723. Bone Machine

Bone Machine
Tom Waits
1992

Tracks
1. Earth Died Screaming
2. Dirt In The Ground
3. Such A Scream
4. All Stripped Down
5. Who Are You
6. The Ocean
7. Jesus Gonna Be Here
8. A Little Rain
9. In The Colosseum
10. Goin' Out West
11. Murder In The Red Barn
12. Black Wings
13. Whistle Down The Wind
14. I Don't Wanna Grow Up
15. Let Me Down Up On It
16. That Feel

I do love me some Tom Waits, but did the song "In The Colosseum" annoy the bejesus out of anybody else? 

Maybe it was just me and my Thursday morning crankiness. I didn't think this was quite as good as his previous albums on the List, but it was still an enjoyable experience. Waits always surprises me with how he uses his voice. Definitely one of a kind.

I wouldn't call this the quintessential Tom Waits album, but definitely worth listening to.

RATING: 3/5

306. 461 Ocean's Boulevard

461 Ocean's Boulevard
Eric Clapton
1974

Tracks
1. Motherless Children 
2. Give Me Strength 
3. Willie And The Hand Jive 
4. Get Ready
5. I Shot The Sheriff 
6. I Can't Hold Out 
7. Please Be With Me 
8. Let It Grow 
9. Steady Rollin' Man 
10. Mainline Florida

I loved this album and I was really pleased with myself for liking it.  I mean, Eric Clapton is a big name, right?  Look at me, actually enjoying the classics!

Then I did some research on this album and found out that everyone actually hated this album.  Apparently, Eric Clapton made incredibly racist remarks and is an overall douche.  In this album, he kind of channeled some Bob Marley and Stevie Wonder into his albums, which makes people really mad.

Well, the comments he made are certainly disgusting but sometimes we have to separate the art from the man.  I thought this albums was really catchy and fun (though Marley does "I Shot The Sheriff" better).  "Let It Grow" is a really sweet song that The Book compares to "Stairway to Heaven".  So I hate the guy but love the album, even if it feels like exploitation a bit.

RATING: 4/5

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

232. Pearl

Pearl
Janis Joplin
1971

Tracks
1. Move Over
2. Cry Baby
3. Woman Left Lonely
4. Half Moon
5. Buried Alive In The Blues
6. My Baby
7. Me And Bobby McGee
8. Mercedes Benz
9. Trust Me
10. Get It While You Can


I don't know why I am doing so many of these lately; I just always seem to have an album on.  I am not going to question it though, because like I mentioned at album #200, I sometimes feel like quitting this blog.  1971 is just my year.


Janis Joplin reminds me strongly of Adele, although I think Adele is a bit better (please don't kill me).  This album was released after Janis kicked the bucket which forever immortalizes her as a legend since she didn't have a chance to do any wrong.


You know how some people believe that you can feel when you are going to die before it happens?  Well, they might want to use this album as evidence for that theory.  There is so much pain packed into this album that it feels very foreboding.  There are certain songs that seem more upbeat but overall there is a feeling of ickiness as Cher would say.


Poignant and sad but beautiful in its way.


RATING: 3/5

219. L.A .Woman

L.A. Woman
The Doors
1971

Tracks
1. Changeling
2. Love Her Madly
3. Been Down So Long
4. Cars Hiss By My Window
5. LA Woman
6. L'America
7. Hyacinth House
8. Crawlin' Kingsnake
9. Wasp
10. Riders On The Storm


This has to be a fairly quick review since I am meeting a friend in the city for dinner.  It is going to be fun even though every time I drive in the city, I feel like I having a heart attack.


This is the last Doors album on the list and the last album they did with Jim Morrison.  I must say, I expected to be more impressed with their finale album.  Some tunes were, of course, quite catchy but others just sounded repetitive and kind of obnoxious.  It actually sounded pretty country as far as the Doors go.  Not exactly going out with a bang...

RATING: 2/5

214. At Fillmore East

At Fillmore East
The Allman Brothers
1971

Tracks
1. Statesboro Blues
2. I Done Somebody Wrong
3. They Call It Stormy Monday 
4. You Don't Love Me (You Don't Care)
5. Hot Lanta 
6. In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed 
7. Whipping Post


We have had quite a streak of famous albums, however, it comes to a halt with this one.  I have never heard of the Allman Brothers, probably because they are not very good.  I have heard the term "musical masturbation" a few times and have always thought it was a bit crude.  However, I totally understand the need to use it now; this album was pure musical masturbation.


This album is mostly instrumental so thankfully I was not too bored listening to it since I was finishing Mysteries of Udolpho at the time (an addictive read; highly recommended). It reminded me strongly of the band Cream but I recall Cream being better.  Overall just plain boring and unoriginal.

RATING: 2/5

180. Morrison Hotel

Morrison Hotel
The Doors
1970

Tracks
1. Roadhouse Blues
2. Waiting For The Sun
3. You Make Me Real
4. Peace Frog
5. Blue Sunday
6. Ship Of Fools
7. Land Ho
8. Spy
9. Queen Of The Highway
10. Indian Summer
11. Maggie McGill 


This has got to be a quick review because Real Housewives of Orange County is on soon (yes, you read that correctly).  I think very few people haven't heard of The Doors but an even smaller sum can actually name one Doors song.  It is a shame that they have simply become a name (at least to my generation) because they are really talented.

This album was a definite improvement from the previous one we listened to (right here).  The first one was phenomenal but this one had a very...how do I put this?  In this album, the band new their strengths and weaknesses better and knew what worked for them and what didn't.  Was that vague enough?  I think I should start assisting politicians in elections (David Palmer for president!).  Wow, I am really not making sense; we should wrap this up quickly.  Very good; listen to it.

RATING: 5/5

176. Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs

Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs
Derek and the Dominos
1970

Tracks
1. I Looked Away
2. Bell Bottom Blues 
3. Keep on Growing 
4. Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out
5. I Am Yours
6. Anyday 
7. Key to the Highway 
8. Tell the Truth 
9. Why Does Love Got to Be So Sad? 
10. Have You Ever Loved a Woman? 
11. Little Wing 
12. It's Too Late 
13. Layla 
14. Thorn Tree in the Garden


So yesterday I was in a deep lethargic state and today I slept in until 11:15.  The feeling is beginning to set in again (it is 4:38 pm after all) so I am going to be short and sweet again so I can completely veg out.


Derek and the Dominos was a rock band formed by Eric Clapton (a familiar face!).  Clapton was in love with George Harrison's wife and "Layla" was a song inspired by his unrequited love.  So romantic!!!  Sorry, my girlishness is showing.  Anyway, it was a pretty good album, which was unexpected because I had never heard of this band in my life.  It was some nice blues rock for a soon to be lazy afternoon.  


RATING: 3/5