302. Bad Company

Bad Company
Bad Company
1974

Tracks
1. Can't Get Enough
2. Rock Steady 
3. Ready For Love 
4. Don't Let Me Down 
5. Bad Company 
6. Way I Choose 
7. Movin' On 
8. Seagull

I keep switching between what blog I am most interested in and lately it has been movies, so sorry for not posting lately.  I actually started listening to this album about a week ago and only just now finished.

When I first read about this album, everyone called it "pedestrian".  Naturally, I assumed I would love it because my tastes in music are, um, less than cultivated.  I actually didn't like it too much.  I think that means I am growing.

It was just so generic.  It seems like the kind of music that would play in a movie during a high school party.  I have no idea why it would be on the list when there is absolutely no originality in the album.

Oh well.  I think what we should take away from this is that I am becoming a refined intellectual. Now if I could only drink tea without gagging…

RATING: 2/5

301. Here Come The Warm Jets

Here Come The Warm Jets
Brian Eno
1974

Tracks
1. Needles In The Camel's Eye
2. Paw Paw Negro Blowtorch 
3. Baby's On Fire 
4. Cindy Tells Me
5. Driving Me Backwards
6. On Some Faraway Beach 
7. Blank Frank
8. Dead Finks Don't Talk
9. Some Of Them Are Old
10. Here Come The Warm Jets

So it is early Monday morning and sooner or later I am going to have face reality and begin what is sure to be a rather grueling day.  Before that happy moment, however, I am going to review this album.  I will then most likely be running late all morning and be really cranky.  Yay, foresight!

So, first of all, 1974!  Woohoo!  I am used to my movie and book blog where there is an average of like seven things per year, not forty.  Always excited to move on.

Apparently, Brian Eno is one of the most represented guys on the list.  He seems to be behind the scenes in Roxy Music, David Bowie albums, and, of course, his own solo album.  That being said, until today I had never heard of him.

This album had a couple of catchy tracks and the guitar playing was rather impressive.  Still, it just didn't grab me.  I could hardly hear what was being said.  Furthermore, none of it felt very original and it was all pretty forgettable.

Could have done without it but not offensive.

RATING: 3/5

300. New York Dolls

New York Dolls
New York Dolls
1973

Tracks
1. Personality Crisis 
2. Looking For A Kiss 
3. Vietnamese Baby 
4. Lonely Planet Boy 
5. Frankenstein 
6. Trash 
7. Bad Girl 
8. Subway Train
9. Pills
10. Private World
11. Jet Boy

Happy 300th album everyone! 30% there!

I have gotten in the habit of being sickeningly sentimental on hundred marker posts and this one will be no exception.  Way back in June when I reached 200 I talked about how I wasn't as excited about this project as I used to be.  However, yesterday I was feeling majorly depressed.  I sometimes go through slumps like this (just one of the many perks of being me).  Anyway, I decided to listen to some music and I played "These Days" by Nico.  At that moment, I felt an enormous emotional connection to a song; perhaps the most powerful connection I have ever felt to music.  I would have never felt that if I hadn't begun this journey.  So really, who cares if I have to sift through garbage (here's looking at you, prog rock) more often then in my other blogs?  If I can find even one more "These Days" it will have all been worth it.

And now, to close the 1973s, we have The New York Dolls, precursor to the Sex Pistols.  More yelling, more noise.  The only thing that really sets this apart is that Andy Warhol was involved in the making of this album.  Having just seen another one of Warhol's crappy films, I am not too happy with him at the moment.  However, when he is involved with music, it is pretty fantastic, like with The Velvet Underground.

Overall, obnoxious.  But 300s!

RATING: 2/5

299. 3+3

3+3
Isley Brothers
1973

Tracks
1. That Lady
2. Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight
3. If You Were There 
4. You Walk Your Way 
5. Listen to the Music 
6. What It Comes Down To 
7. Sunshine (Go Away Today) 
8. Summer Breeze 
9. Highways of My Life

I think everyone is familiar with at least a couple of songs.  If you are a woman and say you haven't pictured yourself walking down a hallway to "That Lady" then you are most definitely lying.

This album felt like a real throwback to the fifties. It is fun and happy with no political message or pretentiousness.   How absolutely refreshing.

This album has absolutely no emotional depth but sometimes you just want music that you can dance around to and feel good about.  It is an extremely odd break in between two major punk albums but it was a pleasant change.  

Forgettable but fun!  Like a really dumb hot guy!

RATING: 4/5

298. Raw Power

Raw Power
Iggy and the Stooges
1973

Tracks
1. Search And Destroy
2. Gimme Danger
3. Your Pretty Face Is Going To Hell
4. Penetration
5. Raw Power
6. I Need Somebody
7. Shake Appeal
8. Death Trip

I am having a bit of an album marathon so that I can finally make it past both 1973 and the 200s.  We are about to witness history here people!  But before that, we must get through Iggy.  And what a chore that is.

This album's only goal seems to be to be as loud and incoherent as possible.  I really could not understand what was being said at all.  Apparently the studio thought so too, so they called in David Bowie to fix it up.  According to the book, he stayed "true to the vision" and didn't mess with it too much.

That being said, I now have such a low standard for albums after going through this journey that I really didn't hate it too much.  I don't know if this is because I am appreciating music more or if I am just getting of sick of giving albums 1 star.  I prefer to think the former.

RATING: 2/5

297. Billion Dollar Babies

Billion Dollar Babies
Alice Cooper
1973

Tracks
1. Hello Hooray 
2. Raped And Freezin' 
3. Elected 
4. Billion Dollar Babies
5. Unfinished Sweet 
6. No More Mister Nice Guy 
7. Generation Landslide 
8. Sick Things 
9. Mary Ann 
10. I Love The Dead

Oh my god.  I actually liked this album.  No, not liked.  LOVED.

Before, I was a self proclaimed Alice Cooper hater.  I thought that he didn't have much talent and all he wanted to do was shock people instead of providing mindful entertainment.  However, this album rocked my world.

For starters, this album is extremely catchy.  I found myself singing along to "No More Mister Nice Guy" before I even knew the words.  Now, obviously, some of the songs are a bit creepy (just look at the track listing to see what I mean).  "I Love The Dead" is a song about necrophilia.  Just ignore that one; I really can't defend it.

This album is also a really good length.  Memorable but not overly long.  Alice Cooper has been redeemed in my book, though I still wouldn't want to come across him alone.

RATING: 5/5

P.S. "Mary Ann" was actually pretty sweet which makes up for the other creepy songs.

296. Next

Next
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
1973

Tracks
1. Swampsnake
2. Gang Bang
3. Faith Healer
4. Giddy-Up-A-Ding-Dong 
5. Next
6. Vambo Marble Eye
7. Last of the Teenage Idols

This album was really hit and miss.  At times, I absolutely hated it.  Then there were those few good tracks that I could see putting on my iPod.  Then I hated it again.

I actually expected this album to be awful.  I had never heard of Alex Harvey and these track names are completely ridiculous.  Maybe that is partly why I am giving this album a semi-positive review.  At least it exceeded my expectations.

I listened to this album pretty intently and the lyrics are nothing to get excited about.  First of all, a lot these songs are covers.  In addition, I found the song "Gang Bang" pretty upsetting (can you guess why?).  A lot of people think that track is hilarious.  Either I am a total buzz kill or they are sick.  Probably both of these things.

However, some of these songs are pretty fun.  "Faith Healer" is actually pretty catchy and so is "Giddy-Up-A-Ding-Dong".  I do have a problem, though, with this being listed as an album you must listen to before you die.  I am pretty sure I could have lived without it.  In fact, I think everyone has been living without it and is doing just fine.

RATING: 3/5

295. Band On The Run

Band On The Run
Paul McCartney & Wings
1973

Tracks
1. Band On The Run
2. Jet
3. Bluebird
4. Mrs Vanderbilt
5. Let Me Roll It
6. Mamunia
7. No Words
8. Picasso's Last Words
9. Picasso's Last Words (Drink To Me)
10. Nineteen Hundred And Eighty Five

The high brow blogs that I read that review the 1001 albums always call albums like this "pedestrian" and praise any progressive rock that we come across.

But either I am a lot less pretentious or I am just as pedestrian as these albums, because I happen to love pop.  It is cute, light, and fun and just stop your hating already.  We get it, you are smarter than us!

Paul McCartney's solo work has become a bit of joke.  Maybe he is not as deep (i.e. whiny) as John Lennon but he is just having fun.  That is all this album is; accept it for what it is!  Personally, I think it is a nice break from ridiculously pretentious albums (ahem…Bongo Rock).

RATING: 5/5

294. Tres Hombres

Tres Hombres
ZZ Top
1973

Tracks
1. Waitin' For The Bus 
2. Jesus Just Left Chicago 
3. Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers
4. Master Of Sparks 
5. Hot, Blue And Righteous
6. Move Me On Down The Line 
7. Precious and Grace
8. La Grange 
9. Sheik 
10. Have You Heard?

Everyone else seems to have preconceived notions of ZZ Top except me.  I didn't even know if it was a band or a person.  Much like the Led Zeppelin confusion I had at the beginning of this journey.

To my surprise, I actually loved this album.  I say that it surprised me because the quote in the book by Dusty Hill was "Everybody everywhere goes to whores, drinks beer, and drives fast."  That is not exactly something I can relate to, at least on weekdays.

Anyway, this album is actually really short; only about thirty minutes.  They had this really cool blues rock thing going on that was pretty unusual and fun.  And they quit before the album became tedious which is also a plus.  Check it out.

RATING: 4/5