As I ease on down the road, this group of albums gave me a case of whiplash with the stylistic changes and the “This-is-starting-to-get-annoying” inclusion of a compilation. Saying recordings collected over the course of more than one CD and calling it an “album” is one of those things that I kind of overlooked — but am now considering omitting from this list. However, then I remembered that ABBA has a compilation coming up, so I’ll just suck it up and keep on keeping on. And lest you think listening to these albums is a chore, let me disabuse you of that notion right now. So far, it’s been a very enjoyable experience with some records not hitting that “greatest” mark in my mind, while others clearly deserve to be included. With that, here we go with another five albums from Rolling Stone‘s list.
The 1970s were a great time for Linda Ronstadt. Before she became a fixture on the walls of many bedrooms, this 1974 album established her as a rising star with a voice that certainly announces she was no lightweight country(ish) singer. While the album contains a couple of her biggest hits (“You’re No Good” and “When Will I Be Loved — both covers), the album gets a little too twangy for me at times. Don’t get me wrong, I do love Linda’s voice, but I’m mostly a “hits” guy when it comes to her music. So while I don’t disagree with the inclusion of Heart Like a Wheel on this list, it somewhat goes against my personal taste in music. That means, I probably won’t listen to this record again. Or if I do, it’ll be the less twangy songs.
I’m not going to deny Phil Spector’s place in rock history (nor his place in infamy with his murder conviction in 2003), but it’s really difficult for me to find this album “great.” Many of the songs are but taken as a whole, it starts to become a tedious listening experience. The Ronettes’ album that he also produced was a sheer joy to listen to, but this compilation tends to be like a musical resume of singles — where some of the best ones are by, you guessed it, The Ronettes.
Sometimes an artist or band is ahead of their time. That’s the case with The Stooges. Had this been released in 1976-77 instead of 1969, it would have been seen as an instant punk rock classic. Instead, it was panned in the late ’60s. But after listening to it 51 years after its initial release, it doesn’t sound all that dated. Perhaps it’s because the proto-punk sounds that The Stooges created on this album have endured and been adopted by others who walked in their shoes. Is this a great album? Considering what came after it, yes. Because it really framed a genre that has morphed/evolved through the decades — giving start-up bands a musical foundation where the bar to entry is a passion to make something loud and obnoxious.
I rest my case, Your Honor. Of course, I’m just reinforcing the impact The Stooges had on bands that came after them like 1981’s Damaged by Black Flag. This one of those records that’s stood the test of time. Perhaps it’s just a primal sense of rebellion that, to quote from the film Repo Man (where “T.V. Party” was featured), white suburban punks could relate. If you’re not a fan of punk, you’ll find it difficult to hear what makes this album great. I’m a casual fan of the genre, and while some of the songs haven’t aged well, the record fits into my generation’s timeline when alienation, anger, and a sense of economic deprivation seemed to flower — which makes Damaged a good soundtrack for that time.
I used to work for a radio station that would play the crap out “Waiting on the World To Change.” So much so, I really can’t listen to this song without cringing. So, it was with some trepidation that I played this entire album. 2006 seems so long ago when I really take stock of time. And that’s probably a fitting thing because this record is kind of a meditation on time (hence the title). But what of the songs? Well, except for the one mentioned above, my reaction is that it’s a pleasant album, and nothing on it will likely provoke any kind of strong reaction. How can it? It’s a well-recorded effort, the songs kind of float along in the background, and that makes the overall experience like wallpaper for the ears.