Your life is filled with much confusion

Continuing my trip up Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time...

#431 : How Will The Wolf Survive - Los Lobos (1984)

“We were kids with long hair and plaid shirts playing Mexican folk instruments,” said Los Lobos’ Louie Perez. But the band, lifelong friends from East L.A., became a surprise success, mixing traditional Mexican sounds with blues and rockabilly for tough, whomping roots rock like “I Got Loaded” and “Don’t Worry Baby.” There are excellent songwriting moments, too, like “A Matter of Time,” a tender, moving dialogue between a young married couple with dreams of immigrating to find a better life.

I vaguely recall Los Lobos from the first time around but can't say I particularly remember engaging with them, and I wasn't particularly expecting to engage now either.  And to be honest, that's pretty much what happened - I didn't hate it and I admired quite a lot of it, with a considerable amount of skill on display.  I particularly liked the title track but most of the tracks just didn't strike me as my sort of thing.  The thought that kept coming back to me was "Mexican Pogues" which is probably a little simplistic, but isn't intended to be a slight.  I also imagine that everyone had a fantastic time at a Los Lobos gig - the joint would have been jumping!

Having read up about them on Wikipedia, I must correct the previous sentence to use the present tense - they're still going with the original members, which considering they formed in 1973 is impressive!  "Customers also listened to" a load of groups who I (with my racially stereotypical hat on) assume sound similar - or will to me anyway.  However, although it's not quite my cup of tea, I'm glad I listened to it.

#430 : My Aim Is True - Elvis Costello (1977)

Elvis Costello on the fuel for his debut: “I spent a lot of time with just a big jar of instant coffee and the first Clash album [see No. 102], listening to it over and over.” The music is more pub rock than punk rock, but the songs are full of punk’s verbal bite. The album’s opening lines — “Now that your picture’s in the paper being rhythmically admired” — and the poisoned-valentine ballad “Alison” established Costello as one of the sharpest, and nastiest, lyricists of his generation.

I like Elvis Costello, but don't believe I've ever listened to any of his albums except for the greatest hits - so was concerned this album would fall into the "i like the singles but why would I bother with the rest of it?" category.  And well, unfortunately, it does.  There's nothing wrong with any of it, but "Alison" and "Watching The Detectives" stand out a mile for me, with "Red Shoes" (which was apparently also a single) a distant third.

Actually, Wikipedia tells me that "Alison" wasn't successful as a single when it was released - it took "Watching The Detectives" (which I remember from 43(!!) years ago) for him to become (as he put it) "an overnight success after 7 years".  His Wikipedia page is quite lengthy - he's been around for a year or two but I think we can all agree that the most interesting fact is "Costello's first broadcast recording was with his father in a television commercial for R. White's Lemonade ("I'm a Secret Lemonade Drinker") which aired in 1974. His father sang the song, and Costello sang backing vocals" (and I remember those terrible adverts as well!).  "Customers also listened to" Nick Lowe, which isn't in the slightest bit surprising (he also produced this album).  Overall, I was pleased to listen to it but am intrigued as to how Rolling Stone picked this album over any other of his and can't see me revisiting it.  I'd have to also say it's a very nasty album cover!

#429 : Reach Out - The Four Tops (1967)

The Four Tops were the most dramatic of the Motown singing groups, driven by the towering vocals of Levi Stubbs. Reach Out has overwrought classics like the title track, the goth-soul tsunami “7 Rooms of Gloom,” and “Bernadette,” on which lust and paranoia spontaneously combust. They also branch out into rock and folk with covers of the Monkees and Tim Hardin. It was the last Motown album for the label’s definitive songwriting team Holland, Dozier, and Holland.

I'm aware of The Four Tops, but can't say I know all that much about them, other than knowing that Levi Stubbs was their lead singer and I have to thank Billy Bragg for that.  I like the track "Reach Out" despite it being somewhat over the top so was expecting more of the same.  And more of the same is what this album delivers - but even more so!  

Most of the songs on this album are fantastically over the top and are all the better for it.  I mean - who could possibly resist a track called "7 Rooms Of Gloom"?!?  (although personally I'm disappointed there isn't an accompanying Hammer House Of Horror film).  "Bernadette" deserves a mention too for it's overblown majesty but basically all of the tracks have been turned up to 11.  Also, somewhat bizarrely there are a couple of Monkees cover versions in there, which although done effectively seem a strange choice.

However, "Reach Out (I'll Be There)" has to take the headlines with (as Wikipedia puts it) "Levi Stubbs delivers many of the lines in the song in a tone that some suggest straddles the line between singing and shouting".  There are some interesting covers of this song out there - Gloria Gaynor manages to make it even more melodramatic and Diana Ross strips it back effectively.  And Boyzone manage to murder it most heinously on their album "Dublin To Detroit" which I'm far too scared of to investigate further.

"Customers also listened to" Stevie Wonder and The Isley Brothers - "no way!" said no-one ever.  All in all, I liked this album and will go out of my way to investigate The Four Tops a bit more in future.  "Holland and Holland (and Lamont Dozier too) are here to make it all OK for you"

And I think they can be declared the overall winner as well - although both of the other albums were an enjoyable education, The Four Tops take it way over the top and I really liked that.

#434-432 - Another easy winner
#428-426 - Not much competition offered from the lads here