Tracks
- Solid Air
- Over the Hill
- Don't Want to Know
- I'd Rather Be the Devil
- Go Down Easy
- Dreams by the Sea
- May You Never
- The Man in the Station
- The Easy Blues
Solid Air is a tempestuous album. The music is blues, folk rock and folk jazz. The foundation is blues and elements of jazz and rock are developed up from there. The songs are truly wild. They often start out very calm and somewhat downcast. Then they all of a sudden loud and uncontrollable. John Martyn generally sings with a dispassionate mumble despite these songs being deeply emotional.
Once again, this is the reason why there is value in listening to the albums on the 1001 Albums list. This is an album I would never have listened to otherwise. And since it's one of the most amazing albums I've ever heard, I would have been the poorer for not ever listening to it. This is worth listening to and it belongs in every serious album collection. For its uniqueness, it deserves to be on 1001 Albums list. I'll be pleasantly surprised to hear another artist or band who is as different.
All the songs are amazing. The stand outs are Solid Air, Over the Hill, Don't Want to Know, I'd Rather Be the Devil, Go Down Easy, Dreams by the Sea, May You Never, The Man in the Station and The Easy Blues.
★★★★★★★★★★
Tracks
- Astral Weeks
- Beside You
- Sweet Thing
- Cyprus Avenue
- The Way Young Lovers Do
- Madame George
- Ballerina
- Slim Slow Slider
Astral Weeks is a sublime album. (I could have said it's an ethereal album, but that would just be a bad joke.) Without Van Morrison singing, this album would be a very strange jazz album. The double bass plays a significant role throughout each song to compensate for the more subtle presence of the drums and other percussion.
In some songs there's often a flute, strings or a guitar playing in the background without an obvious connection to the music. Van Morrison has an undulating singing style. It's hypnotic and would grow tiresome if he weren't so passionate. All together, it makes for a unique album.
I've never thought much of Van Morrison, but I think this album is wonderful. It certainly deserves to be on the list and is a must for any serious collector. All the songs are outstanding, but Astral Weeks, Sweet Thing, Cyprus Avenue, The Way Young Lovers Do, Madame George and Ballerina are the stand outs.
★★★★★★★★★★
Tracks
- Every Day I Have the Blues
- Sweet Little Angel
- It's My Own Fault
- How Blue Can You Get?
- Please Love Me
- You Upset Me Baby
- Worry, Worry
- Woke Up This Morning (My Baby's Gone)
- You Done Lost Your Good Thing Now
- Help the Poor
Live at the Regal is a masterful album. B.B. King is in complete control. He has the audience eating out of his hand by the second song. His guitar-playing, his singing and his confidence demonstrate an intimate understanding of each and every song.
It is his guitar-playing that stands out, at least with respect to the 1001 Albums list. No one has yet to make the guitar as important as a piano or a singer's voice. The Rolling Stones have come close.
There also seems to be quite a bit of overt misogyny going on in the lyrics and in some of the comments B.B. makes to the audience. What's surprising is that the women in the audience are applauding it. Which is worse: overt or covert misogyny?
This music is certainly worth listening to. The stand out songs are everything but the opening and closing songs.
It's impressive how significant this album is to the blues-based rock and roll musicians that will soon be arriving on the scene. Listen to this album to find out which of your favorite bands borrowed directly from the blues in general and B.B. King specifically.
★★★★★★★☆☆☆
Tracks
- Blowin' in the Wind
- Girl from the North Country
- Masters of War
- Down the Highway
- Bob Dylan's Blues
- A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall
- Don't Think Twice, It's All Right
- Bob Dylan's Dream
- Oxford Town
- Talkin' World War III Blues
- Corrina, Corrina
- Honey, Just Allow Me One More Chance
- I Shall Be Free
The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan is a philosophical and poetic album. Bob Dylan has a lot to say; it's clever and it isn't trivial. Of course, it isn't the deep kind of philosophy you'd get from a university philosophy class. It's also a poetic album, but it isn't the poetry you'd read in a university literature class. But neither is the point; Dylan is just starting the conversation.
The music is simple, but the messages are strong. More complex music may have been just a distraction.
This is another album that must be listened to. It's not as complete a game changer like With The Beatles is, but it opens the door to lyrics with more substance, which certainly had been missing in most of the previous albums. All the songs are quite good, but the best ones are: Blowin' in the Wind, Girl from the North Country, Masters of War, Bob Dylan's Blues, A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall, Talkin' World War III Blues and I Shall Be Free.
★★★★★★★★★★
