327. Another Green World

Another Green World
Brian Eno
1975

Tracks
1. Sky Saw 
2. Over Fire Island 
3. St Elmo's Fire 
4. In Dark Trees 
5. Big Ship 
6. I'll Come Running 
7. Another Green World 
8. Sombre Reptiles 
9. Little Fishes 
10. Golden Hours 
11. Becalmed 
12. Zawinful/Lava 
13. Everything Merges With The Night
14. Spirits Drifting

We are officially into 1975.  I covered around two hundred years of books in the time that I have covered a decade in this blog.  However, that is part of the fun and I am looking forward to seeing any significant changes with the new year.

I have been surprised a lot lately with some of my reactions to albums and this one was no exception.  I figured Brian Eno was going to be too pretentious for my taste.  I just kind of assumed that if someone said they were creating "soundscapes" that person is most likely a major douche.  While that theory might still hold true, I enjoyed this album.

Now, this is certainly not the kind of music you can rock out to in your car.  It is actually pretty depressing and there are long stretches when Eno is not saying anything at all.  However, the music creates an atmosphere that is quite beautiful.

This is definitely not the kind of music that I would have been interested in listening to at the beginning of this journey, but I liked it quite a bit.

RATING: 4/5

326. Grievous Angel

Grievous Angel
Gram Parsons
1974

Tracks
1. Return of the Grievous Angel
2. Hearts on Fire
3. I Can't Dance
4. Brass Buttons
5. $1000 Wedding
6. Cash on the Barrelhead
7. Hickory Wind
8. Love Hurts
9. Ooh Las Vegas
10. In My Hour of Darkness

The Book lists this as the first country rock album.  However, we had some Lynyrd Skynyrd before this, which I think definitely counts as country rock.  The Book also says that the worst parts of this album were "I Can't Dance" and "Ooh Las Vegas" which were actually my favorite tracks.  Finally, The Book actually thinks this album is good whereas I think that it was pretty disappointing.

I did initially like this album.  Emmylou Harris, who did the back up vocals, definitely added something beautiful to the album; their voices complimented each other's nicely.  And, like I said, "I Can't Dance" was a fun track that I can definitely relate to and "Ooh Las Vegas" was a nice break after a lot of similar slow songs.

Every other song sounded pretty much the same.  Gram Parsons sang in a slow, mournful voice about either his mother or lost love.  This is one of those cases where I think most of the guy's fame came because of his early death.  I definitely don't think he is a genius.

That being said, it wasn't terrible and I think I would listen to it again. RIP Gram.

RATING: 2/5

325. Rock Bottom

Rock Bottom
Robert Wyatt
1974

Tracks
1. Sea Song
2. A Last Straw
3. Little Red Riding Hood Hit The Road 
4. Alifib 
5. Alife 
6. Little Red Robin Hood Hit The Road

That was kind of strange.  I read that Robert Wyatt made this album right after he became paralyzed.  Apparently, he fell out of a window when he was drunk.  Anyway, I imagined I would gain insight into the kind of emotions that he was experiencing at the time.  However, it was pretty much gibberish.

I am not just saying gibberish because I didn't like it.  Actually, much of the album was complete nonsense.  And, of course, that is my major problem with the album.  Wyatt could have really some really beautiful lyrics about his journey.  Instead there was a random poem and a rambling narrative.

However, I did enjoy the music.  The melodies had a haunting quality that almost sounded like Miles Davis.  I did get an idea of the pain and suffering he went through by listening to his music.  Still, I can't go all the way with this one because of the stupid lyrics.

RATING: 3/5

324. Natty Dread

Natty Dread
Bob Marley and the Wailers
1974

Tracks
1. Lively Up Yourself 
2. No Woman No Cry
3. Them Belly Full (But We Hungry)
4. Rebel Music (3 O'clock Roadblock) 
5. So Jah Seh 
6. Natty Dread 
7. Bend Down Low 
8. Talkin' Blues
9. Revolution

I am not trying to discount the male species' musical tastes, but I found that most guys' in high school favorite band was either Bob Marley And The Wailers or Pink Floyd.  Though I am sure this isn't true with every guy in high school, this certainly seemed to be the depth of their musical understanding of the guys I knew.  When I was in high school, I used this fact to weasel my way into many guy groups.  Of course, I didn't get go out on a date at all in high school so my data isn't exactly reliable.

But I will save stories about my high school experience for my therapist.  For now, we are talking about Natty Dread.

I do like Bob Marley but I was initially hesitant about this album because I heard that it was his angriest work.  I figured the music would just be a means to get a message across which is never really that enjoyable.

However, this album was just beautiful. First, we have the song "No Woman No Cry" which I think everyone has heard at least once.  The song conveys such powerful emotions that I, baby that I am, began to tear up when he started to sing "Everything's gonna be all right."  My favorite lyric, though, would have to be "my fear is my only courage."  Just beautiful.

Like I said, I had heard this album was very angry but to me, it seemed to convey more sadness and disappointment than anger (except when he started advocating bombing churches; there he sounded pretty pissed).  "Them Belly Full (But We Hungry)" is a new favorite of mine.

In his message for freedom and equality, he never forgets that music should, first and foremost, be enjoyable and catchy.  A new favorite.

RATING: 5/5

323. Good Old Boys

Good Old Boys
Randy Newman
1974

Tracks
1. Rednecks 
2. Birmingham 
3. Marie 
4. Mr President (Have Pity On The Working Man) 
5. Guilty
6. Louisiana 1927
7. Every Man A King 
8. Kingfish 
9. Naked Man 
10. Wedding In Cherokee County 
11. Back On My Feet Again
12. Rollin'

After a couple of pretty good albums we dip down again to this album by Randy Newman.  I have several problems with Randy.  I, like everyone else who wasn't around during the seventies, immediately think of his Disney career.  So, needless to say, it is a bit startling to hear the man who did the music for "The Princess and the Frog" say "we don't know our ass from a hole in the ground."  I also listened to quite a few commentaries that Randy did. He seems so pleased with himself that I really don't see the need for anyone else to go to the trouble.

Now, I know that "Rednecks" isn't really a song slamming rednecks or African Americans.  Instead, it is a song slamming liberal people who are just as racist but still look down on Southerners.  I know this, just as I know that the song "Short People" is actually a rant against short people.  Really, I get the irony.

Still, that doesn't mean that I think his songs are in any way clever or necessary.  I still find any song that uses the word "nigger" that many times extremely offensive.  Another one of his songs was "Louisiana 1927" which was a song about a flood in Louisiana and how bad Southern people are at construction work.  This is a relevant song even now, after Hurricane Katrina.  So semi props for that.

So if you want to hear Randy complain about everyone and anyone, get this album.  In the meantime, I hope to god that was the last Newman album, unless we get a soundtrack on the list.

RATING: 1/5