Evening all.
Well, after an afternoon delightfully spent supping copious amounts of delectable blonde beers, followed by an equally wondrous fish and chip supper then bed for a couple of hours, I’m back in the land of the living (more or less).
Let’s do a few more shall we?..
No.735: “Slippery When Wet” by Bon Jovi (1986)
Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora and the other Jersey boys were getting there slowly but surely towards the big time wthen this breakthrough album was released. A band I’m rather bored to tears with these days because of radio overplaying their songs, but you can’t knock this slice of hair metal heaven.
Boston’s Aerosmith were a handful of albums into their career already with their hard hitting brand of Stones-influenced heavy rock.
This is a 1977 live version of ‘Walk This Way’ from this album, a song which of course was re-recorded with Run DMC to form one of only a selection of that genre’s songs I actually have any time for.
No.733: “No Sleep Til Hammersmith” by Motorhead (1981)
Classic-era Motorhead from Lemmy, Fast Eddie and Philthy Animaln ‘No Sleep…’ was a live album which went straight into No.1 in the UK chart in mid-1981 blowing everything else in the charts away like a sonic boom.
This is ‘Bomber’ from that infamous concert:
Still a relatively moderately successful post-punk in 1983, U2 would of course be conquering the music world in another four year’s time. ‘War’ was their third album and featured their biggest hit so far with this storming single which highlighted their sound to come brilliantly (and don’t they look young in this!):
And just to play with your minds further, here’s the even more nutty b-side…
No.731: “Days Of Future Passed” by The Moody Blues (1967)
The second incarnation of the Moody Blues was a radical departure from their earlier days as an r’n’b band led by Denny Laine with the No.1 single ‘Go Now’.
Enter Justin Hayward as lead vocalist and the band took us into the world of progressive rock with this otherworldly concept piece. They are unfairly left on the sidelines in prog rock circles, but actually paved the way for Yes, Wishbone Ash and all that to come.
New York performance artist Laurie Anderson (later Mrs. Lou Reed) was brought to the world’s attention on the radio by the late, great John Peel who played a song of her’s on his late night BBC Radio 1 show.
That song was the strange, weird and rather wonderful track ‘O Superman’ which made it to No.2 in October of that year as a post 8-minute 7" single (which was bizarre enough anyway). I’ll challenge anyone to find another chart single in the history of popular music that is as mind-blowingly downright odd as this song.
And to play with your minds even further, here’s the equally nutty b-side:
From one of the current ‘Americana’ bands to hit the music world, Fleet Foxes did well in numerous countries with this debut album. Beautiful harmonies are their trademark.
No.728: “The Sound Of '65” by The Graham Bond Organisation (1965)
One of the founding fathers of the British blues scene, Graham Bond would have been a huge success if it wasn’t for him succumbing to drugs and descending into a nervous breakdown at 36 where he fell in front of a train at Piccadilly Circus. What a loss of a great talent.
To finish tonight’s procedings, I’ll leave you with the full album from him and his band:
Americana is a very fine form of laid-back songwriter-based country/rock/blues isn’t it, Moscow?
I was drawn towards it around 2004 when I read about Richmond Fontaine in Uncut magazine and subsequently saw them live.
I know these bands existed way before that though and some say the forerunners of the genre were The Band in the late 60’s, or even Neil Young.
Others such as Green On Red, Uncle Tupelo, Grant Lee Buffalo and Dave Alvin made it branch out to the mainstream along with the bands you mention too.
A few more albums of this genre still to come bud
Yes , Ive casually been seeking out more Americana artists over the last few years and it has also prompted me to look at the likes of Neil Young , The Band, Dave Crosby, Ry Cooder, Bob Dylan, Counting Crows all over again and joining the dots…Funnily enough it has also led to a reappraisal of British folk music and artists such as Richard Thompson and Sandy Denny…So much out there to enjoy!
There certainly is mate. Likewise, I do the same thing. Music has a habit of making its dips and swerves around other genres and causes us to delve deeper into other sub-genres too I think. That’s why it’s so exciting
I haven’t heard a lot of The Jayhawks, just random tracks on samplers tbh, but they sound okay
Morning all.
Seeing as I’m on the net right now, I might as well post a handful of albums, the first three briefly and then we’ll take it down to No.720.
No. 727: “Never Let Me Down” by David Bowie (1987)
The late 80’s were not kind to David Bowie and found him floundering awkwardly wondering where to go next (the brilliant ‘Absolute Beginners’ excepted).
Playing Bowie’s entire catalogue back-to-back after his death a couple of years ago saw me give this particular album a reappraisal though and I rate it quite highly now.
No.726: “Henry’s Dream” by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds (1992)
The very prolific Nick Cave has that morbidly gothic charm to his songwriting which is both darkly humorous and disturbing in equal quantities. I respect his craft enormously and his storytelling on this release is typical of his style.
No.725: “American Beauty” by The Grateful Dead (1970)
Second appearance so far from Jerry Garcia’s stoner rock country-blues outfit is this early 70’s offering. Includes such staples as ‘Truckin’', ‘Candyman’ and the splendid ‘Box Of Rain’.
No.724: “Blind Faith” by Blind Faith (1969)
Mssrs. Baker, Clapton and Winwood teamed together to form one of the first of rock’s “supergroups” on this decidedly ill-fated and mediocre landmark album. The sleeve was terrible.
It could have been so much better than it turned out and there is a special edition featuring studio takes and sessions which highlights some songs which may have been better choices but there are these three great tracks on the original album - Can’t Find My Way Home, Well Alright and this classic:
No.723: “Use Your Illusion I & II” by Guns N’ Roses (1991)
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Two separate albums released on the same day in 1991, but I’ve decided to group them together in my list as I think they have equally good tracks on both. Guns N’ Roses seemed to be a band who hit their highpoint early in their career and went downhill after that, due mainly to in-band squabbles and Axl Rose’s erratic timekeeping and unruly behavoir. Nevertheless, they did put out some landmark songs as this absolute classic proves. Take it away, Slash…
Hull University duo Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn with their other album in my list, and IMO their best early work before they went all dance-y with songs like ‘Missing’ which transported them into the big league. I prefer this early stuff which has more depth to their songwriting and in particular this fine, catchy debut single for bedsitters everywhere.
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The first Wishbone Ash album was innovative for the fact that it showed progressive rock could branch out slightly with a more melodic ‘twin guitar’ sound, later beefed up and rocked out by the likes of Thin Lizzy and more. This fine debut includes the perennial live favourite ‘Phoenix’.
Into the 80’s with Van Morrison and a low key affair of an album. Completely against the odds of all which revolves around him, Morrison released this album of less than half a dozen lengthy songs, the best of which is featured here in concert from that year:
No.718: “Little Creatures” by Talking Heads (1985)
The ever-changing world of David Byrne and his madcap ideas hit paydirt with this sublime pop-rock album full of wayward and strange ditties. None more so bizarre in both sound and vision than this monster hit:
