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The Who |
041 |
| Who’s Next |
1971
Track / Decca
UK: 1
US: 4
Producers: The Who & Glyn Johns |
| Facing the tough job of following the hugely successful album Tommy, The Who abandoned the even more ambitious Lifehouse project, using the pick of the material for this 1971 release. Their sound unfettered by the production talents of Glyn Johns, having previously relied on the limited skills of manager Kit Lambert, The Who realised some of their most dynamic ideas and performances. Johns perfectly captured the thunderous rhythm section of Moon and Entwistle, Townshend’s elegant acoustic work and aggressive electric chords, allowing Daltrey the space for an emotive interpretation of Townshend’s compositions. The Who were particularly ambitious on three songs that dominated the record, ‘Behind Blue Eyes‘, ‘Baba O’Riley’ and ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again‘; songs that would remain live favourites decades later, two of which were based around Townshend’s groundbreaking synthesiser work. The Who would continue a prolific period of quality albums up until Moon’s death in 1978, but Who’s Next remains a high point of one of Britain’s most innovative bands.
Track Listing: Baba O’Riley / Bargain / Love Ain’t For Keeping / My Wife / The Song Is Over / Getting In Tune / Going Mobile / Behind Blue Eyes / Won’t Get Fooled Again.
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Neil Young |
042 |
| Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere |
1969
Reprise
UK: -
US: 24
Producers: Neil Young & David Briggs |
| Young’s second solo album and his first genuine classic. His work with Buffalo Springfield had already established Young as a songwriter of great depth, but it was on this 1969 release that he really defined his musical vision. Eschewing the polished production of his debut, Young set out for a more gritty and simple approach on Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere working with producer David Briggs, someone he would return to throughout his career. Hooking up with the unrefined garage rock of Crazy Horse, Young produced some of the most affecting and engaging songs of his career; from the driving rock of ‘Cinnamon Girl’, the ramshackle country-rock of the title track to the epic harmonies and ragged guitar solos of the monumental ‘Down By The River’ and the closing ‘Cowgirl In The Sand’. Young would follow this collection with a remarkable run of creativity and commercial success, releasing some sterling efforts throughout the 1970s veering from overtly commercial fare to dark experimentation, but always retaining a remarkable sense of individuality.
Track Listing: Cinnamon Girl / Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere / Round And Round (It Won’t Be Long) / Down By The River / The Losing End (When You’re On) / Running Dry (Requiem For The Rockets) / Cowgirl In The Sand.
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Simon & Garfunkel |
043 |
| Bookends |
1968
C.B.S. / Columbia
UK: 1
US: 1
Producers: Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel & Roy Ha |
| The first in a run of three number one albums in the US for Simon and Garfunkel, Bookends witnessed a move away from their folk origins with huge commercial success; eleven years after their first commercial release in 1957 as Tom and Jerry. The emphasis was still on quality song-writing and the familiar ethereal harmonies but with more diverse instrumentation, backed up by the cream of the LA session musician community. ‘Mrs Robinson’ would provide a huge hit single, revisited the same year for The Graduate soundtrack, but creatively the peaks were many; including ‘America’, ‘Fakin’ It’ and ‘A Hazy Shade of Winter‘. The duo would take their popularity even further with the hugely successful Bridge Over Troubled Water nineteen months later, before disbanding for successful solo careers that never quite reached the spectacular heights of their last two albums together, but certainly served to remind fans of their fine contribution to popular music.
The first in a run of three number one albums in the US for Simon and Garfunkel, Bookends witnessed a move away from their folk origins with huge commercial success; eleven years after their first commercial release in 1957 as Tom and Jerry. The emphasis was still on quality song-writing and the familiar ethereal harmonies but with more diverse instrumentation, backed up by the cream of the LA session musician community. ‘Mrs Robinson’ would provide a huge hit single, revisited the same year for The Graduate soundtrack, but creatively the peaks were many; including ‘America’, ‘Fakin’ It’ and ‘A Hazy Shade of Winter‘. The duo would take their popularity even further with the hugely successful Bridge Over Troubled Water nineteen months later, before disbanding for successful solo careers that never quite reached the spectacular heights of their last two albums together, but certainly served to remind fans of their fine contribution to popular music.
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The Beatles |
044 |
| The Beatles |
1968
Apple
UK: 1
US: 1
Producer: George Martin |
| With tensions in the group running high, despite a recent visit to the Maharishi in India, the Beatles nonetheless followed Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band with an even more ambitious album. Embracing a multitude of musical styles, from the opening rock n’ roll of the Beach Boys homage ‘Back In The USSR’ to Ringo Starr’s gentle croon on the closing ‘Goodnight’, this 1968 release witnessed some of the Beatles’ finest songs, ranging from wilful experimentation ('Revolution 9'), to heartfelt balladry on the likes of ‘Martha My Dear’, ‘Dear Prudence’ and ‘Julia‘. Lennon was in particularly good form with the political ‘Revolution 1’ and the ambitious ‘Happiness Is A Warm Gun’. McCartney would offer the graceful ‘Blackbird’ and the raw ‘Helter Skelter’ amongst others, while Harrison’s ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’, with his friend Eric Clapton on guitar, was another particular highlight. The group would follow this collection with the equally impressive Abbey Road before disbanding prior to the release of the patchy Let It Be.
Track Listing: Back In The USSR / Dear Prudence / Glass Onion / Ob La Di Ob La Da / Wild Honey Pie / Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill / While My Guitar Gently Weeps / Happiness Is A Warm Gun / Martha My Dear / I'm So Tired / Blackbird / Piggies / Rocky Raccoon / Don't Pass Me By / Why Don't We Do It In The Road / I Will / Julia / Yer Blues / Mother Nature's Son / Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey / Sexy Sadie / Helter Skelter / Long Long Long / Revolution / Honey Pie / Savoy Truffle / Cry Baby Cry / Revolution 9 / Goodnight.
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The Band |
045 |
| Music From Big Pink |
1968
Capitol
UK: -
US: 30
Producer: John Simon |
| A nostalgic blend of Americana, that mixed soul, country, folk and rock into a highly original sound. The Band were a highly talented collection of multi-instrumentalists who also had the advantage of boasting three great singing voices; pianist Richard Manual’s rich soulful croon, drummer Levon Helm’s country rasp and bassist Rick Danko’s fragile tenor. Eschewing the lengthy psychedelic jams that were typical of the time, The Band had rented Big Pink, a house in Woodstock, and set out to strip back the excesses of the time and hone their song-writing skills. The results were revelatory; a highly influential set of songs that included one of guitarist Robbie Robertson’s greatest compositions (‘The Weight‘) and two tracks co-written with Dylan; Manuel’s ‘Tears Of Rage’ and Danko’s ‘This Wheel‘s On Fire‘. Garth Hudson demonstrated his incredible musicianship on the organ-led ‘Chest Fever‘, another exceptional Robertson original. Dylan’s ‘I Shall Be Released’ closed a formidable set that breathed a breath of fresh air through the US music scene.
Track Listing: Tears Of Rage / To Kingdom Come / In A Station / Caledonia Mission / The Weight / We Can Talk / Long Black Veil / Chest Fever / Lonesome Susie / This Wheel’s On Fire / I Shall Be Released.
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Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes |
046 |
| Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes |
1975
Philadelphia International
UK: -
US: 12
Producers: Kenneth Gamble & Leon Hu |
| An engaging and uplifting piece of soul, that helped introduce the formidable vocal talents of Teddy Pendergrass to the world. Production was handled by Kenneth Gamble and Leo Huff, pioneers of the Philadelphia soul sound. Gamble and Huff would also write three tracks for the band, including ‘Don’t Leave Me This Way, an energetic and melodic disco-soul number that would provide the band with a top five single in the UK. The remaining five numbers were provided by the equally prolific writing team of Whitehead, McFadden and Carstaphen including the extended funk of the title track, with its socially conscious lyrics, its dramatic electric piano introduction and its mesmerising arrangement, courtesy of Bobby Martin. Pendergrass would leave the year following the release of Wake Up Everybody for a successful solo career, cut short by a serious car accident in the 80s. The Blue Notes would continue until Melvin’s death in 1997, with this 1975 album remaining a essential release of 1970s American soul music and a highlight of the Blue Notes’ musical output.
Track Listing: Wake Up Everybody / Keep On Lovin’ You / You Know How to Make Me Feel So Good / Don't Leave Me This Way / Tell the World How I Feel About 'Cha Baby / To Be Free to Be Who We Are / I'm Searching for a Love.
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Allman Brothers Band |
047 |
| Brothers & Sisters |
1973
Capricorn
UK: 42
US: 1
Producers: Johnny Sandlin & The Allman Brothers Band |
| Following another tragedy for the band, when bassist Berry Oakley died in a motorcycle accident shortly prior to the release of Brothers And Sisters, reminiscent of guitarist Duane Allman’s death in similar circumstances the previous year, the Allman Brothers emerged with an excellent set of songs; mainly due to the song-writing talent of Richard Betts and Gregg Allman and the prodigious musicianship of the band. Brothers And Sisters would provide the group with their first number one album in the US, shortly after a number two placing in the singles’ charts for the charming country-rock of Richard Betts’s ‘Ramblin’ Man’. Betts also contributed the mesmerising instrumental ‘Jessica’ that was another highlight of the record. The Allman Brothers would take another two years before the disappointing Win, Lose Or Draw album in 1975. Shortly after the band split, although they returned for some underwhelming efforts at the turn of the decade.
Track Listing: Wasted Words / Ramblin’ Man / Southbound / Jessica / Come And Go Blues / Pony Boy / Early Morning Blues.
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Stevie Wonder |
048 |
| Talking Book |
1973
Tamla Motown
UK: 16
US: 3
Producer: Stevie Wonder |
| Talking Book marked the beginning of a great period of creativity for Stevie Wonder, and an amazing run of critical and commercial success. Talking Book would provide Wonder with two US number one singles; the sweet shuffle of ‘You Are The Sunshine Of My Life’ and the horn driven funk of ‘Superstition’. Wonder continued to embrace the Moog and synthesiser textures that had made previous release Music Of My Mind so startlingly innovative. Playing most instruments himself, he offered another selection of songs that, although ballad heavy - ‘Blame It On The Sun’ and ‘I Believe (When I Fall In Love That It Will Be Forever)’ were particularly impressive - bustled with melody and soulful charm. On the likes of ‘Big Brother’ Wonder would his increasing interesting in addressing political and social commentary in his lyrics. Amazingly, Wonder would follow this release with the even more impressive Innervisions album, continuing to release quality recordings throughout the remainder of the 1970s.
Track Listing: You Are The Sunshine Of My Life / Maybe Your Baby / You And I / Tuesday Heartbreak / You’ve Got It Bad Girl / Superstition / Big Brother / Blame It On The Sun / Lookin’ For Another Pure Love / I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever).
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Blur |
049 |
| Modern Life Is Rubbish |
1993
Food-E.M.I. / S.B.K.
UK: 15
US: -
Producers: Stephen Street, Steve Lovell, |
| Embracing 60s mod, punk, Syd Barrett-esque psychedelia and music hall influences, Blur demonstrated on this, their second album, an engaging and melodic talent for great pop music. Although it wasn’t a huge commercial success, unlike the million selling follow-up Parklife, it certainly was a creative and critical triumph. Damon Albarn’s wry and engaging vignettes of London life brought to mind the late 1960s work of The Kinks’ Ray Davies that, unlike later efforts on 1995’s The Great Escape, didn’t sound contrived. Modern Life Is Rubbish also benefited from Graham Coxon’s innovative guitar work, from spaced out and charming to frantic punk chords. It was Albarn however, while slipping into cockney pastiches on later releases, who really held the spotlight with his laid back vocal style on the likes of ‘Blue Jeans’ and ‘Miss America’ and on the upbeat singles ‘Chemical World and ‘For Tomorrow’. Blur would continue on much the same path for two more albums, until the influence of the US alternative music scene would then take their sound in a different direction.
Track Listing: For Tomorrow / Advert / Colin Zeal / Pressure On Julian / Star Shaped / Blue Jeans / Chemical World/ Intermission / Sunday Sunday / Oily Water / Miss America / Villa Rosie / Coping / Turn It Up / Resigned.
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Suede |
050 |
| Suede |
1993
Nude-Sony / Columbia
UK: 1
US: -
Producer: Ed Buller |
| Released amid a storm of hype in 1993, following the frenetic ‘Animal Nitrate’ single released earlier in the year. Matching the lyrical ambiguity of Morrissey with the glam-stomp of early 70s Bowie, Suede met with instant commercial success and critical acclaim in the UK. Powered along by the energetic ‘Metal Mickey’, the aforementioned ‘Animal Nitrate’ and the graceful ‘So Young’ singles, this collection was also home to some dark, melodramatic balladry such as the likes of ‘Pantomime Horse’ and ‘The Next Life’. Key to Suede’s sound was the soaring, stylised vocals of Brett Anderson, the innovative rhythm section and the original guitar talents of Bernard Butler, mixing the influences of Johnny Marr and Mick Ronson into a unique and instantly recognisable guitar style. Suede would match their debut effort with the epic ‘Stay Together’ single and the ambitious Dog Man Star album that followed in 1994, with guitarist Butler soon departing for a patchy solo career.
Track Listing: So Young / Animal Nitrate / She’s Not Dead / Moving / Pantomime Horse / The Drowners / Sleeping Pills / Breakdown / Metal Mickey / Animal Lover / The Next Life.
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| THE GREATEST ALBUMS
EVER 41-50 |
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