288. A Wizard, A True Star

A Wizard, A True Star
Todd Rundgren
1973

Tracks
1. International Feel
2. Never Never Land
3. Tic Tick Tick It Wears Off
4. You
5. Need Your Head
6. Rock 'n' Roll
7. Pussy
8. Dogfight Giggle
9. You Don't Have To Camp Around
10. Flamingo
11. Zen Archer
12. Just Another Onionhead
13. Da Da Dali
14. When The Shit Hits The Fan
15. Sunset Boulevard
16. Le Feel Internacionale
17. Sometimes I Don't Know What To Feel
18. Does Anybody Love You
19. I'm So Proud
20. Oh Baby Baby
21. La La Means I Love You
22. Cool Jerk
23. Hungry For Love
24. I Don't Want To Tie You Down
25. Is It My Name
26. Just One Victory

And once again I use this blog as my glorious excuse for not doing any work.

All right, I get the impression from this album that Todd was a bit, shall we say, full of himself.  For instance, "Dogfight Giggle" is just a bunch of grating animal sounds.  Why would anyone want to listen to this??

In addition, Safari keeps closing after I write a fabulous, possibly award winning review and I sort of want to kick something.  Suffice to say, I am starting to think that this list was made by the most pretentious lot that ever gathered to write a book since the Scriblerus Club.

RATING: 2/5

287. Tubular Bells

Tubular Bells
Mike Oldfield
1973

Tracks
1. Part One
2. Part Two

I red flagged this album immediately after reading its description in the book.  The book described the album as music to play while eating dinner and a tad bit annoying.  Even Mike Oldfield thought it wasn't that good.  So why are we listening to it again?

Well, anyway, I wasn't expecting The Exorcist theme to play for like ten minutes at the beginning.  It sort of creeped me out, to be honest, since I was alone.  He then proceeds to outline what instruments he is playing throughout the album (i.e. "glockenspiel" and then a glockenspiel plays; fascinating, right?).

Overall, that was just weird.  I mean, some of the melodies were pretty but his stupid voice ruined it (can you tell I am fussy from being sick?).  An album filled with bells.  Represents the early seventies perfectly:p.

RATING: 3/5 (ok, so I always appreciate a movie soundtrack; get off my back)

286. Mott

Mott
Mott The Hoople (wtf does that mean?)
1973

Tracks
1. All The Way From Memphis
2. Whizz Kidd
3. Hymn For The Dudes
4. Honaloochie Boogie
5. Violence
6. Drivin' Sister
7. Ballad Of Mott The Hoople (26th March 1972 Zurich) 
8. I'm A Cadillac/El Camino Doloroso
9. I Wish I Was Your Mother

Now, this is a strange one.  I think they were trying to imitate David Bowie.  It reminded me of when I listened to the Monkees and you could tell they were trying their best to sound like The Beatles.

All in all, Bowie is not the worst person they could try to model themselves after.  I mean, if they were trying to imitate Frank Zappa, I would have to pitch myself off of the highest building I could find.  Still, I think they should try to find their own "sound"; they were very talented but lacked originality.

Don't get me wrong, this album is entertaining.   But I am sure there were tons of copycats during this era trying to capitalize on Bowie's success.  Do they really deserve a place on the list?

RATING: 3/5

285. Headhunters

Headhunters
Herbie Hancock
1973

Tracks
1. Chameleon
2. Watermelon Man
3. Sly
4. Vein Melter

So I would really rather be watching a movie right now but I am being picky and can't seem to find one that suits my fancy.  So instead I am listening to funk jazz.  Yay…

All right, unless I want to change this blog to 1001 Albums That Amanda Bitches About, I should change my attitude towards these albums and start trying to find the positive.  Let's see …

Well…um…it is different.  It is so repetitive though, that it gives you a chance to…take it in.

All right, that is the best I can do.  I will try again tomorrow.

RATING: 2/5

See for yourself:

284. Faust IV

Faust IV
Faust
1973

Tracks
1. Krautrock 
2. Sad Skinhead 
3. Jennifer 
4. Just A Second (Starts Like That)/Picnic On A Frozen River/Deuxieme Tableux
5. Giggy Smile 
6. Lauft... Heist Das Es Lauft Oder Es Kommt Bald... Lauft
7. It's A Bit Of A Pain

In exciting Amanda news, I finished one of my blogs yesterday, Happy on Purpose.  Just goes to show that these are achievable tasks and I am not crazy!  Well, maybe just a little bit.

Anyway, for some reason the book is obsessed with krautrock.  It is certainly…different.  It sounds kind of like early sixties acid rock's less talented little brother.  The same genre but just not as exciting or interesting.

I still don't understand krautrock or why they keep putting it in.  Maybe it is an acquired taste?

RATING: 2/5

283. For Your Pleasure

For Your Pleasure
Roxy Music
1973

Tracks
1. Do The Strand 
2. Beauty Queen 
3. Strictly Confidential 
4. Editions Of You
5. In Every Dream Home A Heartache 
6. Bogus Man 
7. Grey Lagoons 
8. For Your Pleasure

All right, I don't know what the hell I am doing.  I have to leave in about forty five minutes but right now I am still in my pajamas, writing this blog instead of getting ready.  I blame it on Monday morning inertia.

Well, more experimental rock.  This is apparently right before the band collapsed because of artistic differences.  So, this is awkward.  I guess this is when they were at their best...and I didn't like it.  At all.

It was just so pretentious; immediately when you start listening to it, they go into this spacey jam.  Not to mention the song about the inflatable sex doll.  What?

I guess I am just not uppity enough to enjoy this.

RATING: 2/5

282. Solid Air

Solid Air
John Martyn
1973

Tracks
1. Solid Air
2. Over The Hill

3. Don't Want To Know 
4. I'd Rather Be The Devil

5. Go Down Easy

6. Dreams By The Sea

7. May You Never

8. The Man In The Station 
9. The Easy Blues 

Wow, it is Nick Drake with a better singing voice!  What a find!

I was really excited about this album.  It is dedicated to Nick Drake, who actually died 18 months later. Anyway, I haven't been too...enthused about the recent albums and this was a pleasant break.  Sad but pleasant.

This is folk but it is vibrant folk; it is full of sorrow but actually really catchy.  "Don't Want To Know" is pretty much him saying he only wants to know about love not hate over and over again.  Still, I found myself singing along.  Check it out.

RATING: 5/5

281. Let's Get It On

Let's Get It On
Marvin Gaye
1973

Tracks
1. Let's Get It On
2. Please Stay (Once You Go Away)
3. If I Should Die Tonight
4. Keep Getting It On
5. Come Get To This
6. Distant Lover
7. You Sure Love To Ball
8. Just To Keep You Satisfied

Oh my.  That was...um...intimate.

All right so this album is pretty much song porn.  It actually feels like the kind of music that Quagmire would put on in Family Guy.

Now, I am a wee bit of a prude.  Of course, these 1001 journeys are forcing me to get over it since the listmakers keep making me read and watch porn.  Still, this is not my scene.  He certainly sounds sexy and the music is smooth but just not my style.

RATING: 2/5

280. Selling England By The Pound

Selling England By The Pound
Genesis
1973

Tracks
1. Dancing with the Moonlit Knight
2. I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)
3. Firth of Fifth
4. More Fool Me
5. Battle of Epping Forest
6. After the Ordeal
7. Cinema Show
8. Aisle of Plenty

FINALLY!

After a string of bad albums, we have an actual good one. I was so relieved when the first track came on that I almost felt like kissing the ground.  Then I realized how ridiculous that is and got a hold of myself.  But I was still relieved!

Anyway, what else would you expect from a band with Phil Collins?  Everyone likes Phil Collins.

So this album was really catchy albeit a little too long.  Still, it was a nice change of pace. RATING: 4/5

279. Berlin

Berlin
Lou Reed
1973

Tracks
1. Berlin 
2. Lady Day 
3. Men Of Good Fortune 
4. Caroline Says 
5. How Do You Think It Feels 
6. Oh Jim 
7. Caroline Says (2) 
8. Kids
9. Bed Listen 
10. Sad Song

So I listened to this album while I was trying on clothes.  If there is a way to feel more self conscious about your body than trying on jeans I have yet to find it. Anyway, now I am back to my pajamas and everything is right with world.

So this album absolutely bombed upon its release; Rolling Stone hated it when it came out.  Now, they consider it one of the greatest albums of all time.  Of course, this is because the masses hated it and they consider themselves better than us commoners.  Damn elitists.

Anyway, I think they should have stuck to their guns in calling this album a wash.  It has a plot and I usually do not like concept album (here's looking at you, Tommy).  He is not even singing, he is merely talking.  Maybe I just don't "get it".

RATING: 2/5

278. Future Days

Future Days
Can
1973

Tracks
1. Future Days
2. Spray
3. Moonshake
4. Bel Air

All right, so the book introduces us to a new genre today titled "krautrock".  Apparently, this is the name given to German experimental music in the early 1970s.  From that description, I feel like people generally don't hear about it too much.  And after this album, I have no desire to anymore.

God, I hate it when I have such a bad string of albums so all the readers have to just hear me bitch and complain.  I will try to keep it short.  This album is pretty much space rock with some chanting.  So yeah.

RATING: 1/5

277. Paris 1919

Paris 1919
John Cale
1973

Tracks
1. Child's Christmas In Wales
2. Hanky Panky Nohow
3. Endless Plain Of Fortune
4. Andalucia
5. Macbeth
6. Paris 1919
7. Graham Greene
8. Half Past France
9. Antarctica Starts Here

Well that was disappointing.  I was expecting something really classy.  I mean, Paris 1919 sounds like a trendy restaurant.  Instead I got a kind of mix between art rock and country.  Excuse me while I go vomit.

All right, so maybe I am exaggerating.  And maybe this review has more to do with me experiencing one of the worst days of my life yesterday.  But still, I didn't enjoy it.  So there.

RATING: 2/5