Good stuff, Surfermom. Anything else that takes your fancy today?
Taking a break from the basketball games to take a music break.
Floydy, you mentioned the love/hate relationship we have with certain bands and entertainers. The derogatory related comment here is, “Shut up and sing” bands. I can see why Coldplay’s constant politicsand too much air play can make them put them in this category.
That said, passion about causes and people can inspire some sensational writing. The Smiths certainly prove that with this album.
My complaint with Coldplay is that they so constantly reinvent themselves and incorporate so much technology in their music that I’m not sure they really have an identity anymore.
That said, Mylo Xyloto had “Paradise” that was one of my daughter’s songs when she was going through chemo, so I will behave about criticizing the album too much ;-).
While this album did not do well in the US, the Editors caught my ear because I thought they had some similarty to R.E.M. Sure enough, they had opened for R.E.M through Europe and are said to have been inspired by their work and sound. This Editors album is a good one;-).
Love the similarity between Editors and R.E.M. Surfermom. I can see that the former band were influenced quite a lot by the Georgia quartet there, along with the great Joy Division, who would have been far less well-known in the U.S. of course. If there is one band I really do miss it’s R.E.M.
One more Coldplay album left to come.
After seeing not a great deal of interest following yesterday’s marathon session of albums posted, I guess that’s where the ‘IMO’ bit comes in, it’s time to enter my top one hundred. And what a way to begin…
No.500: “Elephant” by The White Stripes (2003)
Jack and Meg’s third (official) album and it’s the first track which propelled this one to the dizzy heights of glory for the duo. The very fastidious Jack White has since been in demand as a big name producer as well as being a member of bands such as the Raconteurs, the Dead Weather, dueting with legends such Loretta Lynn and releasing a brace of solo albums plus all the while making White Stripes albums. How on Earth does he find the time?
Let’s play the song:
No.499: “Spirit Of '76” by Spirit (1975)
The band Spirit was formed by Walter Egan and randy California in the late 1960’s putting out some great songs such as ‘Nature’s Way’ and ‘I Got A Line On You’. This double album is my favourite and features some superb spacey guitar licks, especially on their version of ‘Hey Joe’:
No.498: “Stars” by Simply Red (1991)
Simply Red’s biggest album is hard not to like, unlike their singer who is pretty odious at the best of times. This record featured six hit singles in the UK, the title song being my favourite:
No.497: “Blues From Laurel Canyon” by John Mayall (1968)
A very understated album, minus his Bluesbreakers (unless you count Peter Green), Mayall recorded this directly from his home in Laurel Canyon with future Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor.
It’s a very different album from the solid gold r’n’b of Mayall’s more famous style, but is one of his best nevertheless. Here’s the full album:
No.496: “The Only Ones” by The Only Ones (1978)
Post-punk never got better than this, unless you count The Buzzcocks and Undertones first offerings. Peter Perrett’s new-wave foursome never reached the heights of those other bands in the genre and hell knows why this single didn’t even hit the UK top 75!
That’s all for today.
I got a line on you! Great tune!
Yes it is.Nice to hear a different version of Hey Joe too.
The late John Peel introduced me to The Only Ones and the White Stripes.He is greatly missed.
Yeah good track. Great version of Hey Joe too.
Also on the album is a terrific version of Like A Rolling Stone. Very atmospheric-sounding.
Do you remember John Peel’s Festive Fifty where he asked listeners to write in with their favourite songs each year?
I have all of those 1976-2003, many the complete shows with his commentary in between the songs. Really good to hear again.
I think the festive fifty was the first time I heard Another Girl.
I listened to John from the start,he only had one hour a night then.john Walters was with him,they made a great team.Happy Days 
That must have been the first time I heard The Only Ones too, PS. Along with loads of other bands new to me, Peely really did give me an education in all things alternative in the music world.
Oh and “What’s onnnn…Walter’s Weekly tonight!!”
Great link, thanks. I’ll explore that in my free time tomorrow 
I’m getting excited now we are moving into the top 500.
Great to see Blondie by Blondie in there. She also adorned my bedroom wall, I just wish it was literally.
Joe Jackson, another great for me. Sad he died not so long ago.
A few more coming up now mate, bear with me. I’m actually quite excited myself. When I post each album I’m only scrolling up a click in case I see the one after!
More Blondie still to come too.
That was a shock about Joe Jackson Longdogs. Just Googled him mate and he’s 63 and alive and I hope, well.:shock:
No.495: “Smiley Smile” by The Beach Boys (1967)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/21/SmileySmileCover.jpg/220px-SmileySmileCover.jpg
The Beach Boys were already made for the ‘summer of love’ when it happened in 1967, their music fitting the bill naturally. As I mentioned in a recent post about the 2004 Brian Wilson solo recording of ‘Smile’, this album was aborted half way through due to Brian Wilson’s self-imposed exile. But it did come out as a patched together project and featured some of the classic Beach Boys recordings we all know and love so well.
The title track (in cartoon form) and the classic Good Vibrations for you now:
No.494: “Music From Big Pink” by The Band (1968)
Robbie Robertson, Levon Helm, Rick Danko, Garth Hudson and Richard Manuel formed the Band in 1964 and apart from the old time folk music recorded way back in the 1920’s and 30’s, I’ve always regarded The band as the proprietors of contemporary ‘Americana’ music, before it got that genre name attached.
Often Bob Dylan’s backing band, The Band themselves like the Byrds and Joan Baez before them covered many Dylan songs themselves and made them their own in some cases - ‘I Shall Be Released’ (shown here from the brilliant concert movie The Last Waltz) a case in point which was far better than Bob’s original.
No.493: “Garbage” by Garbage (1995)
Bang in the middle of the 1990’s British indie scene came Garbage, fronted by Scots vocalist Shirley Manson and the wonderfully-named Butch Vig on guitar. A very durable and exciting band, this was their excellent dbut which featured many fine singles including ‘Only Happy When It Rains’, ‘Milk’ and the brilliant ‘Stupid Girl’ which is featured here.
