lavish take on guitar rock. Best track here is "Willie the Pimp," which features the iconoclastic vocals of Captain Beefheart before settling into an awesome groove. "Peaches En Regalia" is an insanely catchy instrumental with saxophone and organ arpeggios combining to make for a really cool effect.

I gotta say, this one doesn't sound like anything else, but has hints of just about everything else that was going on at the time (soul, psychedelic, blues, jazz, rock). When one thinks of Frank Zappa, the word "classy" doesn't usually come to mind, but Hot Rats represents jazz-rock at its most sumptuous.

Rating: Worth repeated listens

173. Alexander "Skip" Spence - Oar

Artist: Alexander "Skip" Spence
Album: Oar
Year: 1969

"Skip" Spence was the lead guitarist for San Francisco psychedelic rock band Moby Grape, who got dismissed from the band, ended up suffering a breakdown, and wound up in a mental hospital--where this solo album, Oar, was written.

This one's a bit of an odd duck, as would be expected given the circumstances of how it came into existence. This is "tortured genius" kind of stuff here, with moments of shining clarity and others of murky atmospheric rambling. If there's a modern equivalent to Spence, I'd have to say Mark Linkous (AKA Sparklehorse) would be it...and like Linkous, who committed suicide in 2010, Spence's story would not have a happy ending either. He wound up schizophrenic and homeless before dying of lung cancer at age 52.

I did not care for this one much at all. It had its moments, but most of the thing was pretty impenetrable and incoherent. Repeated listens might reveal more charms, but the overall sound of the album is simply not my cup of tea. I admire the attempt to make something wholly original and I appreciate how it serves as a document of mental illness. I have been known to like "outsider" albums like this in the past. (Daniel Johnston and Sparklehorse serve as examples.) But Spence just is not for me.

Rating: Not worth a listen

172. The Stooges - The Stooges

Artist: The Stooges
Album: The Stooges
Year: 1969

Really, really hard to believe this one came out in the 1960's. Although I guess it's not too far off from the same kind of territory The Velvet Underground were mining...which makes even more sense given that the VU's John Cale was producer on this one, The Stooges' debut.

This one is a garage-rock classic. I have to admit, I'd find this album even better if bands like The Sonics and The Monks hadn't put out similar stuff four years prior. And Iggy Pop sounds quite a bit like Mick Jagger to my ears. But the guitar assault here is really primal and songs like "I Wanna Be Your Dog" and "No Fun" have a punkish, infectious charm. The 10-minute exercise in futility known as "We Will Fall" detracts from the overall success of the album, but it's still very entertaining on the whole. Definitely way ahead of its time.

Rating: Worth a listen

171. Scott Walker - Scott 4

Artist: Scott Walker
Album: Scott 4
Year: 1969

How on Earth is this guy not a household name? Seriously. He is becoming my favorite male vocalist of all-time.

On Scott 2, Walker ripped through spirited renditions of Jacques Brel tunes and comfortable folk songs like Tim Hardin's "Black Sheep Boy." It's one of those albums that you'll know in the first 10 seconds whether it's for you or not. For me, it definitely clicked.

Scott 4 leaves the Brel covers behind, featuring only Walker originals. This is such a relaxed, assured album, full of tremendously memorable songs: "The Seventh Seal," the over-the-top "Get Behind Me," and "Boy Child" in particular are fantastic, but really, there's not a weak link here.

Apparently this album was a flop upon its release, with revisionist history smiling upon it many years later as it was revealed to be influential upon such artists as David Bowie and Nick Cave. Why it wasn't popular in the first place is a mystery to me. Great voice + great songs = masterpiece.

Rating: Indispensable

170. Fairport Convention - Liege and Lief

Artist: Fairport Convention
Album: Liege and Lief
Year: 1969

This one follows Unhalfbricking from earlier in 1969 as Fairport kept churning out quality material. The prior album was a mix of originals, traditional folk, and Bob Dylan covers. I thought it was alright...most notable for the vocals of Sandy Denny.

Liege and Lief is an album nearly fully comprised of traditional English folk songs, and I've gotta say, that choice suits the band extremely well. This album is definitely my favorite of the recent run of English folk albums that have been peppering the countdown (surpassing The Pentangle for supremacy), and in my opinion it kind of spins what most people's conception of what a "folk album" is on its head. When I think of traditional folk, I think of something bouncy and acoustic and usually at least a little pretty. Electricity is usually not part of the image.

Well on this album, Fairport Convention really rock the fuck out at certain points. "Tam Lin," for example, is a total barnstormer that is alternately really delicate and really heavy. Ditto for "Matty Groves," an epic in the murder ballad tradition. Songs like "Farewell, Farewell" cut things back a notch and let the beautiful vocals of Sandy Denny take over. I cannot believe this woman is not more renowned that she is. I really don't think she's all that far off from, say, Stevie Nicks.

I would, and will, listen to this one again.

Rating: Worth repeated listens

169. Leonard Cohen - Songs From a Room

Artist: Leonard Cohen
Album: Songs From a Room
Year: 1969

Songs From a Room is Leonard Cohen's second album, and a somewhat similar affair to his debut. This time out, things are a little more mellow (and if you'll recall, the first album was not exactly upbeat).

I felt this album was a little too close to its predecessor for comfort, in the sense that some of the songs are nearly identical to those on the first album. Take for example "A Bunch of Lonesome Heroes," which would be a totally solid song if not for the fact that it's basically just a retread of "So Long, Marianne." And then there's the issue of the omnipresent jew's harp on just about every song. A fine effect, but on every song? Seems a little much to me.

But for its faults, I think I might actually prefer this album over the original. It feels a little more haunting, and songs like "The Story of Isaac" and especially "Seems So Long Ago, Nancy" are spectacularly graceful. Cohen has a calming voice, and his lyric sheets read like poetry. If Bob Dylan's albums sounded more like this one (and to be sure, this one is not too far off from Dylan territory), I would definitely like them much more.

Rating: Worth a listen

168. King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King

Artist: King Crimson
Album: In the Court of the Crimson King
Year: 1969

King Crimson...a band I have heard/read a lot about, but never before right now have I (knowingly) heard a single one of their songs. I reckon better late than never. After all, that's kind of the point of going through these 1001 albums...finding those gems that have eluded me over the years, and building up a more expansive knowledge of popular music. I can definitely say I'm way more versed on jazz, soul, psychedelia, and early rock than I was before starting this venture.

One area I'm only mildly versed in is Progressive Rock. I know Genesis, Pink Floyd, Yes, ELP, ELO, The Moody Blues, etc., but only know most of those bands in name only and a few of their bigger hits. So I'm excited to get some prog underway here.

Prog attempted to legitimize rock music and put it on par with classical music. Most of the big prog albums had some kind of theme (either musically or lyrically, or both), had unique instrumentation and rhythms, and borrowed heavily from the classical realm. This is the style of rock most often lampooned, since its grandiosity makes it an easy target for ridicule.

King Crimson's In the Court of the Crimson King was one of the pioneering albums of the genre, and understandably so: it is an absolute masterpiece and one of the best albums I have heard out of the 168 I've heard so far. Definitely Top 10, and maybe Top 5. It alternates between big jazzy riffs and quieter chamber music interludes, which each song adding something unique to the mix. "20th Century Schizoid Man" is a great opener, big and brassy with some distorted vocals before devolving into awesome sax and guitar solos. "I Talk to the Wind" gives Greg Lake's vocals a chance to shine, it's a much needed cool down after a pummeling opener. "Epitaph" is my favorite here, both mellow and totally rocking with shimmering acoustic guitar and pulsing drums. The template for 70's Pink Floyd is established here. "Moonchild" starts off with a pretty pastoral interlude before giving way to relaxed free jazz. The basic melody of "The Court of the Crimson King" totally reminded me of Radiohead's "The Tourist," the closer to that band's landmark OK Computer. It's got choral vocals to support its lyrics, an Arthurian kind of legend. What a tremendous closer. And that's the album. A masterpiece through and through. Love it.

Rating: Indispensable

167. The Kinks - Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)

Artist: The Kinks
Album: Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)
Year: 1969

Hard to believe that we are reaching the fourth and final installment of The Kinks in the 1001 here. I thought for sure we'd get to hear either Lola, Muswell Hillbillies, or both. But with Arthur, we've reached the end of the line.

Like The Kinks' last effort, The Village Green Preservation Society, Arthur stands as a concept album. This one's about a gentleman named Arthur and his decision to move to Australia in the years following World War II. In some sense this one possesses a tighter narrative than a blatant rock opera like The Who's Tommy. The album does a great job at keeping the themes up throughout.

Arthur and Village Green have always been kind of 1b and 1a, respectively, in The Kinks' discography for me. I think Village Green has a stronger set of songs: it's a little more quaintly poppy and distinctively/passionately English. Arthur is just about as good but represents the flip side of the coin. It's a much more big sounding, rocking affair. From the opening chiming anthem "Victoria" you can tell that this is one where the band is going to embrace their roots (let's not forget this is the band that more or less invented three-chord punk on "You Really Got Me") and rock out. "Australia" adds extended jamming, brass and saxophone into the mix with tremendously catchy results. For me the real champ on this album is "Shangri-La," which starts as a folky Village Green-style tune (complete with harpsichord) before exploding into a hard rock chorus.

Once again, The Kinks have done it: making an album that's completely on their terms and getting to the heart of what makes England such a beguiling place. For my money this one's at least as good as Tommy and the Led Zeppelin albums, rivaling only Abbey Road for UK supremacy in the year 1969. Rock on, Kinks. It's been fun.

Rating: Indispensable

166. The Grateful Dead - Live/Dead

Artist: The Grateful Dead
Album: Live/Dead
Year: 1969

The Grateful Dead is a band I've had some exposure to growing up. For starters, my father was at least a casual fan of the band; I can recall hearing Workingman's Dead on his stereo countless times. Then, in the 80's they had a little bit of a resurgence, and I remember hearing "A Touch of Grey" all over the airwaves circa 1987. An elementary school classic for me. And then in the 90's, of course frontman Jerry Garcia died, the band broke up, and then all of a sudden EVERYONE was a Deadhead...those tie-dye shirts were ubiquitous there for awhile...and bands like Phish and Moe (and to a lesser extent, Dave Matthews) came around and started to carry on the jam band legacy that the Dead left behind.

Now here's a little disclaimer for my write-up here: I do not smoke marijuana nor take hallucinogenic drugs. If I did, I'm sure my feelings on this album, 1969's Live/Dead would be different. But I don't.

And therefore, I find this album to be wildly boring and tedious. I really just gotta say, I don't get it. I do not understand the hype here. The music is entirely made up of extended jams that meander and go nowhere. Thing is, sometimes I don't even mind music that "goes nowhere" if I'm drawn in by the atmosphere. A lot of jazz can be that way, kind of elliptical in the sense that the end feels like the beginning. Thelonious Monk's "Brilliant Corners" comes to mind: a song that more or less starts and ends with the same riff, but the process in getting from beginning to end is wildly inventive and oddly catchy.

The Grateful Dead, on this live album, just are not interesting to me. There's not a single "song" here where I said to myself, "man, I'd like to hear that again." The opening 24-minute(!) "Dark Star" is a butt-numbing, entirely hook-less endurance test, and the other songs follow suit. Oh, and then there's the song ("Feedback") that's literally just 8 minutes of guitar feedback. Is it bad that I thought that was probably the most interesting song here? Ugh.

Rating: Avoid (if not on drugs)

165. Isaac Hayes - Hot Buttered Soul

Artist: Isaac Hayes
Album: Hot Buttered Soul
Year: 1969

Soul has not been my favorite genre here, but here's an album that REALLY works. Hayes is a great, sensual singer, and this material suits his voice so well. It's a big, bombastic, excessive album...which under different circumstances might be a list of negative qualities, but I have to say that this album totally clicked for me.

The opener "Walk on By" was oddly familiar to me, and I quickly recognized that this was the track Portishead sampled on "All Mine." Nice. Normally a 12-minute soul track would be like torture for me, but this one hit a really nice hypnotic groove and Hayes fills in the rest with his deep croon.

The second and third tracks follow a similar formula, with equally solid results. The fourth and final track, "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" was definitely the most experimental cut here, an extended groove with mostly spoken word vocals comprising its running length. I did not care for this one as much. Just a hair too excessive for my taste.

I definitely liked my first round of Isaac Hayes and I can see why he developed the reputation he did. I look forward to more of his records finding their way into the 1001 here.

Rating: Worth repeated listens

164. The Youngbloods - Elephant Mountain

Artist: The Youngbloods
Album: Elephant Mountain
Year: 1969

Positives: This one was a total surprise to me. I had only known this band for one song, the hippie anthem "Get Together," which is not even on this album. So I did not really know what to expect. What I found was a great little classic rock album with some jazzy and psychedelic touches here and there. Wonderful songwriting throughout. First track "Darkness, Darkness" is great, but the album gets even better in its second half: the jazzy "Trillium" and orchestra-driven "Quicksand" form a solid one-two punch. This one reminded me of The Byrds' Notorious Byrd Brothers for some reason...probably due to the combination of folk-rock, psychedelia, and jazz...and as I've established, that's one of my favorite albums of the 1960's..

Negatives: Nothing really. No real flaws. If anything, I guess the album doesn't really feel all that "essential" or groundbreaking when compared with other albums I've been hearing lately, but for what it is, it's expertly crafted and surprisingly modern-sounding.

Overall: Great album. Love it when an album sneaks up on me like this. "Quicksand" and "Darkness, Darkness" stand among the better 60's pop-rock songs I've heard, and just about everything on this album worked for me. A definite keeper.

Rating: Worth repeated listens

163. Fairport Convention - Unhalfbricking

Artist: Fairport Convention
Album: Unhalfbricking
Year: 1969

The positives: Solid folk album. Beautiful female lead vocals from Sandy Denny. I really like the first track, "Genesis Hall." "Who Knows Where the Time Goes" is a great song also.

The negatives: Lack of really memorable material here keeps the album from taking off. Second track is in French--kind of pretentious, methinks. 11-minute "A Sailor's Life" bogs down the middle of the album. I think that track might have worked out OK as the closer.

Overall: Solid effort, but 1001-worthy? I don't know about that. Anyhow, worth checking out for the vocals of Sandy Denny and the songwriting of a young Richard Thompson.

Rating: Worth a listen

162. Chicago - Chicago Transit Authority

Artist: Chicago
Album: Chicago Transit Authority
Year: 1969

Chicago is a band like Blood, Sweat, and Tears who (at least early in their long career) existed on the boundary of jazz and rock. CTA is their debut, which features some of the band's most classic tunes, as well as some of their most experimental material. As such, it's kind of a mixed bag, but I'd say its strengths outshine its weaknesses. At least it's a very far cry from their later adult-contemporary stuff, which is just godawful.

I'm going to change the format here a little bit. I have absolutely no idea if anyone but myself will ever read these write-ups, so I'm inclined not to write so much and just state what I liked, what I didn't, and get on with it. So here goes:

The highlights: "Beginnings," "Does Anybody Really Ever Know What Time It Is?," "Questions 67 and 68," "I'm a Man"--all are great songs, breezy horns, swirling melodies, just an epic sound that combines light jazz with Brill Building pop with some rock guitar.

The negatives: "Liberation" is a tedious, 13-minute closer that doesn't do much for me. "Free Form Guitar" is a lengthy exercise in, well, not much of anything but guitar noodling. Not my cup of tea.

Overall: A great album, fun and breezy pop/rock with horns. Some great songs. I love "Beginnings." The experimental pieces only serve to lengthen the album and drop its prestige in my opinion, but not to the point that this isn't worth listening to. Far from it.

Rating: Worth repeated listens

161. Tim Buckley - Happy Sad

Artist: Tim Buckley
Album: Happy Sad
Year: 1969

This album features folk singer Tim Buckley embracing jazz, and it's a pretty nice combination. It's a mellow album full of nice tunes that show off Buckley's great voice.

"Strange Feelin'" nicks the theme from Miles Davis' "All Blues" to great effect, the 10-minute "Love from Room 109" is a meandering jam that actually works, and the closer "Sing a Song for You" is a pretty way to end the album.

I preferred this one to Buckley's last outing, Goodbye and Hello. I thought that album had some fantastic songs, like "Phantasmagoria in Two," but had a little too much filler. Happy Sad has virtually no excess.

Buckley is an artist I had never heard prior to embarking on the 1001 challenge here, and he's becoming one of the most pleasant surprises. I can see myself listening to him long beyond when this challenge is over with.

Rating: Worth repeated listens

160. Sly & The Family Stone - Stand!

Artist: Sly & The Family Stone
Album: Stand!
Year: 1969

Here's an album that really feels like a melting pot of styles. There's a heaping dose of soul, some R&B, some jazzy horns, some pop, some psychedelia (particularly in the Hendrix-like guitar parts)--all of which combine to make one of the first proper "funk" albums.

For me, there were some things that worked well here, and others that fell completely flat. The hippie anthem "Everyday People" finds a nice groove with a solid pop melody--even if its message is extremely facile by today's standards. "You Can Make It If You Try" succeeds even more...it's bursting with catchy little melodies and every member of the band gets a turn to shine. "Stand" follows a similar formula with a high level of success. So for me, the pop moments are the ones that worked best on this record.

I cannot recommend this album to anyone, however, due to the fact that most of the rest of the album was so appallingly awful. "Don't Call Me Nigger, Whitey" might be the single worst "song" I've heard in 160 albums. It's basically 6 minutes worth of the title line being repeated over and over again, with the last two words of the title being flip-flopped sometimes. It devolves into some kind of jam that goes absolutely nowhere. It is insanely annoying. There are few songs out there that flat out annoy me, and that I can't find any redeeming quality in. This is one of them. But that's not even the worst on the album. "Sex Machine" is even worse. For a full fucking fourteen minutes this thing meanders aimlessly and repetitively. C'mon man. I got 841 more albums to listen to. I can't be blowing 15 minutes on this useless crap.

Overall, I think I've made myself clear on this one. The poppy stuff on this album is good, adding a new sort of sound to the musical landscape, which helps make up for the lyrics (which could have been penned by your average third grader). The jams here are insipid and even worse, extremely dull and repetitive. I like droning music every now and then, but it's gotta actually work at bringing me under its spell to actually like it...which this did not do. I really, really hope this is the last I've heard from this band, because I really don't think I can make it through another "Sex Machine" again.

Rating: Avoid

159. The Temptations - Cloud Nine

Artist: The Temptations
Album: Cloud Nine
Year: 1969

The Temptations were perhaps the most significant band on the legendary Motown Records at this time, and Cloud Nine represents one of the band's most famous albums.

Outside of a couple songs like "My Girl," I can't say I had much exposure to The Temptations prior to this album. I enjoyed this album. The singing is great, and the songs themselves are all really slick and classy. I didn't care for their rendition of the classic "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" here, but other songs like "Cloud Nine," "I Need Your Lovin'," and "I Gotta Find a Way" helped make up for that. The Temptations are in such great control of their craft that this album really seems very effortless.

There's nothing that's going to bring me back to this one for a repeat listen, it's simply not my preferred genre to listen to leisurely. But for what it is, Cloud Nine is a very well-made record and for those of the R&B persuasion, this album probably represents a peak of the genre.

Rating: Worth a listen

158. MC5 - Kick Out the Jams

Artist: MC5
Album: Kick Out the Jams
Year: 1969

Kick Out the Jams is one of the albums that truly laid out the groundwork for the advent of punk. It's a live performance by Detroit rock band MC5, and I can see how their brand of incendiary noise rock would have been even more influential than the headier proto-punk of The Velvet Underground.

The opening track "Rambling Rose" and the title track "Kick Out the Jams" are undeniably spirited and infectious, but I've gotta say I consider the rest of it quite a turgid mess. So I guess I can see how this is a pioneering record from an aesthetic standpoint, but I really didn't think it was very good.

I wish I had more to say about this one, but it really is one of the weaker albums I've heard in awhile. Give a listen to the title track to get a sense for what this band was all about and the kind of ethic they stood for, and move right along...

Rating: Not worth a listen

157. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II

Artist: Led Zeppelin
Album: Led Zeppelin II
Year: 1969

Round 2 of Zep comes up in a big hurry after Round 1 two albums ago.

I'd have to say that after listening to both albums back to back, I prefer Led Zeppelin I to Led Zeppelin II. It's a close call, but on the first album, you get a more palpable feel of how the band was influenced by blues, folk, and psychedelia in somewhat equal measure. There is more subtlety to its craft, I feel. On this one, you just get pummeled by really heavy blues-rock over and over. Which is fine, because it's all really good, and really essential to the development of hard rock/heavy metal. My preference is for a more varied experience, so I slightly prefer the first album.

But this one really kicks all kinds of ass also. "Whole Lotta Love" has an insanely catchy riff and was the band's biggest hit, "What Is and What Should Never Be" has a big dose of Hendrix-style sensuality, alternating between countrified verses and a heavy chorus. "Ramble On" brings things down to the acoustic level for awhile, a welcome respite from the shards of Page's heavy guitar that dominates the album. "Heartbreaker" is another blues-riff-driven tune that stands among the band's best songs, with a show-stopping solo by Page about halfway through.

I can see how influential this album was, but I'm looking forward to Led Zeppelin III, which notably is a folkier effort than the first two albums, to my delight, and I reckon to the disappointment of many young adult males circa 1970.

Rating: Worth repeated listens

156. The Band - The Band

Artist: The Band
Album: The Band
Year: 1969

2nd album from the most unoriginal-named band in the history of music. I didn't think Music from Big Pink was all that good. It had one great song, "The Weight," but the rest was just kind of a downer and not a whole lot stood out to me.

This one is somewhat better on the whole. It's kind of a concept album about the rural American South, and its themes are somewhat universal. Again, there didn't seem to be too many bands around this time doing the same thing as The Band, which essentially was country-rock. CCR was doing something vaguely similar, but their variety was murkier and more psychedelia-infused than the clear, stately brand of rock that The Band traded in.

Good album here. Not going to hail it as some kind of masterpiece. Don't really care for Robbie Robertson's voice, and a lot of the songs are kind of samey. But there are some upbeat winners here: "The Day They Drove Old Dixie Down" and "Up on Cripple Creek" have strong melodies, and the lyrics on this album really hit hard, tackling some of the tough issues about life in America past and present. If "The Weight" had been on this album...then we'd be talkin'...

Rating: Worth a listen

155. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin I

Artist: Led Zeppelin
Album: Led Zeppelin
Year: 1969

Led Zeppelin were to the 1970's what The Beatles were to the 1960's. There are few bands or artists who can lay claim to leaving a larger influence and longer lasting legacy than the Page/Plant/Jones/Bonham foursome. They expanded the blues-rock tradition started by Jeff Beck, The Yardbirds, and Cream, threw in a healthy dose of British folk, and pumped up the jams to arena size. More than that, they were subtle craftsmen who could alternate quickly between blistering heavy metal and pretty acoustics.

Led Zeppelin shows the band arriving nearly fully developed on their debut. The material here is mostly really raw, grungy blues, best exemplified by "You Shook Me." That song sounds like it could have been a combination of Muddy Waters and Booker T. & the M.G.'s, with a more primal guitar assault. It's not my favorite track on this album, but it does show the band's roots very clearly. "Dazed and Confused" takes the same formula and adds Hendrix-esque psychedelia and monolithic descending riffs into the mix. "Communication Breakdown" really isn't too far off from three-chord punk, and sets the template for just about every 80's hair metal band's oeuvre.

Blues-rock hasn't ever really been my thing, but I can definitely get behind Led Zeppelin. They take the genre to extremes, and the folk and psychedelic influences help to make it more palatable for me. I'm looking forward to listening to their next five albums--all of which are included among the 1001--as well.

Rating: Worth repeated listens

154. Quicksilver Messenger Service - Happy Trails

Artist: Quicksilver Messenger Service
Album: Happy Trails
Year: 1969

Quicksilver Messenger Service was a psychedelic jam band and this album, comprised mostly of Bo Diddley covers, was their most enduring statement. It's a bold album, eschewing typical song structures in favor of extended soloing and variations on its basic melodic themes. Hence, in many ways it plays more like a jazz album than as a rock album.

I have no doubt that on a technical level, this is some kind of masterpiece. The guitar playing on this album is fantastic as each performer is given the time to show off his virtuosic ability. To me, however, this album lost its luster within the first five minutes. The first track "Who Do You Love" was fine, but with "Where You Love," "When You Love," and "How You Love" as follow-ups...and all providing variations on the same theme...things got tedious in a hurry. And that's only half the album.

I was ready to write this album off entirely until the next-to-last track definitely helped things to click for me. "Calvary" is a dusky, foreboding, 14-minute sprawling piece of psychedelic bliss with some absolutely amazing effects including a flamenco section in the middle that is just mindblowingly good. Maybe I'll have to listen to the whole thing again in light of this one...

All in all, Quicksilver Messenger Service wasn't entirely my cup of tea, but this album eventually ended up working for me...right up through its woozy rendition of Roy Rogers' "Happy Trails" that ends the album.

Rating: Worth a listen

153. The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground

Artist: The Velvet Underground
Album: The Velvet Underground
Year: 1969

1969's The Velvet Underground represents the band's first release without avant-garde musician John Cale, and for that reason it stands as the band's most "normal" release. Granted, a normal VU album would be considered offbeat by most band's standards. This is a much more quiet, contemplative affair.

I wonder what it would have been like to hear this album in 1969, as a teenager who had loved the band's first two albums--both of which featured their fair share of sheer noise and uncompromising experimentation. I'd imagine I'd have been pretty pissed off that my favorite band had jumped the shark and largely abandoned what had made them so original and subversive. But then hopefully I would have given it a second listen, and a third, and a fourth, and many more, with each listen revealing more charms and nuances.

This is a really pretty album with lots of good songs, and the band doesn't forget to rock out a little bit on songs like "What Goes On" and "Beginning to See the Light." "Jesus" and "Pale Blue Eyes" are gorgeous songs that stand among the band's best. The real centerpiece here is the 9-minute epic "Murder Mystery" where half the band spews lyrics into the left speaker, the other half into the right. It's a delightful oddity on an album where the band mostly plays it straight, so it comes as a nice surprise. I think Pavement would totally rip this song off 20+ years later on Slanted & Enchanted's "Conduit for Sale." There's definitely some similarities between the two bands. The closer "After Hours" gives drummer Maureen Tucker lead vocal duties, and it's totally charming (in the vein of Canadian indie rock goddess Julie Doiron, or Yo La Tengo's Georgia Kaplan).

Even though this one is quite different from the VU's earlier, more varied and experimental releases, this is just as masterful.

Rating: Worth repeated listens

152. Elvis Presley - From Elvis in Memphis

Artist: Elvis Presley
Album: From Elvis in Memphis
Year: 1969

At the same time Dusty Springfield was should have been taking Memphis by storm, so was the city's most famous native son, Mr. Elvis Presley. It's been awhile since we've heard from Elvis in these proceedings. If I remember correctly, we heard his debut album with "Blue Suede Shoes" and "Tutti Frutti" among others, which I found to be a great introduction to the man's music. And then we heard another of his albums from after he returned from his military service. I can't say that one had much impact on me one way or the other.

This album shows Elvis largely abandoning "rock" in favor of soul (much like Miss Dusty), and the transition suits him well. This is an album that really put a smile on my face. You can really tell Elvis is having a good time singing these tunes, and there are some real winners among them. "Wearin' that Loved On Look" and "Only the Strong Survive" serve as a great opening duo, "Long Black Limousine" has the feel of a great gospel ballad, and the big hit here "In the Ghetto" is superb.

All in all this is a fun album and my favorite of the three Elvis albums I've heard. I think the softer, more mellow soul music is the best match for Elvis' dulcet strains. This album, along with a 1968 Christmas special on NBC, helped return Elvis to popular relevancy: it's easy to see why.

Rating: Worth repeated listens

151. Dusty Springfield - Dusty in Memphis

Artist: Dusty Springfield
Album: Dusty in Memphis
Year: 1969

Here's the 1001's second go at British white soul singer Dusty Springfield, this time bringing her to the Soul Capital of the World, Memphis, TN.

And what a stroke of genius that was. This album is a masterpiece from start to finish, one of the best albums I've heard in awhile, and EASILY the best soul album I've heard. It's nothing short of phenomenal. Ridiculous that it wasn't a big hit upon its 1969 release.

Most of the songs here are slower ballads, featuring lush orchestral arrangements and the pristine-yet-slightly-weary voice of Springfield. Every song here feels like an instant masterpiece, and with artists like Adele ruling the charts now in 2012, I can see the massive influence of this album upon contemporary pop music. The one song here that has persisted to the present day is "Son of a Preacher Man" (inclusion on the Pulp Fiction soundtrack didn't hurt), and no doubt it's a highlight, but many other songs here are equally good: "Just a Little' Lovin," "Breakfast in Bed," and closing track "I Can't Make It Alone" come to mind.

An added benefit is that the album does not overstay its welcome. Coming in at just a little over a half-hour, it's concise, with no fat needing to be trimmed. It's a perfect dose of soul music, a genre I've much maligned as part of these proceedings. I guess all the genre needs is more albums like this one. Color me blown away.

Rating: Indispensable

150. Nick Drake - Five Leaves Left

Artist: Nick Drake
Album: Five Leaves Left
Year: 1969

Nick Drake is an artist who didn't leave behind much music, but literally everything he did was highly revered and has steadily increased in repute since his untimely death in 1974.

Five Leaves Left was the debut album for this Scottish folk singer, and it shows him in remarkable command as a songwriter. Songs like "River Man," "Day Is Done," and "Fruit Tree" are little masterpieces. I've never really been all that crazy about Drake as a singer, which is somewhat surprising. I'm a fan of lots of artists who are compared with Drake, singers like Stuart Murdoch of Belle & Sebastian and Elliott Smith, both of whom shared the same kind of breathy, wispy (some might say fey) vocal stylings. Drake's voice for me is basically like if you took Van Morrison and fed him a shitload of Xanax. And I'm not really crazy about Morrison.

These songs are really superb though. The chamber accompaniment really suits the album well, and Drake's voice, even though I don't love it, does have a haunting quality that fits the material. I feel like Drake is an artist who people absolutely love if they dig his voice (like Van Morrison), but if not, they will simply admire him. I fall into the latter camp, but feel that Drake is an artist everyone should definitely hear to see if he's their cup of tea.

Rating: Worth a listen

149. The Rolling Stones - Let It Bleed

Artist: The Rolling Stones
Album: Let It Bleed
Year: 1969

Here's the fourth installment of The Rolling Stones among the 1001. So far, they have been perhaps the most disappointing bands for me. They're always cited among the most important groups in rock history, and so far, beats me as to why. Their first album was a typical set of R&B covers, Aftermath was a turgid bore outside of a couple memorable songs, and Beggars Banquet represented an improvement but was still not something I'd choose to listen to repeatedly. I have a theory as to why I don't like them as much as the other English bands of the era. They're definitely a band that appeals more to the heart than the head. I don't need music to be "intellectual" per se, but I am finding that I have more appreciation for music that makes me think about its intent and about its construction more than music that is just supposed to make me "feel" something. This explains why I prefer experimental jazz albums like Kind of Blue and Brilliant Corners over blues albums, and why I prefer the sonic experimenters like Phil Spector and The Beach Boys over bands that deal with more traditional sounds. I do like music that makes me think. And The Stones don't seem to inspire me much.

Let It Bleed is often listed among the best rock-and-roll albums of all-time. And I can see why. As a collection of songs, this is fantastic stuff, bookended by two of rock's most revered tunes. "Gimme Shelter" is in-your-face anthem that is probably my favorite Stones song so far. "Rape, murder...it's just a shot away!" "You Can't Always Get What You Want" breaks out a full choir for its seven minutes of bombast. It's definitely a song for the everyman. The stuff in between is good too. "Country Honk," the title track, and "Midnight Rambler" are all memorable tunes. Still not my favorite band, but this is good stuff.

Rating: Worth a listen

148. The Pentangle - Basket of Light

Artist: The Pentangle
Album: Basket of Light
Year: 1969

I first heard folk band The Pentangle's Basket of Light a few years ago, back when I first heard of this 1001 albums book. I was at Barnes & Noble reading the book, randomly flipping through the pages, and read about this one. When I got home I looked up the album and gave it a listen. Nothing about it grabbed me about it, and it was soon forgotten.

I have no idea what my problem was back then, because this album is quite excellent in many ways. The first track, "Light Flight," is impeccable. It's folky, jazzy, the vocals are unique and pretty, and it switches back and forth between all sorts of different rhythms. It's a song that definitely breathes some much needed life into the typically staid British folk genre.

The rest of the album kind of pales in comparison to the first track, but it's all still at least good, and certainly not boring. The singer (Jacqui McShee) has a Joan Baez sort of quality--she's resonant, echoey, and pretty. On other songs like "Springtime Promises," guitarist Bert Jansch successfully picks up the vocal duties. The music is a really fresh update on the traditional folk style, borrowing some elements from jazz and Indian music along the way. Closing track "House Carpenter" is another favorite of mine; its dueling acoustic guitar and sitar creates a very warm and hypnotic effect.

Thumbs up on The Pentangle.

Rating: Worth a listen

147. Bee Gees - Odessa

Artist: Bee Gees
Album: Odessa
Year: 1969

One of the parts of this project that I'm kind of dreading is the "disco" part. Dance music, or dancing in general, is not really my thing so much, so I expect that part to be pretty challenging to get through. Of course, the Bee Gees later will become one of the key performers of that genre.

But the Bee Gees found on Odessa are a completely different animal. Odessa is for all intents and purposes a pop/rock album with orchestral flourishes. And for the style, it's really quite good. I was sucked in by the piano/oboe infused "Suddenly," the mildly proggy Moody Blues soundalike "I Spit in Your Face," and the ultra-pretty Beatlesque "Melody Fair."

Less successful were the opener "Odessa" and especially "Edison," which I just found annoying. The album is definitely too long...after a while the Bee Gees' warbling voices can get a little grating...after an hour, I was definitely ready for this album to be over.

A few of these songs are real gems that I absolutely never would have heard without doing this project, so I'm glad for that. "I Spit in Your Face" is worth the price of admission here, especially for anyone who has an affinity for prog-rock...this is an early incarnation of the style in my opinion. Check it out.

Rating: Worth a listen

146. Miles Davis - In a Silent Way

Artist: Miles Davis
Album: In a Silent Way
Year: 1969

It feels like forever since we last heard from Miles Davis...way back in the 1950's, a full 130 or so albums ago. But he's back with In a Silent Way, an album consisting of only two tracks: the 18-minute "Shhh/Peaceful" and the 19-minute title track.

This one was all sorts of mellow, definitely late-night or super-early-morning listening here. There's copious organ throughout this album, some wispy soprano sax, some light drumming, guitar(!), and the usual spare soloing of the man himself, Miles on trumpet.

This one didn't really grab me at first, but started to make more sense about halfway through the second cut, when it really hits a nice, relaxing groove. You can tell this album is starting to fuse the improvisational nature of jazz with more of a rock sound--in a completely different way than, say, Blood, Sweat, and Tears. It's interesting to see how different the two approaches are, in fact.

I'm going to file this one under: must listen to again. I think repeated listens will reveal the power of this album, but for now I found it to be just OK. For now, I much prefer Kind of Blue. I'll give it another shot at some point...but I've got 855 more albums to listen to for the time being!

Rating: Worth a listen

145. The Who - Tommy

Artist: The Who
Album: Tommy
Year: 1969

Tommy is a full-blown rock opera about a deaf, dumb, blind boy named Tommy, the attempts to cure his disabilities, and his undeniable prowess at the game of pinball. Yup.

Some might say that such an album is "pretentious," but I disagree. It would be pretentious if The Who were taking themselves really seriously here, but as on their last album The Who Sell Out, there's a strong element of humor to this album that keeps the mood pretty light, for the most part.

Song-wise, I greatly prefer The Who Sell Out and even My Generation to this one. There's no "I Can See for Miles" nor "The Kids Are Alright" on Tommy. The closest thing to an infectious song like those two on this album is "Pinball Wizard." Repeated listens to Tommy show some musical themes shared by songs on the albums, little melodic motifs that appear throughout the album...which is pretty cool. "I'm Free," "We're Not Gonna Take It," and "Christmas" are all memorable songs.

I guess I'm not that enthusiastic about Tommy overall. It's a little bloated in length, and I prefer the songs of their previous album...and follow-up album....to those on this one. But it's definitely something I feel most people should hear given how unique it is.

Rating: Worth a listen

144. The Beatles - Abbey Road

Artist: The Beatles
Album: Abbey Road
Year: 1969

And with this album, we've reached the end of the line with The Beatles. We've seen their progression from a decent R&B cover band to a first-rate experimental pop band, one of the most significant, popular, and innovative bands in this history of music. And then we saw them start to fall apart on the sprawling no-holds-barred White Album. Abbey Road represents The Beatles' final attempt to make a cohesive record, and it easily stands as one of their best. A shame they'd only be together for another year before packing it in.

The first half of the album here features some of the band's biggest hits--and tunes from all four Beatles. "Come Together," "Something," and "Here Comes the Sun" all are massive tunes that are among the first songs the average person would think of when considering The Beatles. The usual variety of styles is covered here...eccentric pop, music hall ("Maxwell's Silver Hammer"), blues ("Oh Darling"), hard rock ("She's So Heavy"), and pretty psychedelia ("Because").

The second half is the famous medley, featuring snippets of half-baked Beatle tunes that are deftly sewn together into a kaleidoscopic song cycle. I'd imagine some of these could have been White Album outtakes or song sketches that never would have seen the light of day otherwise, but it works well here in the sense that all the little pieces kind of flow together to create something that's greater than the sum of its parts.

So let's recap The Beatles on the whole...

With The Beatles: a good intro to the band, a charming album with some hints at the songwriting prowess of Lennon/McCartney

A Hard Day's Night: first album of all originals. Good, but I actually preferred With The Beatles to this one.

Rubber Soul: just a perfect album from start to finish. Fantastic songwriting, songwriting subject matter starts to mature beyond love songs, music begins to incorporate influences from Dylan, Indian music, and Western classical. Song-by-song I feel Rubber Soul is the band's best album.

Revolver: A transition to psychedelia. Some fantastic tunes. Some filler, in my opinion. Not as consistently enthralling as Rubber Soul and not as transcendent. Not entirely worth its super-high praise (a lot of folks call this the band's best album) but still completely indispensable.

Sgt. Pepper's: Totally brilliant, fantastically conceived. The songs go together so well, fit together so perfectly. A wide variety of styles. Perhaps the quintessential Beatles album. And yet, taking the songs individually outside the context of the album, I don't feel they stand up as well.

White Album: Remarkable to see how the band branched out from being a standard little pop band to being capable of an album spanning across just about every genre and pulling off everything at least somewhat convincingly within five short years. There's some filler on this album (as there is on just about every double album) but there's so many great songs here.

Abbey Road: The last attempt at a masterpiece, and it succeeds in just about every way. Shows off all the good things about The Beatles' songwriting, and even has a surprise in store at the end. Timeless.

Rating: Indispensable

143. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Green River

Artist: Creedence Clearwater Revival
Album: Green River
Year: 1969

Round 2 of CCR. This one kind of hones in on more of a pop sensibility than their last album Bayou Country did. That one was more "swamp rock"--bluesy, hazy, more extended jams. Green River has more by way of pop songs, which I think suits the band best.

The middle of the album has three songs in a row that are especially solid (all three of which I've heard before many times on classic rock radio). Those would be "Wrote a Song for Everyone," "Bad Moon Rising," and "Lodi." "Bad Moon Rising" is one of the band's most signature songs. I can see this song rising directly out of the early rock-and-roll/C&W-inflected style that Elvis was peddling back in the mid-1950's. This album feels like a really natural extension of that sound. Lots of 12-bar blues, nothing murky, nothing psychedelic...this is really a "back to basics" sort of affair.

It's really very easy to see how CCR became one of the most popular bands in the world around this time. Their songs are really simple, catchy, and lacking in pretension. I think there are still a couple more CCR records in the 1001, and I look forward to hearing their progression into the 1970's.

Rating: Worth a listen

142. Johnny Cash - At San Quentin

Artist: Johnny Cash
Album: At San Quentin
Year: 1969

At San Quentin is the second of Johnny Cash's prison-crashing albums, following in the wake of At Folsom Prison. I liked this one maybe a bit more. I thought it had a greater variety of songs, more material, and more of Cash's most famous material. Plus, I think Cash has better rapport with his audience on At San Quentin than on the prior album. Things felt a little too rehearsed/staged on that album...here the performance is more raw.

I'm still not crazy about country music but Cash is no doubt one of its best songsmiths. "I Walk the Line," "A Boy Named Sue," "Ring of Fire"...all the classics are represented here in good form. Not really my thing, so I'll move right along...

Rating: Worth a listen

141. The Flying Burrito Brothers - The Gilded Palace of Sin

Artist: The Flying Burrito Brothers
Album: The Gilded Palace of Sin
Year: 1969

The Flying Burrito Brothers featured Gram Parsons and Chris Hillman of The Byrds, offering an album not all that dissimilar from The Byrds' Sweetheart of the Rodeo. Whereas that album was pretty much a faithful C&W album, The Gilded Palace of Sin combines country with more of a pop/rock sound.

This is a pleasant-sounding album, but it sounds a bit generic. This is the same problem I had with The Band's Music from Big Pink, but at least that album had a total knockout of a tune in "The Weight." On this one, none of the songs really stood out to me as being particularly memorable. The best songs are the ones that incorporate some subtle psychedelic touches (i.e., the best songs are the ones that sound like they could have been nicked from The Notorious Byrd Brothers); tunes like "Hot Burrito #1" and "Hot Burrito #2" fit that bill.

My reaction to this one is rather lukewarm. Pleasant enough to listen to, but I doubt I'll ever have much desire to listen to it again.

Rating: Not worth a listen