51. Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul

Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul
Otis Redding
1965

Amanda: I almost cried when I heard this album.  Otis Redding died in a plane crash (why does this keep happening?; good singers should just avoid planes) shortly after this was released.  I know this review is starting like a rave, but I didn't love this album.  He reminded me of Sam Cooke which I always enjoy.  It felt like the kind of music that is always playing at the end of school dance in movies.  I can see brightening up if this was playing, but I didn't love it enough to put on my iPod.  Not that I could if I wanted to.  This project has got me spending so much on iTunes that I used up my gift cards.  Now I will have to put a credit card on.  Sigh...

RATING:

Nothing beats "My Girl" or "Wonderful World".

Brie: As Amanda said, Otis Redding died in a plane crash shortly after this album was released. Learning this was a huge hit. First Buddy Holly, now this!?! *Sigh* I really, really liked this. Probably because Sam Cooke was Redding's mentor. I really loved "Respect" and the cover of the Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction". Listening to this album, knowing Redding's tragic fate puts knots in my stomach. Which, in my opinion, is what good music should do. From start to finish, a quality album that I can't wait to listen to again.

RATING:

By the way, I completely agree about the school dance thing. Not that either of us would know about that. We just know what we have observed from movies.

50. Bringing It All Back Home

Bringing It All Back Home
Bob Dylan
1965

Amanda: So for this Bob Dylan attempt, I actually looked up the lyrics so I could follow along and try to glean some meaning from them.  No such luck.  I can't even work out what the title "Subterranean Homesick Blues" means.  This can mean one of two things in my book: 1. It means absolutely nothing or 2. It is purposefully hard to understand for the sake of being pretentious.  Now I don't even care. That one song bugged the hell out of me. Music shouldn't be that hard to understand.  How can you tell when it is too hard?  Hint: you have three different windows open on possible interpretations, you are listening so intently your head starts to hurt, and you have fantasies of knocking Dylan's stupid harmonica out of his guitar-apparatus.  I will put that much effort into understanding literature or historical events, not two minute songs.

RATING:


We made it to 50!!!!

Brie: Okay, so I kind of took a bit of a hiatus, just because I had a huge workload, and I knew I would write a sizable review for this album. So, non existent followers, I apologize.

Firstly, "Subterranean Homesick Blues" is my number one played song in my iTunes library. It is a stream of consciousness nothing that a lot of Dylan fans live by. I mean, you get a lot of advice out of that two minute song. "You don't need a weather man to know which way the wind blows", "Don't follow leaders, watch the parking meters". Plus, the song is just so groovin'. Very, very fun.

"She Belongs To Me" and "Love Minus Zero/No Limit" are carefully tiptoeing the border between electric and acoustic. Both are beautiful love songs. "She Belongs To Me" is an ironic title, because as we can learn from the song, that woman belonged to no one ("You will start out standing... You will wind up peeking through her keyhole down upon your knees").

"Maggie's Farm" is what some could call a protest against protest music. As Dylan was going electric with some songs on this album, he no longer wrote his topical songs which folkies treasured so dearly. His turn to electric upset a lot of people, and "Maggie's Farm" is an awesome metaphor sticking it to the folk fans. I prefer the live version of this song, which can be found on the "No Direction Home" soundtrack (Bootleg Series, vol. 7).

"Outlaw Blues", "On The Road Again" and "Bob Dylan's 115th Dream" are basically Dylan testing the electric waters, so to speak. Both are good, solid rock songs with great lyrics and stories. "Bob Dylan's 115th Dream" is so entertaining! I want to hear the first 114 dreams!!!

The second side of the album (if I was listening to vinyl, which sadly I am not), is more for the acoustic fans. "Mr. Tambourine Man" has always been one of my favorites. Something about the chorus just goes very deep for me. The song sounds desperate, uplifting and so true all at the same time. Definitely one of my all time favorite songs. "Gates Of Eden" and "It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)" are Dylan's most poetic and serious tracks on this album.

It never ceases to amuse me that if you listen to this album, then Dylan's next ("Highway 61 Revisited") the tracks go "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" (some people think that Baby Blue is the folk fans, other people think it is Dylan himself), and then "Like A Rolling Stone".

Can anyone guess what my rating will be?



RATING:

49. Here are the Sonics

Here are the Sonics
The Sonics
1965

Amanda: When I first listened to this album, I felt a bit hysterical and confused.  It certainly takes some getting used to.  First of all, I wouldn't even say that they are remotely good at singing.  It is more like screeching and yelling.  But they really don't need to be good, because that is what makes their sound so unique.  I actually enjoyed their covers more than the songs they wrote because then I got to hear the different twists they put on each classic song.  This definitely wasn't like anything I have ever heard before (maybe Little Richard comes close).

RATING:

I hate "The Village Idiot".

Brie: Ah, the Sonics. So ahead of their time with their garage punk sound. Love them. Their versions of those songs we have heard a hundred times are my favorite by far ("Good Golly Miss Molly", "Do You Love Me", "Roll Over Beethoven"). They were so rebellious. I really loved all of the songs up until the random Christmas tunes at the end. What was that about? And "The Village Idiot"??? I guess it was one of those 'you had to be there' moments. It was great to get a change of pace with the Sonics. We are having a nice stretch of albums here that aren't all one genre! Thank you 1001 Albums book!!!

RATING:

48. Live at the Star Club, Hamburg

Live at the Star Club, Hamburg
Jerry Lee Lewis
1965

Amanda: I feel obligated to say how creepy Jerry Lee Lewis is. He married his thirteen-year-old cousin (once removed; does anyone know what the hell that means?) and all his wives died in mysterious ways.  He actually inspired me to try to find out when statutory rape laws were enacted.  I couldn't find any starting dates, but most cases seemed to be recent.  Oh well, I guess he would have been arrested.

Since this blog is not modeled off Virginia Woolf's writing style, I should probably get to the matter at hand (A-O!).  This album is actually the style of music I usually love but it is probably my least favorite rock and roll album so far.  Of course, you have the cliches of "Great Balls of Fire" (I saw a dance routine to that once) but you also have some unexpected ones like "Your Cheatin' Heart". Good, not great.

RATING:

Brie: I know no one is going to get this, but every time I hear "Great Balls of Fire" I think of the book Rising Sun by Michael Crichton. One of the characters mouths the words to that song throughout the book.

The album got off to an overwhelming start. "Money" and "Matchbox" are very fast songs and it takes a bit of time to get used to. Once you get to "What'd I Say" it isn't as crazy, and you can take a breather. With "Good Golly Miss Molly" it got crazy again and then I was left thinking about Little Richard. Overall, the album was good but it wasn't a stand out as far as rock 'n' roll goes. I wouldn't seek it out again.

RATING:

47. I've Got a Tiger by the Tail

I've Got a Tiger by the Tail
Buck Owens and the Buckaroos (quick quiz, will Amanda like this?)
1965

Amanda: This album kind of made me cringe.

There is some country that I like, believe it or not.  I love stories (if all you nonexistent followers out there read my blogs you know that).  Songs that tell stories are common in the country genre and whenever I hear a song like that, I immediately sit docilely and listen.  These songs didn't really tell any kind of story.  I mean, his name is Buck Owens so you know it is very hicky.  I know I am kind of snobby but I gave it a chance!  I think it got a lot better towards the end (I am not preparing you for a smart-ass pun, I really did like the end songs).  I actually liked "Let the Sad Times Roll."  I think this one of those things you have to be in the mood for.  Like Milky Way bars.  Maybe if I was taking a road trip through Alabama it would have been cool.  Just not my type.

RATING:

Brie: "These are all story songs, come on now." - a very, very high Bob Dylan, in concert, 1966. Kidding, these weren't story songs. I do like some country, like Johnny Cash. But not in abundance. I just find most country musician's voices to be kind of whiny and ear piercing. There are exceptions, of course. The only songs I liked on this album were "Let the Good Times Roll" and "Memphis". I promise I will review some country albums favorably in the future. I am more of an alternative country/ country-rock fan. The songs were just too country for me. "That's all I have to say about that." - Forrest Gump.

RATING:

46. Rolling Stones (England's Newest Hitmakers)

Rolling Stones (England's Newest Hitmaker's)
Rolling Stones
1964

Amanda: I was really excited by this album because I have been told that I would really love The Rolling Stones, particularly because they were often compared to The Beatles.  However, I wasn't really impressed.  I kind of built them up in my mind a lot, and they certainly did not reach my expectations.  They really only covered other people's songs, so it wasn't very orginal.  Jagger has always freaked me out (especially in that infamous music video with Bowie) but even his personality didn't shine through.  I think I will have to wait for the later albums to give a real opinion.  This was so...underwhelming.

RATING:

Brie: I expected greatness from the Rolling Stones. Concur, Amanda, it was underwhelming for sure. In the live videos of the Stones performing these songs in '64 (the year this came out), they were so goody two shoes boy band-esque. Like early pop star Beatles. Ugh. No substance. This album was quite mindless, and the only song I can say I liked was "Not Fade Away". And that is just because it reminded me of the Crickets. But I look forward to later Rolling Stones albums when they find their own musical voice.

RATING:

45. A Girl Called Dusty

A Girl Called Dusty
Dusty Springfield
1964

Amanda: Surprisingly enough, I don't think I had ever heard a Dusty Springfield song before this.  I have heard "Mama Said" by the Shirelles and "You Don't Own Me" by Leslie Gore (and of course Goldie Hawn, Diane Keaton, and Bette Midler) but I had never heard her rendtions.  She also sang a song from The Sound of Music.  This album wasn't boring, however, because none of songs were cliches or tiresome.  I love her voice (and her name!).  My favorite track was "When the Love Light Starts Shining Through His Eyes," even though I think that is a ridiculously long name for a track.

RATING:

Check out our new blog located on our blog roll, non-existent readers!

Brie: I've heard a few Dusty Springfield songs before this, but I didn't have a good appreciation for her until hearing this album. Her voice is one of the best female soul voices I've heard yet. All of the songs on this album were so fun and cheery to listen to! My favorites include "Wishin' and Hopin'", and "Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa". Also, if you look up some of these songs on YouTube, specifically "Mockingbird" and watch the live version you will see that Dusty was such a delight to see perform. Definitely one of my new faves!


RATING: