Classic Album's Archive

1970 - I am going to start off my classic album of the week column with my favorite album of all time. With John Lennon being my favorite artist of all time I found it only fitting. Plastic Ono Band is a haunting album with Lennon screaming out every emotion he has. Recorded during the height of his primal scream therapy, Lennon's vocals are raw and with the help of Phil Spector's production it makes the album even better. The record starts and ends with songs about Lennon's mother. Mother kicks off the album with great intensity, this is my favorite song on the album. Working Class Hero is a Bob Dylan sounding tune that was directed toward the middle-class folk. God throws Lennon's beliefs into the fire producing another great song. Remember is another of my personal favorites, with its repetitive piano and depressive tone. Well Well Well is a good rock n roller, Love is a poetic ballad, and Isolation brings out Lennon's fears about life. All in all one of the best album's I've ever heard, and my personal favorite. Rating: 5 stars (out of 5)

1969 - Although considered a masterpiece, Abbey Road is usually not hailed and worshiped as two of its predecesors, Revolver and Sgt. Peppers. For me this is the one Beatles album, or any album for that matter, that I would take on a desert island. The songs are strong from all of the Beatles on this album, with Harrison's compostitions being the best of his Beatles days. Something and Here Come the Sun are beautiful ballads that are perhaps the best songs on the album. Lennon's Come Together and I Want You are brilliant rockers and Mcartney shines with Oh Darling and most of the second half medley. Even Ringo's Octopuses Garden isn't half bad. The only dull spot on this album is two short songs that bridge the gap between the first half of the album and the medely. Mean Mr. Mustard and Polythene Pam aren't brilliant songs, but the change in mood is necessary to prepare for the last drive of songs that were the last ever recorded by the fab four. All in all this album mixes everything together nicely and it makes for a fantastic album. The Beatles went out in style.
Rating: 5 stars (out of 5)

1977 - The debate over which of David Bowie's albums is his best is a great one. The problem is that his work is so diverse that it really depends on your taste of music. There are three common albums that come up in this debate: Ziggy Stardust, Hunky Dory, and this one, my pick for his best. Low is an experimentation in mixing guitars and synthesizers. Half of the album consists of short somewhat mainstream rock songs like Sound and Vision and Be My Wife. The first is a brilliant display for the senses and justifies its title, while the second is as close to normal as the album gets. Another great song from the first half and my personal favorite is Always Crashing the Same Car which is a wall of electronic sound behind Bowie's trademark vocals. The other half of the album consists of long, haunting instrumentals that conure up fears in the most mild of music fans. However the songs are quite relaxing and thought-provoking even if the toughts aren't necessarilly of springtime meadows. Half the credit for this album no doubt belongs to its producer and co-writer of many of the songs: Brian Eno. This was the first of three consecutive albums that the two collaborated on and despite what the Heroes fan may tell you, it is also the best. Eno has worked on other great albums such as U2's The Joshua Tree, and here he contibutes his own brand of experimental music ideas to the project and they only add to the complexity and enjoyment of what is a musical journey. Rating: 5 stars (out of 5)

1969 - Upon first hearing this album I was only mildly impressed. But then again I only listened to a few songs at a time. Once I sat down and listened to the whole thing in one sitting I was amazed. While the story about a deaf, dumb, and blind kid, who is a master pinball player and guru to millions may be a little bit absurd, the album flows and is quite enjoyable. What makes the concept work is that the songs are good rock songs. From Amazing Journey, to Pinball Wizard, We're Not Gonna Take It, and the instrumental opener so smuggly called The Overture, all the songs are easy to listen to and enjoy. The brilliance of the songs is that with the exception of a French Horn, no additional instruments were used to over-produce the album and bog it down with too much sound, taking away from the story. The Who wanted to be able to play the entire album live, and they did, all 74 minutes of it straight on hundreds of ocassions. This album isn't just a journey, it's an experience. In order to appreciate this album fully you must have time to listen to it all in one sitting. Bits and pieces of the album won't satisfy the listener as a night at the rock opera.
Rating: 5 stars (out of 5)

1972 - To hear this album is to hear the Rolling Stones at their peak. With three outstanding albums in a row preceeding this one, the boys shacked up in a castle in France to make Exile On Main Street, in my opinion their best. At the time the Rolling Stones were the biggest rock n' roll band in the world and this was their first double album. It features 16 Jagger/Richards classics and 2 covers, this being the second album without band founder Brian Jones. The album is a mix of blues, country and even a taste of soul. Guitar riffs and solos are prominent from both Keith Richards and Mick Taylor. Richards even sings on Happy, a live favorite, which leads us to ask why he doesn't sing on more tracks. Then again, what would Jagger do? The highlights of this album are Loving Cup, Tumbling Dice and the ballads Sweet Virginia and Let It Loose. This album is made for a road trip, as are most of the Stone's albums, but this is their pinnacle. Jagger, Richards and co. have never come close to reaching these heights again, with the exception of Some Girls. So enjoy the best album by one of the greatest rock & roll bands of all time. Rating: 5 stars (out of 5)