Derek & The Dominos - Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs (Top 500 Countdown Update)

If this album were a single instead of a double with maybe two songs cut out and all the songs tightened up it would be fantastic. As it is there is too much guitar free play for me and too much jamming going on. The arrangements of the songs are great, but then they go and make it too long winded with way too much free form guitar play. "Layla" is a great example of this to me. It's got the most pop sound of any song on the album and it is a good song, but for the last 3 1/2 minutes of the song it is simply garbage. It's like fusion jazz for blues guitar and it just doesn't work for me.
A good producer could have done wonders for this album and still kept the emotional charge that lives in the performances. No doubt this is blues/rock at its best if only someone had really grabbed onto the recording and tightened it up.

Etta James - At Last! (Top 500 Countdown Update)

Like Pearl this album is dominated by a very strong singer. Unlike Pearl the arrangements are very tight and the music properly subdued to allow James to dominate without any intrusions. There are a few misses on this album that could be thrown away like "Tough Mary," but for the most part it is very solid.

The Byrds - Sweetheart of the Rodeo (Top 500 Countdown Update)

Similar to The Harder They Come this album has more of a collection feel than the feel of a structured album. I don't know me and The Byrds just don't seem to get along. Nothing they do is ever good enough for me it seems. I don't know how to explain it, but this album feels like one of those concerts you see on TV with a bunch of artists where they come together and do a tribute to someone. This is like The Byrds tribute to country music. There are certainly much better country albums than this that could be on this list. Perhaps the reason this is so high on the list is because of the fact that it was such a popular rock band doing country, but that still doesn't make it a great album. This doesn't even compare say to Workingman's Dead by the Grateful Dead another group that made a sharp country turn.

Sly & The Family Stone - Stand! (Top 500 Countdown Update)

The album is very good except for "Sex Machine" and "Don't Call Me Nigger, Whitey." Throw those two songs out and you have a great album. With them, especially since "Sex Machine" is over 13 minutes long, you have a good album. I love the song "Stand!" and of course who doesn't like "Everyday People" and "I Want To Take You Higher." The beauty of modern day technology is that you could by the six really good tracks on this album and just leave off the two bad tracks. Then you would have a short, but wonderful album.

Various Artists - The Harder They Come (Top 500 Countdown)

I was torn as to whether or not to count this album since it is a collection of artists. But from what I can gather it is all original work done for this movie and so I thought I would include it. It is a fun album, but still a soundtrack. Soundtracks like this have a sort of disconnected feel to them because it doesn't have that consistency you get with a single artist. It would be fun to put on while cleaning up the house on a rainy Saturday, but not really in the same league as albums like Catch a Fire or Funky Kingston.

Janis Joplin - Pearl (Top 500 Countdown Update)

I never realized that Pearl was unfinished when Janis Joplin died. Thus the instrumental "Buried Alive In the Blues" which was waiting for her vocals to be done the day after her death. Hearing Joplin sing is great but for me the music is just way too heavy. "Me and Bobby McGee" stands out as being toned down much more than the rest of the album. Hard to imagine she would have gotten much better as a singer than she is on this album, but there was certainly room to grow with her backing band the arrangements.

Bob Marley - Catch a Fire (Top 500 Countdown Update)

This album is dominated by Aston Barrett's brilliant bass playing. He controls the feel and rhythm of every song perfectly. This leads to a moody record with a scruffy sound. Though it is not as pop friendly as Exodus this album doesn't miss a beat and every song is a joy to listen to. This album also has the feel of being a band album instead of that of a solo artist. Peter Tosh sings the two songs he wrote and that in itself adds a nice flavor to the album.

From what I've heard of Marley I would say this represents the best of the original band with Peter Tosh and Bunny Livingston, while Exodus represents the best of Marley after that original breakup. Own these two albums and you will not only own the best two Reggae albums of all time, but two of the best albums of all time.

The Byrds - Younger Than Yesterday (Top 500 Countdown Update)

This could have been my favorite Byrds album up to this point if not for all the darn experimental psychedelic junk. "Everybody's Been Burned" is a fantastic song and "So You Wanna Be a Rock N Roll Star" is so much fun. All the songs have a general good sound, but then they have all this idiotic psychedelic junk layered in on top that adds absolutely nothing to the mix.

The Stooges - Raw Power (Top 500 Countdown Update)

Iggy Pop seems to completely dominate this album to me. This is a big change from their earlier two albums and I have to say I don't like this album nearly as much as I do those.

Talking Heads - Remain In the Light (Top 500 Countdown Update)

Musically this album is very challenging. It is quite experimental but in a very pop sensitive way. The beats and the hooks are there in an odd sort of way. It seems to exist separate from Burns's singing yet the two seem to come together to make a good fit. It has a lot of energy and is fun to listen to. I'm surprised how much I liked this album. I have to admit I have never been a fan of the Talking Heads, but after listening to this album and 77 I can understand why they get the attention they get.

The Mamas & The Papas - If You Can Believe Your Eyes & Ears (Top 500 Countdown Update)

I really love "California Dreamin'" and "Monday, Monday" but the rest of the album is sort of throw away to me. Pull off those songs and junk the rest of the album and you'll be doing OK.

Television - Marquee Moon (Top 500 Countdown Update)

An interesting band they seem to me to be a combination of the Talking Heads and the Tuff Darts two other bands that would have been playing at CBGBs in New York at the same time. They have a taste of the new wave art rock of the Heads mixed with the pop/rock sense of the Darts. It's a nice mix and a good sound that works quite well. Like many albums on this list I feel like this album show signs of something better to come. This then leaves me a bit wanting, but still it's a good album.

Bruce Springsteen - The Wild, The Innocent & the E Street Shuffle (Top 500 Countdown Update)

What makes this album so brilliant is how it ties r&b and jazz together with rock and pop to present a very unique sound. Other artists have blended jazz, rock, and r&b together, but what makes this album ultimately work so well is that it does it with a great pop sensibility. The tunes are infectious and even though they can be a bit long winded they don't drag because the song keeps changing and presenting itself with one hook after another. The only throw away song for me is "Wild Billy's Circus Story." But the second side of this album, is possibly one of the best sides of any album so it makes up for one weak song. "Incident on 57th Street," "Rosalita," and "New York City Serenade" present a truly amazing 24 minutes of music. Springsteen would completely leave this sound behind after this album and it makes sense since there was really no where to go with it but down.

Pavement - Slanted & Enchanted (Top 500 Countdown Update)

I'm disappointed to know that Pavement followed up this album with Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain. I personally think they went the wrong way with that album, but that's just me. This is a good album. It's like The Feelies bump into the Pixies and fall into a Sonic Youth blender. Now that is an odd combination of sounds to say the least, but they make it work with only a few throw away songs. The problem is the songs are a bit naked at times and there is definitely room for growth.

The Replacements - Tim (Top 500 Countdown Update)

I really wanted to like this album. I really wanted to like The Replacements for some reason, but I just don't care that much for their stuff. It's OK but nothing that I can really see myself getting into. Maybe if I had hear it when I was younger, on a long drive across the country by myself, and it was the only tape I had. But as it is I just can't seem to really get much out of it.

The Meters - Rejuvenation (Top 500 Countdown Update)

Now this is a good album. I didn't care much for the first Meters album on the list Look-Ka Py Py partly because it was straight instrumental and seemed to have no real emotion to it. Their sound is very clean and without a voice to bring out the emotion of the music it seems a bit robotic. But this album is very good. Shorten the song "It Ain't No Use" from over eleven minutes down to five and you've got an even better album. It is very clean funk/r&b and has a very interesting sound that is quite unique to The Meters from my experience.

U2 - All That You Can't Leave Behind (Top 500 Countdown Update)

This album feels mature and stable. This isn't a bad thing, but it seems to be missing an edge that is usually felt with U2's stuff. Of course what do I know I haven't really listened to U2 since The Joshua Tree. It's not a bad album and has the best pop stuff I've ever heard from U2 in "Beautiful Day" and "Stuck In a Moment You Can't Get Out Of." But I also don't care much for these songs so I'm not sure what to say about this album.

Blondie - Parallel Lines (Top 500 Countdown Update)

It's hard to believe this album is almost 30 years old. It has aged well and doesn't sound dated at all. This is of course a sign that they did something right on this album. But outside of that I'm not that crazy about the album. "Heart of Glass" is a great song, but the rest of the album doesn't do a lot for me. I was never a huge Blondie fan anyhow and this album didn't make me feel any differently.

B.B. King - Live At the Regal (Top 500 Countdown Update)

This is inarguably the greatest live album ever made. I just wanted to use the word inarguably. It is an amazingly fantastic live album. No other album I've ever heard has given me such a sense of being in the audience. King and his band are fantastic and the audience is so involved. Also this album really demonstrates what a fantastic singer and entertainer King is. It will never age because of the feeling captured so perfectly. If you have never heard this album it is a must.

Phil Spector - A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector (Top 500 Countdown Update)

The allmusic.com reviewer of this album writes that it "stands as inarguably the greatest Christmas record of all time." I think anyone could make a very compelling argument that it is not only not the greatest, but not even a good Christmas album. I certainly won't be running out to buy this one to bring Christmas cheer.

Dr. John - Gris-Gris (Top 500 Countdown Update)

I really have to wonder about this list when I hear an album like this. It's very experimental and not very good. It definitely influenced no one, so why is it on the list. I mean it's not a good album. It is very weird but not very good.

N.W.A. - Straight Outta Compton (Top 500 Countdown Update)

I have to admit I'm surprised. I had never given N.W.A. any thought, but this is a good album. It completely rips off Public Enemy with the sound, but the lyrics are interesting in that they are so focused on representing a life that existed in Compton. The part that surprised me is that it doesn't portray a cool life or a style that anyone would want to copy. Instead it tells the story of a sad world with violence, hatred, and disconnect. I had also expected it to be extremely sexist, but that's not the case either. A pretty good album, though not in the ballpark with BDP or Public Enemy.

Steely Dan - Aja (Top 500 Countdown Update)

This is probably what I would consider to be the best Steely Dan. It's pure jazz/pop/rock and it has a nice clean sound that many would go on to copy. In fact I've always been a big fan of the jazz/rock albums by China Crisis who not only copied the sound but got Walter Becker to produce one of their albums. Steely Dan have a natural way of writing pop songs and there were three hits on this album "Deacon Blues," "Josie," and "Peg." You can definitely hear the sound that will be the basis for Donald Fagen's solo album, The Nightfly.

All of that said, I'm not a big Steely Dan fan and will certainly never listen to this album again. I can certainly understand picking this CD up to show off my fancy stereo equipment I was trying to sell someone, but can't see listening to it for pure entertainment purposes. There is a certain slickness and tightness about Steely Dan that always goes a bit far for me.

Jefferson Airplane - Surrealistic Pillow (Top 500 Countdown Update)

"White Rabbit" is a fantastic song, but how do you match it with anything else? This is an interesting album in that the two hit songs, "White Rabbit" and "Somebody to Love" were both written by the newcomer of the band Grace Slick. Now you know that had to create some issues for the band. Overall the album is a bit muddled and holds little interest for me.

Santana - Santana (Top 500 Countdown Update)

I don't have a lot to say about this album. I'm not a Santana fan and though I liked the first couple of songs, it really started to drag at some point for me.

Bruce Springsteen - Darkness On the Edge of Town (Top 500 Countdown Update)

This album is so wonderfully dark and angry it's hard not to like it. But what makes this album so good is the fact that Springsteen has made an obvious shift in not only his lyrics, but also in his musical approach. Every great pop musical artist has to mature and age with his/her audience and this album is part of Springsteen's maturing. It is especially important because it comes on the heels of his big breakthrough album Born to Run. On Darkness he's beginning to play around much more with a harder rock sound that works perfectly with his darker lyrics. This rock sound will continue to develop on The River and blossom perfectly for Born In the USA. But the real strengths of the album are the lyrics and the fact that there really isn't a wasted moment on the album. These are very tight songs and songs that are starting to become much more direct in their approach to the stories being told. For a transitional album this is at a level well above what most other artists can produce and shows that there were probably more than legal reasons for the long delay between Born to Run and Darkness On the Edge of Town.

The B-52's - The B-52's (Top 500 Countdown Update)

It's an interesting album, but that's about as much as I can say for it. I've never been a big B-52's fan and so this album didn't hold of lot of interest to begin with. It is their first album and thought of as their best and I can see why. It is their basic sound that they would still be using on "Love Shack" ten years later.

The Challenge of the Super Friends

I've been watching the first disc from NetFlix. What I've realized is that the Super Friends really are Super Fools. Time and again the Legion of Doom just make chumps of them. Millions are killed, the Legion steals millions in gold, diamonds, whatever. It's crazy that they always get away in the end and the Super Friends don't seem to be looking for them.

I really wish they would release the earlier Super Friends episodes with the Wonder Twins and the even earlier ones with the kids and the dog, but I doubt it will ever happen.

Few of my Favorite Things

Just a goofy entry about stuff I like lately.
1. Matthew
2. Waking up early and seeing Puppy Dog just hopping with enthusiasm
3. Doing yoga in the morning before school with Puppy Dog, trying to do downward dog position when there's a dog underneath you asking to be scratched is really a huge feat.
4.Poland Spring Lemon Sparkling Water
5. Matthew
6. going into the sauna at the Y after a workout and reading a magazine
7. Penguin Sport Wash- really washes your work out clothes
8. Swimming at 5:30 am and watching the sun come up
9. Net library
10. grape leaves
11. Ellen DeGeneres' dancing
12. being back at school

A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory (Top 500 Countdown Update)

This is a very nice album. It is somewhere between De La Soul and Massive Attack and really sets a good groove. The 90's saw such a big change in the whole hip hop scene and the kinds of things people were trying to do with the beats and the sounds. A lot of this was discussed in my entry about the Beastie Boys album, but A Tribe Called Quest continued the revolution of sound coming out of the hip hop genre and helping to create spin off genres like trip hop.

There isn't anything bad to say about the album because there is nothing wrong with it, but it doesn't quite sit at the top of the list for me. It's a good sound and a good listen, but not the kind of album that I'm going to get really deep into.

The Pretenders - The Pretenders (Top 500 Countdown Update)

This is basically two albums, side 1 and side 2. I prefer side 2 which is slower more pop/rock with a nice heavy clangy sound. Side one is very strong and heavy pop/punk/rock and this turns down on the second side to reveal some really nice stuff. There is still an odd edge of the punk beats and Hynde's odd singing, but with really nice melody's and lyrics.

Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique (Top 500 Countdown Update)

OK let's break this down.

1987 Eric B. & Rakim releases Paid In Full
1988 Eric B. & Rakim releases Follow the Leader
1988 Public Enemy releases It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
1988 Boogie Down Productions releases By All Means Necessary
1989 Beastie Boys releases Paul's Boutique
1989 De La Soul releases 3 Feet High and Rising
1989 Boogie Down Productions releases Ghetto Music: The Blueprint of Hip Hop
1989 N.W.A. releases Straight Outta Compton
1990 Public Enemy releases Fear of a Black Planet

Paul's Boutique definitely deserves to be mixed in with these other albums. The level of sampling taking place on this album is incredible, and like nothing else I've heard. It's the mixing of samples that makes it so impressive. Of course how much of this is the Beasties and how much is their producer Dust Brothers no one really knows, but they had to have the genius to know this pairing would work and give Dust Brothers the opportunity to take sampling to a level that it would never be at again. I think 1989 is interesting because you have the Beasties mixing sampling, punk, rap, and rock in a noisy experimental sort of way. N.W.A. brought gangsta rap to a new level. BDP was heading away from sampling trying to reconstruct a cleaner sound focusing back on simple beats and lyrics. While De La Soul was opening up rap and sampling to the pop world in a way that would change everything after it. The genius of Fear of a Black Planet was how it brought all four of these approaches together on one album.

Taking all of this into consideration this album definitely deserves to be in a countdown like this, but it is still on a level of experimental that doesn't necessarily make it a fun listen. Unless you really want to hear some experimental sampling then I would suggest staying away from this one.

Elton John - Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy (Top 500 Countdown Update)

Concept albums like this are the hardest albums to review on this countdown. The story and complexities of the album are buried and require more than one sit through to get at. I can say that none of the songs on the album are as good as the one hit off the album "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" which I think is a great song. One thing I find interesting is that when they released this album on CD they added on bonus tracks. I've never understood why you would add on bonus tracks to a concept album, but then again I thought the record companies should have made their albums and songs available via mp3 back in 1996 or so.

My big question is whether or not I'll return to listen to this album again to fully appreciate the music and lyrics behind the story. I kind of doubt it, but you never know.

Kiss - Alive (Top 500 Countdown Update)

You know I didn't care for Kiss when I was in grade school, and I still don't care for Kiss. I don't get it. Of course I understand that I'm missing the big point. Kiss was really more about their act than their music. It's fun and goofy and rock & roll. Well that has never had appeal to me. Maybe I'm no fun but I don't think so.

Breaking Up With Shannen is a Winner

I had fun watching this show last night. I have to admit I wonder how real it is, but it was still fun to watch. I find the whole thing a bit odd, like why would Shannen Doherty be the one to break up with someone for you, but she actually seemed to really be interested in what she was doing which was fun. Not sure I'll watch it every week, but if I'm up at 10pm on a Tuesday night I'll probably put it on.

Breaking Up With Shannen

I can't wait to see this new show on Oxygen. I don't know why but Shannen Doherty makes me laugh. If it's worth while I'll make a comment on it tomorrow.

T. Rex - Electric Warrior (Top 500 Countdown Update)

I do love the song "Cosmic Dancer," but the rest of the album doesn't have very strong appeal to me. Allmusic.com gives this album credit for starting the glam rock craze which I'm not too crazy about, so maybe that's why I'm not so keen on this album.

Prince - 1999 (Top 500 Countdown Update)

What an odd album. This is another one of those oddities in history. That this album made Prince a huge star is all due to "1999" and "Little Red Corvette." It's easy to forget that 1999 is a double album with a pretty experimental sound. It's funk, electronica, and r&b all rolled into one album. A pretty odd mix at the time it came out. Without those two songs this album never makes it to mainstream and he never develops the kind of following he would get from this album. The key was that this album connected with older teenagers who were intrigued by the beats and vulgarities. This would become his corps audience and Prince would brilliantly flush out his themes to become more mature as this audience matured. In other words look for his music and lyrics to improve and peak soon after 1999.

Linda Ronstadt - Heart Like a Wheel (Top 500 Countdown)

I enjoyed this album, but I'm not really sure I understand why it is in the top 500 countdown. It's an OK album, but there isn't much to it. The songs aren't that good, there is nothing that really stands out to me as being unique in the presentation or arrangement. Maybe I'm missing something here, but it just seems like a simple pop/country album. Now I enjoy pop music, but there seems to me nothing about this album that makes it really stand out above others.

Marvin Gaye - Let's Get It On (Top 500 Countdown Update)

I'm not sure what to think of this album. I have a hard time with songs like "You Sure Love to Ball." I'm OK with songs that deal with sex, but much of the album has this weird fake sincereness that disturbs me. I don't think of myself as uptight, but maybe I am, I'm certainly not comfortable with some of these songs. Well I'm at least not comfortable with their approach.

"Closet Dancer"

Ok, fair to say that I am a closet dancer- what's that? I like dancing but am shy out on the dance floor. That's why I am so happy to write about someone I saw lately that just really enjoys dancing in front of the masses: Ellen Degeneres. She is a good dancer and looks like she is just having the time of her life out there on her dance floor. We've been taping the show and I'll just watch it to see the dancing part. There's another funny thing about her show too- she does a game show thing where she pretends she's playing all the instruments- it's really funny. Check it out.

Bob Marley - Exodus (Top 500 Countdown Update)

The allmusic.com reviewer of this album refers to it as being a bit formulaic. If this is formulaic then sign me up. Fantastic lyrics, with fantastic beats and melodies. How many artists can pull that formula off? The album has the mainstream appeal that a lot of his earlier work may not have, but it doesn't weaken his message or his performance. If you've been following this blog you'll know how I feel about groups gaining a pop sensibility. Marley shows a level of musical genius on this album as he keeps close ties to his reggae roots, but blends it with a pop essence that few artist can carry off for a full album.

The Who - Live At Leeds (Top 500 Countdown)

Hmm, this is a tough one. It's good, but there is something not quite there, something that is missing for me on this album. I don't know what it is, but I started to lose interest by "Summertime Blues" and it just never got me back. I wish that Yahoo had had the original release, but when it came out on CD it was all expanded versions of the songs. I think the original tighter cut songs would have been more appealing to me.

The Byrds - The Notorious Byrd Brothers (Top 500 Countdown Update)

This album is OK. It started to drag on the second half of the album I thought.

Apple, Marketing Wizards

I heard this story yesterday on Marketplace and the last line angered me no end. That line is "The key to Apple's success she says is that it's always a step ahead of the competition when it comes to new ideas." This is a load of bunk. The IPod has never been ahead of the competition. Never not once. Where Apple made the right move was in focusing on the software that communicates with their player and of course tying that into an easy to use music store.

I'm not saying that IPods aren't good players or any of that stuff, but they market themselves and people who don't know any better buy into this idea that they are doing something with their players that no one else has done. What I think you will see since they now control so much market share are more products like one put out by Nike that connects to your IPod to give you data while your working out. Is this Apple innovation, no this is what happens when you control 76% of the market.

For real innovation look to an IRiver or Creative product that will work with Yahoo's music service and Netlibrary. Or get a PC with Windows Media Center and a media player from Creative. Then you can use your PC to record your favorite TV shows and download them to your player.

Rod Stewart - Every Picture Tells a Story (Top 500 Countdown Update)

The opening song on this album really is fantastic and has an energy level that the rest of the album can't quite match. I'm not talking about tempo, but emotional and performance energy. "Maggie May" and some other songs have it, but that opening song sets such a high bar it would be impossible to match it on every track. The album is wonderful to listen to and has no bad song on it, but because the initial bar is set so high it is almost impossible not to feel somewhat disappointed by the album.

Todd Rundgren - Something/Anything? (Top 500 Countdown Update)

This very odd double album made Rundgren a star. I find this very strange since this is a very odd album. It's about as experimental as it gets and it's a double album on top of that. Each side of the album is completely different and so there is really no flow to the album. The 70's were a very interesting time indeed. Personally I don't care much for the album. It has two very good pop songs "Hello It's Me" and "I Saw the Light," but the rest of the album is a bit too off for me. Maybe the better experiment would have been to see if he could have made a 10 track album full of very solid songs that worked to form a cohesive whole. I have to admit to knowing absolutely nothing about Rundgren except for the few pops songs I've heard on the radio over the years, but he's a very interesting guy who has had a large impact on rock music. Check out the write up on him at allmusic.com for more info.

Bob Dylan - Desire (Top 500 Countdown Update)

I really enjoyed this album. The song "Joey" is way too long, but overall this is a fun album. It's noisy and mixed up but it seems to work well with these songs and Dylan's presentation on this album. "Hurricane" and "One More Cup of Coffee" are big stand outs on this album.

The Carpenters - Close To You (Top 500 Countdown Update)

We tend to think of bands like The Velvet Underground as being experimental and dismiss bands like The Carpenters as being pop centric. The problem with that is that it ignores the fact that though the goals and audiences The Carpenters were going after were different than that of The Velvet Underground they were no less experimental. In the middle of this massive change in popular music Richard Carpenter went against the grain to develop a completely unique sound revolving around the strong singing of his sister Karen. Like many of the experimental albums on this countdown he often misses the mark on Close to You, like their cover of "Help," but it's an interesting album that has aged well, because it still sounds so unique even today.

Funkadelic - One Nation Under a Groove (Top 500 Countdown Update)

No doubt this album was extremely influential on a lot of music we hear today, but as an album it's too experimental for me to enjoy it. The songs are a bit too long, too goofy, and a bit lost in their own experimentation. As I often talk about experimentation is OK, but the real art is turning the experiment into pop music that uses the experiments for the cornerstone of its sound. After sitting through 10:45 of "The Doodoo Chasers" I can honestly say that I will probably never put on another Funkadelic or Parliament album, unless of course it is part of this countdown.

I understand that without this experimentation something like Purple Rain would have never been made. And I think to conduct experiments of this type takes a certain level of brilliance and daring that a lot of musicians don't have. But I believe the genius lies not in these guys for conducting the experiment, but in Prince for creating Purple Rain.

The Rolling Stones - The Rolling Stones, Now!

I would suggest getting out the Bo Diddley record instead of this one. Or maybe that nice Bobby Bland album I heard a few albums back.

Bob Marley - Natty Dread (Top 500 Countdown Update)

The first half of this album is much stronger than the second half. The lyrics and the sounds are more diverse and energized. I'm not a huge reggae fan, and don't care much for the harmonica brought in on this album, it really doesn't work for me. The problem is that Marley is such a good entertainer it is hard not to get pulled into the experience of listening to the album. I really like the song "Them Belly Full."

Fleetwood Mac - Fleetwood Mac (Top 500 Countdown Update)

This is a good pop/rock album that surprisingly to me has aged well. The Lindsey Buckingham songs are the weakest on the album and feel a bit dated, but the Christine McVie and Stevie Nicks songs were big hits at the time and are still good today. I'm not saying these songs would be played on the pop/rock stations today, but they definitely sound like a lot of modern day folk/pop.

Willie Nelson - Red Headed Stranger (Top 500 Countdown Update)

I think to fully appreciate this album you would have to go back to 1975. It's an unusual album that sounds nice, though it is a bit slow and has only one real single to it. So why was this album so successful for Willie Nelson. I'm sure I can't explain that one. It has a nice emotion to it that pulls you into the album, but there has to be something more to it that made it so hugely successful back in 1975. I do find it interesting that the Pulitzer Prize fiction work in 1975 was the Killer Angels. I could definitely see listening to this album while you sat back and read this book. All this just points to how fun it would be to teach a class on the Pulitzer Prize novel and pop culture.

The Stooges - The Stooges (Top 500 Countdown Update)

I can't get over how much I enjoy listening to these guys. This album doesn't have the energy level of their second album and has one definite throw away song in "We Will Fall," but it's a solid album and fun to listen to. Love the song "1969."

Sly & The Family Stone - Fresh (Top 500 Countdown Update)

These guys can be so funky and cool it's just fun to listen to them. The big stand out on this album is "If You Want Me to Stay" a fantastic funk and r&b song. Sly & The Family Stone have such a unique sound I think it could very easily be something that you like or don't like. I happen to like the sound and so I really enjoyed this album.

Peter Gabriel - So (Top 500 Countdown Update)

I never cared for "Sledgehammer" or "Big Time" but the rest of this album is good, especially "Don't Give Up," "Mercy Street," and of course "In Your Eyes." Just for these songs the album ranks high for me, and since this is the only album with Kate Bush that will appear on this list I am tempted to rank it really high. This album has what one wants from a good album. It has a unique sound with a real pop sense that pulls you in and lets you enjoy the songs and the sound.

Buffalo Springfield - Buffalo Springfield Again (Top 500 Countdown Update)

I was surprised how much I enjoyed this album. The oddest thing about the album is how different it can sound from one song to the next. It's obvious that Stephen Stills, Neil Young, and Richie Furay the three that contributed all the songs were each experimenting and heading in different directions with their musical styles. A fun listen that keeps you guessing what will come next.

Quicksilver Messenger Service - Happy Trails (Top 500 Countdown Update)

I've so had it with these types of bands being on the list, and these types of albums. I don't even want to talk about this album.

Elvis Presley - From Elvis in Memphis

Hmm. Well "In the Ghetto" is fantastic, but the rest of the album for me is a bit flat. It is so studio sounding. It's like Elvis came in and recorded his part then left and they mixed the rest of the sound around him. It really doesn't work for me.

The Stooges - Funhouse (Top 500 Countdown Update)

I was doing OK with this album until "L.A. Blues." If you throw that song out and shorten "Dirt" and "Funhouse" you have a really good album. As it is well it's a good album except for those issues. What an amazing sound they captured with this album. It has so much energy and drive it's incredible that it's a studio album.

Green Day - Dookie (Top 500 Countdown)

When Green Day gets it right they really get it right. Songs like "When I Come Around," "Longview," and "Basket Case" are really great songs. The problem is the other 12 songs on the album are merely OK. They all sound a bit too much alike and don't really have the hooks that these three songs have. Instead of 15 songs if this album had 10 songs that were put together a little tighter like these three this would be a great album. As it is it's an OK album with three great songs.

Lou Reed - Transformer (Top 500 Countdown Update)

A fun album, I'm surprised at how much I enjoyed it. I was reading a review on allmusic.com and they said that David Bowie played a big part in putting this album together. It definitely has Bowie's pop sensibility.

John Mayall - Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton (Top 500 Countdown Update)

Not much going on here for me. It's British blues rock which I'm not too crazy about.

R.E.M. - Murmur (Top 500 Countdown Update)

I have no idea how long it has been since I listened to this album but it has been a long time. It is much better than I remembered I'm surprised to say. The sound is much more polished and clean than I remember though it is still just a sign of what is to come and not the final product. Still it is a fun album with consistently good songs. The only problem the sound is a bit muddy something that they would improve upon on their next album which is a much better constructed album than Murmur. Funny thing is as much as I enjoyed listening to this album I know it will be another unrememberable amount of time until I listen to it again. In some ways it is too comfortable an album. It all feels somewhat strangely familiar and has since the first time I ever listened to the album. I think it's that feeling that has always pushed me away from this album and toward Reckoning and Fables of the Reconstruction.

Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral (Top 500 Countdown Update)

Someone at Rolling Stone must really love noise. I've never listened much to Nine Inch Nails, but I do know that I've heard stuff I liked better, mostly because it was more pop heavy in its presentation probably the first album. This album is very experimental and so there are times when I lost interest mostly because it is just what it is noise. It's interesting to hear how he can use the noise to mix with good beats, make heavy metal sounding songs and just about everything else, but I'm pretty sure I'll ever listen to this album again.

Simon & Garfunkel - Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme (Top 500 Countdown Update)

This is a wonderful album with a lot of good lyrics, good tunes, and good vocal performances. Musically Simon is starting to grow, but he's not quite up to the level of Bookends quite yet. There was certainly a time in my life when I played this album to death, but now it feels a bit flat and aged. This album has the two best performances by Garfunkel with "Scarborough Fair" and "For Emily."

Michael Jackson - Bad (Top 500 Countdown Update)

I'm really confused by what gets picked for the Rolling Stone Top 500 albums. This is a really bad album. Unlike Off the Wall and Thriller this album just seems to be hashed out pop music, and not good pop music. How an album like this can get rated 144 spots ahead of something like De La Soul's 3 Feet High and Rising is beyond me. I would not suggest giving this album a listen.

Cream - Wheels of Fire (Top 500 Countdown Update)

Will "Spoonfull" never end!! And now "Toad" is just going on and on. Uuuggh. "White Room" is a fantastic song and feels like it should have been on Disreali Gears, but the rest of the album really struggles.

Prince - Dirty Mind (Top 500 Countdown Update)

There is a lot of Prince music that I like. I have certainly overplayed some of his albums over the years, but I've never cared for any of the pre 1999 stuff. The sound is a bit too raw and empty for me and his abilities as an entertainer aren't showing through yet.

Santana - Abraxas (Top 500 Countdown Update)

For me this album isn't good or bad it's just there. It has its moments but all in all it has a lull of energy that allows me to lose interest and disconnect. This countdown is really struggling for me right now.

Cat Stevens - Tea For the Tillerman (Top 500 Countdown Update)

I like the sound of Cat Stevens. He has good lyrics, good tunes, and an interesting singing voice. I'm not blow away by this album, but it's good and I would certainly throw it on the stereo on almost any occasion.

Pearl Jam - Ten (Top 500 Countdown Update)

I never got into Pearl Jam and though this is a pretty good album it just doesn't do much for me. I don't see the big appeal and never have.

Neil Young - Everybody Knows This is Nowhere (Top 500 Countdown Update)

I'm not a huge Neil Young fan though I will say that I like the sound of this album. It is a bit long winded at times "Cowgirl In the Sand" for instance is over 10 minutes, but it's not a bad sounding record.

Waterborne

If like me you saw the 2004 Crash and weren't that impressed, then I suggest checking out Waterborne. It focuses on three stories that revolve around a terrorist attack on the Los Angeles water supply. Like Crash it takes a look at our own self doubt, ingrained hatred, and fear, but it does it with a much more mature and straightforward approach.

Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here (Top 500 Countdown Update)

Not much interest or thoughts on this album. "Wish You Were Here" is a good song and shows how good Floyd can be at creating distinctive pop songs, but the rest of the album is a bit too whatever for me.

Pavement - Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain (Top 500 Countdown Update)

It's an odd album for me. It has its moments, but it seems to drag on and on. After a while I just wanted them to lift off the noise and get down to the songs. For me the noise doesn't add to their sound but detracts from it. Don't get me wrong I get it that's their thing, well it ain't working for me.

Creator of Good Times Lives in a Homeless Shelter

I heard this story a few weeks back and forgot to post it until today when I saw Good Times season 1 disc 1 sitting in our Netflix que and remembered.

The Rolling Stones - Tattoo You (Top 500 Countdown Update)

There are 9 songs between "Start Me Up" and "Waiting on a Friend" and though they aren't bad songs that is a long wait between two very good songs. This album is OK, but it's not that good.

New York Dolls - New York Dolls (Top 500 Countdown Update)

I guess it's an OK album, but it doesn't do a lot for me. It sounds like a first album that should have better follow ups somewhere down the road. The band really never had much chance for that growth only putting out one more album.

Bobby Bland - Two Steps From the Blues (Top 500 Countdown Update)

I feel so ignorant. I've never heard of Bobby Bland. Of course I'm not a huge blues fan so maybe that's why, but I have to say this album is very very good. There isn't a bad moment on the album. For a studio album it really captures the emotions of the songs. The odd part is the mix of sounds on this album. It is blues mixed with R&B and gospel a very odd mix that works brilliantly on this album. I have to say I've never heard anything like it.

The Smiths - The Queen is Dead (Top 500 Countdown Update)

Let's face it in the end the albums that get picked for lists are albums that people like. I really like this album. In fact I once used some of the lyrics from "Frankly, Mr. Shankly" in a resignation letter, so obviously I'm prejudiced toward this album. That said when I write about the album I'm trying to look past the emotional attachments I feel or enjoyment I have in listening and look at why I have those things. Way back in my college days I was talking with one of my professors about The Catcher in the Rye. He asked me to think about why I liked it. Look past the plot, characters, etc and understand what it was about the writing that made me like it. That is what I'm trying to do with albums on this list for which I have strong feelings.

I know from Morrissey's solo work that part of this album's brilliance comes from Johnny Marr's ability to build music around Morrissey's style of oration and lyrical content. Not only does he sing in a conversational manner at times, but his voice is pitched at such an odd tone for rock that to mix the sound properly behind that is a challenge. His lyrics also range from the romantic, to the silly, to political and balancing the music again is challenged to set the proper tone for telling whatever story Morrissey is trying to tell. On top of all that The Smiths were in many ways a pop band. So it is most important that the sound put behind and around the singer is a sound that people want to hear and does not push away or challenge to greatly what people expect. Often when a band is so heavy at the singer you'll find this combination. Peter Buck and Michael Stipe in REM, Michael Buck and Natalie Merchant in 10,000 Maniacs, The Edge and Bono in U2 those are a few examples I can think of. Marr pulls all of this off brilliantly on this album. On no other Smiths album does Marr strike such a wonderful balance of sound. The first album is a bit too slow and lost trying to sort its way around Morrissey while the second and fourth seem to push Morrissey around at times. But here Morrissey seems free to say what he wants to say, how he wants to say it. This is a combination that Morrissey will never find again, just as Natalie Merchant has never been able to find that balance again after she left 10,000 Maniacs.

But the real key to this album is the lyrical content and Morrissey's presentation. His writing is at its peak on this album and with the music working so perfectly behind him he's able to present his lyrics in a wonderfully comfortable manner that is emotional and energized. I don't want to go into all the songs but there are so many good grabs in the lyrics of these songs that they hit home. Morrissey's strength as a song writer is his ability throw out a line or two that really hit home and feel so right for the theme and emotion that he's drawing on. His songs focus on really a few basic themes. Taken from the song "The Queen is Dead" he sings
"We can go for a walk where it's quiet and dry
and talk about precious things
like love and law and poverty
these are the things that kill me"
This pretty much sums up the themes he will cover in his songs and on this album it does seem as though you are taking a walk with Morrissey as he opens up all of himself to you. The brilliance of good writing is being open enough and straightforward enough with your words to really say something. For most of us if we think it, then their are millions of others who think it and feel it as well. It is knowing how to express it that is so difficult. When Morrissey writes "Frankly, Mr Shankly, this position I've held
it pays my way and it corrodes my soul"
many of us can relate because we have felt that exact same way.

The only drawback to The Smiths is that they never had a chance to grow up. They disbanded when Morrissey was only 28 and Marr was 24, and so their prose and sound have a youthful appeal that can be lost if you aren't introduced to them at the right age. Kind of like watching Rebel Without a Cause for the first time when you are 40. This doesn't diminish the brilliance of the album, but it does limit its mass appeal.

The Meters - Look-Ka Py Py (Top 500 Countdown Update)

Hmm. I'm not sure I understand why this album is on the top 500 list let alone sitting at 218. Maybe if I were sitting in a Jazz club that only served Pabst in a can I would find this entertaining, but that's about it.

Loveless - My Bloody Valentine (Top 500 Countdown Update)

It feels a bit too much like listening to the Cocteau Twins with a blown speaker for me to really get a feel for how it is so innovative or why it is so highly thought of. I enjoyed it to a degree, but the noise is turned up just a bit too much for me to really enjoy the songs or the album as a whole.

U2 - War (Top 500 Countdown Update)

It's funny how some bands take a long time to develop and I think with this third album from U2 you can see that they have grown a lot but still have so much room to grow. Musically the album has a hollow empty feel something they struggled with on their first two albums as well, but now they have gained an ability to strip down some of their sound and expose melodies, beats, and lyrics that are entertaining and thoughtful. Except for the big four songs (Sunday Bloody Sunday, New Year's Day, Two Hearts Beat As One, and "40") the album is a bit too much like their earlier work and so falls a bit flat here and there. Two more albums until they really nail everything down but they are definitely on their way with War.

Bruce Springsteen - Nebraska (Top 500 Countdown Update)

The lyrics are great, the songs depressing, and the tunes catchy. "Atlantic City" is a fantastic song and others on this album really can grab you. But the key to Nebraska is Springsteen. His emotion and ability to express himself in song are really displayed fully on this album. You are so drawn into the lyrics of the songs it is hard not to know what he's saying and what is going on. He is in essence a fantastic entertainer and it is very apparent on this very stripped down album. I've always thought his singing ability is his most underrated ability and I think it really tells on an album like Nebraska. Without his ability to perform as a singer this is just a depressing folk album.

The Pixies - Doolittle (Top 500 Countdown Update)

I have repeatedly talked about a pop sense in connection with the creative artistry of a band's sound. Doolittle may be the best example of this that exists today. This album is pure Pixies a sound like no other, but it is put together with so much pop sensibility that it brings their unique sound to the listener and does something that is extremely hard to do. It presents the listener with this crazed, noisy, energetic, ugly sound and still manages to give melodies, riffs, lyrics, and beats that stick inside your mind and body.

Eric B. & Rakim - Paid In Full (Top 500 Countdown Update)

This is a solid hip hop album, with good beats and rhymes. It has a smooth groove throughout, and is fun to listen to. The instrumentals drag a bit for me, but all in all it's a great listen. The nice thing about it is the sound doesn't sound dated but still sounds fresh. "I Ain't No Joke" is a fantastic tune and sets a high bar for the rest of the album which it lives up to. Listening to something like this is a reminder of just how good hip hop can be.

Bonnie Raitt - Nick of Time (Top 500 Countdown Update)

I'm not sure I understand why this album is on the list. It's a nice blend of pop and blues but nothing about this album really stands out. It would be fun to put on the stereo while you're reading a book or making dinner, but you're not going to write home about it.

Fort Fisher is the Place to Be

We like to occasional make a day trip to the beach and for us you cannot beat Fort Fisher. It is convenient from I-40, it has free parking, it has public restrooms, it allows pets on the beach anytime they are open year round, and it is never overcrowded. Walk a small bit down the beach and you are alone away from everyone even in the middle of the summer. Another nice option about it's location is that you can always hop on the ferry if you want after hanging out at the beach for hours and ride over to Southport and its neat downtown with some good eating places and nice places to relax.

Grace's Kitchen

I was at Earth Fare the other day and saw some frozen dinners on sale for $9.99 off the regular price. My thought was that any frozen dinner where you could take $9.99 off the price had to be looked into.

They are made by a company called Grace's Kitchen and I have to say they were very good. I purchased two dinners not knowing that each dinner is two servings. I bought the Wild Mushroom Risotto Cakes and the Wild Mahi Mahi Tacos. The trick is this is not something you simply throw in your microwave or oven, you actually have to cook the food. The mahi mahi for instance is a raw fillet, the risotto cakes are uncooked, and each piece is individually wrapped and needs separate preparation.

This then lead to a discussion between Margaret and me as to whether or not it is worth it. Yes it was on sale $9.99 off, but it still cost $9.00. Yes it fed two people, but it required cooking effort and so it may have well been made from raw ingredients. Funny thing is I think we both agreed that for the price it was worth it on this occasion. The food was quite good and like nothing we would ever cook from scratch. The vegetables were very fresh tasting and the sauces excellent. Best of all there was no sugar, no corn syrup in anything. The ingredients are all natural with no preservatives and that is nice.

The only drawback is that because it is expensive and the food is so unique tasting, it is not the kind of meal you want to repeat. I can't really see us ever buying those meals again even if we wanted to splurge but still spend less than a night out. Why? Because we've had that meal. It would be like going to a fancy restaurant and ordering the same meal every time, which if you know me you know I just think that's wrong.

Queen - A Night At the Opera (Top 500 Countdown)

I had a lot of fun listening to this album. It mixes so many different sounds on one album it is incredible how well they all fit together. This album has my favorite Queen song "You're My Best Friend" which is just a wonderful pop song, and of course it has the classic "Bohemian Rhapsody." From the folk sound of "'39" to the mod sound of "Lazing On a Sunday Afternoon" this album is a non stop mix of sounds and feelings. A lot of fun.

The Byrds - Mr. Tambourine Man (Top 500 Countdown Update)

For many of the albums on this list I don't feel that I can properly review them or rank them for that matter. In the end I have to base all of my judgments on what I like. Mr. Tambourine Man is a good album, but it has a very dated sound. Funny, but I've never listened to The Byrds until now and I can see their appeal, but it's a sound that I'm not all that crazy about. Of course I can immediately see how many bands ripped off this sound. I immediately think of The Guess Who, but I actually like what The Guess Who does with this sound better than what The Byrds do with it.

Simon & Garfunkel - Bookends (Top 500 Countdown Update)

I've always thought of this as two albums in one. You have side 1 and 2 and they don't necessarily go that well together, but song for song this is a very powerful album that doesn't have many that can match it. This is the peak of Simon & Garfunkel with the beautiful soft sounds of their early stuff and the explosive sound of their later stuff and early Paul Simon. A song like "Punky's Dilemma" shows the growth of Simon who was able to take a fun silly lyric and put it with a wonderful melody and music and make it work. It's his growth with music that makes this album really shine, and it's the way it ties back to their older sound that really makes it the best Simon & Garfunkel you will find. A comment here that "America" is one of the greatest songs ever made, and that carries a lot of weight for this album. If you have never sat down and listened to this one, throw it on the stereo sometime when you are cleaning up the house on a Saturday afternoon, you'll fall for it in a big way.

The Who - The Who Sings My Generation (Top 500 Countdown Update)

I like The Who, but I'm not a huge early Who fan. This album definitely has its moments, but it's not one I would pull off the shelf to listen to. Funny you know so many bands peak with their first album, but I would think even at the time you could tell that this band had a lot of room to grow.

Madonna - Like a Prayer (Top 500 Countdown Update)

Madonna has been through many phases in her sound over the years as any good pop artist would. Like a Prayer seems to me one of those albums that is lost in a phase shift. It has components of what has come before and what will follow directly, but it is lost somewhere in the middle with no set direction. This does not help the album but leaves it lacking a coherent theme or sound that makes it flow and work like her better albums.

Steely Dan - Can't Buy a Thrill (Top 500 Countdown Update)

This album does have a nice sound and the two singles "Do It Again" and "Reelin' In the Years" are good songs, but Steely Dan's music just doesn't grab me. Maybe the best thing that can be said about the album is that it doesn't feel dated at all, but still has a nice fresh sound. I could definitely see putting this album on as background music, but for a serious listening to I just don't see it happening.

The Replacements - Let It Be (Top 500 Countdown Update)

I came into this album with high hopes. I've had quite a few friends who were big Replacement fans over the years and I've always liked the few songs I heard. This album is their break into more of a mainstream sound. I think for me I'll have to wait one more album till they perfected the mainstream sound. The problem is that so many of the songs are too juvenile and to still lost in this weird land of punk, rock and pop for me to enjoy.

The Grateful Dead - Live Dead (Top 500 Countdown)

It's kind of like a live jazz album where the songs just kind of go on and on and on. I can certainly see the appeal for a Dead fan, but for someone like me it holds no interest.

Nick Drake - Bryter Layter (Top 500 Countdown Update)

This is by far the best of the Nick Drake albums. It has a liveliness to it that is completely lost on his other two albums. This album still has that wonderful Nick Drake sound but it is much more mature on this album, much more developed. I had completely given up on really liking a Nick Drake album, but this one changed my mind.

Taking naps

I just want to say that I am huge fan of taking naps. As a recent fan of this activity, I have to say, if you haven't taken a nap in a while, you should. Visit this site and learn more about National Napping Day.

Did you know that there are certain kinds of naps, according to William Anthony, professor of rehabilitation counseling at Boston University, like the preventative nap, the prepatory nap, the pleasurable nap, the problem solving nap, and the procrastination nap. What kind of nap will you take?

By the way, I got the idea for this entry from Puppy Dog. He makes taking naps an art.

Young People and the Media

NPR ran an interesting series that dealt with young people and the media this week. It doesn't do much but raise more questions I believe, but it is still interesting to hear the voices of young people talking about their vision of how media impacts their lives.