Well - it's one for the money, two for the show

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

#334 : Abraxas - Santana (1970)

“Black Magic Woman,” the Top Five hit from Abraxas, is definitive Santana: Afro-Latin grooves and piercing, lyrical, psychedelic blues guitar. It’s a cover of a Fleetwood Mac song written by one of Carlos Santana’s guitar heroes, Peter Green. The album’s other hit was also a cover: Tito Puente’s “Oye Como Va.” The clarion quality of Santana’s solos inspired many guitarists, especially artists looking to bridge seemingly divergent styles, including Prince.

My first exposure to Santana was on Live Aid and I must admit my initial response was "Wtf is this?" but over the years I've come to appreciate him/them more and I really like Supernatural, their 1999 album (was it really that long ago?).  But I'd never listened to this album - I might have heard the cover of "Black Magic Woman" but it hadn't stuck with me - and was intrigued to do so.

And I thought it was OK - it moves along nicely, although if anything the guitar solos were a bit disappointing because they were more understated than I was expecting, but the level of skill involved is indisputable.  "Black Magic Woman" stood out for me, but that might well have been because I know the song.  I won't be rushing back to it, but it was certainly perfectly listenable.

Wikipedia has remarkably little to say about the album - which seems weird given that it sold 5 million copies in the US.  It does however explain that Abraxas is "a word of mystic meaning in the system of the Gnostic Basilides, being there applied to the 'Great Archon', the princeps of the 365 spheres” - I, for one, am glad that's been cleared up.  The page for the band is slightly longer, but surprisingly short considering they've been going for over 50 years - whoever drew up the "band members" section was extremely thorough, listing over 70 people!  For actual facts and interesting stories, you have to go to Carlos' page - the man has most definitely lived.  "Customers also listened to" a lot of other Santana albums and Jimi Hendrix - I guess I can see that.  So, an OK album, but personally I'll either be going back to Supernatural or their best of.

#333 : Still Bill - Bill Withers (1972)

“Too many black artists get conned into doing so-called standards,” Withers said in 1972. “Songs by white writers who make the big money.” On his second album, Withers simply decided to write his own standards. The friendship anthem “Lean on Me” became his signature, while the propulsive “Use Me” would become one of the most-beloved tunes of all time, later sung by D’Angelo, Fiona Apple, and many others. If Just As I Am introduced Withers as a vital voice, Still Bill solidified him as a songwriter’s songwriter.

And we're a third of the way down the list!  I knew and liked "Lean On Me" and love, love, love his voice, but don't believe I've ever listened to a whole Bill album, so was looking forward to it.  And I quite enjoyed it, but most of the songs weren't exactly what I'd call immediate - I suspect I would grow to appreciate them given multiple listens, but unfortunately I've not got time for that just at the minute.  So for the time being, it's an "OK" with the potential for more.

Fair play to the man for writing and producing it himself - I can quite believe a lot of black artists at the time were heavily exploited (and I'm sure they still are - let's not pretend we're living in golden era here!).  Wikipedia tells me that "Lean On Me" was one of only 9 songs which has made #1 in the US recorded by two different artists (and that's an interesting list, I can tell you, including "Venus" by Shocking Blue and Bananarama) - Club Nouveau also got it to the top in 1987.  

Wikipedia doesn't have a lot to say about the man, although it's interesting that it very much seems like when he'd had enough of the music industry in 1985 he just stopped doing it - he popped up from time to time, but really didn't do very much from that point until his death last year.  It's nice as well that most photos show him with the widest grin imaginable (except on the album cover) - we need more happy folks making music out there!  "Customers also listened to" various people, but Roberta Flack is the name that leaps out at me - they both made sweet, understated music with a certain steely quality to it.  I can't claim I'll be rushing back to this (greatest hits feels more likely) but I'm glad I listened to it. 

#332 : Elvis Presley - Elvis Presley (1956)

In November 1955, RCA Records bought Elvis Presley’s contract, singles, and unreleased master tapes from Sun Records for $35,000. His first full-length album came out four months later, with tracks drawn from both the Sun sessions and from further recording at RCA’s studios in New York and Nashville. “There wasn’t any pressure,” guitarist Scotty Moore said. “They were just bigger studios with different equipment.” On tracks such as “Blue Suede Shoes,” that meant revved-up country music with the sexiest voice anyone had ever heard.

Elvis who?  Never heard of him.  Oh wait, I remember him - he's that guy that was ALWAYS on the telly in terrible films during the school holidays.  I didn't know he'd made music as well...

Hmmm - now this is a tricky one.  The version I found on Amazon Music sounded suspiciously like a greatest hits and comparing track lists on Wikipedia, my suspicions were well and truly confirmed.  Looking at the original track list, it was somewhat less "classic Elvis" heavy - but there's no denying this (unlike many others on the list) actually is a great album with an unquestionable legacy, being the first rock and roll album to top the charts and the first million selling of the genre.  I don't particularly love a lot of the tracks - I must admit to having a softer spot for cheesy later Elvis - but who really cares what I think here and the high points are undoubtedly historic.

Wikipedia has both an awful lot and pretty much nothing to say about the album - the one thing I took away is that there is an FTD (whatever that is) version of the album that includes, amongst other things, 12 takes of "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" and 13 takes of "Shake Rattle and Roll".  If that's not one for the completists, I don't know what is.  Elvis' Wikipedia page is too long to even start - I'll save that for a later album (it'll be interesting to see how many albums of his there are).  "Customers also listened to" "no similar recommendations" on Amazon Music - which seems somewhat odd to say the least!  All in all, a great musical education for me which I'm unlikely to rush back to, but I'm glad I visited.

So three acceptable albums and whilst I'm not generally one for voting based upon history, this round feels it has to go to Elvis, man.

#337-335 - And the award for blandest winner goes to...
#331-329 - Three fine but very different albums