331. The Koln Concert

The Koln Concert
1975
Keith Jarret

Tracks

1. Part I 
2. Part IIa 
3. Part IIb 
4. Part Iic

Between recovering from clavicle surgery and returning to work, I haven't had a lot of time to work on the album list.  However, I streamed this record a couple of days ago and I couldn't ask for a better welcome back album.  I have officially found a jazz album that I enjoy and one that I will insist on playing at my next dinner party (you know, if I am ever invited to a dinner party or, an even more laughable idea, if I have one).

Jarret plays the piano like no one I ever heard before.  It is not slow and sad or upbeat and quick.  It hovers somewhere in the middle, so instead of having an emotional reaction, I had more of a thoughtful one.  I am probably not doing a good job of explaining this, but this album made me feel mellow and pensive.  These are particular welcome feelings after brooding and not feeling good for two weeks after my surgery.

I would definitely recommend this album for anyone who thinks jazz is strictly for stuffy intellectuals (ahem..me).  I assure you: it is highly accessible and incredibly beautiful.

RATING: 5/5

330. Physical Graffiti

Physical Graffiti
Led Zeppelin
1975

Tracks
1. Custard Pie
2. The Rover
3. In My Time Of Dying
4. Houses Of The Holy 
5. Trampled Underfoot 
6. Kashmir
7. In The Light
8. Bron-Yr-Aur 
9. Down By The Seaside
10. Ten Years Gone
11. Night Flight
12. Wanton Song
13. Boogie With Stu
14. Black Country Woman
15. Sick Again 

I am currently lying in bed and recovering from collarbone surgery.  Although it is quite painful, it will give me a chance to listen to some more albums and watch great movies.  So let's get cracking!

By now I am quite familiar with Led Zeppelin, having listening to at least five of their albums.  While I always enjoy the ride, Led has never made it on to my iPod, nor has there been a single song that has ever really jumped out at me.  This album was no exception.

My biggest complaint with this album was the sheer length of it.  Throughout the album, I felt like they were just trying to kill some time by adding in filler tracks.

It seems like I am bashing the album.  I really did like it; the songs were catchy and well done.  Still, no song stood out for me and the whole album was just way too long.  Possibly I am being hard on the album because I am cranky and in pain.  But it's my blog so I can do what I want.

RATING: 4/5

329. Neu! '75

Neu! '75
Neu
1975

Tracks
1. Isi
2. See Land
3. Leb' Wohl
4. Hero
5. E-Musik
6. After Eight

I am currently trying to write a short story.  I sat down to write today and I thought "maybe some great music will get the juices flowing."  Flash forward forty five minutes and I still haven't written a word.  However, the music was okay so I suppose this hasn't been a complete loss.

If I had stopped listening to the album halfway through, I would have enjoyed it a lot more.  The first half of the album had some great beats.  However, then we move into the second half, which not only has horrible vocals but just plain bad songs.  It sounded like they were half heartedly trying to create an album of soothing sounds to play when people are trying to meditate.

However, I hesitate to give this album a low rating because the first twenty minutes were fantastic, with "Isi" standing out.  Unfortunately, Neu just couldn't keep it up.  Oh well, maybe I will try to be inspired to write by a movie now.

RATING: 3/5

328. Go Girl Crazy!

Go Girl Crazy!
The Dictators
1975

Tracks
1. Next Big Thing 
2. I Got You Babe 
3. Back to Africa 
4. Master Race Rock 
5. Teengenerate
6. California Sun 
7. Two Tub Man 
8. Weekend 
9. (I Live for) Cars and Girls

I came to the sad realization awhile ago that sooner or later, I am going to have to face punk music.  Today, that distant dread became a reality.  And while the worst is yet to come, I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised with this album.

All right, so the band is made up entirely by douches.  I mean, the main singer's nickname is "Handsome Dick". And the album cover is..well…

While I am not that fond of Handsome Dick's voice (which seems to alternate between singing and talking), some of the songs were actually really catchy.  "Teengenerate" had a great instrumental beginning and everybody has heard "I Got You Babe."

I was expecting to be hit with both racism and sexism.  "Back to Africa" I imagined would make me cringe.  However, pretty much all they say is that they want to go to Africa, so it actually wasn't too bad.  As far as sexism goes, the songs are all pretty much about drinking and girls.  My, how man has evolved.

So I survived my first punk album (although I guess The New York Dolls could have been considered punk).  Not a bad album, though not especially intelligent (i.e. "what I want to do , I do/Who I want to screw, I screw").

RATING: 3/5

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