I hear my needle hit the groove and spiral through another day

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

#319 : The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses (1989)

For a few glorious moments at the dawn of the Nineties, the Stone Roses looked like they were going to lead another British Invasion, this one of baggy-panted, floppy-haired bands that loved Sixties guitars and rave-y dance beats with the same whimsical fervor. The sound never crossed over here, and the band fell apart — but first they made this incredible album, highlighted by the ecstatic eight-minute-long “I Am the Resurrection.” It laid the foundation for the Brit pop that blew up a few years later.

Not sure I see a lot of point in blathering on about this one - you're either aware of it and love it/consider it vastly overrated (no other options are available) or you're never going to be aware of it.  Personally, I like it and stick it on every so often to remind myself why - but I can see why others are bit meh about the whole thing.  "She Bangs The Drums" and "Waterfall" are probably the high points for me, but I like most of the tracks (I can live without "Elizabeth My Dear" though).  I never saw the band live, but I have seen Ian Brown singing some Stone Roses accompanied by Mani and it certainly connected with the men of a certain age in the crowd!

The Wikipedia entry for the album is quite "interesting" making the point that the album was not an immediate success, which is at best a bit true (it was released in May 89 and didn't chart until June) but smacks of US-centricity to me (where it didn't chart until April 90).  It also spends more space than usual presenting counter-arguments to the excessive hype the album received (the "right barrel-load of shite" comment did make me chuckle) which feels a bit unfair considering some of the adulation other records receive, but I guess it just underlines the divisive nature of the album.

The Wikipedia entry for the band is lengthy and goes into some depth if that's the sort of thing that would interest you.  I particularly enjoyed the "Relationship with the media" section - I do remember them upsetting quite a few people, but I never realised quite how bad things were, as demonstrated by this quote "A typical example is the Spike Island press conference in 1990, which was attended by much of the world's music press. This ended in chaos when the gathered journalists began a small riot, believing the band to be deliberately upsetting them.".  Customers also listened to Happy Mondays (very over-rated imho), Charlatans (very under-rated imho) and Pulp (I hope we get to see Different Class on this list).  I have a very strong suspicion this will be the last time we see The Stone Roses on this list, but I was pleased to see another UK group making the list and I suspect I would have put the album a lot higher.

#318 : The Velvet Rope - Janet Jackson (1997)

Janet Jackson left behind her girl-next-door image forever with The Velvet Rope, an album of sexy, confessional, freewheeling hip-hop soul. She fuses Joni Mitchell and Q-Tip in “Got ’Til It’s Gone,” but the shocker is her girl-girl version of Rod Stewart’s “Tonight’s the Night.” “I always write about what’s in my life,” she told Rolling Stone. “I did that on Control, and I did the same thing with this album. It’s kind of like cutting yourself open and exposing yourself to the world, which is really a vulnerable thing.”

Well, we may only be seeing The Stone Roses once, but we're getting at least twice as much Janet - which somewhat surprises me as we've not had too many multiple visits so far and to me she doesn't seem the most obviously worthy.  The last time we met I wasn't exactly over impressed, finding the whole thing a bit dull - so my expectations weren't too high for this, but I'd have to say it's an improvement on Rhythm Nation.  The tracks are generally more to my liking and I positively liked "Together Again" - wonders will never cease!  But, I'd have to say her voice sounds surprisingly weak on some tracks (i suspect it's the production rather than the voice, but am interested as to why they'd make that choice), the interludes are a bit odd/unnecessary and at 75 minutes long, there's just too much of it.  A tight 45/50 minutes would have been a lot less of a drag - but, as i said, for me it's a distinct improvement over Rhythm Nation.

Wikipedia has a LOT to say about the album - very little of it negative (except for a few comments about running time) which is interesting when you compare it with The Stone Roses album entry.  My suspicion is that very few people were over exposed to this album, hence very few people felt the need to hate it - although given that it sold over 5 million worldwide, i suspect there are quite a few other halves that hate it with a passion!  I won't bother revisiting Janet's Wikipedia page - I did actually read it last time unlike a lot of others recently, so if you want more fascinating facts and/or general adulation you'll have to read it yourself.  "Customers also listened to" Aaliyah, TLC and En Vogue - all of whom are definitely in the same ballpark.  So, it's definite upward trend for young Janet, but I remain to be convinced - I wonder if she will be given another opportunity (and I have a suspicion she will)

#317 : Lady In Satin - Billie Holliday (1958)

By the time she cut this album in 1958, Billie Holiday had lived several lives, battling drug and alcohol addiction and emerging with a battered psyche and a delivery to match. Holiday had trouble remembering lyrics and sounded weathered no matter if the song was hopeful or desolate. But on what amounts to one of the last great saloon-pop albums of the rock era, her voice retained its supple, distinctive tone, and Ray Ellis’ elegant orchestrations supported and cushioned her — a year before her death.

I am aware of Billie Holliday, mostly through "Strange Fruit" which I find quite a hypnotic (yet horrifying) song - so I was expecting more of the same and looking forward to listening to it.  But...

...well, this sounds a bit churlish as a complaint, but it's all a bit smooth compared with what I was expecting.  Her voice sounds a bit, OK a lot, weathered, but the backing track is just a bit too polished for my liking.  The songs are fine, but I didn't connect to them - and I didn't feel she was connecting with them either.  I have a suspicion that Lady Sings The Blues is going to be more up my street (despite my trouble connecting with blues recordings) and I also have a suspicion I'm going to be given the opportunity to find out.

The Wikipedia entry for the album, however, tells me this effect is exactly what she was looking for - so maybe she did connect with them.  Hopefully she did because this was the last album she released before she died - and her Wikipedia certainly paints a picture of an unhappy life.  The section on her childhood features absent parents, divorce, truancy, reform school, rape, prostitution, sexual trafficking and prison.  And at this point, Holliday has reached the age of 14 - and you probably don't need me to tell you that she didn't exactly live happily ever after.  "Customers also listened to" a load of names I recognise but can't tell you much about - my musical education doesn't really go back that far.  And I feel this was an interesting but failed attempt to improve that education.

The Stone Roses for the win - no matter what you think of them or the album, there wasn't really all that much competition...

#322-320 - Three albums spanning 50 years
#316-314 - I didn't see this winner coming