Jimmy Smith – Back at the chicken shack (1960)

„Back at the chicken shack“ by Jimmy Smith was recorded in 1960 and released in 1963 by Blue Note.

 

On the original version are 4 tracks with length in the range from 8 to 12 minutes. 

Pros of the album are the walking bass that appears in some of the tracks and the hammond organ which use in Jazz is revolutionized by Smith. 

 

Cons are the long simplicity of the most rhythms, the length of the tracks and that the organ is often dominated into the background by the trumpet. Also the  most trumpet lead parts are not very imaginative and lack easyness. 

 

I think overall this album is pretty weak. I was happy when it was finished. 

Muddy Waters live at newport (1960)

This is another live album in the list and the second live album from the Newport Jazz Festival. It´s the performance of blues musician Muddy Waters. (Why do they invite a blues musician to a jazz festival?) It´s released via MCA and produced by Leonard Chess. The album contains piano, drums, guitars, bass and harmonica.

 

The most songs are pretty fast or mid peaced. You have some songs are nearly rock`n´roll like „(Im your) hoochie coochie man“ or „Baby please don´t go“. The only song that is much slower than the average is „Goodbye newport blues“, but it´s more intensive as an adjustment.

 

What is positive is that the speeches of Waters aren´t to long. 

Overall a nice and amusing album, you should try to give it a listen.

Miriam Makeba – s/t (1960)

Released in 1960 via RCA Victor, Miriam Makeba is the second album of Miriam Makeba.

It´s traditional african singing. Im seriously half of the songs sounds like the song from „The lion king“, except „The naughty little flea“ and „Where does it lead“, „House of the rising sun“ (which sounds like a song from a james bond movie in her interpretation), „Saduva“ is pretty rocking with african lyrics, „One more dance“ which is more a joke than a song.

This album doesn´t get a clear line of song. To much different styles of music on here, even when it have some few nice songs. But to be an album they also have to fit together and a few nice songs aren´t enough.

Joan Baez – self titled debut 1960

Joan Baez self titled debut contains 13 interpretation of classical folk songs (such as „House of the rising sun“). It was recorded in July in the Manhattan Towers Hotel Ballroom and released in November via Vanguard. The album get gold status (even there wasn´t a single put out the album) and reached the billboard charts in 2 years after the release pushed by the sucess of the follow up.

Let´s start with what I like: The first few seconds of „Donna Donna“ and of „Henry Martin“ and „El Preso Número Nueve“ because it´s the only song that differs from the rest.

Now let´s come to the things I didn´t like: The album is monotonous and vocal-based. Joan only plays guitar to serve her singing. You know that I don´t like that. Also all the songs are not original, so I didn´t think that this album deserve to be on this list.

Elvis Presley – Elvis is back (1960)

This is the first studio album of Elvis after he served his two years as a soldier. It´s also his first album to be released in stereo. It reached the top of the UK charts and was recorded in sessions from the 2oth March to the 4th April and released via RCA Victor. 

 

It contain much classic rock `n´roll numbers, nothing special or pretty, just some nice rnr, like „Girl next door went a walking“. It contain also some poppy ballads like „Soldier Boy“ or „Thrill of your love“. Sure that I didn´t like them and find them pretty boring. 

„Fever“ is a cover from a pretty famous song original by Little Willi John.

All in all this album is pretty decent but nothing more. The rock`n´roll tracks are okay but no really standouts, the ballads are dispensable. Only „Reconsider Baby“ can be seen as a innovative song. some kind of proto-psychedelic rock.

The Everly Brothers – A date with the Everly Brothers

„A date with the Everly Brothers“ was released in 1960 by „The Everly Brothers“ and reached no. 9 in US and 3 in UK.

It´s got some pretty mixed songs, some poor ballads like „Thats to much love“, „Always its true“, some classic rock n roll, some rock n roll mixed with country („Made to love“) and with „Baby you want me to do“ a song that is a very pretty Little Richard worship, it´s also the best song on the album. It also contains the world famous song „Love hurts“ which is heavily covered.

The album is pretty short with every song being around the 2 minute mark. 

I think its not such a good rock `n´ roll album, because the songs are not as qualitative as the songs by others of the time and the production doesn´t really supports the music.

Yes – The Yes Album (1971)

Released in 1971 „The yes album“ is the first real progressive rock album of Yes. It was their make it or break it album, since their first two albums which goes more in the beat and psychedelic rock direction flopped and the chef of the label gave them a last ultimatum. 

 

After Peter Banks left after the second album because of the strings on it, the found Steve Howe as a new guitar player who had a major influence in the change of the direction to the prog. 

 

I have to say that I don´t like this. It have some moments, like the Led Zeppelin like Part in „I´ve seen all good people“ but overall this album is just unnecessary playing around while missing to mark highlights like Rush or Kansas do it. 

Bob Dylan – Blonde on blonde (1966)

„Blonde on Blonde is the 7th studio album of Dylan, released in 1966 via Columbia. It reached top spots in the UK(3) and US(9) album charts and also get the double platinum status. 

The album is not a typical Dylan folk album it´s a rock album, but also not a typical. What differs this album from the typical rock album is the intensive use of the harp.  

„Can I crawl out your window“ is very innovative and „I wanna be your lover“ is one of the most famous songs ever. „She´s your lover now“ stands out as worst song on the album.

 

Some songs of the album really get me, some not. Also I can say, this album is not made to lift some weights to it. 

Britpop: Supergrass – I should coco (1995)

„I should coco“ is the debut album from britpop band Supergrass and was released in 1995 by Polophone. It reached the top spot of the UK album charts and platinum.

 

I anticipated some very annoying shit but the first few songs called me a liar with some pretty tight riffs and the yelling „1,2,1,2,3,4“ and the drum intro at the beginning of „I´d like to know“ sounding all in all very similiar to Dead Kennedys (just not so aggressive and pissed).

On „Mansized rooster“ the trouble begins. Some riffs are still pretty cool but the sound start to get worse.

„Alright“ is a classic and I thought at first that it was a cover. 

 

The rest of the album is horrible at best. The guitar tone get´s more and more strange and the riffs annoying, more like some pseudopunk like Blink 182.

 

Overall would it be good if the first 4 tracks were released as an EP. The rest is just pure bullshit.

Eastern import: Khaled – Kenza (1999)

Released in 1999 „Kenza“ is the 4th album of algerian rai musician Khaled, 6 years after he gained some international succes with his single „Didi“. The lyrics are in algerian or french ( C´est la nui) so I can´t even try to say something about them. Only „Imagine“ have some english lyrics but you should allready know them.

 

The album mixes traditional eastern music with western influences like the allready mentioned „C´est la nui“ which sounds like a western pop song or the song „E´dir E´sseba“ which got an 90s popbeat and uses accordeon in the strophe. 

On two songs he featuered female guest singers. Amar on singing a duet with him on „El harba wine“ and Noa on the cover version of John Lennons „Imagine“: It´s abaric first but then switched to english with the phrase „You may say I´m a dreamer […]“ sung by the two together. It got some tears in my eyes, just like the original song sometimes does.

Some of the song remind me very strong on bollywood movies.

All in all I think the album have some moments but I also think that the tracks standing more in an arabian tradition with less western influences are pretty monotonous. I didn´t really like them but anyway I think that it´s ok that this album is inclueded in the 1001 list as a representant for some international known eastern music.