277. John Cale | Paris 1919 (1973)

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Wikipedia Entry

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Tracks

1. Child's Christmas in Wales
2. Hanky Panky Nohow
3. The Endless Plain of Fortune
4. Andalucia
5. Macbeth
6. Paris 1919
7. Graham Greene
8. Half Past France
9. Antarctica Starts Here

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Paris 1919 is a cheerless album. The music is baroque pop, or pop with strings and horns. Despite the orchestration on many of the songs, this is a very straightforward and simple album musically.

I don't think it's possible for John Cale to sound more devoid of emotion or despondent than on this album. Even the opening song which seems to be upbeat gets the life sucked out of it when he starts singing. And by the time he gets to the final song he's got nothing left to give as is made abundantly clear by his whispering and it's abrupt end. It's true that Macbeth is lively and upbeat, but the life quickly dissipates. The music is great though. It's full of beautiful melodies which are good at concealing their sadness.

This album really grew on me. I certainly dreaded listening to it after hearing it for the first time, but now I find it to be beautifully sad. It's certainly worth listening to, but I'm not sure why it needs to be on the 1001 Albums list.

All the long songs are very good. The stand outs are Child's Christmas in Wales, Hanky Panky Nohow, The Endless Plain of Fortune, Andalucia, Paris 1919, Graham Greene and Half Past France.

★★★★★★★★★☆

238. Harry Nilsson | Nilsson Schmilsson (1971)

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Wikipedia Entry

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Tracks

1. Gotta Get Up
2. Driving Along
3. Early in the Morning
4. The Moonbeam Song
5. Down
6. Without You
7. Coconut
8. Let the Good Times Roll
9. Jump into the Fire
10. I'll Never Leave You

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Nilsson Schmilsson is an unserious album. The music is baroque pop. There's really no center of gravity. Most of the songs are wild, poppy and fun. But there are some that go way out on a ledge. Coconut is probably the most extreme because it's a calypso song and that's not a style which gets much air play. Without You is a power ballad which is a style that it just coming on the scene. Jump into the Fire is a raging rocker.

The main feature here though is Harry Nilsson's singing. The reason there can be so much variety on this album is his vocal abilities. His range is vast—from pretty low notes to extremely high ones and everything in between. He is also quite charismatic and fun to listen to. He reminds me of a comedic Scott Walker.

Cococut is probably the only problematic part of the album. It's a really fine song, but it doesn't fit. It's also so close to, if not really, a novelty song that it can distract. It's unfortunate because it's a great demonstration of Harry Nilsson's vocal talent.

The album is excellent. Without a doubt it's worth listening to and it's a good addition to any collection. This album drives a wedge between rock and roll and the singer/songwriter kind of folk rock and pop and creates a highly energetic pop that doesn't take itself very seriously. For that, it deserves to be on the 1001 Albums list. However, with this style, there is so much opportunity for no talent hacks, that one must wonder if it's worth bargaining with the devil for great albums like this.

All the songs on this album are excellent. The stand outs are Gotta Get Up, Driving Along, Early in the Morning, The Moonbeam Song, Down, Without You, Coconut, Jump into the Fire and I'll Never Leave You.

★★★★★★★★★☆

191. Nick Drake | Bryter Layter (1970)

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Wikipedia Entry

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Tracks

1. Introduction
2. Hazey Jane II
3. At the Chime of a City Clock
4. One of These Things First
5. Hazey Jane I
6. Bryter Layter
7. Fly
8. Poor Boy
9. Northern Sky
10. Sunday

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Bryter Layter is a lugubrious album. The music is folk, although the presence of piano and saxophone belie the simplicity of that observation. Nick Drake gets some assistance from some of the members of Fairport Convention, John Cale and two members of the Beach Boys.

The songs all sound really beautiful. Although, there is a foreboding quality to the beautiful melodies, as if to suggest that while everything seems well on the surface, just a glance below reveals a different truth. I think the lyrics suggest the same.

Each instrument is very quiet and restrained. There isn't much interplay between them, but they work together well. This is one album where it's very important to pay careful attention to the music.

This is an outstanding album. It's certainly worth listening to. I'm not too sure about whether it should be on the 1001 Albums list. It's not as if there hasn't been enough folk albums. However, this is a different kind of folk album. It certainly shows a folk style that is more introspective than political and worldly. I guess I'd lean in favor of it being on the list.

All of the songs are excellent. The stand outs are: At the Chime of a City Clock, One of These Things First, Hazey Jane I, Fly, Poor Boy and Sunday.

★★★★★★★★★★

131. The Zombies | Odessey And Oracle (1968)

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Wikipedia Entry

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Tracks

1. Care of Cell 44
2. A Rose for Emily
3. Maybe After He's Gone
4. Beechwood Park
5. Brief Candles
6. Hung Up on a Dream
7. Changes
8. I Want Her, She Wants Me
9. This Will Be Our Year
10. Butcher's Tale (Western Front 1914)
11. Friends of Mine
12. Time of the Season

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Odessey And Oracle is a feel-good album. It's the musical equivalent of fluffy bunnies, rainbows and unicorns. The songs are mainly pop rock, but it's not the kind that leads to AOR hell. 

Everybody has heard Time of the Season which is a great song, but none of the other songs sound anything like it. It's easier to appreciate the other songs knowing that a priori. Furthermore, Time of the Season is out of place. Up to now, it's the only hit song that has disrupted the flow of an album. Fortunately, it's at the end.

I liked this album a lot which surprises me. When I first heard it, I didn't think I'd get through all the upbeat and positive music. I thought the songs were downright sappy. But while listening to it for the fourth time, I began to enjoy it. There's a lot of variety and the songs are really catchy.

This album is definitely worth listening to. I'd also think it would be an excellent addition to any collection. All the songs are great, but the stand outs are Care of Cell 44, A Rose for Emily, Beechwood Park, Brief Candles, Changes, Butcher's Tale (Western Front 1914) and Time of the Season.

★★★★★★★★★☆

130. Scott Walker | Scott 2 (1968)

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Wikipedia Entry

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Tracks

1. Jackie
2. Best of Both Worlds
3. Black Sheep Boy
4. The Amorous Humphrey Plugg
5. Next
6. The Girls from the Streets
7. Plastic Palace People
8. Wait Until Dark
9. The Girls and the Dogs
10. Windows of the World
11. The Bridge
12. Come Next Spring

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Scott 2 is an entertaining album. The music reminds me of a stage show. Scott Walker has a wonderfully dramatic voice that breathes life into each song. He is one of the best male singers on the 1001 Albums list up to this point.

Scott Walker performs songs written by a whole host of songwriters. Scott Walker assembled the songs well, though. The pacing is really good and the music maintains the album's continuity. In short, these songs work so well together as if they were all meant for each other.

I really liked this album. It certainly has breathed life into this part of the 1001 Albums list. There's only so much psychedelic rock a person can take and the year 1968, like its predecessor 1967, just continues without end. Of course, there's more to this album; it's smart, entertaining and has a nice sound.

The best songs were written by Jacques Brel. Those songs are devilishly clever. I'm not sure if Jacques Brel wrote the English lyrics or if they were translated. If they were translated, the translator is a genius.

The stand out songs are: Jackie, Best of Both Worlds, The Amorous Humphrey Plugg, Next, Plastic Palace People, The Girls and the Dogs and Windows of the World.

★★★★★★★★★★

77. Nico | Chelsea Girl (1967)

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Wikipedia Entry

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Tracks

1. The Fairest of the Seasons
2. These Days
3. Little Sister
4. Winter Song
5. It Was a Pleasure Then
6. Chelsea Girls
7. I'll Keep It With Mine
8. Somewhere There's a Feather
9. Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams
10. Eulogy to Lenny Bruce

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Chelsea Girl is an improbable album. The songs are folk songs with more production. Most of them have a style reminiscent of Bert Jansch's. This reason for success of this album is not the featured artist, but rather the musicians who supported her.


According to a quote from Nico herself from the Chelsea Girl Wikipedia page, she envisioned a different sound for her album and was disappointed by the outcome. That's why this is an improbable album. Had she had her way, it might have been a mess. As it is, the music is what makes her singing tolerable.


To be fair, though, her singing style grew on me the more times I listened to the album. As I mentioned the music on this album makes the album. In fact it's really good. The lyrics are rich in imagery and that also helps to explain why this album is on this list.


It's a strongly cohesive album; the songs really fit together well and are all worth listening to. The stand out songs are: The Fairest of the Seasons, Winter Song, It Was a Pleasure Then, Chelsea Girl and Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams.

★★★★★★★ ☆☆☆

61. The Beach Boys | Pet Sounds (1966)

Wikipedia Entry

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Tracks

1. Wouldn't It Be Nice
2. You Still Believe in Me
3. That's Not Me
4. Don't Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder)
5. I'm Waiting for the Day
6. Let's Go Away for Awhile
7. Sloop John B
8. God Only Knows
9. I Know There's an Answer
10. Here Today
11. I Just Wasn't Made for These Times
12. Pet Sounds
13. Caroline, No

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Pet Sounds is a beautifully-crafted album. The songs change from one to another so smoothly, musically as well as thematically. It's as if the album consists of one song. That's one aspect of the genius of this album.

There are so many things happening on each song. It's hard to keep track of all the sounds. The harmonizing vocals also add another layer of depth and complexity. That's another aspect of the genius of this album.

It's also pretty impressive that the Beach Boys were able to start pushing the rock and roll boundary so quickly. That's a third aspect of the genius of this album.

It's bad the Beach Boys couldn't stay at the cutting edge like Beatles were able to for a few more albums. It would have been great to have had a longer competition between to the two bands.

When I was first heard this album, I was confused by all the praise lavished on it. I think I was expecting an album that was sonically like the Beatles since I had heard that Rubber Soul had inspired Brian Wilson to write the perfect rock and roll album. And that demonstrates my naïvety. That this album doesn't sound anything like a Beatles album contributes to its brilliance. That's another aspect of the genius of this album.

This is certainly an album worth owning. All of the songs are great, but the ones I really like are: Wouldn't It Be Nice, Don't Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder), I'm Waiting for the Day, Sloop John B, God Only Knows, I Know There's an Answer, Here Today and I Just Wasn't Made for These Times.  
★★★★★★★★★★

52. The Beach Boys | The Beach Boys Today! (1965)

Wikipedia Entry

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Tracks

1. Do You Wanna Dance?
2. Good to My Baby
3. Don't Hurt My Little Sister
4. When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)
5. Help Me, Ronda
6. Dance, Dance, Dance
7. Please Let Me Wonder
8. I'm So Young
9. Kiss Me, Baby
10. She Knows Me Too Well
11. In the Back of My Mind
12. Bull Session with the 'Big Daddy'

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The Beach Boys Today! is a light and fluffy album. All of the songs sound really nice and the close harmony is especially good. There are a few rocking songs, but the majority of the songs are ballads.

I didn't really like the fade in and fade out on Help Me, Ronda and the sound adjustment on Do You Wanna Dance? It felt amateurish.

The Beach Boys also suffer from writing sappy love songs. At least their ballads and singing style made them more tolerable and sound a little more mature.

This album certainly shows a more refined style of rock and roll songwriting, even though the lyrics are mediocre. It's worth listening to, but I would tear my hair out if I were subjected to the ballads over and over. Not surprisingly all but one of the stand out songs: Do You Wanna Dance?, Don't Hurt My Little Sister, Help Me, Ronda, Dance, Dance, Dance and Kiss Me, Baby are not ballads.

And thankfully with the advent of digital music, you can finally purge the album of the obnoxious Bull Session with the 'Big Daddy'. Whatever purpose it served then is now presumably gone.
★★★★★★★★☆☆

37. Phil Spector | A Christmas Gift for You (1963)

Wikipedia Entry

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Tracks (Artists)

1. White Christmas (Darlene Love)
2. Frosty the Snowman (The Ronettes)
3. The Bells of St. Mary's (Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans)
4. Santa Claus Is Coming to Town (The Crystals)
5. Sleigh Ride (The Ronettes)
6. Marshmallow World (Darlene Love)
7. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus (The Ronettes)
8. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (The Crystals)
9. Winter Wonderland (Darlene Love)
10. Parade of the Wooden Soldiers (The Crystals)
11. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) (Darlene Love)
12. Here Comes Santa Claus (Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans)
13. Silent Night (Phil Spector and Artists)

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A Christmas Gift for You from Phillies Records is a festive album. If you like Christmas music, then you will enjoy this collection of popular, secular Christmas songs produced by Phil Spector and performed by Darlene Love, The Crystals, The Ronettes and Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans. If you don't, then this album may help change your mind.

If you are used to Bing Crosby and Jimmy Durante performing Christmas songs, this album may take a bit of getting used to, but Phil Spector has definitely stayed true to the songs' traditional sound. However, he has given them his "Wall of Sound" treatment, which just means a strong emphasis on percussion and bass to create a bigger, fuller sound. It is quite effective.

There are some odd moments on White Christmas, Santa Claus Is Coming to Town and I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus. They don't detract from the song, but they are certainly unnecessary. Phil Spector's farewell speech at the beginning Silent Night is also a bit out of place.

This album is worth listening to during the Christmas season to put you in a festive mood.
★★★★★★★★★☆