There's a little black spot on the sun today

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

#161 : Crosby, Stills And Nash - Crosby, Stills And Nash (1969)

Harmony singing existed before Crosby, Stills and Nash became one of rock’s first supergroups, in 1968. But during a particularly tumultuous time for the country, their distinctive, hippie-angelic blend felt hopeful and uplifting, whether they were singing about the distressed state of America (Crosby’s “Long Time Gone”) or their own wounded hearts (Stills’ epic “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes”). No wonder Jimi Hendrix called the album (which captured the group at its most cohesive) “groovy, Western-sky music.” The tumultuous reality of the band’s existence meant their harmony would be hard to sustain, but here it’s practically an advertisement for community in action.

I wasn't aware that I knew any of this album, until I looked at the track listing and saw it had "Marrakesh Express" on it, which is a track I know and like.  I was expecting the rest of the album to be similar, if somewhat mellower - and that's pretty much what I got.  Fine songs and harmonies throughout - not what you need all day, every day but it hits the spot when you're in the mood for it.  It also turned out I knew "Long Time Gone" from the Galliano cover which, now I know it's a cover, has gone up in my estimation because it's very well done.  I also really liked "Helplessly Hoping" and you've got to chuckle at "Song With No Words" because - well, listen to it and find out.  I'd have to say it's not a good cover of "Everybody's Talkin'" though - which was a bit of a surprise because you'd expect them to knock it out of the park (and I think I'd always assumed it was a Harry Nilsson track, but it's actually a Fred Neil (who?) track from 1966).

Wikipedia has a fine story about the album cover - as I'm sure you all realised, the order they appear in the cover photo is Nash, Stills and Crosby.  Apparently, the photo was taken at an abandoned house before they'd had the extensive brainstorming session required to come up with the group's name.  Once they'd done that they realised there was potential for confusion, so went back a couple of days later to reshoot, only find the house was now a massive pile of rubble.  Wikipedia also points me at this fantastic all-beige video which just proves that Tom Jones really has been around FOREVER!  The band's Wikipedia page is basically a never-ending saga of how badly they get on with each other and with Neil Young - it seems somewhat ironic that a group so well known for their harmonies were, in fact, anything but harmonious.  It also makes the point that all three members have been inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame twice - once as part of this group and once as part of The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield and The Hollies respectively.  So I think we can safely say they've been pretty influential over the years - and I'm pleased to say that they're all still with us.

"Customers also listened to" a lot of bands relating to either C, S, N or Y - and there are a LOT of them out there.  All in all, this was an enjoyable musical education and one I would be happy to repeat again, but not every day.

#160 : Ten - Pearl Jam (1991)

More than any of the Northwest bands that preceded them, Pearl Jam turned grunge into rock’s dominant new sound. Their first album includes stories about homelessness (“Even Flow”), murder (“Once”), execution (“Footsteps”), incest (“Alive”), psychiatric hospitals (“Why Go”), and romantic disappointment (“Black”). Most notoriously, “Jeremy” told the story of a high school kid who takes revenge on his bullies by killing himself in class — though the lyrics don’t make that clear, the accompanying video did. Pearl Jam committed themselves to songs of darkness and trouble, especially in adolescent life, and Eddie Vedder delivers them with conviction, in a voice that makes you feel like the events are happening right now, in front of you.

I remembered that I'd listened to this - but hadn't really thought much of it, so I'd never revisited it.  But was happy to try again - and in doing so, I'm not entirely sure it was this I'd listened to because I really quite liked it.  Which somewhat perplexed me so I'm not sure I really listened to it that well and will have to revisit it at some point (part of me feels I should relisten to it now, but I'm not sure whether that's giving it an unfair advantage over the countless albums I've rejected on a single listen).  I must admit I completely missed the dark lyrics but never mind eh - I don't feel the need to depress myself in these fun times.  But I liked the overall sound - it reminded me of Throwing Copper by Live, which is an album that went down a storm in the US but barely registered over here (amusingly, I uncovered that album watching their MTV Unplugged episode without knowing who they were - and I got increasingly frustrated because I wanted to know but they kept saying "we are Live" and I was like "I know you're live, but what are you called?!?").  But anyway, back to Pearl Jam, whatever I listened to when I first thought I was listening to this album, it wasn't this - I liked it.

Wikipedia tells me all sorts and I have little option other than to believe it at the minute - the album wasn't an initial success and took a year and a half to get to #2 in the charts, but in the end it outsold Nevermind over there by a surprising margin (like 3 million more).  It also tells me the band were originally going to be called Mookie Blaylock after the professional basketball player named - well, you can probably guess.  But then someone pointed out that this might not be the best idea on account of potential rights issues - but the album is called Ten after his jersey number which was - well, you can probably guess.  The band's entry is looooong and nothing particularly fun jumped out at me - I was quite surprised that the only band member I'd ever heard of was Eddie Vedder, but then again this whole exercise has been somewhat mystifying to me, but one I intend to learn from and investigate them some more.

"Customers also listened to" a lot of other people I should probably know more about than I do.  As for the preceding album, this was an enjoyable musical education and one I would be happy to repeat again and will be making the effort to do so.

#159 : Synchronicity - The Police (1983)

“I do my best work when I’m in pain and turmoil,” Sting told Rolling Stone. And indeed, the dissolution of his first marriage produced some of his best work, including “King of Pain” and the stalker’s anthem “Every Breath You Take.” There was pain and turmoil in the band, too — it would be the Police’s last album. But it became one of the Eighties’ biggest pop-rock blockbusters, perhaps the finest example of Sting’s unique gift for distilling complex psychological and romantic dramas, which still ruled radio and MTV, while making proggy musicianship and dense composition palatable to the mall-rat masses.

"Mall-rat masses"?!?  Could Rolling Stone be any sniffier about what you and I would call "people"?  I remembered listening to this album waaay back in the day and I know it features some very fine tracks, but I have never once felt the need to revisit it - which lead me to believe there must be something rotten in the state of Denmark.  And I think it's safe to say the album is a game of two halves - although unusually, it's the second half that contains most of the quality.  "Every Breath You Take" is probably most people's highpoint, but I think I prefer "King Of Pain" or "Wrapped Around Your Finger".  The first half though is generally rather dreary, with the notable exception of "Mother", which is just incredibly shit.  

Wikipedia has some of the expected Sting-based pomposity, but reminds me how massive this album was - particularly in the US where it spent 17 weeks at #1 in the charts, selling a LOT in the process.  I also never knew there were 36 different album covers - and the original vinyl release was on audiophile vinyl, which is both purple and something I never even knew existed.  It also contains some of the most pointless critical comments we've seen so far (which is a strong category) - one of them noted that it sounded as though Sting was ready to embark on a solo career.  Which would be fine had he said that at the time, but he was reviewing the 2003 re-release - by which time Sting had been a solo artist for coming up to 20 years.

The band's Wikipedia entry is lengthy and well written, including several interesting snippets such as "The bleached blonde hair that became a band trademark happened by accident. In February 1978, the band, desperate for money, was asked to do a commercial for Wrigley's gum (directed by Tony Scott) on the condition they dye their hair blond" and "Though "Roxanne" was never banned, the BBC did ban the second single from Outlandos d'Amour, "Can't Stand Losing You". This was due to the single's cover, which featured Copeland hanging himself over an ice block being melted by a portable radiator".  They were strange times and no mistake - but the whole thing took me back to them and is well worth a read.

"Customers also listened to" all them 80s groups - it does feel like 80s albums attract more cross-genre fans than other time periods.  If I was a cleverer man than I am, I would offer up a cogent theory to explain this and everyone would respond "Ah - you are a wise man indeed".  But I'm not, so I won't and hence you won't.  Unlike the previous two, I wouldn't describe this album as either an education or entirely enjoyable - but it does seem to have the best songs on it.  And quite possibly the worst ones as well.

A tricky one and no mistake.  The Police have the best tracks, but to call it a great album feels a stretch, to say the least.  But can I give it to either of the others after only one listen? (probably closer to half a listen in the case of Pearl Jam).  I would have played the joker, but looking forward that would just have meant I had four albums I couldn't decide between, which is not the point to the exercise at all.  I was tempted to give it to Pearl Jam, but in the end the second side of Synchronicity just swung the vote their way.  It was VERY close though...

#164-162 - Country, disco or Britpop?
#158-156 - But is it really all that great?