404. Crossing the Red Sea With the Adverts

Crossing the Red Sea With the Adverts
The Adverts
1978

Tracks
1. One Chord Wonders
2. Bored Teenagers
3. New Church
4. One the Roof
5. New Boys
6. Gary Gilmore's Eyes
7. Bombsite Boy
8. No Time to Be 21
9. Safety in Numbers
10. New Day Dawns
11. Drowning Men
12. On Wheels
13. Great British Mistake

Now this is finally some punk I can get into.  The band has the same anger and frustration of the Sex Pistols but the musicians are actually talented!  This felt like one of the smartest albums I have heard in a long time.

The opening track is "One Chord Wonders" and immediately sets the tone of the album with lyrics like "I wonder how we'll answer when you say we don't like you, go away."  It's self deprecating, fun, and never falters.  The message in each of the songs are rather uninspired (everything is terrible blah blah blah), but that's punk for you.  I actually found the songs to be quite melodic, considering the genre.

A wonderful album that has completely reconsidering punk music.  And a female bassist?  How mythical.

RATING: 4/5

403. Honky Tonk Masquerade

Honky Tonk Masquerade
Joe Ely
1978

Tracks
1. Cornbread Moon
2. Because of the Wind
3. Boxcars
4. Jericho (Your Walls Must Come Tumbling Down)
5. Tonight I Think I'm Gonna Go Downtown
6. Honky Tonk Masquerade
7. I'll Be Your Fool
8. Fingernails
9. West Texas Waltz
10. Honky Tonkin'

I don't think we have had an American album for awhile, but we return now to the United States and to a rather frightening genre from albums past: country music.  I know a lot of people absolutely hate country music.  When I have been on dates (I swear it does happen!) and casting around for conversations subjects, the question "what kind of music do you like?" always comes up.  I swear, every guy I have asked this question to has responded "anything but country."  Every.  Time.  When did people get so boring? 

Anyway, I think country music can be quite beautiful but it can also be the worst thing you've ever heard (after all these years, I haven't forgotten Louvin brothers).  Thankfully, this was somewhere in between.  Yes, there were a few things that made me cringe, like the beginning of the song "I'll Be Your Fool."  Overall, however, this album was a pleasant surprise, with smart lyrics and catchy melodies.  My favorite song was "Jericho" but this album doesn't actually have that many lows.

America didn't embarrass me that much with this album.  But we still have disco for that I suppose.

RATING: 3/5

402. All Mod Cons

All Mod Cons
The Jam
1978

Tracks
1. All Mod Cons
2. To Be Someone (Didn't We Have A Nice Time)
3. Mr Clean 
4. David Watts 
5. English Rose
6. In The Crowd 
7. Billy Hunt 
8. It's Too Bad
9. Fly 
10. Place I Love 
11. 'A' Bomb In Wardour Street
12. Down In The Tube Station At Midnight

This is another fantastic album!  It makes me wonder if we are going to have a streak of brilliance, instead of duds!  Am I jinxing us?

I loved this album.  It was so delightfully British.  Although I don't know why anyone would be at tube stations at midnight; don't they stop running at 12:00?  Or perhaps I am betraying my own squareness by even asking such a question.  In any case, any sign of a mod revival excites me and I definitely got a strong Who vibe from this album.

Personally, I couldn't stop listening to the song "It's Too Bad" but lyrically, all of these songs are brilliant.  I suppose it's not a particularly new sound, but it is a damn fun one.

RATING: 4/5