Goodbye to the 1950's

So, 23 albums gone, only 978 to go. Oh, that's all? Easy.

Some general commentary on the 1950's is in order:

First of all, one of the complaints I often have about modern music (2000's) is that there are too many strands, not enough unification of sound. Not that variety is a bad thing, but I just think music would be better if more artists would work together toward something truly transcendent. These days there's pop, R&B, rap, country, rock, metal, indie, folk, electronica, you name it. And everyone kind of occupies their own sphere, and doesn't branch out that often. And when they do, it's usually either a failure, or generally misunderstood.

But here's the thing. If these 23 albums are representative of the 1950's, it really wasn't all that different then. It's a little easier to see how things fit together in the grand scheme in the 50's; there just wasn't as much stuff. But even within jazz, the stuff that guys like Sinatra and Louis Prima were doing was vastly different from the Afro-Cuban stuff, which was a far cry from the more experimental material Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, and Dave Brubeck were putting out there. Within rock, there were kind of two threads that had yet to align into one: the R&B offshoot rock of Fats Domino and Little Richard and the rockabilly of Elvis and Buddy Holly. Different era, same results.

Overall, I'd have to say I enjoyed the '50's content of this book. I discovered some artists I will definitely listen to more in the future. There were some clunkers. To each his own...

Best album: Miles Davis - Kind of Blue
Not surprising. I don't think there's a note out of place on this album. It's simple and yet wildly innovative. It makes me think and it makes me feel in equal measure. Landmark.

Best song: Thelonious Monk - "Brilliant Corners"
Dissonant. Rhythmically challenging. Weird. Ultimately beautiful. What a find this one was.

Best discovery: Ray Charles - The Genius of Ray Charles
Genius indeed.

Most disappointing: Buddy Holly & The Crickets - The 'Chirping' Crickets
I liked this album and thought it was worth a listen. But I definitely expected more out of this pioneering rock-and-roll album.

Worst album: Sabu - Palo Congo
I hated this album. For me, it ranged between boring and annoying. Just not my cup of tea.

Onward to the 1960's...only five decades to go!