189. Moondance

Moondance
Van Morrison
1970

Tracks
1. Stoned Me 
2. Moondance3. Crazy Love4. Caravan5. Into The Mystic6. Come Running7. These Dreams Of You8. Brand New Day9. Everyone10. Glad Tidings


So I am going to London today and will be gone for a week.  I consider it part of the 1001 journey because I am going to birthplace of the Beatles, Charles Dickens, and Alfred Hitchcock. Which means my readers should be paying for this trip.  Oh wait, I don't have any.


Anyway, Van Morrison is frankly depressing.  That doesn't mean he can't be good, however.  Actually, I really enjoyed "Into the Mystic".  I think that song is the quintessential Morrison song; it has great vocals and instrumentals.  "Come Running" is a bit more upbeat, if that is your cup of tea.  Either way, it is worth a listen.

RATING: 4/5

188. Deep Purple in Rock

Deep Purple in Rock
Deep Purple
1970

Tracks
1. Speed King
2. Bloodsucker 
3. Child In Time
4. Flight Of The Rat
5. Into The Fire 
6. Living Wreck 
7. Hard Lovin' Man


More heavy metal, more blah.  I really have a lot of work tonight so I can't write a really long review.  Suffice to say, this was an unremarkable album.  I had never heard of these people before this review and probably never will again. Still, it was fun. The 1001 blog, everybody.

RATING: 2/5

187. Led Zeppelin III

Led Zeppelin III
Led Zeppelin
1970

Tracks
1. Immigrant song 
2. Friends
3. Celebration day
4. Since I've been loving you 
5. Out on the tiles
6. Gallows pole 
7. Tangerine 
8. That's the way 
9. Bron Y Aur stomp 
10. Hats off to (Roy) Harper


Blah.  Led Zeppelin.  I hate this band.  Of course, this album is supposed to be the exception because apparently even people that don't like Led Zeppelin should like this band.  Nope.  Sorry.


What is there to say?  The music is obnoxious, the singing is poor, and the lyrics are just so-so.  "Tangerine" was merely okay and that is supposed to be the best song in the album.  Hated it.  So there you go.


RATING: 2/5

186. After The Gold Rush

After The Gold Rush
Neil Young
1970

Tracks
1. Tell Me Why
2. After The Goldrush
3. Only Love Can Break Your Heart
4. Southern Man
5. Till The Morning Comes
6. Oh Lonesome Me
7. Don't Let It Bring You Down 
8. Birds
9. When You Dance I Can Really Love
10. I Believe In You 
11. Cripple Creek Ferry


All right, so elephant in the room time.  Neil Young does not have the best singing voice.  In fact, sometimes it is just plain bad, like in "After The Gold Rush" when he attempts to reach the high notes.  Frankly, that was just embarrassing.


But besides that whole "he is not a great singer and the album is completely comprised of his vocals" part, it was actually quite good.  Each song was really lovely, my favorite being "Only Love Can Break Your Heart".  By the third or fourth track, you completely forget that he can't really sing and just get into the album.  It takes some really powerful songwriting to be able to that.  Check it out.

RATING: 4/5


Led Zeppelin next.  UGH!!!!


Best song:

185. Paranoid

Paranoid
Black Sabbath
1970

Tracks
1. War Pigs
2. Paranoid
3. Planet Caravan
4. Iron Man
5. Electric Funeral
6. Hand Of Doom
7. Rat Salad
8. Fairies Wear Boots


Could it be?  A heavy metal album that doesn't make me what to yell "you kids!"???


I guess I have to accept this as my reality and just ignore the aliens that are altering the universe in this way.  Can you tell I am tired?  Anyway, this album was a lot of fun.  Ozzy has an interesting voice that really grows on you and the instrumentals were off the...off the what?  What expression am I thinking of?  It was good; all right?


In other news, my dad and I had a conversation today about CSNY which was really surprising since he isn't really a music person.  That is another thing I love about this journey; the connections it forges.

RATING: 4/5


I will probably edit this later since little sense was made today.

184. Deja Vu

Deja Vu
Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young
1970

Tracks
1. Carry On 
2. Teach Your Children 
3. Almost Cut My Hair 
4. Helpless 
5. Woodstock 
6. Déjà Vu 
7. Our House 
8. 4 + 20 
9. Country Girl
10. Everybody I Love You


Ah, I love this band.  Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young are always able to cheer me up.  Sometimes, when I feel upset, happy music kind of feels like it is rubbing itself in my face.  However, this band is the perfect combination of sunshine and rainbows and it always makes me feel better.  This album is no exception.


This is the first album with Young adding to the original trio.  It features some light songs but some of the tracks also carry a message like "Teach Your Children" and "Woodstock".  A truly amazing album and one that you should check out immediately.  Like right now. Do it.  Just do it.


RATING: 5/5

183. John Lennon/ Plastic Ono Band

John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
John Lennon
1970

Tracks
1. Mother
2. Hold On
3. I Found Out
4. Working Class Hero
5. Isolation
6. Remember
7. Love
8. Well Well Well
9. Look At Me
10. God
11. My Mummy's Dead
12. Power To The People
13. Do The Oz


So I have been writing posts for my movie blog for approximately two hours and I am getting really tired.  Must push through...for Lennon's sake.


You know that feeling when someone you don't really know that well just bursts into tears right in front of you.  You're like "I wish I could help...um, do you want me to call someone...I don't know what you are crying about...can I leave?"  That is what I was like through this entire album.  Lennon kind of just whines about his mom and his life and society.  It is like "I am sad that you are sad, but what do you want me to do about it?".  It was very exhausting.


All right so I hate to say this about such an artist but here goes...that was frankly obnoxious.  The last two songs just keep repeating the names of the song for like four minutes each.  It made my head hurt.  That was whiny and bad.  Still, I have faith that Lennon will come back.  Right?


RATING: 1/5