Now don't get me wrong, I think you're alright
Continuing my trip up Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time...
#300 : Come On Over - Shania Twain (1997)
Shania Twain’s third album was basically a country Thriller, still the biggest-selling album ever by a female artist. Twain and her husband, AC/DC and Def Leppard producer John “Mutt” Lange, had radio in a hammerlock during the late Nineties with hits like “You’re Still the One” and “Man! I Feel Like a Woman,” and Twain’s mix of genre-defying effervescence and feel-like-a-woman self-assertion helped pave the way for superstar rule breakers like the Dixie Chicks, Miranda Lambert, and Taylor Swift, who said seeing Shania perform inspired her to want to get onstage herself.
Best selling album by a woman you say? Obviously rubbish chick-music - next! Unsurprisingly, I was aware of Ms Twain and various tracks from the album - I couldn't claim to be the world's biggest fan, but I like some of it (and ironically, of course, "That Don't Impress Me Much" is probably the one that impresses me the most). But I'd certainly never listened to the album so was interested to see what I'd make of the rest of it.
And it's fine, I guess - you can understand why they picked the tracks they did as singles, although I'd have to say the single versions were much more polished that the original album versions I listened to (although apparently there a million different later versions of the album which feature the single versions or remixes or something). It's also 60 minutes long, which is a bit of an unnecessary drag for an album that doesn't exactly feature the greatest musical variety. But, it's generally an album with a bunch of positive messages which obviously struck a chord with many, so it feels churlish to criticise (but is that going to stop me?)
The Wikipedia entry for the album is surprisingly short - the brevity seems somewhat unfair given the reams of nonsense I've had to endure for other far less successful albums. But I suspect she doesn't overly care since it tells me that the album's sold over 40 million copies globally - the "Commercial Performance" section is staggering in the stats it delivers. It also tells me that of the 16 tracks on it, 12 were released as singles in the US (we only had to endure 7 over here). Fortunately, her Wikipedia entry is somewhat more of the length she deserves (although it confusingly includes a picture that doesn't really look very much like her - or at least not the classic Shania look that I recognise). Also, her name isn't even Shania (it's Eileen) - so my mum can rightfully reclaim her place as the most famous Shania out there! I'd have to say she sounds comparatively normal, although her and her first husband got divorced because he had an affair with her best friend and she then married the best friend's ex-husband, so that sounds suitable superstar-ish!
"Customers also listened to" a few random people I've mostly never heard of, but the list did include the magnificently titled "Did I Shave My Legs For This?" by Deana Carter - which feels like it would be sentiment that Shania would share. All in all, not entirely my thing but also not entirely without merit and it obviously means a lot to a lot of people (or a few people bought it a LOT of times).
#299 : Live At The Regal - BB King (1965)
By the mid-Sixties, B.B. King’s career appeared to be winding down, as black audiences began to turn their backs on the blues. But a British revival introduced the blues to young, white, American rock fans. Live at the Regal, recorded in Chicago in 1964, paved the way for King’s appearances on the rock-concert circuit and FM radio. His guitar sound was precise and powerful, driving emotional versions of some of his most influential songs, including “Every Day I Have the Blues” and “How Blue Can You Get?”
I've previously complained about not being able to get with recorded blues albums, so how about a live blues album? Well, I actually quite liked it - but I didn't think it was all that blues-y (even though it includes a track called "Woke Up This Mornin" - is there a more blues-y name that that?). It feels a bit wrong to say BB ain't singing the blues though, so I'm not sure what I was thinking - but I liked it though, so he shouldn't complain too much. I also (and this very rarely happens) thought the album was too short - 35 minutes and done.
Wikipedia has very little to say about the album but includes the following amusing quote "Robert Jethro was originally scheduled to play the organ, but after his organ broke, King instructed Jethro to play the piano. When Jethro said he did not know how to play the piano, King replied "Well, just sit there and pretend that's what you do most of the time anyway."" His Wikipedia entry suggests he was a decent guy who was happy to help anyone out - including the 15 people who came forward claiming to be his kids when apparently it's quite possible that none of them were. "Customers also listened to" Buddy Guy who sounds pretty similar to my uncultured ear - but my ear is feeling a bit more cultured after listening to and enjoying this.
#298 : Full Moon Fever - Tom Petty (1989)
It almost seems impossible to imagine now, but when Petty turned in Full Moon Fever, his record company didn’t want to put it out because they didn’t hear a single. But the album was an enormous success, with hits like “I Won’t Back Down,” “Runnin Down a Dream,” and the majestic L.A. portrait “Free Fallin’,” possibly Petty’s most beloved song. Producer Jeff Lynn gave the album a sleek but never slick sound that complemented Petty’s sharpest set of songs in a decade.
Yes, it does seem impossible to imagine they weren't going to release this because even I'm aware of "I Won't Back Down" and "Free Fallin'" and I think that's probably about all the Tom Petty tracks I can name for you (and a quick Google confirms this). So I was expecting this album to sound a bit like them, but not generally as good - otherwise I'd have remembered them from the time. And it kinda does, but actually some of the other tracks are a bit corny - not necessarily in a bad way, but they're just not taking themselves as seriously. For example, I chuckled at the following lyrics from "Yer So Bad" which I wasn't entirely expecting to
My sister got lucky - married a yuppy
Too him for all he was worth
Now she's a swinger - dating a singer
I can't decide which is worse.
Wikipedia describes it as Beatlesesque which was a thought that occurred to me in places (but not all the way through) - I would say it's mostly in the George Harrison corner who he would later play with as part of The Travelling Wilburys. It has very little else to say about the album but considerably more about the man, but there's not much of actual interest although he comes across as a nice enough guy and he's got a nice smiley photo up there as well (also looking nothing like classic Tom Petty). "Customers also listened to" a very bizarre selection of people - Bob Segar, The Clash, Billy Idol, The Pretenders and Pat Benatar. All very odd. So - did I like this? Hard to say - in parts yes and he does help his case by opening with "I Won't Back Down" and "Free Fallin'", but I can't say I'll be rushing back to it.
Which leaves me in a pickle with no clear winner. Shania was too long, BB was too short - so maybe I should give it to Tom the Goldilocks award for being just right, but it was probably the album I liked least. After intense deliberation (at least 10 seconds) I'm giving it to Shania for the album's high points and for the legacy (and nobody listens to a full album these days, do they?!?)
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