Month: September 2020

Rating: 8.5/10

Top Track: ‘There Is a Light That Never Goes Out’

Okay, I needed a break from the 70s. I wanted to listen to something that was younger than 40 years old. I do believe that this is the first album I am covering from my dear mother’s collection. I don’t know for sure, but The Smiths are one of her favorite bands and my dad was never really big into new wave music. So, I deduce that this classic album belongs to my Mama. I admit that I did not know much about this album other than ‘There Is a Light That Never Goes Out’ and that Morrissey was the lead singer of the group. Since listening to it many times through, I must say I have fallen somewhat in love with the record. I really love the sound of the band and they way Morrissey sings; it’s extremely unique and will probably never be recreated by anyone else. As for the record itself, there is a picture of the band standing in front of the Sanford lads club on the inside cover with lyrics of all the songs printed on the other inside cover. Morrissey’s hair is standing straight up in a hilarious gravity-defying, Frankenstein monster look. As much I adore the soft sound the band achieves on the album, I was surprised to learn they were influenced by early punk acts of the 1970s like The Velvet Underground and The Stooges. I still can’t get away from the 70s! Considering all this gushing I’m doing about the sound and whatnot, why only give the album an 8.5 instead of a 9 or higher? Fair question. I do really like the sound of the music and Morrissey’s voice along with his lyrics, but I feel like the band stayed in that pocket for the whole album and didn’t take any real risks or expand their sound. I know that’s a lot to ask, but considering all of the legendary albums I’ve covered thus far, I had to go with an 8.5. Still Morrissey’s lyrics and Johnny Marr’s music composition is probably one of the greatest songwriting combinations of the 80s.

Super easy decision for top track this week. While ‘Cemetery Gates’, ‘Vicar in a Tutu’, and ‘Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others’ definitely turned my head, ‘There Is a Light That Never Goes Out’ is a timeless classic. It’s instantly recognizable from the first chord and can get anyone tapping their foot. Not to mention my mom knows all the words and will not hesitate to sing the song in its entirety at me when it comes on the car radio. Love ya Mama. The track is also super danceable. In fact, I’m dancing right now. Good thing no one can see me. If i was asked to make a playlist of 100 songs to play at my wedding, this song is making the list. I like it that much. I also picked the song because of of the creativity of Morrissey’s lyrics. Creative and unique lyrics always get me. I remember hearing the song for the first time over the radio and thinking if a double-decker bus does what? It’s such a violent and romantic lyric, it’s got to be one of my favorite lines ever from a song. I just want to give a quick shoutout to the bassist, Andy Rourke, who lays down a great bass line that is often overlooked on this track. In fact, Rourke does a great job on every track on the album. Also, Johnny Marr did a great job with the chord progression on this song. Simple, but effective. When you’ve got great lyrics like that, why cover it up with complicated musical composition? The keyboards on the track make the breaks in the song very memorable and tie the track up as a whole with a nice bow. I don’t know how this band didn’t use this song as the single for the album, but I still love it nevertheless.

The thing I fell in love with the most about the sound of this album is the combination of the acoustic and electric guitar. Johnny Marr is a genius. I had to say it. The way he played his Fender Jaguar and came up with that signature sound is the stuff of legend. This type of sound would inspire future bands such as Oasis and The Killers. I think the only song that doesn’t have this combination is the first track, ‘The Queen Is Dead’. With heavy drums and a rockin’ bass, this title track starts off the album with a bang. The lyrics are clever as ever and I just cannot get over how Morrissey pronounces “piano”. Listen to the song to hear what I’m talking about. I think this song is the closest to a risk the band has on the album. But it’s still very cohesive with the other tracks. That’s the thing I kind of like about this album; I know I said I didn’t give the album a higher rating because the band played it safe, but I like the cohesiveness of the entire album. It makes it easy to sit through (or dance through) as a whole. It also makes it easy to listen to the tracks out of order, if anyone feels so inclined.

The biggest surprise of listening to the album all the way through for the first time was how much humor was on the album. Songs like ‘Frankly, Mr. Shankly’, ‘Vicar in a Tutu’, and ‘Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others’ have some very funny lyrics and a fun melody. All of those titles are very funny in of themselves, but the songs themselves genuinely make me smile. I don’t know why I was so surprised by this element of humor. I guess I just thought of Morrissey and The Smiths as having a kind of soft, serious sound, but this album has completely changed my perspective. So, it was a very pleasant surprise. I like the way the band messes with the listener by fading the sound in and out at the beginning of ‘Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others’, I thought something was wrong with my speakers for a second. Overall, I think this album is a great one and has aged very well. I think if this album was released today, it would do very well. I have a newfound affection for The Smiths as well as “The Queen Is Dead”. For anyone who hasn’t given the band or the album a chance yet, I highly recommend listening to it. I think I might even know more lyrics off of this album than my mom now. Anyways, thank you for introducing me to this music Mama; and thank you to Morrissey and Johnny Marr for writing such beautiful songs.

Rating: 10/10

Top Track: ‘Imagine’

Time for my favorite John Lennon solo album. To me, this album captures Lennon at his peak and is much more than its title track ‘Imagine’. This album is also only the second album I have given a rating of 10/10 to. There’s a reason I don’t give out 10/10’s willy-nilly. That rating means that I can listen to this album over and over and never tire of it. It means that if I had to choose just one album to listen to for the rest of my life, this one is one of my top choices. Keep in mind that my ratings are totally subjective and shouldn’t be taken very seriously. I’m sure, but I think this album might’ve been my dad’s favorite Lennon album as well. Inside of the cover there is a fairly large white-washed poster of John playing the piano with pin holes and tape marks all over the corners (thanks Papa). The sleeve that holds the record itself is covered with headshots of all the musicians who contributed to the album and a spiraling list of who played which instrument. The other side of the sleeve contains lyrics to every song on the album. The the label of the record itself, on a picture of an apple core, are the initials “RB”, my dad’s. On the back of the album cover is the quote, “imagine the clouds dripping. dig a hole in your garden to put them in” credited to “yoko ’63”. The quote was pulled from Yoko Ono’s book Grapefruit which was being re-released at the time. This album was made to be listened to on vinyl. Sure, on Spotify is sounds great, but like I’ve said before, there’s nothing like the real thing. I find everything about this album fantastic, from the range of sound to the polaroid photo of John on the cover (taken by Yoko, not by Andy Warhol who was rumored to have taken it). Alright, let’s get into the top track.

This was probably the quickest decision of a top track that I have made thus far. Sure, songs like ‘Jealous Guy’, ‘Gimme Some Truth’, and ‘How Do You Sleep?’ were taken into account, but they were never really in the running. How could I not pick the title track of this album as well as one of the best songs ever written? It had to be ‘Imagine’. I would give anything to listen to this song for the first time again. I can still remember being a wee lad and having my mind blown. Yes, the song is extremely overplayed by disc jockeys and amateur piano players alike; and while it is overplayed, it never gets old. I didn’t just pick the song because of its popularity or even because of how great a song it is, I picked it because it speaks to me. In fact I picked it because it speaks to everyone. Which is all John Lennon wanted. I think that ‘Imagine’ is the most John Lennon song he ever wrote. If any of that makes sense. I think this song is as close to perfect as any song is ever going to get. The music has a minimalistic quality that does just enough to lay down one of the most memorable melodies ever recorded. John doesn’t try to do too much with the music and the same goes with the lyrics. The song is a call to everyone who hears to come together and live in peace. That’s all John Lennon wanted. Cut the crap, all the division, hate, and labels that pull us apart and just “be as one.”

Okay, so why is this album a perfect 10/10 in my eyes? Like I said, this is John Lennon at his peak. The range of sound on this album is just incredible, from the softness of songs like ‘Imagine’ to blues-y tracks like ‘It’s So Hard’ and ‘I Don’t Wanna Be A Soldier Mama’; even some straight up classic rock, Beatles-y songs like ‘Gimme Some Truth’ and ‘How Do You Sleep?’. And why not throw in a fun, goofy song like ‘Crippled Inside’. The levels in this album are just insane. John always seemed to have a flair for the dramatic. Speaking of dramatic, I want to talk about ‘How Do You Sleep?’. I think that it’s quite possible that this song could be considered the first diss track ever written. Way before hip hop artists were flaming each other on SoundCloud, John Lennon was doing it back in the 70s. The wounds of the Beatles break up were still pretty fresh when recording this album, especially between John and Paul McCartney, whom the track is about. This song basically calls out Paul for being a phony and thinking too highly of himself. That must’ve stung coming from someone who used to be your best friend. And to add insult to injury, George Harrison plays a remarkable blues-filled guitar solo on the track; another ex-Beatle and close pal of McCartney’s. McCartney would later respond with a track of his own, but more on that later (hint, hint). All that aside though, I really enjoy this song. The heavy guitar, the strings, the keyboard, it’s easily my second favorite song on the album. ‘Jealous Guy’ is probably my third favorite for anyone wondering.

I really like the way Lennon decided to end the album. ‘Oh Yoko!’ is one of my favorite Lennon songs believe it or not. It’s so upbeat and happy, it just has a great vibe to it; and it’s extremely enamored John is with Yoko. I mean, he’s just so in love; and how can love be a bad thing? I mean, their relationship was a big part in breaking up the Beatles, but let’s not get into that. John begins the album with a slow, hopeful song and ends with a cheerful song about the woman he loves, as well as a harmonica solo. He literally ends the album on a high note, well kind of. I think my point was made. The piano playing on the track is really great as well. In fact, I think the piano playing on all the tracks is great, especially on ‘Jealous Guy’. I think it really makes the song. Man, that man was so talented.

Well, I hope this post convinced some people that this album is more than its title track and did, in fact, deserve the 10/10 I gave it. I absolutely love this album and John Lennon himself. If there was a Mount Rushmore of song-writers, John Lennon’s face would be one of the four, without question. He has served as such an inspiration to artists of all mediums from all parts of the world. He inspired two of my personal song-writing heroes, Kurt Cobain and Noel Gallagher. I believe this album has aged ridiculously well. I would put it up against any great album of the past 20 years. John Lennon was so good at writing and playing timeless music. It makes me emotional to think about how he died and how he didn’t get to keep doing what he loved to do. He would’ve been 80 years old this December and it has been nearly 40 years since he passed away. R.I.P. to the legend and may his music live on forever.

Rating: 9/10

Top Track: ‘Changes’

How did it take me so long to get to Bowie? I mean, c’mon dude. Maybe it’s because I love almost every David Bowie album from his first in 1967 up through 1983. That’s not to say I don’t like his later stuff, I do. It’s just hard to beat Bowie from the 70s. How did I eventually land on “Hunky Dory”? I have no idea. To give a bit of a peek behind the curtain, I picked this album out over a month ago. I don’t remember what my process was. Maybe I ran my finger up and down my dad’s Bowie collection and stopped on a random album. Maybe “Hunky Dory” was the first Bowie album I found. Who knows. Who cares. The point is it’s a fantastic album and there’s a reason I gave it a 9/10. Granted, I’ve been pretty liberal with my ratings, but this album really earns it. Is it my favorite Bowie album? Maybe. Truth is, I don’t really have a favorite Bowie album. It’s almost being asked which of my children I love the most; if had kids or if I made amazing music like this. All I’m saying that I really this album. This was Bowie’s fourth studio album and his last pre-Ziggy Stardust phase one. I think this album is a great snapshot of Bowie just hitting his stride. He had shown some obvious signs of genius and greatness before this album, but I think this is the one where he really started coming into his own. It came to fruition after he took some time off after finishing his third album, “The Man Who Sold The World”, which is why I think he changed his heavier rock sound from that album to this one. Bowie also had a change in managers in between albums, so I like to view this album as a sort of rebirth of Bowie . In this rebirth of album, he gives nods to other artists he admires, Andy Warhol, Bob Dylan, and The Velvet Underground. Bowie was such a visionary and a personal hero of mine, it’s crazy to think about how he had personal muses of his own. That being said, let’s move onto the top track.

Yet another album where choosing the top track was somewhat difficult. ‘Changes’ seemed like the obvious choice, but that’s not why I went with it. ‘Life On Mars?’, ‘Oh! You Pretty Things’, and ‘Queen Bitch’ would have all been excellent choices as well. I went with ‘Changes’ not because of how obvious of a choice it is, but because of how iconic it is. It’s one of Bowie’s most well-known songs, it’s the opening track of the album and it’s been an icon in pop culture since the album was released; the opening scene of The Breakfast Club (1985) contains a quote from this song. While ‘Life On Mars?’ further cements Bowie’s genius in grand songs about etherial life, ‘Changes’ is a simple-ish pop song, but Bowie-fied. This song also gives more credence to my theory that this album was sort of a rebirth for Bowie. He was going through lots of changes in his life, the firing of his previous manager, his wife was pregnant with their first child; Bowie was beginning a new chapter in his life and he recognized that. This song also spoke to me during my angsty, hormone-filled teenage years when I thought my parents didn’t understand me and I felt somewhat alone. This song served as a sort of anthem for my first couple years of high school. I believe that a great song doesn’t force a message on the listener. A great song lets the listener decide for themselves what the song means to them. This song is a great song. I think that it could serve as an anthem for anyone going through any type of development in their lives. It’s upbeat and empowering. The piano is so elegant, the lyrics are moving, and Bowie’s saxophone playing at the end is just the cherry on top. I have also always thought that was John Lennon’s voice in the chorus. I’ve looked it up and he’s not credited. No one really knows who it is. It might be guitarist Mark Ronson’s voice in all honesty, but I think I’ll stick with my story. This song can make my day, this song can make me cry. That’s why I chose it as the top track of this album.

I just want to say that no one can write a song like David Bowie. I have no idea where he gets the ideas for his songs from. But man, I’m grateful that man thought the way he did. His lyrics change my world view for the better. He makes me see things with such an enlightened lens. I can only name only a handful of other songwriters that make me feel that way. I know I’m not the only one who feels that why either. I think that says a lot about a songwriter when that can effect the way people see the world. He’s also one of the few artists I’ve notice to cross across not only musical genre divides, but generational divides as well. Metal heads in the 80s love Bowie, classic rock hippies love Bowie, even modern pop millennials love Bowie. Everybody loves Bowie! How can one artist be so beloved even posthumously? No seriously, I’m asking. I mean, he’s mainstream without feeling like a mainstream artist. He stayed true to himself even when people criticized him for his imagine or rumors about his sexuality. I think that’s the reason so many people can identify with him. What’s more relatable than being yourself.

Okay, not everyone loves Bowie. I contradicted myself in that paragraph when I said everybody loved him, and yet he received criticism about his image and whatnot. That’s the thing about Bowie, he’s controversial and isn’t afraid to break some rules. Some people don’t like that, but more people do like it. Anyways, I want to move on from what people think about Bowie to what Bowie thinks about other people, sort of. I stated in my first paragraph what he gives nods to Andy Warhol, Bob Dylan, and The Velvet Underground. The first two are obvious nods. the songs ‘Andy Warhol’ and ‘Song for Bob Dylan’ kind of give it away. Both are pretty good tracks in their own rights. Both are kinds of odes to the artists and how much Bowie admire’s their work. The third nod to The Velvet Underground is a little less obvious than the title of a track. The track is ‘Queen Bitch’. Bowie doesn’t explicitly mention the band, but listen closely to the style of the song, Bowie pays homage to The Velvet Underground with the music itself. The chord progression and the neo-punk style of the chorus and the song itself was meant to sort of copy the style of The Velvet Underground. That means all three songs that honor other artists are consecutive on the album as tracks 8, 9, and 10 respectively. I don’t know why I decided to include that, I just thought it was interesting.

So that’s it. That’s “Hunky Dory”. An absolutely fantastic album. I highly recommend anyone who has not listened to it before to listen to it; and for people do not have much knowledge about Bowie, it’s a great starting point. Bowie’s death shocked me to my core in 2016 and it’s been a great honor writing about one of his best albums. A masterpiece.