What Are You Listening To?

[Music Head]

from my library (vinyl)



Short lived (3 years) psychedelic rock band that originally lasted for five albums, this being the first. All covers here, which I am normally not a big fan of, but I make an exception when the cover is unrecognizable from the original, other than lyrics. Not sure what the purpose of the short Illusons Of My Childhood tracks are for. Just crap that drug the grade down. Two Beatles covers hold their own and the Supremes, You Keep Me Hanging On is better than the original for me. The band has reformed several times with different lineups.

I LIKE THIS ALBUM

Worst Track - Illusions Of My Childhood

Best Track - You Keep Me Hanging On

1) Ticket To Ride - ** - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaHo4rFH_VU
2) People Get Ready - ** - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8AmiZGEFVA
3) She's Not There - ** - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFUGwzcv9p8
4) Bang Bang - ** - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoRz9lCPDwA
5) Illusions Of My Childhood Part One - *
6) You Keep Me Hanging On - *** - live
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aWFaZgwerY
7) Illusions Of My Childhood Part Two - *
8) Take Me For A Little While - ** - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEJDbxwz9ds
9) Illusions Of My Childhood Part Three - *
10) Eleanor Rigby - ** - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wrS-LchqME

3's - 1
2's - 6
1's - 3

Rating - 1.8

[Music Head]

from my library (vinyl & cd)



The final recording and next to last release by the fab four. Riding the #1 position for 17 weeks in the U.K. and 11 in the U.S. it was the best selling album of 1969. Although I'm not crazy about most of side 2 of the vinyl, which begins with Here Comes The Sun, it's still a Beatles album and should be in anyones collection. In keeping with my grading system, the number of short tracks led to a lower grade on my scale, but the 3 star tracks are superb as usual. I remember when buying this album as soon as it was released, listening to I Want You, cranked under the headphones, actually feeling high, and not having partaken of any foreign substance. Naturally, it remains my favorite.

I LIKE THIS ALBUM

Worst Track - Her Majesty

Best Track - I Want You (She's So Heavy)

I want you
I want you so bad
I want you,
I want you so bad
It’s driving me mad, it’s driving me mad.
I want you
I want you so bad babe
I want you,
I want you so bad
It’s driving me mad, it’s driving me mad.
I want you
I want you so bad babe
I want you,
I want you so bad
It’s driving me mad, it’s driving me mad.
I want you
I want you so bad
I want you,
I want you so bad
It’s driving me mad, it’s driving me ...
She’s so heavy heavy, heavy, heavy.

She's so heavy
She's so heavy, heavy, heavy

I want you
I want you so bad
I want you,
I want you so bad
It’s driving me mad, it’s driving me mad.
I want you
You know I want you so bad babe
I want you,
You know I want you so bad
It’s driving me mad, it’s driving me mad
Yeh!

She’s so...

1) Come Together - *** - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIrOImJIRyw
2) Something - *** - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrW7dlDHH28
3) Maxwells Silver Hammer - *** - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfnpZhJ8exQ
4) Oh Darling - *** - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sInEoM9UEFk
5) Octopus's Garden - ** - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeVZR3yss50
6) I Want You (She's So Heavy) - *** - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnF91s2bBpg
7) Here Comes The Sun - *** - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6tV11acSRk
8) Because - *** - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWlLPJG9Cvg
9) You Never Give Me Your Money - ** - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvA64O2LySc
10) Sun King - * - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMPwd3iB5Sg
11) Mean Mr. Mustard - ** - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FpMBu4Duy4
12) Polythene Pam - * - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eiJxZ8AOrY
13) She Came In Through The Bathroom Window - ** - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3cxkYu4NyA
14) Golden Slumbers - ** - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gwt3yXQEZdU
15) Carry That Weight - ** - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXO7Ahkghvg
16) The End - ** - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gI38vPDCoao
17) Her Majesty - * - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnCIKoFBiHQ

3's - 7
2's - 7
1's - 3

Rating - 2.2

[Music Head]

listened online



Texas is home and roots rock is about as near as I can peg this guy. Had not heard him before but been knockin on the doors for awhile. Since the 70's actually with a punk band called the Nuns. Later with a band called True Believers who toured with Los Lobos. Looks like this is his 10th album. Some name dropping here with Tony Visconti Producing, Bob Clearmountain mixing and my man Ian Hunter has a guest spot on Down In The Bowery, which is my favorite track. None other than The Boss shows up on Faith (not on this clip). A couple of really good songs here, which both cut off short, but it just falls short of a passing grade for me.

I DO NOT LIKE THIS ALBUM

Worst Track - Fort Worth Blue - 1.0

Best Track - Down In The Bowery

1) Anchor - 1.5 - live
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAqSfZaMDUc
2) Silver Cloud - 1.0 - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzU37O_st-k
3) This Bed Is Getting Crowded - 1.5 - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lf0wGuj4p74
4) Street Songs - 2.0 - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKR_u0EnwWs
5) Down In The Bowery - 2.5 - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C267kkb86HE
6) Tender Heart - 2.0 - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=450Jhz4SYzE
7) After The Meteor Showers - 2.5 - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXk5s-_p3-w
8) Tula - 1.5 - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6HaCjdHs2k
9) Undesired - 1.0 - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFpLn5Zn8hg
10) Fall Apart With You - 2.0 - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkO6bdHOwtA
11) Shelling Rain - 1.0 - live
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qaye9viYrrM
12) Faith - 1.5 - live
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xw7TEmjqv8M
13) Fort Worth Blue - 1.0

Average Rating - 1.6

[Tiggi]

Smart, talented '70s UK band that served as a vehicle for writer/guitarist/singer Bill Nelson. Never realised the success that they maybe should have.

The songs all have an original sound, and whilst they're of conventional length, there is a faintly Proggy feel to some of them.

Bill Nelson went on to do a bit of an Eno, and continues to work in fairly left-field music.

Belting album...

[Music Head]

from my library (vinyl)



Their fifth, and first disappointing album for me. The follow up to the monster live album At Budokan. George Martin producing didn't even help. Made it to #24 on the U.S. charts with the single of Stop This Game only getting to #48. I'd say the 24 was on the strength of their previous output. Had to be some letdown fans, including me. The first of many duds to follow.

I DO NOT LIKE THIS ALBUM

Worst Track - Who Da King

Best Track - I Love You Honey But I Hate Your Friends

I love you honey but I hate your friends
I love you honey but they'll be the end of me
Oh yeah
I love you honey but I hate those friends
That fat cat Frank got a heart of gold
He's got a head of lead, he's young but he acts old
That limp wristed two-fisted diplomat
Better draw a map, to see where he's at
Around and round when he rambles on
'Bout the latest deal we should be in on
We shouldn't give him the time of day
He doesn't give a damn if we sink or swim
I love you honey but I hate your friends
I love you honey but they'll be the end of me
Oh yeah
I love you honey but I hate your friends
Did some toot, yeah we had a blow
Look man, no holes, real nose
When he says hi he really means the moon
He was there long before Armstrong
He stays loose, he says, fill her up
For eternal youth from those Swiss docs.
He's thirty but he feels like sixteen
Check it out: yep, hundred-n-sixteen!
I love you honey but I hate your friends
I love you honey but they'll be the end of me
Oh yeah
I love you honey, let's dance
I love you honey but I hate your friends
I love you honey but they'll be the end of me
Oh yeah yeah
I love you honey but I hate your friends
Let's see, there's Miss Tique and Miss Informed
General Disaster, Mister Know-it-all
Missus A Lot and Private Stock
Corporal punishment 'bout to blow his mind
Mister Mock, Mister Completely,
Miss de Plot, Miss Story,
Mister Call, Mister De Gaulle,
The aging Mister Martin and that ain't all
I love you honey but I hate your friends
I love you honey but they'll be the end of me
Oh yeah
I love you honey but I hate those friends
I love you honey but I hate your friends
I love you honey but they'll be the end of me
Oh yeah
I love you honey but I hate your friends
I love you honey but I hate your friends
They love your money
But they'll be the end of me, oh yeah
I love you honey but I hate your friends

1) Stop This Game - ** - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uB4n6rAvHU8
2) Just Got Back - * - live
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ct8eZA7SB4
3) Baby Loves To Rock - * - live
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jByQuXe3bzM
4) Can't Stop It But I'm Gonna Try - ** - live
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vro-eomHdWs
5) Worlds Greatest Lover - ** - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hK4uhVs3IU
6) High Priest Of Rhythmic Noise - * - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_h2dTuU5FU
7) Love Comes A Tumblin' Down - **
8) I Love You Honey But I Hate Your Friends - ** - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTZi3695IBo
9) Go For The Throat (Use Your Own Imagination) - **
10) Who Da King - *

Rating - 1.6

[Music Head]

from my library (vinyl)



Guess some would put this in Hard Rock, but I chose the classic. Never thought they were that heavy anyway. Never was a big fan either, but not overlooking Eddies talent. They certainly were big around this period of their second album. Some of these tracks were actually recorded before the first album came out, and the album is not much different than the debut. Can't handle that Roth scream. The cover of You're No Good is terrible. The album reached #6 on the U.S. charts with the single of Dance The Night Away hitting #15. Beautiful Girls was also a single reaching #84.

I DO NOT LIKE THIS ALBUM

Worst Track - Spanish Fly

Best Track - Somebody Get Me A Doctor

(One, two, three, four)
Ooh yeah! Ow-ow!
You better call me a doctor, feelin' no pain
Overloaded, down the drain

Somebody get me a doctor

You better call up the ambulance I'm, deep in shock
Overloaded baby, I can hardly walk

Somebody get me a doctor (Ooh!)
Somebody get me a doctor

Yeah! I'm feelin' over fine
And I'm speedin', down that line

Woo, woo!

(Guitar Solo)

Ow! Ow! Ow!
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!
Woo!
Oh, woo-woo-woo-woo-woo-woo-woo!

Ow!
Ooo!

Ya better call up a doctor, feelin high
I'm overloaded baby, I say "Bye-bye!"

Somebody get me a doctor. Oh, yeah!
Somebody get me a doctor. Ooh, ooh!
Somebody get me a doctor. Ah, yeah!
Ooh!

Somebody give me a shot!

1) You're No Good - * - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zs56NTqmRoo
2) Dance The Night Away - ** - video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEvpreZcAfI
3) Somebody Get Me A Doctor - ** - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkJOZOOXJWk
4) Bottoms Up! - ** - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8fYlqqg-pQ
5) Outta Love Again - * - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TU64RQYLbtk
6) Light Up The Sky - * - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uiqgwUs1l4
7) Spanish Fly - * - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDsa4uDM3zU
8) D.O.A. - ** - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0XdzSMzwgw
9) Women In Love - ** - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iofxm92XcMI
10) Beautiful Girls - ** - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJ9h2m06sFQ

Rating - 1.6

[Tiggi]

Expanded CD version which doubles the length of the original vinyl release.

Recorded at Leeds University in '70, and has become something of a prime example of what live recordings can deliver.

Some bands, by their very nature, are better suited to live work than the constraints of the studio, and I believe The Who are one of them.

Powerful versions of some of their best-loved songs, with a healthy smattering of destructive cover versions.

Great stuff.

[Music Head]

from my library (vinyl)



Really liked this Italian-Canadian guy for a spell. Don't think he ever really hit it big, but he is still around which says something. This was his fifth album and around his peak period I think. First album came out in '73, and included the semi hit People Gotta Move. Brother Joe has been a keyboard mainstay on most albums, and was a synth wiz before it was popular. Nothing bad on here, with some superb tracks including the title track which takes up most of side two. It is a nearly classical piece with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and Joe with a Rick Wakeman like performance on the keys. This album reached #33 on the U.S. charts. My favorite tracks there are no clips for, bummer. Every once in awhile I pull one of these old albums out of the box and get a surprise when something falls out besides the album. In this case a rather large poster of Gino. That's the kind of stuff you miss with cd's. Those were the days my friend.

I LOVE THIS ALBUM

Worst Track - Black And Blue

Best Track - Mardi Gras

1) Mardi Gras - ***
2) Valleys Of Valhalla - ** - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzHLlPkn40k
3) The Surest Things Can Change - ** - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztZewErzJ1Q
4) One Night With You - ** - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z001W9ggbvY
5) A Song And Dance - ***
6) Black And Blue - ** - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPA-Eq3BuQk
7) A Pauper In Paradise - ***

Rating - 2.4

[Tiggi]

Every once in awhile I pull one of these old albums out of the box and get a surprise when something falls out besides the album. In this case a rather large poster of Gino. That's the kind of stuff you miss with cd's. Those were the days my friend.

I like it when that happens. Always have to have a quick look at whatever falls out...

[Music Head]

from my library (vinyl)



Never know where to put something like this. No, he's not rock, nor do I think he is folk. I lobbied for an Easy Listening, but it didn't happen. Was always a big S&G fan, and even though I acknowledge Paul Simon was the greatest overall talent of the duo, I always preferred Arts voice. Just smoother and more befitting their early work. Arts solo career never took off, but he did have some decent albums, this third one being one. Mostly Jimmy Webb material who plays on the album. Don't care for the Wonderul World remake where he gets an assist from Paul and James Taylor, and a few other duds, but the lead track is superb, and some others hold up well. That lead track was released as a single but never charted, go figure. They then released Wonderful World which made it to #17. So much for my taste. The album reached #19.

I LIKE THIS ALBUM

Worst Track - (What A) Wonderful World

Best Track - Crying In My Sleep

I took a walk around the yard
I dug the flowers till it got too hard
Smoked my first pack of cigarettes today
Then I went down, down to Lucy’s old cafe
I put a half a case away
Took a sleeping pill and I tried to watch TV
But you know baby, the leading lady
Looked too much like you for the likes of me
And I woke up crying in my sleep
I was talking to your pillow
And I reached out to touch your hand
And knocked the phone off the night stand
An the operator said "Can I help you please?"
And I said "No thanks baby, tonight there ain’t no help for me,
You know I just had a bad dream."
That’s all that’s wrong with me
You see I just had a bad dream.
Went out to loosen up the car
Somehow I wound up at the Rainbow Bar
I had a scotch and soda on the run
But I didn’t get too far.
I ran down some friends I used to know,
I dragged them out to see the show
I ran myself a bath and I tried to read your book
But you know baby, this time it just didn’t seem
Worth all the time it took
And I woke up crying in my sleep
I was talking to your pillow
And I reached out to touch your hand
And knocked the phone off the night stand
An the operator said "Can I help you please?"
And I said "No thanks baby, tonight there ain’t no help for me,
You know I just had a bad dream."
That’s all that’s wrong with me
You see I just had a bad dream.

1) Crying In My Sleep - *** - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArudZm2_OZM
2) Marionette - **
3) Shine It On Me - ** - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWlIbaqRlVM
4) Watermark - ** - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNN3tvaOS38
5) Saturday Suit - * - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNgQmZwKapc
6) All My Loves Laughter - **
7) (What A) Wonderful World - * - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-s9uXvwrws
8) Mr. Shuck 'n' Jive - **
9) Paper Chase - *
10) She Moved Through The Fair - ** - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd27k4mVc1U
11) Someone Else (1958) - ** - audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oih-qN6hsto
12) Wooden Planes - *

Rating - 1.8